Items
Subject is exactly
Protest
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2020-12-05
Police Violence
Protestors and families members who have lost loved ones to police violence gathered yesterday to condemn the shooting of Joseph Washington last Saturday. A police body camera video shows Washington getting out of a dumpster running towards officers, naked, and unarmed. Officers then deployed tasers and released a K-9 dog in to stop him — one officer fired his gun hitting Washington twice. St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell fired the officer who shot Washington. His termination is pending a union grievance process. Washington was a suspect in a house break-in and earlier domestic incident. Protestors denounced his actions and declared this should not allow police to become "judge, jury, and executioner." -
2020-12-06
Trump Rally
Yesterday, individuals opposing COVID-19 restrictions and the 2020 Presidential election results rallied for the third consecutive week. Around two hundred protestors countered the scheduled event calling out the relationship between Bikers for Trump MN and white supremacy groups attending like the Proud Boys, an all-male hate group that promotes and carries out political violence. -
2021-01-04
Dolal Idd Was Shot and Killed by Police
Twenty-three year old Dolal Idd was shot and killed by police Wednesday evening outside a gas station less than a mile away from the site of George Floyd’s death. Dolal's family only learned of his death after police raided their home in the middle of the night. Minneapolis Police Chief Arradondo shared that officers were performing a traffic stop as part of a "probable cause” weapons investigation when they approached Idd. Arradondo refused to provide specifics. The edited body cam footage released by the police has only raised further questions about the incident. "We want police officers to have serious consequences for their use of force -- and right now they don't. Right now they’re given a great deal of discretion to kill people,” said Jaylani Hussein, Executive Director of CAIR (@cairmn). -
2021-01-08
Thank You
I want to thank all the organizers, activists, community leaders, lawyers, journalists, photographers, educators, event marshalls, and medics who against all odds and dangers have raised their hands to dig America out of its messes. We appreciate and see you. -
2021-01-10
Protestors Gathered to Demand and End to Line 3 Pipeline
Yesterday, hundreds of protestors gathered to demand an end to the Line 3 pipeline construction by Enbridge in Aitkin County, Minnesota. The group blocked traffic on U.S. Highway 169 and MPR is reporting eight people were arrested. The pipeline construction will bring nearly a million barrels of tar sands per day from Alberta, Canada to Superior, Wisconsin. Tar sands oil is one of the most carbon intensive forms of energy and the US Congressional Research Service found it produces 14% more carbon emissions than conventional crude oils. If global carbon emissions continue to follow their current trajectory, the global temperature will rise roughly 5.4 degrees (F) by century’s end, resulting in catastrophic changes to the planet. Enbridge has been working on construction of the 338-mile pipeline since December -- claiming it will create thousands of construction jobs. Recently, a lawsuit was filed asking a federal court to halt construction, stating the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers failed to address several environmental issues and tribal treaty rights when it approved a water quality permit. -
2021-01-12
Activists Give St. Paul Mayor List of Demands
On Sunday, activists and community members hand-delivered a letter to St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter's home signed by over 500 constituents and 25 local organizations demanding the city stop evicting people from encampments during inclement weather and the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter is asking city officials to meet these requests: ➡️ Convene an emergency St. Paul City Council meeting to address these issues ➡️ Place a moratorium on enforcement of any illegal camping ordinance, to last the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic ➡️ Halt the clearing and disposal of tents and other sheltering materials to ensure that unhoused people do not lose what may be their only present means to self-quarantine and practice social distancing ➡️ Adhere to the existing statewide eviction moratorium ➡️ Follow best practices outlined by the National Homelessness Law Center -
2021-01-21
Progressive Activists Call on Biden Administration
Yesterday progressive activists called on the incoming Biden administration to center working people, immigrants, and BIPOC communities in their policy agenda. Their list of demands included community control of the police, no new oil or fossil fuel pipelines, and criminal prosecution of Donald Trump. -
2021-01-25
Voices for Ethnic & Multicultural Awareness (VEMA) Gathered to Honor Estavon Elioff and Eddie Uti
Voices for Ethnic & Multicultural Awareness (VEMA) and community members gathered to honor the lives of Estavon Elioff and Eddie Uti from the Iron Range region of Minnesota. Elioff was a 19-year-old Latinx male who was shot and killed while unarmed by Sheriff's deputies in Mountain Iron, MN last year. There is an active investigation into his death by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Eddie Uti was a 29-year-old Samoan father of two from Hibbing, MN found dead in 2020. His last known contact was with the Itasca Sheriff's department. A medical examiner’s report revealed he died from a drowning after being “found floating near the shore of Pokegama Lake.” -
2021-01-30
Protesters March to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Office
Hundreds of protesters marched to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers office in St. Paul to demand President Biden direct them to revoke Line 3's water crossing permit. The additional carbon emissions from the proposed Line 3 expansion is equivalent to operating 50 new coal plants over thirty to fifty years. The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has found if global emissions continue to follow their current trajectory, the global temperature will rise roughly 5.4 degrees (F) by century’s end, resulting in catastrophic changes to the planet. -
2021-02-08
March for Justice
These photos were taken at the Bloomington March for Justice on July 25, 2020. At the same time - less than a mile away - a 'Black the Blue' and Pro-Trump event was being held and was along the march's route. Moments before these separate events met the sky darkened and it started raining heavily. It almost felt as if the universe knew what was going to unfold moments later. -
2021-02-16
Protest at the Minnesota State Capitol Last Summer
There are 20 days until the trial of George Floyd. This photo was taken at the Minnesota State Capitol last summer, moments before the National Guard and State Police thought using rubber bullets was an appropriate "crowd control" tactic for a peaceful protest. -
2021-02-17
100 Activists Opposing the Pipeling
Last month, it was reported by Healing Minnesota and The Intercept, that the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office requested that Enbridge reimburse them for nearly $72,000 worth of riot gear and more than $10,000 in weapons and ammunition, including tear gas, batons, pepper spray, bean bag rounds, and flash-bang devices. These items were identified as necessary PPE to "maintain peace in and around Line 3's construction site." Since December 2020, more than 100 activists opposing the pipeline have been arrested for attempting to delay construction. -
2021-03-01
Syrian Attack
From Drew Arrieta's post: Last Thursday, President Biden ordered airstrikes against two facilities used to smuggle weapons into Syria by a Iranian-backed militia. The Biden administration did not receive authorization for this attack and the US is technically not at war with Syria or Iran. Senate Democrats have pushed back against Biden over the airstrikes, calling on him to provide a briefing why military action was taken without congressional approval. This weekend protestors gathered to condemn Biden's airstrikes and demanded his administration redirect military budget towards pandemic relief efforts. -
2021-03-02
George Floyd Square Artists
From Drew Arrieta's post: On Sunday, George Floyd Square held space for black creatives to showcase and celebrate their creative excellence. The Twin Cities hands-down has one of the best spoken word and poetry communities. Thanks to @b_tulloch + @siriuslymarie + @toussaintmorrison for putting on this event. -
2021-03-04
Pipeline Actions
From Drew Arrieta's post: Activists and community members are taking part in a series of actions in Minnesota this week to stop Line 3 construction. The replacement pipeline will bring nearly a million barrels of tar sands - one of the most carbon intensive forms of energy - daily from Canada to Wisconsin. Almost 30 years ago, the current Line 3 pipeline ruptured in Grand Rapids, MN, spilling 1.7 million gallons of oil onto the frozen Prairie River. It is the largest inland oil spills in U.S. history. On Tuesday, a letter was delivered to management at multiple Chase locations signed by 41 Indigenous women supported by over 150 organizations requesting they stop providing financing to Enbridge, the company which operates and is building the pipeline. -
2020-03-08
Jury Selection for Derek Chauvin Silent March
From Drew Arrieta: Today, the jury selection begins in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for second-degree murder and manslaughter. Last week, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ordered Judge Cahill to reconsider adding a third-degree murder to his charges. Hundreds of protesters participated in a silent march yesterday, honoring Floyd and over 240 individuals who died in police-involved shootings in Minnesota over the last 20 years. -
2021-03-12
Preparing to protest
From Drew Arrieta: Visual Black Justice (@visualblackjustice) is a black-woman led org blending art and social justice. In preparation for the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, they collected mirrors to display messages of solidarity and accountability outside the courthouse. -
2021-03-09
Justice for George Floyd
From Drew Arrieta: As court proceedings for the trial of Derek Chauvin were underway, hundreds of community members, activists, and students demanded justice for George Floyd outside the courthouse. Judge Cahill, who is overseeing the trial, yesterday said he would proceed with the jury selection despite a dispute on the potential reinstatement of a third-degree murder charge that could potentially delay the case. The prosecution criticized the judge's decision, arguing the lack of clarity on charges when selecting a jury risks the case being thrown out on appeal. -
2021-03-13
University of Minnesota students rallied to demand community control of the UMPD
From the Instagram post: The city of Minneapolis on Friday agreed to pay $27 million to settle a civil lawsuit with George Floyd's family just weeks before opening statements were scheduled to begin for the former officer charged with his death. This payment marked the second multi-million-dollar payout for police actions in the past two years. According to MPR News, the settlement in Floyd’s death raises the total amount the city has paid to settle police officer misconduct cases to $71 million over the past two decades. Yesterday, University of Minnesota students rallied to demand community control of the UMPD, call out racism on campus, and stand in solidarity with the family of George Floyd. -
2020-12
Black New Yorkers within the Pandemkic
The piece is detailing the real experience of Black New Yorkers specifically Black immigrants within the pandemic and the lack of governmental support afforded to these marginalized groups. -
2020-02-24
My Coronavirus Experience
In the beginning of the pandemic, I immediately realized how a large portion of the public was not focused on the virus itself, but the racial controversy of the virus' origin. This was unnerving to the core, because it is a fact that COVID-19 came from China. While it was unacceptable to accept this as fact, MERS literally stands for Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome. It is clear that there was a pro-CCP agenda being pushed in the background when propagating the "COVID Safety" spiel. As time went on, more and more inconsistencies began popping up. Beauty and barber shops closed, but Nancy Pelosi is more than welcome to get her hair done. Masks become required to enter any building or participate in society at all, but when the new President was sworn in, the spectators were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder and masks were few and far between. What my story says about the pandemic is that while we may have had a real potential global crisis, I believe things were skewed, twisted, and flipped so that it is most convenient for those who hold the power, and not done in the best interest of the American people. An example of this in real life was how the Los Angeles Lakers, Ritz Carlton, and Bank of America (per store) were able to get PPP loans, drain the pool of PPP money, and leave small business owners fighting for crumbs. I have linked a Washington Post article below that expands on the PPP loan problem and how our government failed small business. The pandemic I fear will have long-lasting, Orwellian effects on our society in the sense that those in power will continue to use fear mongering to control the public through COVID. Even though a vast majority of the population has already had it and are building antibodies, Western European-style, 1940s era vaccination cards are beginning to circulate. I fear these cards will be the new "gold star" or "Scarlet Letter'', except those without it would be barred from society, rather than those with it. In my opinion, COVID today is what AIDS was in the eighties. Lots of unanswered questions, lots of fear, and government intervention so that free thinking is minimized. These three, and you have a perfect recipe for controlling the masses. Both diseases were politicized to death, and public opinion of the disease swung back and forth with politicization. If AIDS was blown up to the proportion that COVID was, I couldn't imagine the backlash the political and science communities would get from a certain demographic of people who are very vocal and have a statistically higher likelihood of contracting HIV. I hypothesize that pandemic would turn into pandemonium. With that, my experience during quarantine was as expected. Mental health suffered due to lack of human interaction and ability to go outside, and physical health suffered due to inability to go outside and lack of motivation which was connected to mental health. The main positive thing from the pandemic I can identify is the performance of my stock portfolio. Even though I lost my job due to COVID, I was still able to afford rent, food, and supplies to stay hunkered down in my new $900/month prison for my three month sentence. Another big positive from the quarantine was my savings. The pandemic helped me realize how much unnecessary or emotional spending I do. It helped me point out lots of bad habits I have so I can work on fixing them. Things like spending money when I'm sad, and identifying vices that hold me back in my day-to-day. While the pandemic brought a lot of negatives to me and the world around me, I believe there are some positive things to take away from it. Opening your mind to more than what the government feeds you, appreciating every moment you have, embracing new hobbies, and learning how to maneuver through change. These are all things the pandemic has taught me, but if I had the option, I wouldn't do it again. In terms of being a part of history, simply by living you are a part of history. I was at Sloan-Kettering in NYC with my family getting a life-extending cancer treatment for my father when 9/11 happened. He was one of three patients that day because while in surgery, the first plane hit the towers. The rest of the patients to be seen that day were canceled. I suppose the point I am trying to make is that history is subjective. 9/11 wasn’t 9/11 to me. 9/11 was the day I was blessed with enough time to make some foundational memories of my father before he passed. It can be argued that since I have been invested in GameStop since November, I was a part of history there too. I went to the Game 7 Cardinals vs. Red Sox World Series Game in Fenway Park. The game that broke the Bambino Curse. Again, it could be argued that I was a part of history there too, except my three year old self was asleep for the last two innings. History is subjective, and every day, everyday people like you and I make history. Historians and memoirists will use these events in the future to write articles, make movies and tv shows, write books, and extrapolate many other kinds of art from it. However, most often historical stories are told through a lens of subjectivity, and because of that, eventually all history becomes skewed to the point where it is indistinguishable from fable. -
2021-02-18
Vaccine-gate in Peru
Peru's president, wife, and other well-connected politicians were getting the COVID-19 vaccine back in October, provided by the Chinese company Sinopharm. The vaccines were distributed before the vaccine was publically available, and some high-level officials have resigned. -
2021-02-15
Do you have the right to protest? The coronavirus's impact on freedom of assembly
A group gathers to protest against social isolation rules of the COVID-19 pandemic in Edmonton, Alberta. -
2021-02-15
Black Lives Matter Protests Across Canada
This is a collage of the various BLM protests across Canada from the summer of 2020. The images are (top row, left to right): Toronto, Chatham, Vancouver, Calgary and (bottom row, left to right): Montreal, Ottawa, Halifax -
2020-06-17
Street Art - freedom, social justice
This article explores how street art expresses community sentiment in a public arena, as expressions of emotion, desire, creativity, and human rights. -
2020-04-20
Street Art - commentary from the artists
This article quotes several street artists about how the pandemic has impacted their art and their messages. The direct quotes amplify their messages, although the street art speaks volumes in its public arena. -
2020-05-23
Street Art - honoring frontline workers
This article talks about street art around the world responding to the pandemic with satire, humor, political commentary, observation and expression. What stands out most with this article is the video interview of a street artist while he is completing a piece of art honoring frontline workers. -
2020-05-28
Street Art - political critique and social engagement
This article, written by Jana Fedtke for PopMatters, describes instances of worldwide street art as political critique and social engagement during the pandemic. Examples of street art shown include stencil work. The author explores the ways in which street art relay information about how government agencies have handled spreading information and health care and in turn, how street artists depict social engagement with pandemic procedures. -
2021-01-03
Teachers Not Heard
Parents of the high school I worked at for twenty-five years and where my husband and many friends are still working purchased this billboard to display the message of discontent for one month about how unhappy they are that their students are being subjected to online schooling. The school district named on the billboard has chosen to keep kids physically out of the district's high schools after the winter break due to the immense surge of Covid cases in Arizona. The billboard is disturbing to see since it implies that online learning and the teachers' efforts instructing the students online are not working, and students are failing. A few parents think that the teachers are not doing enough to teach their children and that their children are better off being physically in a classroom environment regardless of the exposure risks to Covid. The parents who posted the billboard do not realize that the teachers teaching online want to be back in their classrooms as much as students but that they want to be safe from unnecessary and potential exposure to Covid. Many teachers have health issues that could become fatal if they were to contract Covid; many teachers live in blended households where they take care of older family members at high risk of exposure to Covid. Many teachers and school employees have children at home learning online while they are teaching, and those teachers have to juggle being a professional and parent at the same time. All of the school district teachers are doing the best job that they can teaching online, juggling family issues for those with their own families sequestered at home. The teachers remain silent towards the public outbursts, such as the one posted on the billboard. Teachers are trying their best to be professional online and personally during this pandemic and refrain from lashing out at the cruelty of those who appear to be a privileged minority posting discontentment on a public billboard. -
2021-01-21
Nearly 1 in 5 Defendants in Capitol Riot Cases Served in the Military
The article discusses the Capitol riots and the veterans who participated in them, as well as recent extremist behavior within the military and the government's response. -
2021-01-31
navalny came back to moscow
the political protests in russia -
2020-10-28
How this year’s antiracism protests differ from past social justice movements
This interview with Peniel Joseph compares the protests of the past with current social justice movements. He also discusses current statistics and public opinion. He views this as an opportunity to achieve real change. -
2020-10-28
How this year’s antiracism protests differ from past social justice movements
This interview with Peniel Joseph compares the protests of the past with current social justice movements. He also discusses current statistics and public opinion. He views this as an opportunity to achieve real change. -
2020-09-03
How social justice protests could affect the 2020 election
This article by Jenesse Miller looks at the campaign strategies of Joe Biden and Donald Trump as the social justice protests occur in the wake of police brutality. From the article, "Both Biden and Trump made plans to visit Kenosha in the wake of the civil unrest in that city. Trump toured businesses that had been damaged during riots and praised law enforcement, while Biden’s campaign announced he would hold a community meeting and speak with the family of Blake, who was shot seven times by police. Each candidate’s actions were carefully choreographed to appeal to specific voters among their respective bases of support, but will their plans work?" -
2020-08-03
Navigating A Pandemic And A Social Justice Movement In The Workplace
Contributor Manon DeFelice interviews Melanie Collins, Vice President and Global Head of People at Dropbox about diversity and inclusion in the workplace, companies making a stand and following through, employee mental health, and what it means to be an ally. The article looks at the Black Lives Matter movement and what a company like Dropbox is doing as an ally to change many social issues facing communities of color today. -
2020-07-17
The new social justice movement feels different. That’s because it is.
Politico looks at the social justice movements today in comparison to the Civil Rights Movements of the 1960's. For one, there are no clear leaders of the modern day social justice movements and there is less of a desire for political collaboration on issues today. The video shows movements present and why this movement is different than those of the past. -
2020-12-10
Movements & Memes: How The Struggle For Social Justice Shaped 2020
Elly Belle refers to the year 2020 as a year of reckoning for North America. There are no better words to describe 2020. It was also a year of progress in spite of so much adversity. In the article Elly Belle seems hopeful saying, " The organizing and calls for justice that have taken place have provided the necessary framework that will influence work for decades to come — marking lasting changes in conscience beyond the ballot box. In turn, those who helped to secure food and housing for people, to hold police accountable, and transform what social services are funded will continue to push for meaningful, material change in the new year. From all that happened in 2020 alone, it's certain they’ll continue shaping conversations and movements in pivotal ways we haven't yet imagined." -
2020-12-21
A look at powerful social justice moments this year
Many photographs in this article show a beautiful moment within the context of the Black Lives Matter Movement. Some photographs show other events marked by the year 2020 such as the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the anniversary of women having the right to vote. If anything, 2020 was the most volatile year most of us have ever witnessed in our lives. -
2021-01-29
Four Wensdays in January
This is a meme my friend shared in our discord, it recounts the absolute insanity that was January of 2021. The first image is of the failed coup attempt by enraged Trump supporters, white supremacists and fascists; who all stormed the capitol building with little to no resistance. While inside, they defaced the building, broke into offices and hunted for Vice President Mike Pence to hang for ‘betraying’ Donald Trump. The second photo came in response, depicting speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi holding the article of impeachment for Donald Trump. While it was argued that this was a pointless endeavor as Trump was virtually leaving office in a week, the main goal for impeachment was to prohibit Donald Trump from holding office ever again. The third image is the inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States, this event was made possible by the presence of the national guard, where 21,000 soldiers were deployed to make sure nothing as similar as January 6th could occur. The streets were empty as roadblocks and military utility trucks cordoned off the area, massive fences were erected surrounding the structure and soldiers patrolled the area. Largely, it was believed there was going to be nationwide attacks on several capitol structures throughout the nation in response – yet nothing of substance happened. The final image, and my favorite, would be the assault on Wall Street. This is an insane story, so I’m going to be a little less formal but this is an incredibly significant event, it is an instance of effective class-warfare. I’m not going to explain stocks, but essentially what happened is hedge fund investors made a bet that GameStop would fail, they took several ‘shorts’ out on this company to profit from this bet – however, redditors on r/wallstreetbets caught wind of this and thought “what would happen if their bet was wrong,” they began investing heavily into the company, raising its value, and as a result, costing the hedge fund billionaires thousands. These thousands in losses became millions, then billions, as more and more working class and middle class people threw themselves onto the market, to eat the rich. It wasn’t about profit, about making a return, it was a message. Eventually, this fiasco showed Americans that there essentially is no such thing as the ‘free-market,’ as these large hedge funds began blocking people from purchasing stock, forcibly selling peoples stock, using their own funds to facilitate an artificial ‘scare.’ People lost so much after the initial manipulation, but it proved that the market was only free for the rich, that once anyone else began to emulate the fraudulent strategies of the wealthy elite, they would be struck down. This is currently on going, but I cannot stress enough – it is not about money, it’s about sending a message that people are done. It’d be funny if the federal government intervened on behalf of wall-street by bailing them out, before sending out those measly 2k stimulus cheques. For the archive, this photo represents the pace in which everything moved in 2021, and the absolute absurdity of where we are today. To think, when this began we were planning on a few weeks at home, we’d make sour dough bread, then we began missing our friends and family’s – then we were in the streets marching for civil rights, and the ability for people not to be murdered by police because of the colour of their skin, fascists stormed the government, the ex-president is being impeached, again, now we’re trying to destroy Wall Street, this pandemic is absolutely wild. -
2020-07-11
Q Anon Shaman Video
Back when there was a rumor that COVID-19 couldn't survive in the Arizona heat. This guy is one of the people who got a platform during the Trump COVID era. This is a must-see video for future research into pandemic skeptics. -
2020-06-19
The Dangerous Luxury of Claiming You've Rejected Society
Early in the pandemic, a man I knew died of Covid-19 in an overwhelmed hospital. I kept thinking he might not have died if the hospital had been better funded. Then I remembered he had once insisted to me that he lived outside society. I saw a sad connection: hospitals and public health in general were underfunded because too many people felt they did not share a common society with others. More thoughts about Covid and community started flooding my mind. Eventually I pulled these thoughts together in a short essay. -
2021-01-21
Medics go on hunger strike in Peru amid Covid-19 second wave
Peruvian medics and health care workers are on a hunger strike to call attention to the need for further funding as the country struggles with its second wave of Covid-19. There is also a call to remove the country's Health Social Security, Fiorella Molinelli, over the mismanagement of Covid health and isolation centers, but Molinelli has yet to respond. -
2020-12-12
Anti-mask protesters take to the streets in Calgary to fight COVID-19 restrictions
This article details one of the numerous ‘freedom marches’ which took place in Calgary Alberta, Canada. These people were protesting in response to the government lockdowns, mask mandates and regulations to help limit the spread of Covid-19. However, what is interesting in this particular article is the reference to the multiplicity of causes behind each protestor; that protestors had different causes, and reasons for showing up. People marched for the obvious ‘anti-mask’ causes, yet others would protest for the ‘Wexit’ movement, which is the desire to establish either an independent Albertan ‘republic’ or join the U.S. as the 51st state. This item is important as it demonstrates how the pandemic sceptic movements of Calgary Alberta were viewed in a negative light; more importantly how these movements often co-opted other fringe movements such as the Albertan separatist movement. Similarly, the vitriol of these protestors is on display, as the Calgary freedom marchers have been notable for their behaviour of spitting, coughing and screaming at passersby, police and local businesses as evident in this particular story. Similarly, many believe these mask-less movements are super spreader events which are contributing to the spread of the virus in several urban centers throughout the province of Alberta, such as Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer. This article provides substance to the pandemic sceptics of Alberta, Canada as no different to the anti-maskers of the United States; as uploading this, many of the organizations who attended and organized these events are currently organizing a massive march throughout the province which has been marketed to appear alike the tiki-torch rally of the far right in Charlottesville in 2017. I believe this article would fit best in the social justice collection to demonstrate the public/media response to the pandemic sceptics marching in the streets of Albertan cities. -
2020-06-03
Black Lives Matter Rally in Calgary Alberta
This is a photo I took during one of Calgary’s Black Lives Matter marches in the Summer of 2020. In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, people took to the streets all over the world, not just America – In Calgary Alberta in particular, the death of George Floyd forced Canadians to critically look at our own law enforcement and state institutions, which were borne out of Canada’s colonial past. Not pictured in this photo would be the flags of numerous Indigenous nations, in particular the Mohawk nation – as in Canada and in America, the Black Lives Matter Movement synthesized itself with the cause of Indigenous sovereignty, as a means to combat white supremacy. During these marches, people who were antagonistic of the BLM movement stated that these marches were a threat to ‘public health’ as they believed protestors were marching mask less, this is not the case as evident in this photo. Organizers and random protestors were handing out masks, hand sanitization stations were set up with food, water and wipes. Signs were provided from the organizers to each marcher, if one did not bring their own. During this event, there was limited police presence as they maintained their distance from the large body of protestors which covered several streets. From what I recall what happened, I went with my friend Quinn, we showed up and found a place in the large crowd and listened to several speakers in the center of body of protestors (You can’t see it in this photo but it is directly center, behind the foliage). After the several speeches which took place, the organizers lead the people through a march downtown, to city hall. To my knowledge, there weren’t any instances of violence or confrontations with police – however I do remember there would be some agitators who would appear every now and then to yell at the protestors, or carry racist signs – I didn’t see this in particular, but saw photos of people doing so. This photograph would be beneficial to the social justice collection as it depicts the black lives matter movement of Calgary Alberta, Canada as fore mostly a window into the unique Canadian experience and similarly to how protests were conducted during a pandemic. -
2021-01-04
Minnesota: More than 1200 march demanding justice for Dolal Idd
Excerpt from article: Minneapolis, MN - On January 3, over 1200 people marched in South Minneapolis to demand justice for Dolal Idd, who was killed by the Minneapolis police department on December 30. -
2020-01-09
THE19 (Metaphor)
Imagine a hurricane approaches your beachfront community, a beautiful place of both cottages and mansions on heavenly stretching strands of sand and coconut trees. The storm started far out in the ocean as a tropical storm, an abstraction a week or more away. Then it developed into a category 2 as it approached the continent and crossed Cuba, still days away but becoming a concern. Before long, forecasts by experts confidently showed exactly where landfall would occur, the strength of the winds, the height of the surge, the flooding that would accompany it, the millions it would impact, the estimates of the extent of damage and disruption (and death tolls) predictable. You do the right thing and with your family and neighbors evacuate and move inland and find safe shelter. It’s inconvenient and uncomfortable at times, sharing and aiding your fellow refugees. They don’t have the brand of cereal and chocolate milk your kids like. They run out of Coke. But pitching in until it’s safe to go home seems the best and only course. And soon you’re glad you did because by the time the hurricane makes landfall the news come in that it is a Cat 5, indeed, “the second most intense tropical cyclone on record to strike the United States.” Imagine as you watch the pummeling rain and listen to the ominous wind and wait, you already know this story: “In 1969, Hurricane Camille claimed 259 victims along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Most were guilty of only being on the wrong place at the wrong time, unlike twenty who perished while attending a beachfront “hurricane party” beer bash and barbecue. Despite evacuation warnings delivered by vehement emergency teams [experts], their festivities continued unabated. The partygoers definitely declared that the concrete foundations and the second floor location of their party provided plenty of protection from the impending hurricane. Their confidence proved to be tragically misplaced when a twenty-four-foot wave slammed into the apartment, destroying the building and subjecting the partiers to gale-force winds and violent ocean surges. Most of these hurricane worshippers were killed. A few survivors were swept miles away, ….” (The Darwin Awards, 1999) Imagine you know there are old folks in your very own town who chose to stay. Folks who just couldn’t imagine leaving the idyllic homes in their idyllic locations where they have lived in for decades, and who have weathered previous storms and thinking this one too “isn’t that bad,” or thinking. “Unless it has my name on it, it won’t get me.” You pray for them. But you also know some who stayed defiantly, the young and strong, and the middle-aged but “free” who resented being told by anyone what to do--especially by “experts.” And some of those protestors (an alarming number of whom you know) raised the bar, rebelled blithely, partying practically on the beach, posting selfies and videos on Facebook as the storm intensifies--to prove it was safe. As final proof, a video is posted of an engorging wave, a wave as large as any building you could hide in, a dark seething mountain of water. The video records shrill, exhilarating, victorious whoops of glee of the partiers it approaches. Then nothing. Now imagine, immediately you are asked by experts to stay in your shelter a little while longer, not forever, but much longer than you had ever expected to stay. Why? you ask. We’ve been so good. We did everything we were asked. We deserve to go home. We’ve run out of Lucky Charms and Quick and Coke. Despite your pleas and imploring, the experts are firm. Because, they say, a second hurricane is already coming, practically on top of the first. It’s not a Cat 5, yet, but…. This is unimaginable. This wasn’t forecast before. But, it’s here now, the experts nod somberly. Enough is enough. Enough is enough. Enough is enough, you hear yourself say, but…. Finally, imagine, dozens and dozens of your neighbors, even members of your own family, saying, I can’t take it anymore. This is not my life. I haven’t had a beer or a Buffalo Wings in days. You watch them, so impatient and tired of waiting and angry for the fun they miss. You watch them rush back to the beach. W. K. Sheldrake (Wayne) is the author of Instant Karma: The Heart and Soul of a Ski Bum, #1 on Outside Magazine Online’s list of “6 Adventure Books We’d Read Again and Again,” and Foreword Magazine’s ‘Gold Medal’ Adventure Book of the Year (2007). He is recording his pandemic experience of Pandemic Disability in a memoir The19: Confessions of a Mad (American) COVIDodger. He lives in Southern Colorado with his “high risk” wife where there is plenty of wide open space. They do not currently have a dog. -
2020-03-05
Early March
It was early March when we were told to stay at home. Everyone thought that we would stay at home for only a couple weeks. Everyone was excited about not going to school in the beginning. Slowly a lot more events happened and covid-19 cases only went up. Eventually states opened too early causing more cases to go up. In mid December the covid-19 vaccine was finished. Unfortunately cases are still going up. -
2020-06-02
Locals participate in cleaning up their neighborhood after the lootings of June 2nd.
Locals participate in cleaning up their neighborhood after the lootings of June 2nd. -
2020-06-02
Fordham students helping in the clean up efforts
Students from Fordham University participate in the community clean up efforts of Fordham Road after the looting. -
2020-06-02
Inside of ACELO footwear after the looting
The inside of Bronx Footwear vendor ACELO footwear after it was trashed by looters