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State of the Union draws protests in multiple locations Before Donald Trump could give his State of the Union Address filled with racist venom against migrants, he had to get past protesters. There were protesters at the White House and along both the Constitution Ave and Independence Ave motorcade route options.
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Marching a casket through the streets for all the species made extinct by humans
On the 26th of January, the Extinction Rebellion marched a casket from Pershing Park to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History to memorialize the many species which have been made extinct by human activity. At the conclusion of a funeral service for human-extincted species at the musuem, activsts marched off and blocked the intersection of 9th st (395 entrance) and Constitution Ave. No arrests resulted.
Video of the march, funeral service, and blockade 5 min 34 sec
Emergency protest in the rain in front of the White House by the Party for Socialism and Liberation and Code Pink to protest the US threats against Venezuelan sovereignty.
Counterprotesting the annual antichoice march
On the 18th of January, pro-choice activists gathered at the Supreme Court to counterprotest the annual "March for Life" which is essentially a march for theocratic control of women's bodies. The pro-choice activists outnumbered and outmaneuvered those antichoice activists who showed up early at the Court, but things got a bit intense when the main march of seemingly every antichoice extremist in the US showed up.
Update Jan 19:Trigger warning-heavy duty brownshirt behavior! MAGA-hatted students from Covington Catholic High School surround and harass elder at Indigenous Peoples' March after anti-choice march 3 min 54 sec first 1 min 20 sec silent
The march on Constitution Ave
On the 18th of January, the Indigenous People's March came together at the Department of the Interior from all over Turtle Island. From there the march proceeded to the Lincoln Memorial. Three speakers there featured on video: a welcome to Piscataway land, a warning not to take buyouts from petroleum companies, and an Ojibwe great-grandmother on how so many prophecies such as the Black Snake are coming true
Video-the march and three spectacular Indigenous speakers 8 min 15 sec
On the 17th of January, the GOP-controlled Senate held a retreat at the Washington Nationals baseball stadium. Sen Mitch McConnell has been blocking any vote on proposals to reopen the US government without Trump's racist wall funding. Outside the stadium, unions representing government workers furloughed or working without pay chanted "Call the vote!"
Video-Union members chant "Call the Vote!" 34 seconds
The Mayor's veto
Update Jan 22: DC Council overrides Mayor's veto, fare evasion will be decriminalized unless Congress intervenes. Mayor "more cops more jails" Bowser defeated again.
On the 16th of January, DC Mayor Bowser VETOED the Metro fare decriminalization bill. The bill passed the DC Council by a 10-2 margin, enough to override the Mayor's veto if nobody changes their vote. Metro police have been aggressively targeting Black youth for enforcement and arrest on fare evasion charges. This could perhaps be called "Make Metro White Again.
On the 15th of Feb, the DC chapter of the global Extinction Rebellion movement held a "Jeopardy" themed street theater event in Columbia Heights. Questions included "a form of government made more common by climate change and resulting migration" for which the answer of course was "what is Fascism?"
Video-banging pots and pans outside DC Jail, (at 3:03)guard shoves videographer 3 min 45 sec
Recently, BLM activists and No Justice No Pride got word that inmates at both the DC Jail (Central Detention Facitly) and the so-called "Correctional Treatment Facility" had used various excuses to deny inmates ALL outdoor recreation time for the past 8 months. In reponse, activists staged a pot-and-pan banging noise protest outside the jail on the evening of Valentine's Day.
This mock wall at Trump Hotel was torn to bits by the crowd, just as Congress needs to tear up his demands for wall money
Video featuring tearing down the mock wall at Trump Hotel 2 min 42 sec
On the 12th of Feb, migrants holding Temporary Protected Status backed by a massive crowd of supporters marched from the White House to Capitol Hill to demand legal permanent residency. The march stopped at Trump Hotel, where a mock wall banner emblazoned "No Borders on Stolen Land" was set up, then torn to pieces in symbolic demolition of Trump's wall.
On Jan 24, an unknown person walked into Comet Pizza while it was open and people were inside, squirted a flammable liquid onto the back curtains and set the curtain on fire. A fast-reacting person with a fire extinguisher got the fire out before it could spread, saving the building and possibly many lives. As of this writing the arsonist is still at large.
Video-speaker calls out Guaido for links to Bolsonaro 1 min 15 sec
On the 26th of January, a second round of protest against US interferect and support for a possible coup in Venezuala took place in front of the White House. Trump has unilaterally recognized Juan Guaido as President of Venezuala, even though he has attempted to declare himself President outside of any election process.
Empty plates raised aloft in the Hart atrium as a deafening chant rises
Video-protest in the Hart Atrium and at Sen McConnell's office 50 sec
Update Jan 25:Trump folds, agreeing to reopen gov't until Feb 15 WITHOUT wall funding as air travel called "unsafe," Federal workers protest, and chaos mounts. "State of Emergency" for wall still a serious risk
