Newswire

Black Lives Matter and Anacostia organizers lead 3rd march on Capitol by Democracy Spring

Submitted by Luke on Wed, 04/13/2016 - 21:14

On the 13th of April, Black Lives Matter and other Ward 8 organizers led Democracy Spring's 3rd march on the US Capitol. The lead banner was from the Save Barry Farms organizers advising people to refuse to move, blocking displacement. When the march arrived at the Capitol, the third sit-in in as many days followed. As police arrested the folks in the sit-in, they also put police lines around the support people after moving them back behind the first police line. At one point they were told they too were subject to arrest,unknown if any arrests other than voluntary ones resulted from this. The final arrest total for the three days so far has now climbed to in excess of 700.

Update Day 4, April 14: Support protesters becoming more determined in holding ground when police threaten arrests demanding they move, unknown if this was part of the April 14th arrest totalDay 4 video by Cassandra Fairbanks originally uploaded to Twitter

Video of Democracy Spring march led by Anacostia and Black Lives Matter activists, and Sit-In #3

Elections/Legislation/Government
Police/Legal/Prisons
Race/Racism
Black Lives Matter and Barry Farms at lead of Democracy Spring

Tipped workers demand $15 an hour at National Restaurant Association

Submitted by Luke on Tue, 04/12/2016 - 22:38

On the 12th of April, restaurant workers protested first at the DC Council, then at the Ronald Reagan Building demanding that the minimum wage for tipped workers be raised from $2.77 an hour to $15 an hour. The National Restaurant Association ("other NRA") was meeting at the Reagan building. Outside, protesters offered a stack of bags of ice as the "Frozen Wages Award" for former NRA CEO Herman Cain for his role in blocking prior increases in the mimimum wage for restaurant workers, who at "tipped employees" can make next to nothing if the restaurant is empty on a bad night.

Video from the protest for $15 an hour for tipped workers

Labor/Economics/Business
Fighting for $15 against the National Restaurant Association

Hundreds arrested at Capitol in first day of Democracy Spring

Submitted by Luke on Mon, 04/11/2016 - 19:08

On the 11th of April, a solid week of civil disobedience protests began with a massive sit-in on the Capitol East Steps and in front of them. Democracy Spring is demandng that the campaign cash and bribery used by the wealthy and corporations to effectively own and operate Congress, regulatory agencies, etc be shut down entirely. Bus after bus had to be brought up to handle arrestees, and a little after 3PM police ran out of space and had to temporarily stop arresting people according to one report.

Update Day 2: hundreds of elders sit-in at the US Capitol, more arrests

Video of the first Democracy Spring sit-in on the Capitol East Steps

Elections/Legislation/Government
Democracy Spring civil disobedience Day 1

Disablity protest at White House draws 49 citations, cops don't want to handle wheelchairs

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 04/11/2016 - 18:42

On the 11th of April, police cited 49 disability activists with ADAPT but declined to arrest anyone after the activists occupied the area outside the waist-high pen fence used as a secondary barrier at the White House. Activists were chanting "our homes, not nursing homes" at several points in the protest.

Environment/Food/Health

Democracy Spring arrives in DC

Submitted by Luke on Sun, 04/10/2016 - 15:41

On the 10th of April, the Democracy Spring march arrived in DC, many of the participants having marched all the way from Philidelphia. They are here to demand a total end to corporate and "one percenter" cash and bribery in US elections. Beginning on April 11 there will be daily sit-ins on Capitol Hill for this demand.

Stirring video with music of Democracy Spring's entry into DC

Elections/Legislation/Government
Democracy Spring enters DC

Pages

Newswire

more