Race/Racism

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. The courthouse protest was apparently not the only protest of this verdict in Baltimore today.

Youtube video by "Zoo News" showing a larger,second protest at the Western District police station. warning: Youtube tracks all users

On the 12th of May, a visit to GOP headquarters on Capitol Hill by Donald Trump drew immigrant protesters and Code Pink as well. The protest appeared to have been either spontaneous or organized on very short notice,as seemingly no information had been available anywhere the previous night. Despite this short notice opponents of Trump's gutter racism managed to drop a coffin right in front of GOP headquarters. Inside RNC headquarters, staffers were told to either support Donald Trump or leave.

Video of coffin delivery originally uploaded to Twitter by "Frank Thorpe V"

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

by Grassroots Media DC
On January 26, 2016, the United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent came to the District of Columbia to hear how African-Americans are being treated in the United States. Individuals were able to give testimony during a town hall meeting arranged by Pan African Community Action. Topics discussed included gentrification, police brutality, labor, environmental racism and gender oppressions. This video is a montage of testimonials regarding the many unarmed Blacks who've been killed by the police, most of whom don't get national attention.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbWtI3CgKPo