December 2014

On the 8th of December, civil rights protesters had planned to stage a 4 1/2 hour die-in on the US Capitol West Lawn. They were met with threats and verbal aggression by the US Capitol Police. Since this was not intended to be a confrontational action, protesters decided to march to the US Dept of Justice and stage the die-in there.

On the 7th of December, protesters set up a banner and a light show outside the office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). They were there because negotiations for the TPP or Trans-Pacific Partnership are back in town. Protesters are demanding that the still-classified text of TPP drafts-kept secret even from members of Congress expected to vote on it-be released to the public

On the 6th of December, activists from Climate First! showed up at a PNC Bank branch near Dupont Circle. They were there to protest the continuing role of PNC Bank in funding mountaintop removal coal mining. One of them was a PNC account holder, yet PNC Bank shut the doors in their faces, locking out customers in the process. Although bank guards sometimes opened the doors for impatient customers, no doubt others took one look and left.

On Dec 5, civil rights protesters in DC shut down Chinatown on multiple occasions. At about 10:55PM cops suddenly pursued someone said to be one of the protesters, the crowd surged after them. When the scene opened up a bit one man was down and in handcuffs. He suffered seizures police said were caused by being pepper sprayed. They left him in handcuffs through the seizures, and no ambulance was summoned. Finally a bunch of cops picked him up like a log and carried him off to an unknown destination at or beyond the end of the block.

Video showing results of police assault on man said to be a protester

On the 4th of December, thousands marched in DC streets after dark to protest the police murders of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and so many others. Protesters hit the National Christmas Tree lighting, then shut down the 14th st Bridge (again) and I-395 in a separate incident. They stormed the downtown Hyatt looking for an ALEC meeting, laid siege to the Hyatt near Union Station where ALEC was finally found, and finally stormed the Wal-Mart at 1st and H st for the 3ed time. The Wal-Mart action got tough: it was an opposed storming and security responded by locking some of the protesters inside. Security was forced to let everyone back out as pressure mounted outside.

Video-protesters storm Wal-Mart

Video-huge march from MPD headquarters to the Wilson building