September 8, 2023
During the last week of action in Atlanta, some of us sabotaged various parts of Norfolk Southern's rail infrastructure on the outskirts of the city. Norfolk Southern is one of Cop City's funders.
1. We set fire to a signal box by cutting the lock with bolt cutters, stuffing the box with dried pine needles and trash, and lighting a road flare.
2. We disabled another signal box by cutting the lock with bolt cutters, lighting two fireworks held together with tape, and shutting the door of the box with fireworks inside.
3. We connected the rails with a set of jumper cables to signal a blockage on the track to be cleared.
The actions were simple and unsurveilled. More experimentation is needed to see if this actually stops or delays trains. That is the main reason we have waited until now to claim this action. But it certainly cost Norfolk Southern money, and that's better than nothing. Our original intent was not propaganda of the deed, but to cause economic harm. However, in light of the recent RICO charges, we realized that people might need a little encouragement on how to respond. Norfolk Southern owns and operates many railroads across the country east of the Mississippi.
The best defense is a strong offense!
Originally Posted on Scenes from the Atlanta Forest