The Fayer Collective is a loosely organized group of Jewish radical anarchists that protest in support of a Palestinian state, against police, and in favor of left-of-center environmentalist goals. ¹ Members operate in Atlanta and have focused on fighting against the construction of a proposed police training center in Atlanta, known by critics as “Cop City.” In a 2020 manifesto, Fayer Collective called its members “Wandering Jews” opposed to capitalism, industrialism – and civilization. ² They cite a variety of inspirations for their work, from Communist labor organizer Emma Goldman to radical Abbie Hoffman to Jesus. ³

In 2019, the Collective signed a group letter including dozens of anarchists, anti-fascists, communists, and labor organizations in demanding protests and boycotts of the Turkish government in opposition to a possible Turkish invasion of the largely Kurdish Rojava region of northern Syria. ⁴

The Fayer Collective website contains several publications discussing and encouraging violence towards law enforcement and destroying property. Targets include not just the “Cop City” site, but the U.S. offices of Israeli arms company Elbit Systems. Some materials referred to the October 7th Hamas terrorist attack as a “surprise offensive,” and expressed support for Palestine Action U.S.’s destructive acts aimed at companies linked to Israel’s military. It republished a map of recommended targets created by Palestine Action U.S. ⁵

“Cop City”

In 2021, the city of Atlanta identified a 400-acre space to the southwest of the city, the former home of the Old Atlanta Prison Farm, to build a new police and fire training center. The plan immediately drew criticism from radical-left groups that opposed the project on the grounds that it would militarize the police force and cause a negative environmental impact on the property and surrounding areas. ⁶

The Fayer Collective observed the “Shmita,” a sabbatical year in the Jewish calendar, by engaging in organized squatting on others’ properties and attempting to interfere with city water supplies. Members later took refuge in the South River Forest where “Cop City” was slated to be built. According to Fayer Collective’s own account, members have built housing in the forest, conducted religious ceremonies and gatherings, and resisted the Atlanta Police’s efforts to evict them. ^{7 8}

In fall 2023, the Collective helped organize and advertise a multi-day mass protest in Atlanta. This event’s organizers encouraged non-violent protests for tactical, not moral, reasons and explicitly refused to say whether violent protests were ever morally right. ⁹ On November 13, 2023, activists set fire to six concrete trucks belonging to a contractor of the “Cop City” project. Fayer Collective retweeted this news approvingly. ¹⁰

Anti-Israel Positions

The Fayer Collective is part of a movement of Jewish anarchists who interpret Judaism through a left wing and anti-Zionist lens. The Collective opposes the Israeli government of Benyamin Netanyahu and is active in the “Free Palestine” movement. After Governor Brian Kemp (R-GA) signed legislation in January 2024 to include antisemitism as a category covered by existing Georgia anti-discrimination laws, Fayer affirmed that it would ignore the “so-called legislation.” ^{11 12}

A key point of contention about “Cop City” for the Collective is alleged assistance of the Israeli police force in Atlanta Police’s efforts to move protestors out of the forest and begin construction on the project. Through the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange (GILEE), Atlanta police officers visit Israel to learn anti-terrorism and crowd control tactics from Israeli police. In turn, Israeli forces will train at the new Georgia training center once it is built. ¹³

In October 2023, college campuses erupted with protests against GILEE’s international work and “Cop City.” On April 25, 2024, Emory University students set up an encampment in the center of campus to protest Emory’s investments in Israeli-affiliated companies and the construction of “Cop City.” Emory’s leadership called in campus police, Atlanta police, and Georgia State Police, who subdued the protesters. ¹⁴ The Fayer Collective’s Twitter account cheered on the protestors and appeared to encourage further violence in July 2024 by saying, “Stop getting arrested on purpose and f*cking fight.” ¹⁵

1. “Shmita Means Total Destroy: A manifesto from the threatened Atlanta forest.” Fayer Collective. JewishCurrents, January 30, 2023. Accessed August 1st, 2024.  https://jewishcurrents.org/shmita-means-total-destroy
2. “From the Ruins of Heaven.” Fayer Collective, May 29th, 2020. Accessed August 1st, 2024. https://fayer.noblogs.org/
3. “Jewish Anarchism.” Shane Burley, Anna Elena Torres, Kenyon Zimmer. Strangers in a Tangled Wilderness. July 2023. Accessed August 1st, 2024. https://www.tangledwilderness.org/features/jewish-anarchism
4.  “Call to Action: Solidarity with Rojava! Against the Turkish Invasion!” It’s Going Down. October 15th, 2019. Accessed August 1st, 2024. https://itsgoingdown.org/call-to-action-solidarity-with-rojava-against-the-turkish-invasion/
5.  “Strategizing for Palestinian Solidarity: expanding the toolkit.” Fayer Collective. November 2023. Accessed August 1st, 2024. https://fayer.noblogs.org/files/2023/11/Fayer-Palestine-booklet.pdf
6.  “Shmita Means Total Destroy: A manifesto from the threatened Atlanta forest.” Fayer Collective. JewishCurrents, January 30, 2023. Accessed August 1st, 2024.  https://jewishcurrents.org/shmita-means-total-destroy
7. “Strategizing for Palestinian Solidarity: expanding the toolkit.” Fayer Collective. November 2023. Accessed August 1st, 2024. https://fayer.noblogs.org/files/2023/11/Fayer-Palestine-booklet.pdf
8. “Shmita Means Total Destroy: A manifesto from the threatened Atlanta forest.” Fayer Collective. JewishCurrents, January 30, 2023. Accessed August 1st, 2024.  https://jewishcurrents.org/shmita-means-total-destroy
9. “Block Cop City Event Schedule.’ Block Cop City. November 10-13, 2023. Accessed August 1, 2024. https://blockcopcity.org/schedule
10. @#StopCopCity on Twitter: “On Nov 13, activists set fire to six concrete trucks…” November 15, 2023. Accessed August 1st, 2024. https://x.com/micahinATL/status/1724837985957392422
11. @FayerAtlanta on Twitter: We will continue to ignore so-called legislation…” February 5, 2024. Accessed August 1, 2024. https://x.com/FayerAtlanta/status/1754552553017094172
12. “Gov. Kemp Signs HB30, Securing Definition for Antisemitism.” Office of the Governor. January 31, 2024. Accessed August 1, 2024. https://gov.georgia.gov/press-releases/2024-01-31/gov-kemp-signs-hb-30-securing-definition-antisemitism
13. Nolan Huber-Rhoades and Matt Scott.“Atlanta students and activists rally in support of Palestine.”  Atlanta Community Press Collective. October 13, 2023. Accessed August 1, 2024. https://atlpresscollective.com/2023/10/13/atlanta-students-and-activists-rally-in-support-of-palestine/
14. Sara Perez. “A Plea for Justice: Reflecting on Emory’s Response to Peaceful Protests.” The Emory Wheel. May 7, 2024. Accessed August 1, 2024. https://emorywheel.com/a-plea-for-justice-reflecting-on-emorys-response-to-peaceful-protests/
15. @FayerAtlanta on Twitter: “Stop getting arrested on purpose…” July 25, 2024. Accessed August 1 2024. https://x.com/FayerAtlanta/status/1816510835063181433