Youth Education

Book Banning issue arrives at Montgomery County, MD school board meeting

At a school board meeting in Montgomery County, MD (just north of DC), Moms4Liberty and a groups of Muslim parents demanded soft book bans (via an opt-out process) on pro-LGBTQ books. Pro-LGBTQ folks counterprotested, demanding schools remain secular.

Video based on Ford Fischer's clips 1 min

Photo of pro-LGBTQ counterprotest by Mont Councilmember Kristen Mink

Proud Boys, "Moms4Liberty" turn Hernando County, FL school board meeting to circus over Disney film

Proud Boys, so-called "Moms4Liberty" turn Hernando County, FL school board meeting into circus with anti-LGBTQ hate. All this was over the Disney movie "strange world" which simply includes a Gay character in a movie about saving the world.

Video-Proud Boys, "Moms4Liberty" Hernando County School Board meeting 3 min 38 sec

Sarasota County, FL School Board meeting draws big protest vs book bans, fundamentalist takeover

On the 18th of April, a Sarasota County, FL School Board meeting drew a huge protest against book bans, the anti-trans hate coming from all but one Board member, and a proposed takeover of New College at DeSantis' urging by an outfit called Vermillion, which is tied to far-right Hillsborough College.

Video-protesting outside the Sarasota County School Board meeting before some went inside to speak 1 min 47 sec

PSL protests at Pinellas County School Board meeting against "Moms4liberty"/DeSantis agenda

On the 28th of February, the Party for Socialism and Liberation held a protest outside the Pinellas County School Board's meeting.
They were protesting the DeSantis/Moms4Liberty agenda of book banning, budget cuts, "Don't Say Gay," the entire school takeover agenda. In Pinellas Countu, if astroturfing so-called "Moms 4 Liberty" manages to elect two more school board members they get a working majority and can effectively turn the Pinellas County schools into Christian religious schools, firing anyone who is unwilling to be part of that agenda.

Video-scenes from PSL's protest outside the Pinellas County school board meeting 1 min 28 sec

Virginia Governor Proposes "Natives Are Immigrants" and Columbus Was a Good Businessman

Virginia Governor Youngkin just proposed new history standards for all Virginia students. He released them over the weekend and the first hearings are this Thursday, to try to force them through quickly. He proposes to teach Virginia children a lot of falsehoods about Natives and very little mention of Asian, Latinos, or Pacific Islanders. His new standards include genocide denial and that Natives are "immigrants."

Virginia Students Oppose Giving Youngkin an Honorary Degree Because of His Bigotry

Rally for trans and gender expansive students held before Fairfax County school board meeting

On the 6th of October, a meeting of the Fairfax County school board at Luther Jackson Middle School included an agenda item of favorable concern to transgender students. A rally was held prior to the meeting in support of this agenda item and more generally to protect trans and gender expansive students from the current wave of hate and attacks. Only a half dozen presumed Christian Nationalists dared counterprotest.

Video contrasting the big rally turnout w the tiny counterprotest by religious extremists. 1 min 3 sec

Protesters disrupt DeSantis "Education Tour" event as Proud Boys glower outside

On the 21st of August, Florida's religious extremist governor Ron DaSantis held a campaign rally at of all places Metro-Dade Firefighters Local 1403. The rally was for his far-right agenda in the schools and school board candidates he supports. Two protesters managed to get inside and disrupt the event while Proud Boys tried and failed stop more protests from being held outside.

Video including disruption of DeSantis speech, protests and counterprotests outside 2 min 9 sec

The protest against DeSantis (Photo by Jonathan DeCamps)

Climate Strike protests begin again

On the 22nd of October, the youth/student Climate Strike/FridaysForTheFuture protests began again. Here in DC, protesters marched from Union Station to the Capitol, encountering way too many cops there. After the rally there, protesters were set to march to the White House, backing up the five young folks there on hunger strike demanding action on climate chaos and fossil fuels.

Way too many bike cops here

Five youth begin hunger strike for climate justice outside White House

On the 20th of October, five young people began a hunger strike in front of Biden's White House, demanding concrete action to limit climate chaos. While Biden plays footsie with Senator Manchin, the world continues to burn, placing the future for these young people in jeopardy. Now they are placing their bodies on the line to fight back.

Photo by Hunger Strike 4 Climate Justice

Howard students holding Blackburn defy Noon deadline, defeat eviction attempt after threats of expulsion

On the 12th of October, Howard University students occupied the Blackburn building demanding relief on housing and tuition. The administration claims this began after a "town hall" meeting broke down. The HU Police attempted to remove them at night with a false fire alarm, and students me a Noon Oct 13 deadline to evacuate or face expulsion from the university with an arm-locked blockade that defeated an attempt at forcible eviction.

Video originally posted to Twitter by Incognitovirgo4 of the scene outside the Blackburn Building 41 sec

The arm-locked blockade outside the Blackburn building defeated an eviction attempt

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