On the night of June 12, 2020, Atlanta police officers murdered Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old Black man, at a Wendy’s in south Atlanta, Georgia. This took place immediately following the high point of the countrywide uprising in which people responded to the murders of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Breonna Taylor in Louisville, and countless other Black people around the United States. In response, a new wave of protest and revolt broke out across Atlanta, in which the Wendy’s burned to the ground. Armed Black demonstrators occupied the site of the Wendy’s, mourning for Rayshard Brooks and seeking to create spaces of Black empowerment.
Originally published by Crimethinc.
Ahead of the anniversary of the George Floyd uprising, we present We Are Now, a film centering the voices of participants in the occupation of the Wendy’s. We hope that this will help to pass on the memories of some of the forms of courageous resistance to white supremacy and policing that took place in 2020, along with the lessons that people derived from their experiences. None of the struggles depicted in this documentary are concluded. Let’s learn from the past and prepare for the next chapter.
Content warning: this film shows lethal police violence and resistance to it.
We Are Now: The Story of an Armed No-Cop Zone in Atlanta.
Further Reading and Action
- At the Wendy’s: Armed Struggle at the End of the World
- The Cop-Free Zone: Reflections from Experiments in Autonomy around the US
- 23 Days: Stories from the Occupation of the Wendy’s Where Rayshard Brooks Was Killed (Sadly, this piece dignifies the words of a state-employed professional liar, but besides that, there are some valuable accounts.)
To show solidarity to those still fighting in Atlanta today, you can support the following projects:
- the Atlanta Solidarity Fund, (also on twitter and Instagram)
- the Atlanta Anti-Repression Committee, (also on twitter and Instagram)
- and Atlanta Jail Support (also on twitter here and here).
