DC

On Monday, Jan 25, Piccolo Concepcion died, reported at an assisted living facility, known for her 35 year long vigil against nuclear weapons at the White House. This vigil began all the way back in 1981, during the darkest days of Ronald Reagan and two years before the "Able Archer" nuclear forces wargame nearly led to nuclear war by accident. Many confrontations took place in the early years, and most of the arcane regulations unique to what was known as Peace Park were the government's response. The vigil began with signs leaned on the White House fence, leading to the "no protest zone" used so often for civil disobedience to this day. It then crossed the street and huge antinuclear signs that doubled as small cabins were erected. They were cut down with chainsaws, leading to the current "structures" regulations concerning signs, etc. For all the brutality and crazy laws that went into effect, for all the bad arrests later overturned in court, the government never did manage to shut down the vigil.

On the 21st of January, opponents of Bank of America's investments in Dominion's fracked gas export facility at Cove Point showed up at the branch across the street from the White House. Some of them were from Lusby in Calvert County, in the area an accident at the gas plant could incinerate. When one of the activists tried to deliver a letter to the bank manager, the bank refused to accept it and locked their doors in response to several more activists going inside. The bnak branch remained locked and shut down for the duration of the protest

Video from both the team inside Bank of America and the protest outside

On the 16th of January Black Lives Matter activists staged the first "Muriel's Gotta Go-Go" dance party outside the Reeves Center.The dance party was complete with a sound truck playing banned go-go music, prohibited in DC nightclubs by ruthless governmental harassment. Due to this ban the protest was billed as a civil disobedience just for playing the music. Demand included not only the removal of the ban on playing go-go music in clubs, but the removal of DC Mayor Bowser from office. In response to the Black Lives Matter movement she has proposed more cops, more fines, and more searches and activists are saying this shall not pass!

Video highlights of Muriel's gotta go-go(46 sec)

On the 15th of January, the Washington Post announced that Wal-Mart is canceling plans to build a "super-center" in SE at the proposed Skyland eminent domain project and in NE at Capitol Gateway. Wal-Mart was quoted as saying “Our experience over the last three years operating our current stores in DC has given us a fuller view on building and operating stores in the District,” perhaps meaning a failure to "capture 100% of the retail market" around each store.