A protester’s cap reads “RESIST”. Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice Atlanta took part in the national “Free America Walk Out,” which is calling on Americans to leave school or work in defiance of the direction the country is heading under the current leadership. Occurring on J an. 20, the one-year anniversary of the start of Trump’s second term, dozens of people gathered at the State capital in solidarity to disagree with the current administration’s policies and agendas. Armed and masked law enforcement officers are seen smashing car windows, yanking people from vehicles, and chasing and wrestling others to the ground, hauling them away. The most recent event was an ICE agent shooting and killing Renee Good in Minneapolis, according to the Associated Press. Additionally, to the massive ICE presence in many cities, the walkout also draws attention to strikes in Venezuela. The Trump Administration claims this was to help reduce the flow of drugs coming into the U.S. Other benefits were also mentioned, such as greater control of oil, according to the Associated Press. To bring attention to what’s happening across the nation, like the “No Kings” protests from this summer, the nationwide walkout wants to “make visible how much our labor, participation, and cooperation are taken for granted and what happens when we withdraw them together.” Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice Chants of “No ICE in our streets,” “No Justice, No Peace,” “We built these streets,” and “If we don’t get it, shut it down,” echoed through the streets in the cold, windy weather. Many protesters held up signs that took bold, boisterous stances such as “My son is not your toy soldier,” “Remember Renee Good (who was killed by ICE),” “Free Palestine,” “We Stand with Venezuela,” and more. Norcross resident Tim Andrease and his wife said they came to take part as Christian believers. Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice “We need to stand up for freedom, for tolerance, and for the real teachings of Jesus Christ of tolerance and liberation and all the best part of what a healthy soul experiences, we want to bring this goodness through our words and through our presence,” he said. Andrease also said they’re hoping this is the beginning of a more generalized operation of doing what John Lewis counseled them to do to make “good trouble”, especially by leaving the workplace, using our power to show those who stand up for democracy are also those who are supporting the economy. “Without the support for democracy, there is no support for the economy here,” he said. Jazz Groves, a member of the Louisville chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America in Kentucky, visited Atlanta to take part in walkout protests. Groves also emphasized the importance of solidarity and physical presence in activism, criticizing the tendency towards “clicktivism.” Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice “I think it’s important to stand in solidarity with people who are in your community, even with people outside of your community, and to show up and do something,” she said. “In this era, we are in right now, it’s getting better, but sometimes we fall into a little bit of clicktivism, just like doing things from the comfort of our home, and it’s important to show up and show out. I’m really hoping that, like this is small, but I hope in the future, things get even bigger and even better.” Groves said she learned about the protests through 5051 Kentucky and decided to join while visiting family in Atlanta, highlighting the significance of community action and the hope for future, larger, more impactful protests. The post ‘We Built These Streets’: National ‘Free America Walkout’ takes place in Atlanta appeared first on The Atlanta Voice. ...read more read less