VA

Democratic Socialists of America protests at home of recently retired ICE director

On the first of July, the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America marched on the home of recently retired ICE director Thomas Homan. He has said undocumented migrants "should live in fear" so the DSA threw him a retirement party at his house in Virginia.

10 sec video clip shot by Metro DC DSA

Former ICE director Thomas Homan gets a "retirement party" (photo by Metro DC DSA)

DHS Sec Kirstjen Nielson gets audio of detained kids played outside her house

On June 22, Homeland Security secretarty Kirstjen Nielson got an early morning surprise at her Aleandria townhouse. Before she could leave for work, protesters showed up playing audio of the children she helped to separate from their parents.

Video by Philip Lewis including the audio of the children Kirstjen has helped detain.

Photo by Philip Louis

Pro bike racers run in N Va

On the 9th and 10th of June, pro bike racers returned to the streets of Clarendon and Crystal City, for the Clarendon and Crystal cups respectively. With the furious resistance mounted by marginalized communities against corporatization of events like Pride, it can be shocking to see the degree of overt corporatization (and militarization in this case) in pro bike racing.

Video from the 2018 Crystal Cup, second race of the series

Neo-Confederates in Richmond carry rifles, hide behind cops from anti-fascists anyway

On the 5th of May, 12 members of the "DIxie Defenders" and "Confederate States of America II" showed up in front of the Robert E Lee monument in Richmond, VA. They mostly hid behind police even though three of them carried military style AR-15 rifles. Opposing them were between 50 and 100 people in three clusters of counterprotesters.

Video of events in Richmond showing overall scene, Lee descendent leading "take the symbols down" chant, and some gun safety/brandishing issues by right-wingers

A dozen neo-Confederates hide behind Richmond police despite having three AR-15 rifles

Urgent: Va immigration activist detained by ICE in Arizona

Alejandra Pablos is an immigration rights activist who lives in Virginia and partipated in a January 2018 protest outside the Department of Homeland Security. In a brazen act of openly stated retaliation, ICE detained her at an immigration "check-in" in Arizona. ICE openly told her she was being singled out for daring to organize. It is believed that someone from ICE in VA called her "deportation officer" in Arizona to set up her detention.

Charlotttesville car attack victims resisting grand jury subpoenas

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

NPI exiled to barn, shut down early after losing Ronald Reagan building

On Nov 19, 2016, Richard Spencer's "National Policy Institue" (NPI) met in the Ronald Reagan building in DC, throwing Nazi salutes while maybe 1,000 protesters beseiged the building. One year later, on Nov 19, 2017 they had to meet in a barn after the Ronald Reagan building dumped them, and it appears far fewer attended. Recent bounced checks by Richard Spencer probably made hotels unavailable.

Update Nov 20,2017:The barn that hosted NPI has been identified as Rocklands Farm in Poolesville, MD. It appears to be a rustic host site for weddings etc and was rented under false pretences. NPI was ordered to leave as soon as the owners realized they had Nazis on their property

NPI has been reduced to a few Nazis meeting in a barn.

Georgetown Law’s ICAP Sues to Prevent Paramilitary Groups' Return to Charlottesville

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (Oct. 12, 2017) – The heavily armed private militias and alt-right groups that converged on Charlottesville during the August 12 “Unite the Right” rally engaged in highly coordinated and unlawful paramilitary activity that transformed the city into a virtual combat zone, a suit filed today claims.

Prince William County Killer Cop, Champion Marksman Walks Free

On September 15, 2017 at 10:45 in the morning,  Officer Robert Choyce of the Prince William County Police Department fatally shot 15 year old Rubin Urbina yielding a  crowbar.  Choyce fired his weapon twice, striking Rubin in the chest both times.

According to reports, Rubin had called the police on himself as he was struggling with a psychotic episode.

When the police arrived, they ordered Rubin to drop a crowbar.  15 year old Rubin did not comply.  The police then shot him.  Rubin died on the scene.

Kayaktivists stage naval style banner raising at Pentagon against war and fossil fuels

On the 17th of September, the Backbone Campaign, World Without War, the Raging Grannies, and other groups bypassed the usual difficulties of protesting at the Pentagon by taking to the water to raise banners from kayaks.

Photo by Anne Meador of DC Media Group

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