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On the 18th of May the US International Trade Commission (US ITC) released its economic impact statement of the TPP or Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.

Outside, both the Rubber Stamp Rebellion and the No Lame Duck Uprising were present, performing a skit about how the ISDN or "Investor State Dispute resolution" corporate courts would let oil companies sue the US for demanding they clean up their spills or limit their drilling. The skit ended with Uncle Sam, hat in hand, begging the taxpayers for money to pay off the TPP ISDN judgements to Big Pig Oil.

Video of the TPP skit featuring Pig Oil and his fracking buddies

On the 15th of May, the global Break Free From Fossil Fuels protests came to DC with a march from the White House to the Lincoln Memorial. The demand in DC was for an end to offshore oil drilling, just days after Shell spilled more oil in the Gulf of Mexico. Some of the marchers carried a mock offshore "jack-up" oil drilling rig through the streets.

Video highlights of the march

On Saturday, the 7th of May, Code Pink held a Mother's Day Peace Festival outside the White House from 2-8pm. Speakers alternated with music, and Food Not Bombs served food on Penn Ave in front of the White House.

On the 5th of May, striking Verizon workers backed by many other unions showed up to picket the Verizon Wireless store on F st, asking people NOT to shop there. Verizon workers have warned "no contract, no work" and are backing it up with this strike. One of the issues is Verizon wants to outsource their jobs. Another is that only a tiny raise (possibly less than inflation) is being offered while Verizon has made $1.5 Billion dollars a month each month this year. Verizon has decided not to expand FIOS fiber service nor employee wages, choosing instead to expand CEO pay. CEO Ivan G Seidenberg is being paid $36M a year with salary and bonuses. That's enough to buy a 2008 Gulfstream G-550 corporate jet listed on an aviation website for $23M with $13M left over. Meanwhile Verizon workers are offered only what strikers described as a net $200 a month raise

Video from the F st Verizon store picket

On the 26th of April, members of a number of environmental organizations held a rally outside the Marriot on 12th st near Metro Center denouncing the 2017-2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program. Afterwards they sought to enter the "Open House" being held inside for a draft version of the environmental impact statment. The person in a polar bear costume was denied entry to the building, security guards collected people's signs on the way in-and they moved to interfere with anyone shooting photos or videos in the lobby.

Video showing an Alaska Native speaker followed by what happened when the polar bear and then an Indymedia photographer tried to participate in this "public event"

Purvi Patel is serving 20 years of a 46 year "feticide" sentence in Indiana over a use of pills ordered online for a self-induced abortion that left her in the hospital. Donald Trump has called for, then tried to retract his call for imprisoning women like Purvi for illegal abortions. The Susan B Anthony List and other antichoice groups have been attempting to distance themselves from Trump's call for prison terms. On the 21st of April the Susan B Anthony List held a high-profile dinner at the Andrew Mellon Auditoriam on Constitution Ave. Outside, protesters held a vigil demanding the "walk the walk" by issuing a statement calling for Purvi Patel's release.

On the 18th of April,Democracy Awakening marched to the US Capitol for the culminating sit-in of a series begun a week ago by Democracy Spring. At the head of the march were NAACP and CASA contingents, including familes with small children. There appeared to be considerable overlap with the immigration rights protest at the Supreme Court. The march took over a good part of the Capitol Plaza upon arrival. During the sit-in, the presidents of the NAACP and of Greenpeace were among those arrested.

Video of the march and sit-in (3 min)

On the 17th of April, thousands participated in a massive march against corporate and other cash in politics. With this march, Democracy Spring transitioned into Democracy Awakening.The march wound past the House Office Buildings and the US Capitol before passing the US Supreme Court and finally ending at a faith rally in front of Union Station. There a "Golden Bull" evoking the Biblical Golden Calf and the Wall St Bull was placed on a stage symbolizing what Congress and the Supreme Court worship.Chants included a demand to overturn Citizens United-and Occupy's famous "we are the 99%" in contrast to the 1% who buy and control politics.

Video of the march

On the 15th of April, the Democracy Spring protests included the DC Statehood issue and the count for civil disobedience arrests rose to nearly 1,000 for the week. In a few cases police have been getting out of line. On April 15, one of the last protesters to be arrested was tackled and pinned to the ground after dancing a bit just before arrest. Also, there is a report that at least ten spurious charges of "assaulting a police officer" were filed by police, only to be immediatly dismissed in court. Usually police file that charge when they are the ones using violence e.g hitting a cop on the club with your head can draw an ASPO charge.

RT'syoutube video including rough arrest for dancing in the street