Race/Racism

"Muriel's gotta go-go" dance party demands removal of Mayor Bowser

Submitted by Luke on Sat, 01/16/2016 - 22:16

On the 16th of January Black Lives Matter activists staged the first "Muriel's Gotta Go-Go" dance party outside the Reeves Center.The dance party was complete with a sound truck playing banned go-go music, prohibited in DC nightclubs by ruthless governmental harassment. Due to this ban the protest was billed as a civil disobedience just for playing the music. Demand included not only the removal of the ban on playing go-go music in clubs, but the removal of DC Mayor Bowser from office. In response to the Black Lives Matter movement she has proposed more cops, more fines, and more searches and activists are saying this shall not pass!

Video highlights of Muriel's gotta go-go(46 sec)

Local News/Neighborhoods
Police/Legal/Prisons
Race/Racism

Photo by Preston Mitchum

Mayor Muriel Bowser's gotta go-go!

Mayor Bowser confronted by Black Lives Matter activists at Navy Yard

Submitted by Luke on Thu, 01/14/2016 - 16:31

On the 14th of January, Black Lives Matter activists confronted Mayor Bowser when she showed up at the Riverfront Bid Annual Meeting Luncheon. They condemned the racist crime bill she introduced last year and is still pushing, and demanded affordable housing and a higher minimum wage instead of more cops. Mayor Bowser is becoming famous not only for being in Wal-Mart's pocket but also for proposing more police, more fines, and more searches as the answer for seemingly everything.

Police/Legal/Prisons
Poverty
Race/Racism

Photo cropped from photo posted to Twitter by "freedom"

Black Lives Matter protesters shut down streets, call for removal of Mayor Bowser

Submitted by Luke on Fri, 01/01/2016 - 14:20

On Dec 31, 2015, New Years Eve, Black Lives Matter protesters swarmed into Chinatown by the hundreds. They marched from Chinatown to 14th st to U st, shutting down strategic intersections along the way. This time around, protesters were demanding not only the prosecution of killer cops but also the removal from office of DC Mayor Muriel Bowser. Muriel Bowser was behind 2015's failed attempt to greatly extend police search powers over African-American youth who have ever been in police custody.

Video highlights of the march and speakers

Police/Legal/Prisons
Race/Racism

Marching out of Chinatown after shutting down 7th and H streets

Marching for Black Lives and against Mayor Bowser on New Year's Eve

D.C. Mayor Calls for Warrantless Searches of Ex-Prisoners

Submitted by repost on Tue, 12/15/2015 - 10:54

The Real News Network:
The most Democratic city in the country is also the site of some of the harshest and most racialized proposed crime legislation

Civil Liberites/Constitution
Civil Rights/Equal Rights
Police/Legal/Prisons
Race/Racism

Black Lives Matter demands Justice for Alonzo Smith at Marbury Plaza

Submitted by Luke on Sat, 12/12/2015 - 22:58

On the 12th of December, Black Lives Matter activists gathered at Marbury Plaza on Good Hope Road to demand community control of all police and the names of the "special police" who killed Alonzo Smith. His mother spoke at the rally, reporting that the coroner's office had found he was beaten to death. On November 1, DC Police were summoned to Marbury Plaza, finding Alonzo dead and in handcuffs in the custody of the "Special Police" of Blackout Security, which provides "security" at the apartment complex.

Video-Mother of Alonzo Smith speaks

Police/Legal/Prisons
Race/Racism
Demanding justice for Alonzo Smith

Muslims protest ISIS, racial and ethnic profiling

Submitted by Luke on Fri, 11/20/2015 - 21:35

On the 20th of November, three separate Muslim rallies took place in DC. A small rally at the Lincoln Memorial and a very large march to the White House directly protested ISIS/Daesh. Many in the larger protest has US flags, reminescent of the 2006 immigrant rights protests. With politicians calling for blocking refugees from entire states and even a call for internment camps on the table, this is a reminder that the global Muslim community does not support Daesh and in fact that most of those murdered by Daesh are Muslims. In addition, a protest was held against racial and ethic profiling at DHS, with both Muslim and GLBTQ activists present. Police attempted but failed to stop some young African-American bystanders from joining the protest.

Video-police attempt to exclude several young African-Americans from the protest against racial profiling

Video on Liveleak-American Muslims march on the White House against Daesh

Anti-War/Peace
Foreign Policy/Imperialism
Race/Racism
US Muslims defy, reject Daesh

Cops harass Black Lives Matter activists at SE home

Submitted by Luke on Wed, 11/11/2015 - 14:40

On the 8th of November, reports emerged on Twitter that DC police from the 7D station shined lights into an activist home in Anacostia, and screamed at the women inside. Two cops showed up and shined lights into the house, then started screaming threats when asked why they were doing this. Cops also pulled over someone leaving the BlackJoySunday event that was being held at the house that evening.

Video originally posted to Twitter by Taylor Griffin

Local News/Neighborhoods
Police/Legal/Prisons
Race/Racism
Cops harass Black Lives Matter activists at SE home

Antifascist arrested for wearing mask at NPI protest

Submitted by Luke on Sun, 11/01/2015 - 13:50

On Halloween night, protests at the neo-Nazi National Policy Institute convention continued until the Nazis had to leave. At arount 10PM, all of the Nazis tried to flank the protesters by going around to the F st doors while protesters were on 14th st. Protesters saw this developing and charged over, getting there first. The resulting situation drew bike cops. Meanwhile, a few activists were still on 14th st. A white supremacist named Sam Dixon, former lawyer for the KKK, asked the police to arrest Sima for wearing a mask-and they complied.

Video of the "costume party" and the confrontation with the Nazis at F st as they left in a single large group

Police/Legal/Prisons
Race/Racism
Right Wing

The "Costume Party" outside the neo-Nazi NPI convention at National Press Club

Antifa "costume party" vs NPI Nazis at National Press Club

Neo-Nazis at NPI convention sprayed with silly string and caught smoking

Submitted by Luke on Sat, 10/31/2015 - 15:30

On Halloween, the 31st of October, the neo-Nazi American Policy Institute (NPI) Convention met at the National Press Club. Many well-known white supremacists were in attendance. To get in, they had to run a gauntlet of anti-racist protesters who not only called them out on their racism but also sprayed them down with Silly String. Later, one of the Nazis was observed smoking next to the Press Club's sign "no smoking within 25 feet of entrance" sign. Security guards made no attempt to interfere with this smoking violation.

Vidoe of silly string spraying and Nazis smoking under the no-smoking sign

Race/Racism
Right Wing

An attendee at the neo-Nazi "National Policy Institute" convention being sprayed with Silly String by anti-racist protesters

Silly String for Silly Nazis

Proposed $600/month rent hike at Mt Vernon Plaza apartments draws protest vigil

Submitted by Luke on Mon, 10/26/2015 - 23:57

Mt Vernon Plaza at 10th and M sts is owned by Bush Construction Companies, the same VA landlord who is seeking to evict all residents of Museum Square in Chinatown. At Mt Vernon Plaza Bush is attempting to shake down tenants for an extra $600 a month in rent, a 50% increase. On the 26th of October, tenants held a vigil outside reinforced by activists from the Black Lives Matter movement and other community activists. Bush Construction Companies was warned that evictions would require carrying people-including community activists-physically out of the building.

Video-Reverend Hagler speaking on gentrification and displacement as racism-including a direct comparison to the displacement of and theft of land from Native Americans

Housing/urban Issues/Gentrification
Local News/Neighborhoods
Race/Racism
Rev Hagler at Mt Vernon Plaza

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