December 2016

On the 27th of December, about 50 unarmed water protectors approached the barricaded bridge on Highway 1806, possibly checking reports that the police were taking down the razor wire and other barricades. The barricades were still there-and police opened fire with "less lethal" munitions, also pursuing the water protectors. They were then reported to be pursuing the water protectors but apparently couild not catch them in the snow or were to drive them off rather than capture them.

Video highlights of the past year in progressive activism. Resistance to Donald Trump, to the Dakota Access Pipeline, and to police murder are the three main themes of the past year. Now we must prepare for the battle to come on the 20th of January, and the war against racism and white supremacy that will follow.

Video-2016 in review

On Dec 21, both Jewish and Muslim activists backed by allies held a "No Hate Groups at 1717 Penn" rally, demanding that the extremist,anti-Muslim Clarion Project be evicted from the building for peddling hate. It is rare to hear of social activists demanding anyone be evicted, but hate groups are an exception to this rule. Tishman Speyer rents space in 1717 Penn Ave to the Clarion Project, which the Southern Poverty Law Center has announced plans to formally designate as a hate group.

Video from the protest against Clarion Project hate

On the 20th of December, 350.org and several other environmental groups gathered in front of the GSA office at 1800 F st. Trump's transition team is being permitted to use that Federal building. The pro-Earth groups were there to denounce such Trump appointments of people like climate denier Scott Pruitt as as head of the EPA and Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State.

Video from the protest at Trump's transition team office incuding the arsonist/fire department remark about Pruitt

<p> It is now fifty years since Noam Chomsky published his celebrated article, <a href='http://www.nybooks.com/articles/1967/02/23/a-special-supplement-the-resp...'>'The Responsibility of Intellectuals'</a>. Few other writings had a greater impact on the turbulent political atmosphere on US campuses in the 1960s.