Category: Protest & Direct Action

Resistance to Line 3: Direct Actions Aim to Stop Construction

Aitkin County, MN – Direct actions aiming to stop the construction of a new replacement Line 3 oil pipeline have escalated as winter settles in. Since the approval of the contentious Line 3 tar sands pipeline on November 30, 2020, there have been numerous actions,…

Anti-Fascist Shield Wall Opposes Minnesota Far-Right

Saint Paul, MN – On December 5, hundreds of anti-fascists came with a large shield wall to oppose the weekly post-election far-right gathering at Minnesota’s Governor’s Residence. Police inserted themselves between the anti-fascists and the weekly ‘Stop The Steal’ event, which featured armed white supremacists.…

Ramsey County Sentences Native Organizer for Columbus Statue Toppling

Saint Paul, MN – A Minnesota court recently agreed to an uncommon approach to resolve criminal charges filed after the statue of Christopher Columbus was toppled at the Minnesota Capitol on June 10, 2020. 

Ramsey County Chief Judge Leonardo Castro accepted the restorative justice approach…

Statues Toppled and Defaced in Minneapolis on Thanksgiving Day

Minneapolis, MN – As dawn arose on Thanksgiving Day in Minneapolis, two historical colonial statues were toppled and defaced. A George Washington statue was taken down across from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Pioneers Statue at BF Nelson Park was vandalized with the…

Seven Arrested at Action Against Houseless Sweeps

Denver, CO – Nearly two hours before sunrise, advocates of the local unhoused community took part in a non-violent direct action (NVDA) in an attempt to stop a sweep of a tent encampment on Tuesday, November 17.

A line of about 20 advocates with linked…

Enbridge Line 3 Construction Blocked by Activists in Northern Minnesota

Two Inlets, MN – Early Wednesday morning, two people locked themselves to equipment used for Enbridge’s Line 3 tar sands oil pipeline in Northern Minnesota. The action was organized by the Giniw Collective and comes days after various permits were granted in the State of…

Denver Protesters Call for “Everybody Out!”

Denver, CO – Nearly 150 protesters marched through the streets of downtown Denver denouncing both presidential candidates on Thursday, November 5, 2020.

A popular chant throughout the evening was “No borders, no walls, no USA at all!”

The protest was advertised based on a flyer…

Unhoused Residents Find Refuge at Downtown Vigil

Denver, CO – A four-day Race and Homelessness Vigil began early Wednesday morning opposite the Denver City and County Building. It began primarily as a space to educate the local community on how Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) are disproportionately affected by houselessness,…

Denver Housing Advocates Launch 5256-Minute Vigil at City Hall

Denver, CO – Before the sun rises on Wednesday, October 14, advocates with Denver Homeless Out Loud (DHOL) and other like-minded organizations began a vigil on race and homelessness, which they intend to maintain for 5,256 minutes.

“This is to honor and stand for every…

image: a white triangular banner hangs from the cables above the suspension bridge over Hiawatha Avenue in Minneapolis, oriented towards the right. "NO KKKOPS, NO PIPELINES" is written in mostly-black text; in both of the NOs, the letter O is in red. Red "DANGER" caution-type plastic tape is attached at the top point of the triangle and at the point on the right. The city skyline is visible behind the bridge, and there are cars on Highway 55/Hiawatha Avenue below the pedestrian bridge.

‘No KKKops, No Pipelines’ Banner Dropped in Minneapolis

Minneapolis, MN – Activists hoisted a massive banner reading “No KKKops, No Pipelines” above Hiawatha Avenue on Sunday, October 4. More than 20 feet tall, it had been intricately strung from the suspension cables above the Minneapolis Greenway’s pedestrian transit bridge. Sight of the banner…

image: an overhead shot of the Lake Street Open Growth Space showing garden beds around the perimeter beside 17th avenue and Lake street. To the left of the photo there is a circular garden with herbs and medicinal plants planted alongside flowers around a plum tree. Across Lake street is a local Panaderia / Tortilleria.

Reclaimed Space Sprouts From Uprising’s Embers

Minneapolis, MN – Without waiting for permission, growers began planting vegetables and herbs in an empty lot on Lake Street and 17th Avenue. Their aim was to reclaim the dormant land on behalf of the community who lived nearby, in whatever way they saw fit…

Graffiti on the windows and walls of the 5th Precinct

Minneapolis Police 5th Precinct Attacked, Sees Two Nights of Protests

Minneapolis, MN – Fireworks exploded on the roof of the Minneapolis Police (MPD) 5th Precinct on Saturday night while dozens took part in spray painting and egging the windows of the building.
After a nighttime march reached the precinct, a participant shouted into a bullhorn…

image: Indigenous people and activists gathered on the side of the road leading to Keystone, SD. The anti-Trump, anti-Mount Rushmore demonstrators hold protests signs such as "We already hate the four dummies, why did you bring a 5th?"

Indigenous Activists Assert Right to Unceded Land At Anti-Trump Protest

Keystone, SD – Thousands of Trump supporters, as well as counter-protesters, are expected to converge today in a small town in South Dakota’s Black Hills for the Trump/Pence 2020 rally scheduled to take place this afternoon. Keystone is near Mount Rushmore, a monument to Presidents…

Homeless Philadelphians Moving Into Vacant City-Owned Homes

Philadelphia, PA – Housing advocates have revealed that they’ve facilitated moving previously-unhoused city residents into “vacant, viable” homes in North Philly owned by the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA). According to those who are helping families move in, a large number of usable residences are being…

From Juneteenth in Minneapolis to Jawnteenth in Philadelphia

Minneapolis, MN – The historic movement for Black lives that has recently permeated the globe reinvigorated 2020’s Juneteenth celebrations. On June 19, 2020, Unicorn Riot reporters documented from two of these celebrations; ‘Jawnteenth’ in West Philadelphia and a celebration in North Minneapolis at a Cub…

image: state troopers with weapons stand between community members and the statue of Christopher Columbus which was toppled from its pedestal on the grounds of the Minnesota State Capitol on June 10, 2020. The statue is face-down on the ground. Straps are wrapped around the statue – it is about to be hoisted into the air and then placed on a flat-bed truck for removal.

Christopher Columbus Statue Toppled in Saint Paul

Saint Paul, MN – Joining a new nationwide cleanse of racist monuments, the Christoper Columbus statue at Minnesota’s Capitol building is one of the latest to be torn down.

On Wednesday evening over a hundred people came to take part in toppling a statue of…