The Stop Cop City campaign saw an evolution in protest and direct action. It brought together movements that spanned issues, political philosophies, strategic approaches and tactics. The state responded with unbridled violence (killing one forest defender) and harsh legal repression (charging 61 others with “domestic terrorism”). It saw coalitions of black led community groups, big environmental groups and anti-authoritarian direct action loosely join together to resist the state.
Listen in:
In a part two of two, Scott talks with Prof. Joseph Brown about the future of protest after the Stop Cop City moment. They discuss the status of the project, dive deep into the repression that forest defenders are facing and talk about the evolution of non-violence strategies.
Bio//
Joseph M. Brown (@josephmbrown.bsky.social) is an associate professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Author of “Stop Cop City!—Understanding the Strategic Choices of Protest Movements” in “Terrorism and Political Violence.” His work focuses on political conflict, including protest, state repression, and terrorism. His first book, “Force of Words: The Logic of Terrorist Threats” and his second book will be on environmental activism, particularly the use of direct action tactics.
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