MD

Animal rights activists take direct action against DC area Skanska execs

On the last weekend of June, animal rights activists showed up at the home of Martin Sharpless, VP of Skanska Building, which is trying to build a new vivisection lab at University of Washington (state). Chalked messages were left all over the surrounding streets. Also visited was the Montgomery County, MD office of Skanska Building USA.

The street in front of the home of Martin Sharpless, VP of Skanska Building

Blockade defends Baltmore homeless camp as cops show up to evict

On the 26th of June, cops and city workers were met with barricades as they arrived to evict a homeless camp under a Baltimore freeway overpass. The campsite is at Martin Luther King Ave and Mulberry st, sheltered by the freeway overpass. Using civil disobedience, activists sought to defend the camp from this assault by the forces of wealth and urban removal.

Video of the blockade by Harris from the Post,originally uploaded to Vine

Photo by Harris from the Post

Baltimore abandons curfew after repeated civil disobediance arrests

On Sunday, the 3ed of May, Baltimore's Mayor announced she was giving up on the 10PM curfew and lifting it effective immediately. Also, the National Guard and out of jurisdiction cops are now supposed to be "drawn down." Since Tuesday, April 28 the curfew had been directly responsible for provoking civil disobediance protests, arrests, and fighting that at least once escalated to "rubber" bullets. The last two nights of the curfew featured civil disobediance arrests of mostly white allies near City Hall and police assaults on African-American curfew protesters elsewhere

RT Liveleak video: police fire pepper spray point blank at African-American curfew protesters Saturday night

Cops fire pepper spray at peaceful African-American anti-curfew protesters Saturday night. Photo by Harris from the Post

MD Residents rally in Annapolis for moratorium on gas fracking

On the 2nd of April, Residents of MD staged a rally in Annapolis demanding the enactment of a moratorium on gas fracking in the state. Although weakened limiting the moratorium to two years, the bill passed the MD House of Delegates by a veto-proof majority.

Video of the rally and attempt to deliver petitions to the governor's office

Protest held against Park Police shooting deer in Montgomery County

The Montgomery County Park Police are shooting deer in Rock Creek park and elsewhere in MD, once again claiming there are "too many" of them in an area dominated by human overpopulation. On the 6th of February area residents outraged by these "culls" showed up at the intersection of Beach Drive and MD rt 410 with banners denouncing the killing. Many of the banners advocated "birth control instead of bullets," a population control measure sucessfully used in other areas that have decided they have too many deer.

Video of the protest

Calvert County Sheriff's Dept acting as Dominon's mercenaries

Dominion has hired ten Calvert County sheriff's deputies and two armed patrol boats to protect their plans to export fracked gas at Cove Point. The patrol boats were shown to the media during a string of peaceful protests at Dominion's construction sites. Word at one of the protests was that the ten deputies draw their paychecks from Dominion, not from the Calvert County taxpayers. This implies they also take their orders from Dominion. That in turn makes them mercenaries like Blackwater and not police at all.

Video of armed patrol boats set to "warpigs"

Banner drop and crane occupation against gas export at Cove Point, MD

On the 3ed of February, Maryland teacher Carling Sothoron scaled a 150 foot crane at Dominion's "offsite A" construction site. This site is part of the Cove Point fracke gas export project. Carling and another activists were arrested in this civil disobediance, the latest in a string of actions aimed at preventing fracked gas from being compressed to LNG and exported out the old gas import facility at Cove Point.The banner read "“Dominion get out. Don’t frack Maryland. No gas exports. Save Cove Point"

Photo by SEED

Park Service killing deer in Montgomery County, MD section of Rock Creek Park

While the NPS has finished killing deer in Rock Creek Park for the seasion, the Maryland National Capitol Park Police have started shooting deer themselves on the MD side of the state line. On Jan 28, activists tracked the man putting out corn bait to one exact site where deer are being shot.

Video of the sucessful tracking session to find the place where deer are being killed near Beach Drive in MD

Entry to the area on the side of Rock Creek Park oppposite from Jones Mill Road on the creek itself.

Black Lives Matter rally and march in Silver Spring

On the 24th of January, civil rights protesters showed up in Silver Spring, MD next to the outdoor skating rink by the Civic Center. Although this small group was entirely peaceful, heavily armored Montgomery County cops and three cop cars lurked about a block back watching. The music at the skating rink was gradually turned up in an attempt to override the rally speakers and their megaphone. The rally was very visible to all those using the skating rink, and educational in an unexpected place. It was followed by a short march through downtown Silver Spring.

Video highlights of the march and rally

Die-In protest at Wheaton Plaza against killer cops, two snatch squad arrests after

On New Year's Day 2015, civil rights activists held a die-in at Wheaton Plaza protesting the continuing police violence and murder against African-Americans. Police have shot two DC residents just in the past couple weeks, and have even shot at protesters in Ferguson. Black lives still matter, and until the cops get that straight organizers warn these protests can pop up anytime, anywhere.

Video of the Wheaton Plaza die-in and protesters marching out of the Mall

New Year's Day die-in at Wheaton Plaza

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