The Drain 017 - The RICO case against the Stop Cop City 61, with Priscilla Grim

Today we're joined by a very special guest, Priscilla Grim, a dear old friend of Kempa's and one of 61 people facing RICO and terrorism charges by Georgia's Attorney General related to the 2023 protests to stop Atlanta's Cop City--a movement that gained international attention when Georgia officials murdered an unarmed demonstrator named Tortuguita. Now, nearly two years later, prosecutors are finally dragging their flimsy case into court. This isn't Grim's first rodeo. She was a central figure in the 2011 Occupy Wall Street protests in New York City, helping to manage the We Are The 99% blog and publish the Occupied Wall Street Journal (where Grim and Kempa met), and going on Fox News to argue with Sean Hannity about the fight against America's billionaire class. But that doesn't mean the last two years have been easy. After being arrested with five dozen demonstrators by Atlanta police in March 2023, Grim spent over a month behind bars in one of the worst jails in the nation. Now, she and 60 demonstrators are facing the largest RICO case in US history (42 of them, including Grim, are facing terrorism charges as well). Trials are underway for the forest defenders, and Grim--who is a journalist--has been documenting the proceedings (click that link to sign up for her newsletter, and to learn how you can help). To follow Grim's work, or to buy a copy of her zine titled How to Survive Jail, hop over to priscillagrim.com. Don't forget to like, rate, and subscribe to The Drain on your favorite podcast platforms. Questions? Comments? Pitches? Email us at [email protected]. And subscribe to our Patreon for premium Friday episodes of The Plug :) Oh, and we're on Bluesky: @thedrain.bsky.social, @palma.ltd, @yeshelloitskempa.bsky.social