Students Rock n’ Role for Anti-Cop Action
Becca Boynton | February 9, 2023
On Feb. 4, Warren Wilson College (WWC) student bands gathered for a concert fundraiser in Kitteridge Music Hall. At 6 p.m., students and band members gathered to support the Defend the Atlanta Forest campaign. Shirtless Laser Tag Cowboy Party (S.L.T.C.P.), Shell Run, Milkrat, Deep Water Treatment and Evan Newcity performed.
Entering the building, students were met with a table full of flyers and resources on the campaign and where to donate — which was not required but heavily encouraged. Donations were directed entirely toward Defend the Atlanta Forest campaign, a movement seeking to stop an arranged mauling of 300 acres of the Weelaunee forest in Atlanta.
The Atlanta Police Department and major film production companies are planning to destroy and pave over acres of sacred land. The forest remains one of Atlanta’s largest green areas, with a history dating back to the 1800s when the land was taken from the Muscogee tribe.
Furthermore, the land is rich in wildlife. The forest is an important migration site for wading birds and is a breeding ground for amphibians. Destroying the forest will eradicate the life that relies on it the most.
The concert was advertised throughout WWC campus and social media as an event aiming to raise money to support the Atlanta Forest. However, many students found themselves learning about the campaign upon arrival. Catherine Tsarouhtsis, a WWC sophomore, spoke about how she did not know it was a campaign concert.
“It’s been interesting,” Tsarouhtsis said. “I honestly didn’t know what it was for before coming.”
Nevertheless, attendees gathered and listened to music, danced and witnessed a renowned monologue on Milkrat. Whether knowing the intention or not, a crowd formed in support of the restless people fighting to protect the Weelaunee forest.