Early AM on the 12th of June, a gunman swearing alliegance to Daesh (ISIS) shot up a Gay bar in Orlando, FL, killing over 50 people and wounding over 50 more. A second attack was defeated in California when the attacker ran afoul of police. In defiance of the attacks, hundreds of thousands showed up at DC's Capitol Pride festival, the second day of a two-day event.
On the 11th of June, the Clarendon Cup bicycle race returned to the streets of Arlington, VA. This particular running was unusual in that a large team breakaway got away very early and lapped the field while the race was less than half over. As the race continued smaller breaks-and a solo rider-managed to escape the main peleton and lap the field themselves, thus getting back into contention and preventing the race from being effectively over.
The 6th of June was the first day of Metro's emergency "Safe Track" repair program. Construction is being done in a staged manner and started with only delays and not the coming closures. This still put enough extra cars on the road to put some intersections dangerously close to literal gridlock, as some drivers got caught in the intersections as lights changed. Drivers are told to never, ever enter the intersection until there is room to get back out of it, but will disregard this if they fear turning cars will otherwise take the space.
On the 27th of May, Heather Doyle was convicted of filing a "false" police report for truthfully complaining about being dragged by police from the Feb 3, 2015 crane sit against Dominion's gas export manner in an unsafe manner. She also truthfully objected in that complaint to being assaulted by police.
On the 27th of May, a Critical Mass bike ride took to the streets of DC with well over 50 riders. Although nowhere near the size of the DC Bike Parties that can attract up to 600 riders, the Critical Mass rides are still taking place. They began in late 2001 and currently leave Dupont Circle shortly after 8PM on the last Friday of every month, the international day of Critical Mass rides. They have changed much since their anarchist and antiwar origins in DC back in 2001, but the core concept of a swarm of bikers taking to the streets remains.
On the 23ed of May, the first verdict in the six cases against the police who murdered Freddie Grey was announced. As expected, Officer Edward Nero was found "Not Guilty" by a judge. He declined to face a jury for his crimes, choosing a bench trial instead. Protesters outside the courthouse were told by cops they had to "float," permitted to use neither the street nor the sidewalk. The Baltimore Bloc reported one violent arrest.Edward Nero was charged with assault for detaining Michael Brown without justification, there is no possible way he can be innocent on that count.
On the 17th of May, the Rubber Stamp Rebellion showed up in front of FCC Chairman Norman Bey's Dupont Circle area DC home.Some stayed all night-and early the next morning a notice of eminent domain was read out and a "pipeline" set up in front of his home. A neighbor reported Norman had skipped town to duck the protesters.The protest against fracking, pipelines, and eminent domain no longer stops at the office, now it follows those responsible to their homes.
Verizon has still not signed a contract to end the strike by tens of thousands of Verizon and Verizon Wireless workers. Pickets are ongoing at Verizon Wireless stores all over DC. On Tuesday, May 10 one of these pickets was at the L st and Connecticut Ave stores.One of the picketers told me that he was on the second shift of picketers that day at that store. So long as Verizon bosses refuse to sign a contract, workers will keep picketing their stores. Picketers are asking customers NOT to shop at Verizon Wireless.
Federal Protective Services officer Eulalio Tordil was arrested without being shot after shooting and killing three people, first killing his estranged wife, then showing up at two different shopping malls and opening fire. He was arrested "without incident" raising the question of whether his status as a police officer kept him from being shot himself.First he shot his estranged wife in a high school parking lot.
On the 3ed of May, members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1764 showed up at the DC Circulator's garage in NE to demand that First Transit pay the Circulator's drivers a living wage. The DC Circulator is outsourced to First Transit, so their drivers are not covered by ATU's contract with Metrobus. Circulator drivers are paid a full $10 an hour less than Metrobus drivers to do the exact same work due to this outsourced contract.
On the 16th if April, DCMJ's full cannabis legalization activists returned to the White House, only to find Penn Ave closed, no doubt in fear of a return of the famous "51 foot joint." Undeterred, they headed to the H st side of Lafayette Park and give away cannabis seeds for free. The demand on the White House was simple: take cannabis off the DEA's "Schedule 1" total ban list.Speakers warned people within the formal park boundaries not to consume cannabis there-and not to buy anything from anyone offering cannabis for sale.
On the 16th of April, Friends of the Earth and other climate activists participated in the Democracy Spring sit-ins, bringing the arrest total for the week to over 1,000. Police attempted and failed to block the route into the Capitol plaza area used for the sit-in
On the 4th of April, anti-vivisection activists showed up in front of the offices of BlackRock, which holds over 7 million shares of stock in Skanska USA construction. Skanska is building what is essentially a buried fortress vivisection laboratory for University of Washington. There were protests against BlackRock and other Skanska investors all over the continent on April 4. Here in DC activists began by fliering people going into BlackRock's building, following up on polite letters which have been ignored.
On the 24th of March, the cherry blossoms were in full bloom at Haines Point. This is always a popular area for bike racers to take training rides, some of them were really pouring on the power.Video-bike racers under the cherry trees
On the 17th of March, Nancy Vann of Resist AIM Pipeline from NY was violently removed from the room after daring to speak out at FERC's monthly meeting. She was knocked to the ground when security guards in the process of forcibly removing her denied her access to her cane. Her property was condemned by Spectra Energy for their Algonquin Incremental Market (AIM) project. This time around, FERC was not sucessful in preventing photos and video from escaping the hearing room.
On the 19th of February, two women with a banner disrupted Mayor Bowser's ceremonial appearance at the start of demolition of part of the old St Elizebeth's psychiatric hospital. They were able to get behind the Mayor's podium and shout her down before being dragged away by dozens of men. The banner included a specific reference to "Occupy Barry Farms," another site developers and the city government are chomping at the bit to displace and gentrify.
on Feb 15, Valentine's Day, animal rights activists distributed hundreds of valentines to Skanska executives and their neighbors, asking that construction company Skanska USA drop their contract with University of Washington to build an underground "primate reseach center" or vivisection lab.
Here is DC Stampede's posting on this:
Three northern Virginia Skanska executives were very popular this Valentine’s Day! They and over a hundred of their neighbors received valentines, calling on them to let the animals into their hearts this year.
On the 17th of February, FOX News pre-empted the crime coverage that usually starts their broadcast to focus on furious upscale residents at a Van Ness community meeting. The subject was Mayor Bowser's proposal to locate one of 8 dispersed homeless shelters in their neighborhood. Objections to opening a homeless shelter in upscale neighborhoods like anywhere in Ward 1 are usually based in NIMBYism (not in my back yard) fortified with an unhealthy heap of racism.
On the 12th of January, Real Food Challenge marched to the Baltimore office of Rep Elijah Cummings. A delegation met with Rep Cummings, who until now had not made any public commitments concerning this ugly repeat of NAFTA. Asked to take a stand, Rep Cummings told the delegation he was opposed to the TPP or Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. This statement may cost him corporate donations but will win him votes.
On the 25th of January, many residents in MD were still unable to reach the main roads using their cars. Side streets were not plowed, only packed down by passing SUV's. While cars often could not get out using their tracks, bicycles could, and once the main roads were reached could be ridden almost as in normal conditions. Politicians like Muriel Bowser are still asking people to stay home.