3 DAYS AGO

Bank is Burned “for revenge against capital for the hell it creates”

Early on December 31, 3:15 am on the corner of 37th and Hawthorne, a bank burned. No injuries were reported and the Portland Fire Investigations Unit is still investigating the cause of the fire. But responsibility has been claimed in an anonymous blog post.

The day after the bank was burned, a person claiming to be the person who set the fire sent a message through a blog asserting his responsibility for burning the bank. His statement about the act was published on January 1, 2023 on Scenes from the Atlanta Forest blog.

He said, “Last night I broke into a Bank of America in Portland, Oregon and started a large fire. According to news reports, the fire grew quickly and took firefighters more than an hour to extinguish.


I attack for revenge against capital for the hell it creates, to break the illusion of police control that usually protects it, and just because I can.

Bank of America funds the Atlanta Police Foundation and a thousand other projects of control. Earlier that day, the six friends in Atlanta charged with “domestic terrorism” were released from jail. May this fire bring them some warmth in winter.

Long live anarchy!”

The bank burner says they attacked the bank in part “just because I can.” The person also claims to be motivated to attack the bank for revenge against capital for the hell it creates” and for funding the Atlanta Police Foundation and other “projects of control.” The person also claims the bank burning is a gesture of solidarity for “six friends in Atlanta charged with ‘domestic terrorism’ the bank burning in Portland Oregon was meant to “bring them some warmth in winter.”

Six people were charged with domestic terrorism for trying to stop the construction of an Atlanta police training center in the Weelaunee forest. Protesters have been holding demonstrations for months against the development. Protesters have surrounded the trees to protect the forest and camped out to try to halt the development of the $90 million construction, funded by the Atlanta Police Foundation. The protesters don’t want the expensive project to continue, which would require cutting down many trees and it would contribute to strengthening the police state in Atlanta. The protesters call the forest-killing project “Cop City.” Six of the protesters from the “Defend The Atlanta Forest” movement were arrested on December 13 and granted bond on December 27.

Just a few days before the bank burned, on December 27, another blog on the Scenes from the Atlanta Forest website talked about those six people who were facing charges and the blog expressed solidarity with them.

The blog post says, “6 comrades in Atlanta Georgia that were arrested and charged most notably, with domestic terrorism while defending Weelaunee forest from capital development and state violence. We stand militantly against capital interest to further the rapid gentrification of South Atlanta and development of the entertainment industry. We stand militantly against the states interest in providing tactical training to its agents (as well as international agencies) to repress growing opposition movements that will be forthcoming as a by product of the disintegration of capitalism and state legitimacy. We hope this small act of solidarity kindles a fire and rage in others to stare into the eyes authoritarians, fascists, and oligarchs alike, and to negate them by any means necessary.

Cop city will never be built.”

The blog post included photos of banner drops in Asheville with supportive messages. One reads, “Stop Cop City” with an anarchist symbol and “ATL 6.”

There have been banners like these dropped around the country, from Georgia to Oregon. Banners were dropped at the Bank of America half-marathon in Chicago on June 5, 2022, to protest the Bank of America contributing harm to the climate and financing the police training facility or “Cop City” that will cause destruction in the Weelaunee Forest

Banners along the race route say things like “this run funds Deforestation Stop Cop City” another sign says “B of A is deforesting Atlanta what will they do to Chicago? Stop cop city” another sign says “Run away from fossil fuels & cops” and “B of A funds climate chaos.”

The bank burner who is claiming revenge against Bank of America is still being searched for and remains anonymous. Officials are still investigating the cause of the fire and looking for the person or people of interest.

Photo by Adam Wilson on Unsplash