Race/Racism

On the 14th of May, the Poor People's Campaign kicked off six weeks of direct action with civil disobedience in cities all over Turtle Island, resulting in hundreds of arrests. Here in DC, protesters marched into the streets from the US Capitol and were quickly but partially kettled by US Capitol Police. The route back to one sidewalk was not blocked but protesters stood their ground and were then arrested.

Video of the civil disobedience (3 min 27 sec) on Liveleak after being removed by Archive.org

Long has it been said that "cops and the Klan work hand in hand." On Apr 28, police used all available strength to defend an alt-right even for the second week in a row. The American Renaissance Conference (driven out of DC in 2010) met that day in Montgomery Bell State Park in TN. Protesters had the choice of staying out of sight and sound or marching into a protest pen where all entrants were searched.

On the 20th of March, Puerto Ricans came to DC, outraged by the US government's refusal to help rebuild Puerto Rico's power grid and other crucial infrastructure. They held a rally outside FEMA before marching to Congress under rain so cold it was snow and sleet just a few miles north of the city.

On the 26th of January, Bijan Gaisar's family and friends spoke at a massive protest in front of the US Dept of the Interior, demanding the names of the two US Park Police officers who shot him dead. On Friday, Nov 17, 2017, US Park Police approached his vehicle with drawn guns after a chase that began over a fender bender in which he had been the victim, struck from behind. At the end of the chase, he may have seen the guns, reacted, and tried to escape with his life.

Video-Bijan's sister speaks out at the rally complete speech, 7m 39s