Brasfield & Gorrie site shut down by activists with “sleeping dragons”

written and directed by Nolan Huber-Rhoades
cinematography by Lev Omelchenko and Lorin Dent

This article was updated to include additional information on the term “sleeping dragon”

Monday, two activists using reinforced pipes locked themselves to construction equipment at the 12th and Juniper Brasfield & Gorrie work site in Midtown. Bike locks blocked vehicle entrances, interrupting construction for several hours. 

Activists targeted the site hoping to pressure Brasfield & Gorrie to end their role as the lead contractor for the controversial Atlanta Public Safety Training center, known by most as Cop City. 

Atlanta Police arrived on the scene two hours after the activists began their lockdown. Wearing Brasfield & Gorrie construction helmets, officers spent four hours extracting the activists from the site, which required sawing through the reinforced pipes police incorrectly called “sleeping dragons”. That term was originally used to describe a tactic employed by the Earth First movement in which similar devices were hidden at target locations sometimes months in advance. There is no evidence to suggest the devices used Monday were previously hidden.

Both activists were arrested and charged with misdemeanor trespassing and released the next day, each on a $3,000 bond. 

In addition to being the lead contractor for Cop City, Brasfield & Gorrie pledged to donate over $1 million to the Atlanta Police Foundation, the entity behind the project. Brasfield & Gorrie Division Manager Justin Rannick also sits on the Foundation’s advisory board. 

Local activist and labor organizer, Mariah Parker believes the community will not allow Brasfield & Gorrie to get away with this level of collaboration with the Atlanta Police Foundation. Parker is confident this action is the beginning of a targeted, decentralized campaign of direct actions to stop work at Brasfield and Gorrie offices and construction sites.  

“Brasfield & Gorrie should expect disruptions at their worksites everywhere, and anytime,” Parker said, “People of good conscience will continue taking action against Brasfield & Gorrie until they join the host of other contractors who have cut ties with Cop City.”