Category: Police
🦄 Investigative, Police, Tech
Criminal Intel Files Show Facial Recognition, Warrantless Surveillance in Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN – Documents obtained via a series of public records requests from the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) provide rare insight into police intelligence gathering. The documents include case numbers in which facial recognition was used, details about systems that gain access to vehicle…
The Far-Right’s Fascination with the U.S. Electric Grid
Over the past two years, government agencies have been warning that white supremacists and far-right extremists are the most significant domestic threat to American security.
Moore County, NC experienced a blackout in early December 2022 that affected more than 45,000 residents after two local substations…
🦄 Eco, Land & Housing, Police
SWAT Teams Attack Atlanta Forest Encampments, Activists Charged with ‘Terrorism’
Atlanta, GA – On December 13 and 14, 2022, SWAT teams and other armed police officers from eight different federal, state, county, and city police agencies conducted a raid on those camping out in the Atlanta forest in hopes of preventing the construction of a…
Palestinian Lands Seized for Israeli Military and Colony Settlements
Over the year, Unicorn Riot has published dozens of stories bringing context to the Palestinian struggle. This report features three newly published videos from the summer that showcase three different struggles against land seizures in the occupied West Bank of Palestine; Beit Dajan, Tarqumiya and Masafer Yatta.
Supporting Victims and Reinvestigating Police Crimes: Communities United Against Police Brutality
Since its founding, CUAPB has acted as a clearinghouse for scrutiny of Minnesota law enforcement. The nonprofit has organized police oversight pushes, streets copwatch programs, a 24-hour hotline, and an online database of police officer complaints, among dozens of other projects. And their efforts are ever-expanding – the group recently formed the Stolen Lives Justice Fund, a new Reinvestigations Workgroup and a Data Practices Workgroup.
Street Veteran Lee Coleman Faces 3 Years in Jail, Activists say ‘Police are Disarming the Movement’
Scott County, MN – “Whenever Lee shows up, I feel so much safer,” says Toshira Garraway, the founder of Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence, which closely works alongside those most impacted by police murders. In 2009, Garraway’s fiancé, Justin Teigen, was found dead after…
Greek Students Riot on November 17, Commemorate Those Killed by the Junta
Thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of Greece’s two largest cities on Nov. 17 to commemorate the 49th anniversary of the uprising in which two dozen students were killed by the military junta at Polytechnic University in Athens. Heavy clashes went on through the night…
🦄 Police
Sioux Falls Native Community Rallies for Justice in Police Killing of Lakota Youth Jacob James
Sioux Falls, SD – Native American communities and grieving family members have been organizing ongoing protests to demand justice for Jacob James, who was shot and killed by police last summer in Sioux Falls. A march took place on Sept. 9, 2022 calling for accountability.…
Police use Private Database to ID & Racially Profile Roma in US
A Unicorn Riot investigation has uncovered dossier records from a privately curated database of Romani people in the United States, and a web of training programs; many of these have been canceled due to pressure from activists and concerned citizens.
Unicorn Riot found a pattern…
Noisy Philly Counter-Demo Challenges ‘TERFs’ at Independence Hall
Philadelphia, PA – On Sunday, November 13, 100+ counter-demonstrators tried to drown out about 30 protesters who were demonstrating against transgender people’s access to medical transitions, recognition of chosen gender and other rights near Independence Hall. The counter-demo side characterized them as “TERFs” or ‘Trans-Exclusionary…
Nablus Siege Lifted After 3+ Weeks of Collective Punishment
"This is a situation of occupation. With occupation, as you know, you ultimately can’t do anything about it. As you can see, it’s humiliating."
Calls for Justice for Nikos Sampanis Renewed
Athens, Greece – One year after Greek police killed her 18-year-old son, the mother of Nikos Sampanis, along with his family, led a march through the center of Athens calling for justice. Dozens of family members, community and solidarity groups showcased their continued fight for…
Anti-Police Activists in Baltimore Protest New University Police Force
Baltimore, MD – Students at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and community members in Baltimore protested against the creation of a private university police force by disrupting two town hall meetings on September 22 and September 29, the first of which led to some antagonism with…
Another Summer of Protests, Gathering and Healing for Impacted Families
Saint Paul, MN – As police killings continue to increase in numbers while decreasing in attention, impacted families in the Twin Cities held numerous events during the summer of 2022, keeping the movement alive against what many families call “police terror.” From weekends of intentional…
Attacks and Collective Punishment, a Cycle of Palestinian-Israeli Conflict
Occupied West Bank, Palestine – 2022 has been a deadly year of violence between Israelis and Palestinians with several Palestinian attacks in March, near-daily deadly Israeli raids, a rise in settler violence against Palestinians and a war in August. Despite the death and drama, last…
Protesters Converge on State Capitol in Solidarity with Alabama Prison Strike
Montgomery, AL – On the 19th day of the statewide prisoner work strike on Friday, about 100 people gathered in front of the Alabama State Capitol Building in support of the thousands of prisoners currently striking.
On Oct. 7, the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC)…
Three Encampments and Halfway House Evicted, Displacing Hundreds
Minneapolis, MN – On Oct. 6, 2022, the City of Minneapolis evicted three encampments of unhoused people, leaving over 100 people displaced without tents and blankets as a cold front swept the region. SWAT teams forced residents of the Near North, Van White, and Cedar-Franklin…
Animal Activists Sentenced to 30 Days in Jail, 12 Months Probation
Abbotsford, B.C., Canada – On Wednesday morning, animal rights activists Amy Soranno and Nick Schafer were sentenced to 30 days in jail, 12 months of probation, and are required to provide their DNA to the National DNA Data Bank.
Soranno and Schafer were able to…