Disrupting the Inauguration: A #J20 Update

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 12/24/2016 - 08:40

The DC Welcoming Committee is helping to build capacity and infrastructure for a massive convergence that will challenge the legitimacy of both the inauguration of billionaire Donald Trump and his reactionary right-wing cabinet of the super rich, and the wider system of industrial capitalism, repressive government, and white supremacy which gave birth to him. Already, people are planning a series of massive direct actions, blockades, and marches throughout the city.

And hey, because we like fun, we’re even going to throw some parties.

Elections/Legislation/Government
Right Wing

Video: 2016 in activism-chaos, catastrophe, and resistance

Submitted by Luke on Thu, 12/22/2016 - 20:21

Video highlights of the past year in progressive activism. Resistance to Donald Trump, to the Dakota Access Pipeline, and to police murder are the three main themes of the past year. Now we must prepare for the battle to come on the 20th of January, and the war against racism and white supremacy that will follow.

Video-2016 in review

Anti-War/Peace
Civil Rights/Equal Rights
Elections/Legislation/Government
Environment/Food/Health
Foreign Policy/Imperialism
Labor/Economics/Business
Police/Legal/Prisons
Poverty
Race/Racism
Right Wing
Strategy/Theory/Movement Issues

Jewish,Muslim activists demand building owner EVICT "Clarion Project" hate group

Submitted by Luke on Wed, 12/21/2016 - 23:30

On Dec 21, both Jewish and Muslim activists backed by allies held a "No Hate Groups at 1717 Penn" rally, demanding that the extremist,anti-Muslim Clarion Project be evicted from the building for peddling hate. It is rare to hear of social activists demanding anyone be evicted, but hate groups are an exception to this rule. Tishman Speyer rents space in 1717 Penn Ave to the Clarion Project, which the Southern Poverty Law Center has announced plans to formally designate as a hate group.

Video from the protest against Clarion Project hate

Anti-War/Peace
Civil Rights/Equal Rights
Race/Racism

Homeless Memorial March and vigil remembers 46 who died this year

Submitted by Luke on Wed, 12/21/2016 - 00:06

On the 20th of December, the People for Fairness Coalition marched from Luther Place Church to Freedom Plaza to remember 46 people who died on the street or with a housing voucher they were unable to use. The march included a casket in memory of the fallen.

Video of the march from Luther Place to Freedom Plaza

Housing/urban Issues/Gentrification
Human Rights
Local News/Neighborhoods

Marchers on 14th St with a casket remembering the 46 homeless people who have died this year in DC

Environmental groups call Trump's climate denying Cabinet picks "arsonists running the fire department"

Submitted by Luke on Tue, 12/20/2016 - 15:01

On the 20th of December, 350.org and several other environmental groups gathered in front of the GSA office at 1800 F st. Trump's transition team is being permitted to use that Federal building. The pro-Earth groups were there to denounce such Trump appointments of people like climate denier Scott Pruitt as as head of the EPA and Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State.

Video from the protest at Trump's transition team office incuding the arsonist/fire department remark about Pruitt

Elections/Legislation/Government
Environment/Food/Health

MoveOn, DRUM march against Trump's planned registry of Muslims

Submitted by Luke on Mon, 12/12/2016 - 18:50

On the 12th of December, MoveOn.org and DRUM(Desis Rising Up & Moving ) marched from the Department of Justice to the White House demanding Obama shut the NSEERS muslim registry all the way down. This is so Trump cannot use it as the framework for a more expansive registry of every Muslim in the US and who knows who else.

Update Dec 22:Possible VICTORY-Obama dismantling NSEERS so Trump can't easily revive it.

Video highlights of the march including comparisons made to Nazi Germany by some participants

Civil Rights/Equal Rights
Elections/Legislation/Government
Race/Racism
Right Wing

Bring back the DC swamp!

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 12/12/2016 - 11:56

Discussion around having a rowdy and festive antifa feeder march starting in Columbia Heights on Jan 20

Commentary/Op-ed
Poverty
World Uprisings

"Standing Rock and Beyond" march demands DAPL pipeline be cancelled, Leonard Peltier be freed

Submitted by Luke on Sat, 12/10/2016 - 20:46

On the 10th of December, the Standing Rock and Beyond march and rally demanded that Obama move to finish off the Dakota Access Pipeline and grant executive clemency to Leonard Peltier. Leonard Peltier's eldest son spoke at the rally on both his father's ongoing political imprisonment and on the dangers of corporate power over water.

Video-Leonard Peltier's son speaks on corporate control of water, marching to the EPA past Trump Hotel

Environment/Food/Health
Police/Legal/Prisons
Race/Racism

Georgetown Solidarity Committee vs Nike: University President's office occupied for two days

Submitted by Luke on Thu, 12/08/2016 - 17:45

Update Dec 9:

University agrees to student's demands, and to meeting by Dec 14. Sit-in withdrawn Friday night. We shall see if Georgetown Nike Air really becomes a thing of the past-or if Nike's Hansae factory stops doing things like locking their workers in

On the 8th of December, the Georgetown Solidarity Committee decided they have had enough of Georgetown University's refusal to cancel their contracts with Nike. At 10AM, a crew of students occupied the University President DeSioia's office, then at around noon a much larger solidarity rally marched into the building and occupied the lobby in front of it as well. As of 6:30PM Dec 8 students are still holding out.

Video including a participant's footage of the building entry and an interview taken inside

Globalization/Anti-globalization
Labor/Economics/Business

The president's office is behind the doors in the back of this photo. More students are inside

Mayor Bowser gets protest for Terrence Sterling at her house

Submitted by Luke on Tue, 12/06/2016 - 01:07

On Sep 11, 2016 Terrence Sterling was shot off his motorcycle by a DC cop while riding home to his family. Ever since then, his personal friends, Black Lives Matter, and SURJ-DC activists have been protesting on Monday nights demanding prosecution of the cop who shot him. On Mon, Dec 5 they escalated by moving their protest from 3ed and M sts (where Terrence was shot) to Mayor Bowser's house near 16th st and the MD line. She got home in the middle of the protest and refused to say even a word.

Video-Terrence Sterling protest catches Mayor Bowser arriving home

Police/Legal/Prisons
Race/Racism
Mayor Bowser caught off-guard by Terrence Sterling protest at her house

Veterans hold Standing Rock solidarity "Stand-in" at Capitol after pipeline easement denied

Submitted by Luke on Mon, 12/05/2016 - 23:48

On the 5th of December, DC-MD-VA Veterans Stand with Standing Rock held an all-day"stand-in" on the East side of the US Capitol. Congressman Grijalva was the keynote speaker, warning Trump not to attempt to undo Obama's Dec 4 refusal via the US Army Corps of Engineers to grant an easement to finish the pipeline.

Video-Congressman Grijalva speaks(6:29)

Environment/Food/Health
Race/Racism
Congressman Grijalva speaks at NoDAPL event

Wells Fargo board member Elaine Cho gets home protest over Dakota Access Pipeline

Submitted by Luke on Sat, 12/03/2016 - 21:41

On the 3ed of December, SURG DC and other opponents of the Dakota Access Pipeline marched from the Columbus monument at Union Station to the Capitol Hill home of Wells Fargo board member Elaine Cho. She is married to Senator Mitch McConnell(R-K), and her home in Kentucky received a simultanious protest from the SURJ chapter there. Wells Fargo has agreed to meet with Standing Rock elders but has yet to stop disbursing loan money to the Dakota Access Pipeline project and divest of their major financial interests in the "Black Snake" pipeline.

Video of the NoDAPL march on Wells Fargo board member Elaine Cho's home

Environment/Food/Health
Race/Racism

Water protectors in front of Elaine Cho's house.

Marching on Wells Fargo board member Elaine Cho's house over DAPL funding

Climate First!, Greenpeace protest Citibank's funding of Dakota Access Pipeline

Submitted by Luke on Thu, 12/01/2016 - 20:01

Dec 1, 2016 was a global day of action against the Dakota Access Pipeline(DAPL). Here in DC, Climate First! showed up at four Citibank branches demanding they divest from the project. The fourth and final branch had already been visited earlier the same day by Greenpeace. Citibank organized the loan package that is funding construction of the DAPL.

Video from Climate First!'s four Dec 1 NoDAPL Citibank protests

Environment/Food/Health
Race/Racism

Reminding a Citibank branch that water is life!

Climate First! protests Citibank's DAPL funding

Code Pink occupies HP Government Affairs Office building over biometric sales to Israel

Submitted by Luke on Mon, 11/28/2016 - 19:38

On the 28th of November, Code Pink protested Hewlett-Packard's sale of biometric and identity-tracking software to Israeli prisons, settlements, and the Israeli government in general for use at checkpoints. During the protest, someone came out the door-and the open door let in several members of Code Pink, who stopped further traffic in and out by turning the elevator into occupied territory of a different kind.

Video including elevator occupation and debate with probable HP employee

Anti-War/Peace
Foreign Policy/Imperialism
Storming Hewlett-Packard over biometric sales to Israel

March and Rally for Standing Rock demands NO Dakota Access Pipeline

Submitted by Luke on Sun, 11/27/2016 - 22:21

On the 27th of November, water protectors from Standing Rock and a huge crowd of allies marched from the Dept of Justice past Trump Hotel to the Washington Monument. Once there, speakers described the ongoing campaign, the strategy, and the brutal repression water protectors have received in the process of slowing down and hopefully stopping the Dakota Access Pipeline

Video of the march and some high points of the rally

Environment/Food/Health
Race/Racism
March against the Black Snake, the Dakota Access Pipeline

Baltimore water protectors lock down, shut down Wells Fargo over DAPL

Submitted by Luke on Fri, 11/25/2016 - 21:29

On Black Friday, the 25th of November, water protectors in Baltimore locked down inside a Wells Fargo bank branch, forcing them to close down for the day. Six activists were arrested after being cut out of the lockdown, which defeated the first tools used to try and cut them out. O ne activist indigenous to Mexico had to be taken to the hospital after being injured by police.

video including preroll of Nov 20-21 police attack at Standing Rock, the Baltimore march into Wells Fargo, the failed police attempt to cut the locks, and fire department cutting activists out of the lockdown

Environment/Food/Health
Race/Racism

Still from Baltimore Bloc twitter video

NoDAPL Lockdown closes Wells Fargo in Baltimore

Animal rights protesters march through Neiman-Marcus, march on Maggiano's

Submitted by Luke on Fri, 11/25/2016 - 15:23

On Black Friday, Nov 25, animal rights protesters marched into Neiman-Marcus, demanding the upscale chain store stop selling fur and related products. Afterwards they marched around the block, stopping at Maggiano's, the scene of the previous week's confrontation with the neo-Nazi National Policy Institute.

Video-fur protest marches through Neiman-Carcass

Animal Rights

Marching into Nieman-Marcus demanding an end to fur sales

Fur protesters march through Neiman-Marcus

"Trump is a Pig" projected on Trump Hotel

Submitted by Luke on Wed, 11/23/2016 - 23:53

On the 21st of November, some folks who earlier had protested the appointment of climate change denier Myron Ebell to Trump’s transition team stopped by Trump Hotel with a high powered projector. They used it to project the words "Experts Agree-Trump is a Pig" over the barricaded doorways of Trump Hotel.

Elections/Legislation/Government

Photo by Christopher Soghoian

Justice for Terrence Sterling campaign continues

Submitted by Luke on Tue, 11/22/2016 - 14:36

On the 21st of November, activists demanding justice for Terrence Sterling once again gathered at 3rd and M sts NW where he was murdered by police. On Sep 11, 2016 a DC cop shot him off his motorcycle for "erratic driving." Due to the pressure put on Mayor Bowser by Black LIves Matter activists this case has been referred to a grand jury for "investigation." No prosecution will result unless the pressure continues, so activists are still gathering at 3rd and M each Monday night at 7PM.

Police/Legal/Prisons
Race/Racism

The memorial where a police officer rolled down his window and shot Terrence Sterling off his motorcycle

DC Stands with Standing Rock Coalition holds night of culture at Busboys and Poets

Submitted by Luke on Tue, 11/22/2016 - 00:43

On the 21st of November, the DC Stands with Standing Rock Coalition held a night of prayer,drumming, singing, and culture in a packed room at Busboys and Poets. This was the day after a brutally violent police rubber bullet and water cannon assault on water defenders at Standing Rock injured almost 200 people.

Environment/Food/Health
Police/Legal/Prisons
Race/Racism

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