November 2015

Lacy's reportback from police attack on French COP21 protest

On the 29th and 30th of November, DC area activist Lacy Macauley was on the front lines in Paris as climate activists defied the government's protest ban. She reports that police in riot gear advanced on and beat seated protesters, kettled the protest, and made numerous arrests-only to suddenly lose interest in further arrests.

Lacy's video of cops clubbing seated protesters in Paris

Cops club seated protesters in Paris

WORLD CAPOEIRA GROUPS STAND WITH PALESTINIAN PEOPLE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 11/26/2015 WORLD CAPOEIRA GROUPS STAND WITH PALESTINIAN PEOPLEGroups to call attention to occupation of Palestine on November 29 Salvador, Bahía, Brazil - Heeding a call from the Capoeira Freedom Collective –Palestine (CFCP), Capoeira groups around the world will host solidarity rodas on the 29th of November –the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. Events are already planned among groups in Palestine, Brazil, England, the United States, Germany, Italy, Jordan, France and Spain.

Global Climate March takes streets as cherry blossoms open in November

On the 29th of November, the Global Climate March took to the streets of DC in solidarity with hard-pressed climate activists in Paris. There, the COP 21 climate change summmit starts on Nov 30, the 16th anniversary of the Battle of Seattle. Using the Nov 13 terrorist attacks as an excuse, the French police have banned all protest there. Activists deployed anyway in defiance of this ban, and on Nov 29 French police fired tear gas at them. Here in DC, as protesters marched past the Mall, cherry blossoms were opening out of season, underscoring the urgency of dealing with climate chaos. This has been the warmest year on average ever recorded by modern science.

Video of DC's Global Climate March

Some cherry trees have open blossoms as the Global Climate March passes in the background-in November

Marching against climate chaos as cherry blossoms pop in November

Police attack on fur protest triggered by false report of window smashing

On Black Friday, the 27th of November, the in-store protest at Miller's Furs ended in a police attack on the protesters. Two were handcuffed and two more were detained. Three escaped the scene entirely, as police arrived well after protesters had exited the store and as they were leaving the entire area. A total of 12 police cars showed up with sirens screaming. During the detainment, one of the cops mentioned having received a report that protesters were smashing windows at the store. None were broken or even hit in reality. If this report came from Manny Miller, he is guilty of filing a false police report.

Direct Action Everywhere protests inside Whole Foods over fake "cruelty free" turkeys

On the evening of Black Friday, November 27, Direct Action Everywhere protested inside the Tenleytown Whole Foods. They were protesting fake "cruelty free" turkeys being sold sometimes at triple digit prices to Whole Foods customers. Days earlier, Whole Foods released this video comparing the single "Potemkin Village" turkey farm Whole Foods uses to promote their "cruelty free" turkeys to the farms the birds actually come from.

Video of the protest inside Tenleytown Whole Foods

Protesters inside the Tenleytown Whole Foods-screenshot of unprotected thumbnail of video posted to Facebook

Disrupting Whole Foods over fake cruelty-free turkeys

Fur protesters march through Neiman-Marcus, Miller's Furs

The 27th of November was Black Friday, known to animal rights activists as Fur Free Friday. This year, activists managed to march through both Neiman-Marcus in DC and Miller's Furs a little over a mile north of DC in Maryland. At Miller's Furs things got a bit rough, first with the store owner freaking out, then police cars with sirens screaming roaring up to activists as they were leaving the area. Although the protesters were detained none were arrested. At least one person escaped the cops outright.

Video of protesters marching through Neiman-Marcus,Miller's Furs

Inside "Neiman-Carcass"

Black Friday fur protests inside Neiman-Carcass, Miller's Furs

Black Friday protest at H st Wal-mart demands $15 an hour and full time hours

On Black Friday, the 27th of November, protesters showed up in front of the H st Wal-Mart. They were demanding that Wal-Mart pay all of their "associates" $15 an hour and offer all of them full-time hours.A speaker at the DC protest cited workers having to go hungry and not eat in order to pay rent, due to the poverty wages Wal-Mart pays.

Video-a Wal-Mart worker speaks of having to go hungry to pay rent

Going hungry to pay rent on Wal-Mart's wages

Protest at White House remembers Ayotzinapa 43, condemns Plan Mexico

On the 26th of November, activists showed up in front of the White House to remember the Ayotzinapa 43, teaching students who were pulled off their bus by Mexican police and murdered by still-unknown killers a little over a year ago. The Mexican government claims cartel gunmen did the killing, but even if true that still raises the question of wny the police would turn a anyone over to drug cartels. Those who escaped the initial battle and survived reported that police opened fire on the busses to stop them. 43 of the students were forced into police vehicles and were never seen again. One escapee was found at the scene tortured to death. One report claims 6 were killed and 26 wounded in the initial ambush.

Mock prison cell burned on Mall in drug war protest

On Saturday night, Nov 21, opponents of the so-called "War on drugs" burned a mock prison cell on the Mall. This was the culmination of the roughly 24 hour "Catharsis on the Mall" vigil.

Photo by Adam Eidinger

Video from Nov 17 Trans march on 5th and K, Wal-Mart, Union Station

This is video and coverage from DC's Trans Week of Action march on 5th and K, Wal-Mart, and Union Station on November 17, 2015. The 5th and K area used to be used by transgender sex workers until police harassment forced them away so new condos could open. Wal-mart was targetted as they are being sued for firing Transgender employees. Union Station was chosen as the finish as it is an excellent location to educate commuters. A note on messaging: Trangender organizers put this march together along with Blackout DC, and the "Trans Lives Matter" slogan was used only after discussion between Transgender and Black Lives Matter activists in DC

Video from transgender march on 5th and K, Wal-Mart, Union Station

Trans Week of Action march on 5th and K, Wal-Mart, Union Station

Muslims protest ISIS, racial and ethnic profiling

On the 20th of November, three separate Muslim rallies took place in DC. A small rally at the Lincoln Memorial and a very large march to the White House directly protested ISIS/Daesh. Many in the larger protest has US flags, reminescent of the 2006 immigrant rights protests. With politicians calling for blocking refugees from entire states and even a call for internment camps on the table, this is a reminder that the global Muslim community does not support Daesh and in fact that most of those murdered by Daesh are Muslims. In addition, a protest was held against racial and ethic profiling at DHS, with both Muslim and GLBTQ activists present. Police attempted but failed to stop some young African-American bystanders from joining the protest.

Video-police attempt to exclude several young African-Americans from the protest against racial profiling

Video on Liveleak-American Muslims march on the White House against Daesh

US Muslims defy, reject Daesh

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