Author Archives: ANNA SIMONTON

FEATURE: The Many Eric Garners of Georgia

bou bou et al

(APN) ATLANTA — The police murders of Mike Brown of Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner of New York may be dominating national headlines–having inspired a diverse national movement against police brutality–but here in Georgia, there has been a long history of the same that has been equally as deserving of concern.   A TIMELINE OF POLICE BRUTALITY AND MURDERS   […]

Read more

Black Lives Matter “Reclaims MLK” with Powerful Parade Takeover

reclaim MLK

(APN) ATLANTA — On Monday, January 20, 2015, Atlanta’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Day parade was imbued with a spirit of resistance this year, as local members of the Black Lives Matter network took action to “Reclaim MLK.”   As protests have continued nationwide, in response to heightened awareness surrounding police murder of young people of color, community leaders […]

Read more

GSU, GPC Fixing to Merge; Leaves Uncertain Future for Many Georgia Students

gsu merger

(APN) ATLANTA — Within the span of one quick agenda item during their meeting on Tuesday, January 6, 2015, the Georgia Board of Regents unanimously voted to bring sweeping changes to Georgia State University (GSU) and Georgia Perimeter College (GPC), by merging them into one school.   The Board also finalized the consolidation of Kennesaw State and Southern Polytechnic and […]

Read more

APD Denies Targeting Organizers of Police Brutality, Occupy Protests

With additional reporting by Matthew Charles Cardinale, News Editor (APN) ATLANTA — Progressive activists are concerned about what they see as Atlanta Police singling out and cracking down on social justice organizers, as protests against state-sanctioned, racist police violence sweep the nation.  They cite three incidents over the last week and a half, including two arrests of organizers Tim Franzen […]

Read more

Atlanta Council Considers Affordable Housing Ordinance Drafted by APN Editor

(APN) ATLANTA — At the Monday, November 24, 2014 Meeting of the Community Development/Human Resources Committee of the City Council of Atlanta, a new proposed ordinance for Affordable Housing Impact Statements received a first reading. APN’s News Editor–the present writer–drafted the ordinance, in consultation with Chairman Andre Dickens (Post 3-at-large), as part of a law school paper, through Gonzaga University […]

Read more

Atlantans Protest Ferguson Grand Jury; 26 Arrested

(APN) ATLANTA — Last week, some twenty-six Metro Atlantans, including two journalists, were arrested, during Atlanta protests in the wake of a grand jury decision not to indict Darren Wilson, the police officer who killed Michael Brown, an unarmed teenager, in Ferguson, Missouri, in August 2014. The decision was announced late Monday, November 24, 2014.  On Tuesday, November 25, thousands […]

Read more

Clayton County Immigrants Thankful for Sheriff Hill’s Practice Changes

(APN) ATLANTA — Immigrants’ rights advocates in Georgia celebrated two major victories in recent days.  First, on Wednesday, November 19, 2014, Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill’s office announced it will no longer detain undocumented immigrants longer than usual in order for U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to apprehend and deport them. The following day, U.S. President Barack Obama announced […]

Read more

MARTA Workers Fight Privatization of Paratransit, Face Retaliation (UPDATE 1)

(APN) ATLANTA — On Thursday, November 06, 2014, the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Atlanta Regional Transit Authority is likely to greenlight a bidding process for private contractors to take over MARTA Mobility, the paratransit service for elders and people with disabilities.   The Amalgamated Transit Union, representing well over half of MARTA’s full-time workers, has escalated efforts to […]

Read more

Young Activists Blockade I-75/85 in Ferguson Solidarity Action

By Anna Simonton, Staff Writer (October 27, 2014) (APN) ATLANTA — On Wednesday, October 22, 2014, activists shut down four lanes of northbound traffic on I-75/85 for more than half an hour.  The action was part the 19th annual National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality, Repression, and the Criminalization of a Generation. It was also part of a […]

Read more

Atlanta Police Arrest Fast Food Workers Fighting for a Living Wage

By Anna Simonton, Special to The Atlanta Progressive News (APN) ATLANTA — Ten fast food workers were arrested on Thursday, September 04, 2014, after blocking one lane of traffic on Ponce de Leon Avenue, near Boulevard, in an act of civil disobedience.   The action was intended to pressure their employers to pay a living wage and allow workers to […]

Read more
1 5 6 7