Industrial Workers of the World - Atlanta GMB

Atlanta GMB Statement on the Planned Execution of Troy Davis

x360048 — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 21:16:36 +0000

Troy Anthony Davis is obviously the most innocent man on the face of this earth.

Yet he continues to face down his executioner. There is no physical evidence against him. No court testimony which is not tainted by obvious bias. No doubting that Sylvester Coles, one of those to testify in court and one of the few who did not recant his testimony, identified that he himself was the shooter.

In our world innocence is a thing which must be proven, like in the old days of the Napoleonic Code of Law, as during the days of kings and queens and dungeon-and-cudgel justice. Until then, we are guilty.

The Atlanta Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World stands in solidarity with Troy Davis and his family. We call for the indefinite stay of his death sentence, and the death sentences of all those imprisoned by the laws of a country which prosecutes innocence by the testimony of the guilty. We call for his immediate release, without exception, without hesitation, and without doubt.

The IWW demands that the State of Georgia will recognize the impermissible and unacceptable nature of the “evidence” and testimony submitted in court against him. We stand not just for the very serious and well-documented questions that exist about Troy Davis’ guilt; we stand for common decency, common justice, and common sense.

There are some things that the state of Georgia is guilty of itself: the worst history in the nation of executing and lynching innocent black people is one. It is a very old, hallowed tradition and we should like to see its continuance brought to an end. The State, too, is guilty of having the seventh highest rate of capital punishment convictions in the country. We call for an immediate end to this. We call for an end to all this vulgarity that is advanced as justice in this country. We call for all such poisons as pentobarbital and sodium thiopental to be neutralized, made harmless, and discarded.

The IWW intends to continue to march in solidarity with those in support of Troy Davis up to his planned execution date of Wednesday, September 21st, and beyond. We lock arms with those who call him friend, brother, son, and lover and expect to welcome him back into our midst any day now, when the conscience and good reason of those who detain him finally gives way to the plain notion that those who are innocent are not guilty, too.

We stand definitively and decidedly against those, like U.S. District Judge William T. Moore Jr., who will condemn Mr. Troy Anthony Davis to his death by the statement:

“Troy Davis is not innocent.”

If this is not innocence, indeed, and if this is what not-innocence deserves, perhaps we are all guilty.

The IWW is Troy Davis, too.

In Solidarity,
The Atlanta General Membership Branch of The Industrial Workers of the World.

Atlanta GMB Celebrates New Charter

x360048 — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 04:14:40 +0000

Fellow workers, comrades, unionists, socialists, anarchists and a veritable gaggle of other local Atlantans, bent all of their own fashion someway Leftward, gathered together this past Saturday for the Industrial Workers of the World branch party. The stupendously successful fundraiser had people dancing, drinking, and singing along the whole night through to the sweet sounds of Grand Prize Winners From Last Year, I Want Whiskey, and Flex Your Head. Fresh food was served off the grill and donations were accepted in front, where t-shirts, literature, and a variety of other informative merchandise were on offer.

The house was packed with an estimate of around 60 people at the height of the event and the entire undertaking netted close to $300 for the branch! Thanks to May, owner of Cabbagetown barbershop The Cut, for renting the space to the IWW and thanks to all those who showed and participated in Atlanta’s first Wobbly funding event.

There was a lot of discussion by attendees between musical acts. Among the most important questions at hand were: Can and when will leftwing groups, including members of the ISO, Teamsters, various unions, the IWW, and social activist and student groups, articulate an operative and all-inclusive umbrella network that can be mobilized in times of specific need or crisis? What is the easiest and best way to contact and motivate members of society who would consider themselves of the non-participating mainstream of the culture so as to incite large-scale change during a crisis? What’s the best way to organize nonprofit work places and other nonunion public shops? To what extent should workers’ movements be involved in electoral politics on a state or national level, if at all?

“If we unite and stay conscious and fight together,” said IWW delegate, “who can stop us? It’s workers who have changed society for the better -- common people -- and no one else.” The crowd called back in agreement, joined hands, and sung in unison Ralph Chaplin’s classic ‘Solidarity Forever.’ The group later gathered together for photographs around the framed and newly issued branch charter which was printed on authentic hundred-year-old Wobbly paper.

Organize the South!! Atlanta Regional Organizer Training, June 3-4

x344543 — Sat, 13 May 2006 05:28:00 +0000

Organize the South!! Atlanta Regional Organizer Training

The Atlanta IWW Group and the Organizer Training Program of the IWW invite you to a regional training on the weekend of June3-4 teaching the skills and concepts used in organizing your workplace or organizing strategic campaigns in your community. All Southern IWW members or interested people are invited to attend.

Atlanta, GA Organizer Training

Saturday, June 3rd, 9am-5pm and Sunday, June 4th, 10am-2pm

To RSVP or for more info conact:

Keith, Training Coordinator: (404) 992-7240 or [email protected]

This is what FBI harassment looks like

x344543 — Sun, 29 Jan 2006 07:46:00 +0000

By Tabitha Chase - Industrial Worker, February 2006

When I awoke on March 17, 2005, I checked my phone and found that I had five calls from three different phone numbers that I did not recognize. All of them were from special agent Dante Jackson of the FBI stating that I “had to call him back.” I immediately called my friend and attorney Ken Driggs, gave him the name of the agent and numbers, and asked him to find out what these calls were about. He called back later that day saying that they “were demanding a compulsory interview, and that should I refuse to schedule one or fail to show up, they would come and pick me up.” We scheduled the appointment for the following day.