Meeting at Tent City to Plan May Day Action

Activists from the Atlanta Jobs With Justice and GA J20 coalitions met Thurs. 4/6 at the tent city at 755 Hank Aaron Drive. Turner Field neighbors fighting displacement and supporters from the Housing Justice League and Ga. State U. student groups have been camped out there for some days now despite rain and cold, demanding that the Turner Field developer and GSU sign a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) which the affected communities have been working on since the stadium changed hands (#TentCityATL). (MADSA is a member and/or supporter of all these coalitions and groups.)

The lively meeting of activists moved forward on plans to hold a joint day of action on May Day/International Workers Day on issues ranging from immigrant rights to neighborhood rights to the fight for a $15/hr minimum wage for City of Atlanta workers. The groups will hold a rally in front of City Hall at 11 am on Monday, May 1, then join a City Council meeting scheduled for 1 pm (#MAYDAYATL).

Coalition members will prepare for the May 1 actions with a speak-out/teach-in at 2pm the previous day, Sunday April 30, in Rev. James Orange Park, 1305 Oakland Drive, Atlanta 30310 (everyone welcome!). The program will include a presentation by MADSA about the history of May Day and a reprise of last year’s popular theater piece presenting historic heroes and heroines of U.S. labor. See also AtlJwJ.org and previous stories on GA J20 and MADSA’s tour of neighborhoods resisting displacement and gentrification.