DC

On the 9th of January, community activists defied the closure of McMillan Park to the public, holding an underground dance party in the man-made cave complex beneath the site. These caves will offer potent defense possibilies if in the future it becomes necessary to hold the park against bulldozers and condo development by physical occupation.

Video originally posted to instagram by Rosina Teri Memolo

On the 30th of December, protesters showed up at the Japanese Embassy to call out Japan's return to illegal commerical whaling in the Southern Ocean. Many of them were from Sea Shepherd, the world's foremost counter-poaching navy. In defiance of rulings from the International Court of Justice, Japan's "Institute for Cetacean Research" (ICR) has once again sent their ships to the Southern Ocean to kill whales.Activists say the only "research" being done is into the taste of whale meat, and the International Court of Justice agree. The ICR is killing whales anyway, and in turn theiur poaching ships are being hunted by Sea Shepherd.

video of the protest-1 min 10 sec

On the 14th of December, the National Park Service issued a press release claiming to have shot and killed 26 deer in Rock Creek Park in a one-night operation. That would have to have been Dec 7, when they shut down operations in the face of protesters setting up. Either they shot deer earlier in the evening to evade protests or they waited out protesters and post-protest patrols, then returned.

On the 17th of December, the 3ed annual Homeless Memorial Vigil began with an event at Luther Place church followed by a march through traffic to Freedom Plaza. At Freedom Plaza activists and homeless residents are sleeping overnight across from Mayor Bowser's offices. This event remembers 41 homeless people who have died on DC streets this year and is demanding an end to the raids ("sweeps") on emcampments and full funding for the Homeward DC housing program

Video from the Dec 17 march in evening rush hour

Video from the Dec 18 casket march