Stopping Cop City: Água's Story - a podcast by Avery Smith

Água (they/them) shares the story of their lifelong relationship with Weelaunee Forest, whose leaves form the second half of the lungs that begin in Água's own body. After discussing the Stop Cop City movement's past and present, Água guides us through abolishing the cop in our own head; recognizing the interconnectedness and sacredness of all bodies; and breaking down binaries of "us" versus "them."

Check out Água's own podcast, The Somatic Scribing Podcast, ⁠here or wherever you get podcasts⁠.

Click here for an episode transcript.

Click here for information about the call to gather at Atlanta City Hall on May 15.

Find out about the new, nonviolence-focused Stop Cop City movement space here.

Consider donating to the Atlanta Solidarity fund here.

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Talking Points:

(0:00) Call to action

(2:10) Introducing Água: a queer, Chicanx, trans parent who's spent most of their life in Atlanta on Muscogee territory

(7:10) Água's intimate relationship with Weelaunee Forest; burnout from organized activism that has little room for spirituality

(14:54) Personal spiritual journey; the principles of healing an individual body can be used to heal communal bodies & cultures; the root of Cop City conflict is a disregard for the sacred of Black & Indigenous bodies and of the ecosystem

(22:30) Where does abolition live inside your body? How do you remove the cop in your head?

(26:45) Discussing current ongoing with Cop City — forest entry blocked, clear-cutting; history of the Atlanta Way

(33:14) How and why to get involved

(40:07) How queerness manifests as a liberation practice; nature is really gay; interconnectedness of all life

(43:35) How do we break down binaries built from trauma in our activism? Rehabilitating ex-police?

(50:44 - end) Água's closing blessing; Água's podcast

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This show's theme song is "Aetherium" by Leah Horn. This episode also makes use of "Lullaby for Democracy" by Doctor Turtle.

Further episodes of Blessed Are the Binary Breakers

Further podcasts by Avery Smith

Website of Avery Smith