July 2020

Student debt relief is now included in round the clock stimulus package negotiations on Capitol Hill. On Thursday, President Trump indicated that student debt relief measures passed in the Spring could be extended in the final Congressional package.

On the 29th of July, Black Lives Matter activists held a "protest and paint" sign painting on BLM Plaza to prepare for Saturday's big push. Back on July 16, cops harassed a similar sign painting session, this time MPD had the good sense to stay away. About an hour and a half into this, activists on bikes rode through the Plaza as part of an evening ride.

Video-the bike riders come through BLM Plaza 47 sec

Religious leaders representing over 95% of Puerto Rico's population wrote Congress urging that the island be included in the next stimulus plan. Job creation, disaster relief and protections for the vulnerable were lifted in a letter signed by leaders of the Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, Christian (Disciples) and Evangelical Churches.

On the evening of July 25, one of the groups associated with BLM protests marched through Georgetown. A car driver rammed them, putting the car in gear and pushing through in three separate moves. Her car has been identified by Twitter posters as being registered to Robbin K Blaya, an attorney with Trump's Department of Justice.

Zack Vandy16's video of driver ramming though Gtown protest 11 sec

On the evening of the 25th of July, an FTP (Fuck the Police) march took to the streets in solidarity with Portland and with all those murdered by police. Undercover cops in the march repeated started trouble, at one point even managing to steer the march into what was supposed to be a trap. Only problem for the cops was that determined protesters kept defeating the bike cops who were supposed to spring those traps.

Video-FTP march defeats bike cops w help from own bikes 1 min 43 sec