MD

Kayaktivists deploy anti-Dominion banner at Solomons opening of Tiki Bar

Submitted by Luke on Fri, 04/15/2016 - 22:23

On the 15th of April, the "Tiki Bar" in Solomons, MD opened for the year, drawing a huge crowd to tiny Solomons, MD. As the partying began, activists opposing Dominion's under-construction LNG/fracked gas export plant at nearby Cove Point paddled in from seaward and deployed a banner reading "Dominion=Disaster." This is the literal truth due to the extreme size of explosions resulting from accidents at other LNG plants, none of them in populated areas like Lusby and Cove Point.

Video shot from another kayak showing the banner deployment, both HD 1080p and half HD 540x960 available

Environment/Food/Health
Kayaktivism at Solomons against Dominion's LNG export dreams

Cove Point LNG export protest takes to the water in kayaks

Submitted by Luke on Sun, 03/13/2016 - 20:20

On the 13th of March, "Kayaktivists" with a banner set up from their boats joined a protest at Solomons, MD against LNG export out of nearby Cove Point, MD. Dominion is about 1/4 of the way through converting the old liquified natural gas (LNG) plant at Cove Point, MD into a substantially larger export plant for fracked gas from both existing and new fracking "sacrifice zones."

video of the kayaks and banner shot from another kayak(52 sec)

Environment/Food/Health
Kayaktivism against Dominion's LNG export from Cove Point

Real Food Challlenge marches against TPP in Baltimore

Submitted by Luke on Sat, 02/13/2016 - 13:59

On the 12th of January, Real Food Challenge marched to the Baltimore office of Rep Elijah Cummings. A delegation met with Rep Cummings, who until now had not made any public commitments concerning this ugly repeat of NAFTA. Asked to take a stand, Rep Cummings told the delegation he was opposed to the TPP or Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. This statement may cost him corporate donations but will win him votes.

Globalization/Anti-globalization

Calvert County still prosecuting anti-LNG export activist for reporting police brutality

Submitted by Luke on Mon, 02/08/2016 - 22:00

Earlier this year, Carling Sothoron and Heather Doyle climbed and hung a banner from a crane at the construction site for Dominion Resources's fracked gas export facility near Cove Point, Maryland. During the extraction and arrest, both Carling and Heather, who are expert climbers, experienced an unsafe extraction by the Calvert County Sheriff's Office and Heather was assaulted during her arrest. After the court proceedings for their action Heather filed an official complaint about their treatment. Instead of holding its officers accountable, Calvert County is now prosecuting Heather for “making false statements to an officer”.

Environment/Food/Health
Police/Legal/Prisons

Baltimore Bloc, allies shut down Pro-Rape "Men's Rights" meetup

Submitted by Luke on Sun, 02/07/2016 - 00:50

On the 6th of February, a "men's rights" meetup organized by Daryush "Roosh" Valizdeh was planned for the Cross Street Market in Baltimore, MD as one of 165 similar meetups on an "International Meetup Day." Roosh is infamous for calling for the legalization of rape as well as for preaching hatred against women in general and GLBT people in particular. The Baltimore Bloc organized a counterprotest against these pro-rape men, and not a single one of them could be found at their Baltimore meetup location.

Video from the Cross Street Market counterprotest against Roosh's "Men's Rights" meetup (1 min 14 sec)

Gender/Sexuality/Identity
Keeping pro-rape "Roosh" men's rights meetup out of Baltimore

Labor activsts and Vegans protest TPP at Baltimore World Trade Center

Submitted by Luke on Thu, 02/04/2016 - 21:51

On the 4th of February, a mix of labor activists and area vegans showed up at the Baltimore World Trade Center to protest the signing of the TPP or Trans-Pacific Partnership. The TPP is a yet to be ratified trade deal that a former steelworker described as "Nafta on steroids" before singing a song of dissent at this protest. All the worst provisions of the trade deal that ate som many jobs (including his) are present in the TPP and as bad or worse than in NAFTA and so many more countries are affected.

Laid-off/outsourced steel worker leads the protest in song

Globalization/Anti-globalization
Singing NO to the TPP Trainwreck at the Baltimore World Trade Center

Blizzard report: Bikes can get out where cars cannot

Submitted by Luke on Mon, 01/25/2016 - 19:02

On the 25th of January, many residents in MD were still unable to reach the main roads using their cars. Side streets were not plowed, only packed down by passing SUV's. While cars often could not get out using their tracks, bicycles could, and once the main roads were reached could be ridden almost as in normal conditions. Politicians like Muriel Bowser are still asking people to stay home. They can no doubt summon the National Guard to bring them food by Humvee if they run out, so it's easy for them to demand others stay off the roads.

Video of Ga Ave two days after the snow stopped falling shot from a bike saddle

Miscellaneous

A show shovel compared to the height of the snow late on Saturday while more was still coming down.

Biking 2 days after the snow stopped

Motorcycle version of Critical Mass blockades Beltway

Submitted by Luke on Mon, 12/28/2015 - 17:58

On the 27th of December, sportbike, dirtbike, and even a few ATV riders staged something rather like a Critical Mass bicycle ride on the Capitol Beltway in PG County. For years police have been harassing African-American riders of the dirt bikes and ATV's, now they find Mad Max is a game two can play. The massive swarm took over all lanes of the southbound Beltway, alternately blocking and riding with traffic. Police batted zero, with every last rider escaping. Police cars have no more ability to kettle high performance motorcycles than airliners do to kettle fighter jets.

Youtube video posted by Alyssa Ruth, WARNING-ad supported

Miscellaneous

Still from Alyssa Ruth's Youtube video

Cove Point Defender Fighting Charge for Filing Complaint Against Police Abuse

Submitted by Luke on Mon, 12/07/2015 - 17:56

LUSBY, Maryland — A police investigator and the State’s Attorney in southern Maryland have turned the tables on two activists involved with SEED (Stopping Extraction and Exports Destruction) after they filed complaints about unsafe and reprehensible police behavior. In an internal investigation of the complaints, members of the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office lied to cover up the actions of three officers during their response to a protest at a Dominion construction area tied to its liquefied natural gas (LNG) export project at Cove Point.

Environment/Food/Health
Police/Legal/Prisons

Police attack on fur protest triggered by false report of window smashing

Submitted by Luke on Sun, 11/29/2015 - 17:09

On Black Friday, the 27th of November, the in-store protest at Miller's Furs ended in a police attack on the protesters. Two were handcuffed and two more were detained. Three escaped the scene entirely, as police arrived well after protesters had exited the store and as they were leaving the entire area. A total of 12 police cars showed up with sirens screaming. During the detainment, one of the cops mentioned having received a report that protesters were smashing windows at the store. None were broken or even hit in reality. If this report came from Manny Miller, he is guilty of filing a false police report.

Animal Rights

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