Howard County Youth leaders rally at the George Howard Building to call for a #GreenNewDeal.
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The funeral march departs the US Capitol, bound for the Columbus monument at Union Station and the Chinatown shopping area
On the 29th of November, as other stormed the shopping malls with nothing but holiday plunder on their minds, the weekly #FireDrillFridays climate/fossil fuels protest at the US Capitol morphed into a funeral march for young activist's futures. Teenage speakers reminded everyone that scientists now say there is only a decade left to avoid irreversible climage chaos-and that failure to act may destroy their future lives.
Video-a stirring song at the starting rally, the funeral march, and die-in at the Columbus monument 2 min 51 sec
Video-a representative of the Piscataway Nation speaks at the start of the US Capitol rally 3 min 46 sec
On the 25th of November, yet another group of protesters showed up at Trump Hotel demanding he be impeached and removed from office. This group emphasized his use of the White House for personal gain, a crime that prior to the current century would have led to a bipartisian vote to remove him from office. In the current "Party Uber Alles" situation anything can happen.
On the 19th of November, a group of hunger strikers from Extinction Rebellion set up shop in the cafeteria used by the Montgomery County council. They demanded the council back up its words on climate emergency with actual deeds which so far have been lacking. This cooincides with Extinction Rebellion's hunger strike in Nancy Pelosi's office also demanding serious measures on climate change.
Video interview with one of the hunger strikers 5 min 34 sec
Police line at G st holding furious protesters two blocks away from Erdogen's E st exit from the White House
On the 13th of November, as public impeachment hearings started, Donald Trump welcomed Turkish dictator Erdogan to the White House. This is while Turkish troops occupy part of Norther Syria and are destroying Kurdish towns. Outside the meeting, Kurdish and antifascist protesters banged drums, chased away pro-Erdogan provocateurs, and attempted to cut off Erdogan's escape route from the meeting.
Video featuring confrontations with Erdogen supporters, a YPG veteran's speech, and pursuing Erdogan's motorcade 7 min 19 sec
The lead of the march stopped at Trump Hotel for some public shaming
On the 8th of November, #RemoveTrump joined forces with Jane Fonda's #FireDrillFridays for a massive pro-impeachment march from the US Capitol to the White House. A sit-in was staged there but no reports of arrests at this writing.
Video: the Capitol Police interference, scene at Trump Hotel, arrival at White House 5 min 38 sec
Local News
I write this as one of many thousands of US residents driven from their homes by full-on, hard authoritarian government response to the coronavirus pandemic. On Monday, the 30th of March, Maryland Governor Hogan imposed one of the most severe stay at home orders in the entire US, brazenly threatening residents with prison if they left home for any but a few reasons. With hours until it went into effect, I hurredly packed up the things I care about the most and escaped from MD with hours to spare.
If you notice that there is looting in your area, get to the action quickly, even if you don't want to take part yourself. Arrived there (without order of precedence): 1. exhorts all those who go in to put on masks (!) and gloves for their own safety (G20 sends its regards) 2. immediately destroys all alcohol, especially hard alcohol Drunken aggressive crowds have a tendency to endanger their immediate surroundings (especially drunken groups of men *cough*). Many riots have also fallen asleep due to too much alcohol in the truest sense of the word. 3.
Some car traffic but relatively few people on foot
On the 26th of March, the swarm of cops and occasional National Guard vehicles were gone from the Tidal Basin area, but the cherry blossoms were still out. With very few people present beyond some car traffic it was an utterly safe time for the few who braved reports of the Mayor calling out the Guard over the cherry blossoms and got to see them in privacy.
Video-"private showing" of Haines Point cherry blossoms after Mayor Bowser withdraws National Guard 1 min 34 sec
Park Police at cherry blossom roadblock on March 22. National Guard to be added to these(Photo by Darcy Spencer via Twitter)
Video-scenes near the Tidal Basin on 3-25 after cops, guard called out
Update March 23 early AM:Mayor Bowser orders National Guard as well as MPD to block access by cars AND by bike/pedestrians to cherry blossom areas excluding some parts of Constitution Ave. Cops failed, they send in the Guard. Same pattern as Europe and Middle East.
Update March 22: MPD closes Tidal.Basin streets thinking no cars allowed will make people stay home, not go in on foot and create still denser crowds.
Luke sings about "Toilet Paper Zombies" 17 sec
Your favorite antifa Luke on the toilet paper crisis. "Toilet paper zombies" seem to think they will benefit from a 6 month stockpile of toilet paper against a possible 2-week quarantine. Coronavirus does NOT cause diarrhea folks!
Chelsea Manning has just been released from jail after defeating the second grand jury to attempt to question her. Any attempt to subpeona her to a 3ed grand jury will now run afound of coronavirus restrictions on court activities. Chelsea has won, and grand jury prosecutors have lost.