DC

Park Police attempt to order Pax Christi "Drone" away from Air and Space

Submitted by Luke on Sat, 10/25/2014 - 13:51

On the 25th of October, Pax Christi showed up in front of the national Air and Space museum with one of the large crank-up "drones" often seen at anti-drone protests. US Park Police demanded they crank it back down or move it. They moved it-back and forth in front of the museum, making it more visible because it was moving and causing mindless Park Police repression to backfire.

Anti-War/Peace
Foreign Policy/Imperialism
Police/Legal/Prisons

John Zangas photo

Police brutality protesters march on 7D police station in Anacostia

Submitted by Luke on Thu, 10/23/2014 - 00:48

On the evening of Oct 22, a national day of action against police brutality, local activists marched from the Anacostia Metro station to the 7th district police station. They demanded that all killer cops, not just Darren Wilson in Ferguson, be prosecuted and jailed. Before setting out, one activist read out a list of people killed by police right here in DC.

Video of the march on 7D

Video compilation of speakers before the march

Police/Legal/Prisons
Race/Racism

Marching on 7d-shadowed by many police cars

DC cops caught using "stingray" cell phone tracking devices

Submitted by Luke on Fri, 10/17/2014 - 14:34

A few weeks ago someone found that fake cellphone towers known as "stingrays" were very common in Washington DC, especially near government buildings. Now, vice.com has published a report that the Metropolitan Police Department is using them. The report states that in 2008, MPD began using the briefcase-size cell tower simulators they had originally obtained from an "anti-terror" grant years ago in ordinary "criminal" investigations. I strongly suspect that includes their illegal investigations of animal rights groups such as DARTT and of other activist groups such as Occupy DC.

Police/Legal/Prisons
Science/Technology

Labor activists march on Walton Foundation, blockade K st; 16 arrested

Submitted by Luke on Thu, 10/16/2014 - 17:07

On the 16th of October, labor activists and Wal-Mart "associated" gathered in front of the AFL-CIO building at 16th and H sts. From there they marched on the offices of the Walton Foundation, where a sign bearing a petition for $15 an hour and full time hours for Wal-Mart workers was refused. The Walton Foundation sent building management to negotiate with protesters who entered the building, claiming the Walton Foundation office was closed and empty. This was a lie, people were sighted inside. With the petition refused, activists moved just north to the intersection of 18th st and K street and blocked the intersection for the next hour and a half. Eventually cops moved in, arresting 16 particpants in the civil disobediance.

Video of the march, Walton Foundation action, and K st blockade

Labor/Economics/Business

The view from inside the building housing the Walton Foundation's offices

Maccabe Haifi vs Washington Wizards basketball game draws pro-Palestine protest

Submitted by Luke on Wed, 10/15/2014 - 23:22

On the 15th of October, the Israeli basketball team Macabee Haifi was defeated 105-95 by the Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center. Both inside and outside, protesters denounced Israel's aggression against the people of Palestine. One protester re-used the former name of the Wizards, calling Macabee Haifi the "Israeli Bullets." This protest was part of the cultural boycott of Israel. That boycott, in turn, is part of the Boycott-Divestment-Sanctions campaign inspired by the sucessful campaign that overthrew apartheid in South Africa.

50 sec video of the protest

Anti-War/Peace
Foreign Policy/Imperialism
World Uprisings

Protesters march around World Bank after Civil Society walkout

Submitted by Luke on Sat, 10/11/2014 - 16:06

On the 11th of October, opponents of the World Bank's roles as a global loan shark to predatory governments and corporations rallied in Murrow Park and marched all the way around the Fall meetings. This came after civil society groups from Ethiopia walked out of a meeting with the World Bank due to their reversal on a promise to strengthen environmental protections.
Video of the march

Globalization/Anti-globalization

Marching around the Fall meetings of the IMF and World Bank as the World Bank meets in their HQ

Rev Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping lead march on World Bank

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 10/10/2014 - 19:41

On the 10th of October, Rev Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir led a funeral march on the Fall Meetings of the IMF and World Bank, The march went to a delegate entrance checkpoint to the World Bank, where a mock funeral for the Bank was staged as people from South Asia and Africa reminded those inside just how much damage the Bank's programs had done to their countries.

Video Highlights of World Vs Bank march and street theater

Globalization/Anti-globalization

Rev Billy and the Stop Shopping Choir

Pa residents challenge EPA officials to drink fracked well water, bags searched at Metro in response

Submitted by Luke on Fri, 10/10/2014 - 13:39

On the 10th of October, anti-fracking activists and a resident of Dimock county in Pennsylvania challenged EPA officials to drink from either of two samples of discolored, contaminated well water from a fracking-damaged well. The response they got was the expected and understood refusal to drink the water, and an acceptance by an EPA official of their petitions. Meanwhile, the EPA building behind them was guarded by a counted 20+ cops-and bag searches at the Metro station entrance there. As soon as the protest ended, the DHS bag search checkpoint was withdrawn from the Metro station.

Video-offering the "frackwater challenge" to drink the contaminated well water

Environment/Food/Health
Police/Legal/Prisons

Offering a drink of fracked well water to an EPA official

Hundreds ride in October DC Bike Party

Submitted by Luke on Wed, 10/08/2014 - 23:43

On the 8th of October, the usual several hundred riders (600+ is average) took to the streets of DC for the monthly bike party. A just past full moon was in the sky as the streets swarmed with cyclists, some in a Halloween theme.

Video Highlights of the Ride

Environment/Food/Health

DC Homeless Civil Rights Challenge to Shelter Closings Update

Submitted by repost on Tue, 10/07/2014 - 16:41

Prior to the closing of La Casa Shelter, and as part of an ongoing pattern of displacement, the District closed Franklin Shelter, another low barrier shelter in Northwest, Washington, D.C.[vi] Between the two closures, the District removed all available shelter space in District operated facilities in the Northwest quadrant of the city and reduced its available shelter space for men by over thirty percent (30%).

The pattern of targeting and removal of the largely minority homeless population exhibited by the District defendants and of record includes: i) a clear and undisputed pattern of closing all low barrier public shelter services in largely Caucasian Wards 1 and 2 and relegating the remaining public shelters to Wards 5, 7 and 8, with highest minority populations....

Housing/urban Issues/Gentrification
Human Rights
Poverty

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