Belkis Teran walked over to the microphone to face almost 100 individuals. Then she spoke. On Saturday, Jan. 18, alongside the stretch of the Atlanta Beltline closest to the Outdated Fourth Ward skatepark, the mom of the late Esteban “Tortugita” Paez Teran shouted “Viva, viva Tortuguita” and “Cease Cop Metropolis.”
Teran, at the moment residing in Panama, flew to Atlanta this weekend to talk at what was being billed as a “Day of Resistance” rally about having religion within the human race and believing that folks can do what’s proper in the event that they work collectively. “Every one among you is vital to me even when I don’t know your lives,” she mentioned. “We’ve got a shared objective. We’ve got to get sturdy, and the best way to get sturdy is to heal.”
Belkis mentioned she has been receiving optimistic messages from individuals in Atlanta by way of her social media accounts and added that she is dedicating the remainder of her life to this motion.
“I feel we’ve got rather a lot to show about his life,” Belkis mentioned of her late son’s life as a member of the resistance to the constructing of the Atlanta Public Security Coaching Heart, extra popularly referred to as “Cop Metropolis.”
Belkis mentioned she admired the best way her son was dedicated to the motion earlier than he was killed by Georgia StatePatrol on January 18, 2023.
Different members of the “Cop Metropolis” resistance have been in attendance and spoke of continuous the work that doesn’t appear to be working. The middle has been constructed for probably the most half and is scheduled to be open to the general public this 12 months.
“This isn’t a time for us to be dismayed or afraid,” mentioned Mary Hooks of the Motion for Black Lives. Hooks mentioned there are individuals at dwelling feeling afraid of what’s to come back after former United States President Donald J. Trump is inaugurated again into workplace on Monday afternoon. “Fascism has been right here, buddies. They’re actually reducing down the lungs of Atlanta.”
“Cease Cop Metropolis” rallies fell off of the entrance web page of native newspapers and out of the A-block of native information packages after the presidential election heated up in mid-summer with the Democratic nomination of United States Vice President Kamala Harris.
Representatives from the Refaat Alareer Cellular Library, which refers to itself as a touring volunteer-run liberation library on its Instagram web page, have been additionally in attendance loaning individuals books. A younger man who solely recognized himself as Keith to The Atlanta Voice was additionally gifting away books, however these books have been from his private library. “I’ve received an excessive amount of stuff,” mentioned Keith, who revealed he plans to maneuver quickly.
Whereas tons of, perhaps hundreds of individuals made their manner up and down the Beltline through the rally, one spectator stood watching with two of Keith’s books now in his possession. Malik Roberts mentioned he was in protest of the upcoming presidential inauguration.
“I’m hers as a result of [expletive] Trump,” he mentioned. “The excellent news is that there are marches like this one occurring everywhere in the nation.”
Much like many “Cease Cop Metropolis” rallies over the previous two years, the matters of curiosity and focus are inclined to shift relying on who you speak to. Belkis, nevertheless, was centered on one factor: her late son’s legacy.
“I’m right here as a result of we have to heal,” she mentioned. “Love is motion. Love is therapeutic.”
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