Race/Racism

On the 5th of December, civil rights protesters returned to Chinatown, staging a massive die-in in rush hour traffic before blockading the Verizon Center. In a repeat of the previous night's scene at the Hyatt/ALEC confrontation, bike cops blocked off the Verizon Center as well, creating a front-line similar to at a very large IMF protest.

Video of the later 11PM die-in at 7th and H in Chinatown

11PM Dec 5:Violent arrest leaves one protester injuredVideo

On the 3rd of December, a New York grand jury refused to indict the cop responsible for the chokehold death of Eric Garner. In response, protesters here in DC as well as in NY took to the streets. In DC, protesters blocked up intersections at K st, all the entrances to Dupont Circle, and finally marched into and blocked up Adams-Morgan. At Dupont they were joined by protesters against the murder of 43 students by Mexican police allied with drug cartels.

Video of the H st, K st, and Dupont Circle portions of the protest including a confrontational motorist who got out of his car

On the 1st of December, Ferguson protesters blocked the 14th st Bridge for about 1/2 hour in AM rush hour. This was the day after a similar protest blocked I-395 on perhaps the busiest travel day of the year. There was one ugly incident involving a motorist in an expensive Mercedes who tried to push through the blockade but was stopped. This was shortly after another motorist was allowed to pass after saying he was going to a dialysis appointment. Apparently letting one car pass made other drivers more aggressive. The line of protesters blocked the bridge until shortly after the cops read out the required 1st of three warnings for a mass arrest, then marched off the bridge.

Video of the blockade of the 14th st Bridge

Another angle on the Mercedes whose driver tried to push through the blockade-Youtube

On the 29th of November, DC Ferguson protesters marched through Georgetown and shut down the streets. When the march headed out of Georgetown, marchers transitioned from the sidewalks to block shoppers who did not drive in from reaching the doors of upscale stores. At the end of the march, protesters surged into the Foggy Bottom Metro, got off at Pentagon City, and stormed into the shopping mall.

Video of the march on Georgetown

Video of protesters storming Pentagon City

A Lakota woman speaks at the march on Georgetown