September 2015

DC Residents protest continuing efforts to merge PEPCO, Exelon

On the 17th of September, DC area residents marched on City Hall demanding that the Council and the Mayor stand firm on the city's rejection of the proposed PEPCO-Exelon merger. Exelon is known for customer service even worse than PEPCO plus a virulent opposition to net metering and solar installations. The Public Service Commission has rejected the proposed merger but Exelon has yet to give up and are asking the PSC to reconsider their decision. DC has rejected the merger on grounds that it would interfere with efforts to move PEPCO towards greater use of renewable energy, to which Exelon as proven hostile.

Video-residents march on City Hall, deliver signed "petition banner" for Mayor's office

Marching on City Hall against Exelon

Tents return to McPherson as Catholic Climate Movement holds 10 day fast

Beginning on the 14th of September, Catholic Climate Movement has been fasting on water only in McPherson Square to raise awareness of climate change. This fast will run until the Pope's visit to DC. Pope Francis has himself issued statements condemning human-caused climate change. Fasters at McPherson Square and at FERC both are fasting on water-only until the Pope's visit and are coordinating their efforts.

Video interview with one of the fasters in McPherson Square

Catholic Climate Movement's tents in McPherson Square

Interview with a Catholic fasting against climate change

Honduran migrants disabled on the "Beast" trains hold hunger strike at the White House

Beginning on September 14th and continuing until September 24 (when the Pope is in town) the "caravan of the mutiliated" from Honduras is holding a fast and presence in front of the White House. They are demanding to meet with Obama concerning the hell they have been through. The caravan consists of migrants who lost limbs while riding the notorious "beast" freight trains that are often the only way to get north through Mexico to the US border.

Interviews with two Beyond Extreme Energy water-only fasters at FERC

Video interviews with two participants on the 7th day of an 18 day water-only fast at the offices of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, also known as FERC. The fast is demanding and end to all issuance of permits for fossul fuel extraction by FERC. That includes gas fracking, pipelines, export facilities, all of it. FERC has responded with a gag order forbidding their staffers from talking to the activists out front.

Video-two interviews with fasters outside FERC

The scene at FERC on the 7th day of BXE's fast

BXE's fasters on what's fracked up at FERC

Lawsuit fails to win injunction against "managed hunts" to cull deer in Montgomery County, MD

On the 15th of September, two handpicked groups of archers will begin shooting deer in a "managed hunt in two Montgomery County parks. A lawsuit by a Bethesda resident and PETA is seeking to halt this hunt, a curious hybrid of conventional deer hunting and police/ranger deer culling programs. On September 11th, the court refused to grant an injunction to halt the shooting while the case is heard on it's merits.

Video of Seneca Creek stream valley park near one of the signs announcing a "managed hunt" area

DC Bike Party takes over the streets

On the 9th of September, the DC Bike Party took to the streets. Hundreds of riders filled streets with dense and festive traffic from Dupont Circle to and over Memorial Bridge, then back into DC. There were a couple tense moments as the ride neared it's end on H st NE involving cops and a minor crash on the streetcar tracks but no injuries or determined police aggression.

Video highlights of 1st half DC Bike Party to 1960's music from the sound bike

Wall to wall bikes near the beginning of the ride

Festive ride to the sounds of the 1960's

No New Animal Lab protests Skanska office in Rosslyn

The University of Washington has employed the multinational construction firm Skanska to build an underground vivisection laboratory for them. Underground it will be out of sight and armored against attack. The global No New Animal Lab campaign is mounting a pressure campaign to force Skanska to drop their contract and halt contruction of this torture chamber. On September 9, they showed up in front of Skanska's offices in Rosslyn, Virginia with signs and bullhorns for a noisy and graphic protest.

Video highlights of the Skanska office demo

Vivisection: If you build it they will come...

Code Pink counterprotests Donald Trump/Ted Cruz anti-Iran rally

On the 9th of September, infamous racist Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Sarah Palin and other far-right ideologues staged a rally on the Capitol West Lawn against the Iran nuclear deal. Some among their audience had Israeli flags, no doubt AIPAC played a role in this. Code Pink showed up and took up a position effectively corking the main entrance to the entire Trump/Cruz pro-war shinding.

Video-Code Pink takes on the Trump/Cruz zoo

Code Pink vs "Don Trump"

Anti-fracking activists begin 2 week fast, occupation at FERC

On the 8th of September, anti-fracking activists arrived in front of the offices of FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) for a two week fast and sidewalk occupation that will last until the Pope's visit to Washington DC on September 24. Activists from Beyond Extreme Emergy are demanding that not one more permit be approved for a fracking well, a gas export facility, a pipeline, or any other fracking related project. This is the 4th time FERC has found itself facing daily protests over fracking and gas export. Yes, we have "a situation" at FERC!

Code Pink protests Cheney's AEI speech against iran nuclear treaty

On the 8th of September, former Vice President Cheney spoke at the American Enterprise Institute(AEI) calling for sabotaging and blocking Obama's nuclear treaty with Iran. Code Pink showed up outside, denouncing Cheney as "wrong in Iraq, wrong in Iran." Several speakers noted that ISIS/Daesh would not exist if the US had not invaded Iraq, and Cheney played a large role in causing that invasion. One activist was dressed as Cheney in old style prison stripes, emphasizing Code Pink's call for criminal chargeds against Cheney for war crimes and for torture.Another managed to get inside with a banner and was escorted out as Cheney's supporters howled.

Video-Code Pink protests both inside and outside Cheney's warmongering speech

"Cheney" in prison stripes in front of "American Empire Incorporated"

Heckling Cheney's warmongering speech at AEI

Anti-racist protesters disrupt "Southern Heritage Rally," destroy Confederate flags

On the 5th of September, a "Southern Heritage Rally" waving Confederate flags showed up in Upper Senate Park, just north of the US Capitol. The Capitol Police attempted to protect them from a much larger group of anti-racist protesters but were outflanked by a street march. Protesters circled the area, got around the cops, and got between the Confederate flag wavers and their cars and Metro. This set up a "Capture the Flag" match in which several Confederate flags were captured and destroyed. The racists had to run a gauntlet of protesters to escape.

Video-protesters march around the cops, catch Confederate flag waving racists

Applying fire to a Confederate flag. It was polyester and difficult to ignite, so it was torn up

Capture the flag!

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