Category: Community
Brazil: Slave Revolt Celebration, Deadly Police Op, Bolsonaro’s Issues and Marielle’s Killers Arrested
Espírito Santo, Brazil — Providing an update from Brazil, we look at new happenings in four stories that Unicorn Riot has explored in the past; post-slavery commemorations, police killings, Bolsonaro’s legal troubles and the murder of Councilmember Marielle Franco.
Celebrating the Queimado Insurrection
Days of…
Imminent ‘Cleanups’ Scheduled Under Philadelphia ‘State of Emergency’ Kensington Operations
Unicorn Riot has obtained a schedule for "cleanup" operations due in the next 72 hours in the Kensington neighborhood, one element in new mayor Cherelle Parker's plan to dramatically change local conditions through state action.
Palestinian Christians in Gaza Pray for Peace on Palm Sunday
Amid a humanitarian crisis, Christians gathered at the only Roman Catholic Church in the Gaza Strip to pray for peace during the religion's Palm Sunday while just a few blocks away heavy fighting between Palestinian resistance and Israeli forces raged on.
Community Calls on Minnesota Governor and AG to ‘Stay Out of Hennepin County Prosecutions’
Minneapolis, MN – Police associations and pro-police members of Congress are pressuring Minnesota’s governor to wrest prosecuting power away from Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty over her decision to charge State Trooper Ryan Londregan with murder for the July 2023 fatal shooting of Ricky Cobb…
Camp Nenookaasi Burns Down, Finds New Home
Minneapolis, MN — Camp Nenookaasi, a beacon of hope to the unhoused community, burned down on Thursday afternoon. At 12:07 p.m. on February 29, firefighters were called after a yurt caught fire and spread to the rest of the camp.
Unicorn Riot heard from Ta…
Black History Smashfest Brings Together Black Gamers
A small but unprecedented event occurred on the last weekend of 2024's Black History Month when nearly 20 Black gamers converged together in Minneapolis for the state's first ever Black-only gaming session centered on Super Smash Bros.
Camp Nenookaasi Pushes Debates in Minneapolis Around Encampments [Video]
Minneapolis, MN — Camp Nenookaasi, an encampment of unhoused peoples with grassroots Indigenous leadership, is pushing debates in Minneapolis around encampments, evictions, and solutions for the unhoused. Started in late August 2023, the camp successfully delayed two eviction threats from the city in December, before…
‘Ya’ll Just Voted to Kill People!’: Denver City Council Upholds Mayor’s ‘No Freezing Sweeps’ Veto
Denver, CO — On the afternoon of February 12, the Denver City Council again voted on the “No Freezing Sweeps” bill in their chambers, but this time the vote was to potentially override Mayor Mike Johnston’s veto of the Council’s passage of the bill. When…
Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Relatives Remembered
On any given month in the past decade, a range of 27 to 54 Indigenous women and girls are listed as missing in Minnesota. To raise awareness of this crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, two-spirit people and relatives (MMIW/R), activists in Minnesota use Valentine's Day, February 14, to hold events, along with May 5 being the official MMIW day.
Camp Nenookaasi Brings Minneapolis’ Policies Against its Unhoused Residents to the Forefront
Minneapolis, MN — The city of Minneapolis evicted Camp Nenookaasi, the city’s largest encampment of unhoused people, three times over the past month in an attempt to prevent encampments of this size and level of infrastructure from forming. After each eviction, Nenookaasi pops up again…
Denver Passes ‘No Freezing Sweeps’ Bill, Potential Mayor Veto Looms
Denver, CO — During Monday evening’s Denver City Council meeting, a narrow majority of council members voted to approve a measure to prevent forced removals of unhoused residents from their outdoor encampments in 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Because Denver does not guarantee temporary indoor…
From Demolition Plans to Neighborhood Ownership: East Phillips Begins Transformation of Roof Depot into a Community Haven
Minneapolis, MN — It’s been a long road to ownership of the hotly contested Roof Depot site for the residents of the East Phillips neighborhood in Minneapolis, and they recently cleared one more hurdle in their way.
On November 8, the City of Minneapolis accepted…
Keep Unicorn Riot Growing Through 2025
With wars and polarization on the rise, independent media continues to meet a critical need. Since 2015, Unicorn Riot has reported underrepresented stories and shed light on alternative perspectives and systems, while providing an accessible platform for diverse stories, communities, and media makers through free,…
Film: An Infamous Precinct in Ruins and a Community Organizing Itself
Minneapolis, MN — Minneapolis has decided on a new site for housing its police department’s 3rd Precinct. Three and a half years after thousands of community members ransacked and torched the precinct at 3000 Minnehaha Avenue during the George Floyd Uprising, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey…
Cultural Conferences Return to Brazil Without Fear of Repression
Cultural conferences have returned to Brazil without fear of repression and many organizers across the country are celebrating. The victory of current President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva over Jair Messias Bolsonaro in the last presidential elections marked the end of a turbulent period in…
National Day of Protest Against Police Brutality at Ruins of the 3rd Precinct
Minneapolis, MN — Over a dozen members of families impacted by police violence marched from the ruins of the former Minneapolis Police 3rd Precinct to one of the proposed new precinct sites chanting “No new precinct” on the 28th annual National Day of Protest Against…
Pro-Palestine Protest Attacked in Minneapolis
Minneapolis, MN — An older white man drove his vehicle through pro-Palestinian protesters and brandished both a box cutter and a knife on Sunday afternoon. The attack is part of a rising trend of violence on protesters and came as thousands of people held a…
Anti-Zionist Jews Hold Solidarity Shiva for Palestinian and Israeli Lives Lost
Minneapolis, MN — Days after the start of a deadly war has killed nearly 2,000 people in Gaza and Israel, Jewish people in the Twin Cities who are standing in solidarity with Palestinians held a shiva, a Jewish mourning ritual, to grieve the loss of…
Black Storytellers Festival Continues with Heavy Hearts as Matriarch Passes
Minneapolis, MN — The thirty third iteration of the Black Master Storytellers Festival continued this year with heavy hearts after losing two master storytellers, including the matriarch of the festival, in 2023. Six months ago in March, Mrs. Beverly Cottman passed while visiting Egypt and…
US Department of Interior Hosts California Listening Sessions on Federal Indian Boarding Schools
Riverside, CA — In early August, the U.S. Department of Interior hosted more “Road to Healing” listening sessions on federal Indian boarding schools with two stops in California, in both Rohnert Park and Riverside. The stops were the seventh and eighth in a tour across…
Minneapolis Official Speaks Out About ‘Corruption’ Lack of Gov’t Oversight and ‘Useless’ City Council
Minneapolis, MN — As discussions over the newly instituted “strong mayor” system in Minneapolis are back in the news, local politicians, policy aides, activists, and pundits have been sharing their perspectives on the changeover. A month ago, Minneapolis City Council Member Robin Wonsley sat down…
‘We Won the Move!’ Minneapolis Council Member Celebrates After Community Thwarts Plans For Old 3rd Precinct Site
Minneapolis, MN — Results from the recent listening sessions hosted by the the City of Minneapolis and a consulting firm about the future location of the Minneapolis Police 3rd Precinct that was torched after George Floyd was murdered by former 3rd Precinct officer Derek Chauvin…