dcindymedia.org

On the 11th of January, activists marked another year of prisoners being held without charge or trial at Guantanimo Bay, One detainee was released that morning, bringing the total number of men still buried alive at Gitmo to 103. This includes 44 (maybe 43 now) men "cleared for release" years ago but still held under conditions so bad many detainees have said they would prefer death to remaining at Gitmo.Obama has one year left to fulfill his oath to close Guantanimo Bay. Congress is but an excuse, a threat to pardon all remaining detainees would easily force Congress to enact any other plan the President put forth.

Video highlights of the GITMO 14 protest

On Dec 31, 2015, New Years Eve, Black Lives Matter protesters swarmed into Chinatown by the hundreds. They marched from Chinatown to 14th st to U st, shutting down strategic intersections along the way. This time around, protesters were demanding not only the prosecution of killer cops but also the removal from office of DC Mayor Muriel Bowser. Muriel Bowser was behind 2015's failed attempt to greatly extend police search powers over African-American youth who have ever been in police custody.

Video highlights of the march and speakers

On the 22nd of December, the DC for 15 campaign to raise the minimum wage showed up at the DC Chamber of Commerce. "Scrooge" and "Grinch" were on hand to "celebrate" the success of the Chamber and the City Council in reducing the city's minimum wage increase from $15 to around $12 an hour and delaying implementation.

Video of Scrooge and Grinch at the DC Chamber of Commerce

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

On the 16th of December, protesters opposing fracked gas export from Dominion's LNG project in Calvert County, MD showed up at the Dupont Circle branch of Bank of America. They were there to deliver a letter to the bank manager and give out fliers outside. Bank of America locked their doors, not only refusing the letter but locking out all their customers, some of whom had paid to park their cars nearby. Bank of America owns 1.4% of Dominion and lent them $4 billion for the Cove Point gas export facility. The Dupont Circle protest was part of a regional day of action against Bank of America's investments in gas export and especially Dominion's dangerous Cove Point facility.

On the 12th of December, Black Lives Matter activists gathered at Marbury Plaza on Good Hope Road to demand community control of all police and the names of the "special police" who killed Alonzo Smith. His mother spoke at the rally, reporting that the coroner's office had found he was beaten to death. On November 1, DC Police were summoned to Marbury Plaza, finding Alonzo dead and in handcuffs in the custody of the "Special Police" of Blackout Security, which provides "security" at the apartment complex.

Video-Mother of Alonzo Smith speaks

On the 12th of December, the People's Climate Rescue brought a rubber boat and oars to the White House to demand real action on climate chaos and climate justice. Meanwhile in Paris, the negotiating countries announced a deal promising to hold temperature rise to 1 C, but the deal has no enforcement teeth. No trade sanctions, no courts bypassing normal legal procedures, none of the iron teeth associated with things like NAFTA/TPP style trade treaties.

Video featuring bagpipe and sung music from the People's Climate Rescue

On the 10th of December, representatives of Code Pink and NOW joined area Muslims and at least one Syrian refugee at Donald Trump's hotel project on Penn Ave at 11th st. A huge banner with the word "racist" was held up under the giant "Trump" sign that some say violates campaign finance laws. Underneath, speakers condemned the incredible racist proposals that have been coming from Donald Trump's presidental campaign in recent weeks and called for a boycott of his hotel when it opens in 2016.

Video-protesters at Trump Hotel call for boycott

On the 1oth of December, the Bureau of Land Management had planned to hold an auction near the Navy Yard to sell oil and gase leases on public land. Two parcels in Arkansas and 7 in Michigan were on the block, with fracking as their possible fate. Climate activists had been planning some rather confrontational actions against this. With Obama"s involvement in the Paris climate talks, any news coverage of the protests could have been a major political embarassment. On the other hand, a publiclty-avoiding refusal to arrest protesters no matter what would give activists a free hand to shut the proceedings down entirely. As a result, the BLM has postponed the auction until March 17, 2016.