Police/Legal/Prisons

Black Lives Matter distributes Smartrip cards to protect needy Metro riders

Submitted by Luke on Tue, 01/09/2018 - 16:21

On the 8th of January, Black Lives Matter activists instituted the "Swipes on Us" program, distributing preloaded Smartrip cards at the Anacostia Metro station to riders who otherwise would have had to risk confrontations with Metro management over no longer accepted negative balances when exiting at the other end.

Police/Legal/Prisons

Distributing Smartrip cards at Anacostia Metro station (photo by Black Lives Matter DC)

Remembering Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr (video)

Submitted by a l c h y m e d i a on Fri, 01/05/2018 - 23:45

On the second anniversary of the execution of Shia civil rights and democracy activist Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr by the Saudi Arabian government, his god-son Mustafa and a colleague drove from Michigan and joined Code Pink to protest in front of the Saudi Arabian embassy. Despite a wind chill in the single digits, the late Sheikh's voice filled the street in a reminder of the continuing human rights abuses against Shia citizens in Saudi Arabia.

YouTube Livestream

 

Short interview at 16:35

Civil Rights/Equal Rights
Foreign Policy/Imperialism
Human Rights
Philosophy/Religion
Police/Legal/Prisons
Race/Racism
World Uprisings

The hypocrisy of Trump on Protests in Iran vs protests of his inauguration

Submitted by Luke on Mon, 01/01/2018 - 20:00

As 2017 faded into 2018, Donald Trump tweeted messages of support for protesters in Iran, where protests over price increases have escalated into street fighting and broader antigovernment demands. The scenes from Iran being played on US corporate news TV look a bit like footage from the protests of Donald Trump's own Inauguration. Of course, Trump is tweeting support for one group of protesters while trying to have 188 people sent to prison for up to 65 years for protesting him.

Civil Liberites/Constitution
Commentary/Op-ed
Foreign Policy/Imperialism
Police/Legal/Prisons

DC 2017 on left, Iran 2018 on right: who does Trump want to jail for 65 years?

Victory Rally held on Freedom Plaza for first six J20 defendants after acquittal

Submitted by Luke on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 16:26

On the 22nd of December, three of the former J20 defendants acquitted by a jury on Dec 21 spoke at a victory rally held on Freedom Plaza. They and other speakers denounced the governments's so far failed attempt to abuse the legal process to suppress dissent under Donald Trump. At this point, the J20 trial scoreboard stands at six acquitted, 188 more to go.

Video featuring call for holding prosecutors accountable and three of the former defendants speaking

Police/Legal/Prisons

First 6 defendents acquitted of all charges in first J20 trial

Submitted by Luke on Thu, 12/21/2017 - 13:10

On the 21st of December, after a trial lasting well over a month, the jury returned a verdict in the first of the many J20 trials: all six defendents not guilty on all counts. The jury has thrown Jennefer Kerkhoff's "novel legal theories" about proximity to protest being somehow unlawful back in the government's face. There are 188 more defendents still facing serious charges, but the government has taken a serious defeat in this first trial.

Video: the scene outside the courthouse and two interviews with former defendents from Unicorn Riot stream

Police/Legal/Prisons

Vigil held at DC Jail for DREAM 7 as more protests demand no budget without a clean DREAM Act

Submitted by Luke on Wed, 12/20/2017 - 14:44

On the 19th of December, DREAMERs, other migrants, and their allies held a vigil outside the DC Jail for 7 DREAMers and one ally who were being held after a Friday civil disobedience in Senator Schumer's office. They refused to give their names and are on a hunger strike until a clean DREAM act is part of the upcoming budget deal. Three were supposed to be released Tues night but never were.

Update Dec 20 10:45PM: #Dream7 released, all 8. Confirmed by separate Twitter, Facebook reports

Video-support vigil outside DC Jail sings same song #Dream7 ,ally sang in Senator Schumer's office

Video-the DREAM 7 in Sen Schumer's office.

Immigration
Police/Legal/Prisons

The press conference begins at the DC Jail

Charlotttesville car attack victims resisting grand jury subpoenas

Submitted by Luke on Wed, 12/13/2017 - 15:58

On the morning of December 13, a Federal grand jury met in Virginia concerning the events of Aug 12 in Charlottesville, where one person was killed and 19 wounded by neo-Nazi car driver James Fields. Now the survivers of the attack are being harassed by prosecutors and grand jury subpeonas. Activists are advising refusal to testify as the grand jury could be also seeking to charge counterprotesters. One person who managed to get her subpoeona quashed spoke outside the courthouse saying "I will not be bullied."

VIdeo from press conference in front of courthouse from itsgoingdown.org story

Police/Legal/Prisons

ACLU delivers 50,000 drop J20 petitions to US attys office

Submitted by Luke on Mon, 12/11/2017 - 14:44

On the 11th of December, the ACLU and several other groups delivered 50,000 signed petitions to the US Attorney's office at 555 4th st demanding that all charges from the Inauguration protests be dropped. The petitions more generally demand that the US attorney's office stop criminalizing dissent. None of the six defendents whose trials continue this week are alleged to have committed any individualized unlawful acts, only collective guilt for the acts of others.

Police/Legal/Prisons

Over 200 arrested on Capitol steps in pro-DACA protest

Submitted by Luke on Wed, 12/06/2017 - 19:13

On the 6th of December, over 200 people were arrested on the steps of the US Capitol demanding that a DREAM act to protect migrants brought to the US as children be passed.

16 sec video clip of protesters on US Capitol steps

Immigration
Police/Legal/Prisons
Race/Racism

Neo Nazis blocked from reaching Lafayette Park for rally

Submitted by Luke on Mon, 12/04/2017 - 02:39

Video:Counterprotesters halt Nazi march on Penn Ave, swarm of police respond

On the 3rd of December, neo-Nazis attempted to march to Lafayette Park in front of the White House for a rally with speakers. They ran into stiff opposition as two different groups opposing fascism marched onto Pennsylvania Ave to confront them. The advance of the Nazis then stalled, and this was as far as they got. A large number of cops then blocked the road and pushed into the space between the Nazis and the much greater number of counterprotesters.

Police/Legal/Prisons
Race/Racism
Right Wing

Front line on Penn Ave

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