Housing/urban Issues/Gentrification

Big rally in Columbia Heights demands cancellation of rent over COVID-19

On the afternoon of July 26, a big crowd gathered in Columbia Heights to demand that the DC City Council and/or landlords cancel all rent owed by tenants for the months affected by COVID-19. Landlords of course should be free to refuse to pay their mortages for the same reason, and if that takes down the banks bailing out depositors directly doesn't let the rich divert the money to their own pockets.

Franklin Square closed for "renovation"

It looks like the question of why police harassed homeless people camping in Franklin Square just before the George Floyd Uprising started has been answered. A "partnership between the National Park Service and ... Mayor Muriel Bowser" has fenced off the park for a major renovation project. No doubt this is to include permanent expulsion of the homeless to make way for upscale office workers and power lunches.

Yuppies in, Homeless out. Mayor Bowser and Trump's federal troops (in the form of Park Police) working in unity

Fuck the Police march storms Target on 14th st

On the 27th of June, an over 10 mile long FTP(Fuck the Police) march started in Dupont, marched beyond Allison St and over to Ga Ave, and finally back down to BLM Plaza. The highlight of the march was the whole group storming the Target on 14th st to protest their calling the cops on Black and Brown people. Street vendors were mentioned-and if Target is siccing cops on their competition that is especially ugly.

Video-the march storms Target 1 min 46 sec

Storming the building housing Target on 14th st

Suspicious police activity at Franklin Sq homeless camp as DC prepares to reopen

On the 26th of May, several police cars and cops entered the homeless camp at Franklin Square, apparently for the second day in a row. This time around it was US Park Police, there is a report on Twitter showing MPD and National Guard at the same location the previous day. So far not an all-out eviction, exact nature of activity unclear.

Video of Park Police in Franklin Sq homeless camp 56 sec

Mayor Bowser's ReopenDC Advisary Group is developer BULLSHIT

Capitol Hill Corner reports Mayor Bowser's "ReopenDC Advisary Group" "reads like a roll call of political insiders." Included are former gentrifying mayors Williams (AKA Tony the Rat), Fenty(The slippery eel), Susan Rice, and even GW Bush regime war criminal Michael Chertoff.

Video: ReopenDC Advisary Group is literally BULLSHIT 35 sec

Sunrise holds Cancel Rent banners across from Wilson Building

DC Hub, the DC Tenant's Union, and Sunrise are demanding that Mayor Bowser and the DC Council cancel all rent payments citywide for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sunrise started things off with banners on Freedom Plaza across from the Wilson Building. This was followed by a phone jam against the City Council and the Mayor.

CancelTheRent motorcade visits Mayor Bowser's house

On Sat, the 25th of April, a CancelTheRent motorcade protest paid a visit tp Mayor Bowser-at her house. This was but the first of many stops in DC, one of over 40 cities hosting CancelTheRent events.

PLS's video of motorcade approaching Mayor Bowser's house1 min 21 sec

The motorcade at Mayor Bowser's house

2019 in Progressive Activism

Video compilation of protests and direct actions mostly but not entirely in the DC area as the resistance against the regime of Donald Trump enters its third year. (16 min 58 sec)

CCNV Summer Fundraiser: Supporting Our Homeless Neighbors

 CCNV Summer Fundraiser: Supporting Our Homeless Neighbors Everyone is welcome to come out for the CCNV Summer Cookout & Fish Fry Fundraiser. All proceeds will go toward the upkeep of the building and to benefit the nearly 1000 homeless DC residents who reside there. We will have freshy fried whiting fish, flavored to perfection, hamburgers or cheeseburgers, all beef hot dogs, and all the trimmings. Ice cold bottles of water and your favorite chips and sodas on the side.

Code locks return to area Starbucks restrooms

Over the course of the July 4 weekend, several DC area Starbucks outlets were observed with code locks on restroom doors reactivated. They were turned off (but never removed) in the aftermath of the infamous Philadelphia incident where an African-American businessman was arrested after asking to use to toilet. It looks like Starbucks's plan from day 1 was to turn the locks off only long enough for the uproar to die down.

Pages