Video of the noise protest motorcade 1 min 10 sec
On the 8th of April, a noisy car caravan took to the streets of DC, demanding that all prisoners in the DC Jail and in Central Cell Block be released immediately so they don't contract the deadly COVID-19 coronavirus.
On the 7th of April, MD Governor Hogan's spokesman Mike Ricci brazenly tweeted that cops in MD have made 15,000 "compliance checks" related to Gov Hogan's stay at home order, made 14 arrests,and issued 665 warnings. Over 50 of the warnings went to MD residents at their homes. This is heavy-duty "health Fascism" well beyond events in other states, and related more to power than to actual virus concerns.
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.
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
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.
Video: Early portions of the DC Bike Party-and ugly reality on way home 2 min 28 sec
On the 11th of March, a pandemic of fear could not stop the DC Bike Party's Gender Equality Ride from taking to the streets. Organizers warned riders to leave some distance between each other, but also reminded everyone that the ride is outdoors and thus well ventiliated. The ride was a success, and was seemingly the busiest traffic in otherwise near-empty streets
Video: highlights of the speakers 5 min 31 sec
On the 11th of March, members of the Apache nation and their allies rallied on Capitol Hill to support the Save Oak Flat Act. This bill would revoke the 2015 "stealth approval" of a land transfer to make possible the proposed Rio Tinto/Resolution Copper copper mine would would destroy Apache sacred land at Oak Flat.
On the 9th of march, opponents of the death penalty and racist Alabama "justice" system held a vigil to remember Nathaniel Woods. He was executed for a 2004 killing of three cops in a crackhouse in spite of another person being convicted of the same killing stating he acted alone and flat-out evidence of innocence.
https://www.yahoo.com/gma/nathaniel-woods-execution-cast-scrutiny-alabam...
Update March 9:Senators Ted Cruz and Paul Goser in self-quarantine after CPAC
For a long time both AIPAC and CPAC have spread hate and violence. This year, it seems they may have spread something else too. The Washington Post has reported two positive test results for the COVID-19 coronavirus at last week's AIPAC convention, and a third from the Feb 26-28 CPAC convention.
On the 5th of March, the Kremlin Annex protesters were out again, this time with their lighted letters condemning Trump for minimizing the covid-19 coronavirus mess. Due to the Park Service's recent demands for a PAID sound permit, they were again on the H St sidewalk.
Video-the entire protest 1 min 25 sec
On the 4th of March, supporters of First Nations Wet'su'weten land defenders disrupted a speech by Canada's minister of transportation Marc Carneau at a "Gresat Lakes Day" reception at the Canadian Embassy. His job makes him responsible for all that railroad shipping that has been halted in so-called Canada by Indigenous and other allies of the Wet'su'weten, who are fighting to block the Coastal Gaslink Pipeline.
"Der Trumpenfuhrer" has demanded that Supreme Court justices Sotomayor and Ginsberg recuse themselves from all cases involving him, the Trump Organization, or by extension any of his policies including his racist "Make America White Again" border policies. On the 2nd of March, protesters showed up in front of the Supreme Court to oppose this demand. It was called dictatorial and contrary to the US Constitution, which one speaker said Trump "may or may not have" read.
On the 28th of Feb, Trump's warmongering Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addresssed the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Before he started, US Capitol police forcibly removed Code Pink protesters who were demaning peace with Iran. Four Code Pink members were arrested.
Video of protest inside TC Energy's building in DC 2 min 17 sec
On the 27th of February, supporters of the Wet'su'weten First Nations people resisting the Coastal Gaslink pipeline protested inside the lobby of the office building housing TC Energy's(formerly TransCanada's) DC lobbying office.
Activists attempted to deliver an eviction notice on behalf of the Wet'su'weten hereditary chiefs to TC Energy. Security claimed nobody from DC Energy was in the office, this was presumed to be a lie.
The 25th of Feb was the last day of the Department of the Interior's public comment hearings on Trump's proposal to gut the National Environmental Policy Act(NEPA). This is the law requiring such things as environmental impact statements for major projects. Trumps' proposal was called a "fox in the henhouse" as it would allow corporations to gain control of this process. This would turn the EPA into another FERC.
On the 24th of Feb, the US Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the appeal of a lower court ruling forbidding the (fracked gas) Atlantic Coast Pipeline from crossing under the Appalacian Trail. Outside protesters demanded the Court reject the pipeline and ignore the whining from fossil fuel industry attorneys.
Video: BXE disrupt FERC, a protesters is dragged out the door 1 min 22 sec
On the 20th of Feb, Beyond Extreme Energy disrupted FERC's monthly pipeline and gas/oil facility permit issuing meeting. Twelve protesters were dragged out of the meeting. The protest delayed the start of the meeting and had the further effect of forcing a delay of Jordan Cove LNG export terminal permit decision.
