May 2021

Early morning on Tues May 11, DC's Mayor Bowser paved over the Black Lives Matter Plaza lettering on 16th st. She never actually supported BLM as shown by her pro-police, pro-gentrification policies.

On the 7th of May, Extinction Rebellion DC and other groups acting in solidarity with Anishaabe activists marched on multiple downdown branches of Wells Fargo. They dumped fake oil, rolled oil barrels and marched a giant Black Snake in the streets, and tried to give away wild rice soaked in oil. Cops didn't know only Wells Fargo was being targetted, so they blocked entry to all banks near the protests, effectively shutting them down.

Video: rolling oil barrels, spreading tar, marching the Black Snake as banks shut down 6 min 54 sec

As developing countries struggle to access vaccines, the US announced support to eliminate trade barriers on vaccine access. In a statement Wednesday, the Biden Administration called for a waiver on COVID-19 vaccine intellectual property patents at the World Trade Organization.

“Less than 2% of vaccines reached poor countries,” said Eric LeCompte, the Executive Director of the religious development organization Jubilee USA Network. "Intellectual property rights prevent developing countries from making their own vaccines or accessing generic versions."

In the week prior to Mayday, a prisoner trapped in the DC Jail's dungeons died. In response, Decarcerate DC and community activists descended on the jail shortly after nightfall on Mayday for another noise demo and teach-in. Part of the teach-in was about the Attica Uprising, a repeat of which is one of the greatest fears of any jailer or warden.

Video-noise demo at DC Jail 44 sec