Category: Racism & Far-Right
Philly Commemorates 36th Anniversary of MOVE Bombing
Philadelphia, PA – Thirty-six years ago today, the Philadelphia Police dropped a bomb on a home in West Philadelphia that served as the headquarters of the Black liberation organization, MOVE. The bombing killed 6 adults and 5 children, burned down 61 homes, and displaced 250…
Denver Students Organize Sit-in for Black Lives Lost to Police Violence
Denver, CO – On the evening of April 23, 2021, three high school seniors held an overnight sit-in outside the Colorado State Capitol to raise awareness around Black lives lost to police violence—most specifically 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant.
One of the students, Ashira Campbell, told Unicorn…
The State’s Conviction of Chauvin Upholds the System’s ‘Innocence’
Minneapolis, MN – In just ten hours, the jury in the Derek Chauvin murder trial delivered guilty verdicts on all three counts for the killing of George Floyd. In the context of the state’s arguments, the verdict serves to show that Chauvin’s actions were an…
Derek Chauvin Found Guilty in Murder of George Floyd
Minneapolis, MN – On Tuesday, April 20, 2021, the jury in the trial of Derek Chauvin returned a verdict finding the defendant guilty on all counts. Former Minneapolis Police (MPD) Officer Chauvin had been charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter – and…
Race and Perception: First Two Weeks of Derek Chauvin Pre-Trial
Minneapolis, MN – Jury selection in the murder/manslaughter trial of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin finished its second week with eleven jurors finalized at the end of Friday, March 19, 2021. Judge Peter Cahill officially ruled on Friday there would be no change of…
Black Lives Matter & Blue Lives Matter at Center of Jury Questionnaire
Minneapolis, MN – The trial for the cop charged with George Floyd’s murder is gearing up to be the biggest trial of the decade. For Minnesota, it’s the first fully televised criminal trial ever; the state typically doesn’t allow cameras in court.
As jury selection…
Minneapolis’ Downtown Dark Alliance
Minneapolis, MN – Multinational retail giant Target Corporation has weaponized its public-private partnerships with nonprofits, law enforcement, the offices of the Hennepin County prosecutor and the Minneapolis city attorney to criminalize and incarcerate the lowest level offenders in downtown. This policy targeted predominantly Black homeless…
Rally to “End the War on Immigrants” Outside ICE Building
Bloomington, MN – Dozens of people gathered outside the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) detention center at the Whipple Building in Fort Snelling, Minnesota, on February 20 to demand an “end to the war on immigrants.”
After an opening ceremonial dance by Kalpulli Yaocenoxtli, Unicorn…
Minneapolis Faces Facial Recognition
Minneapolis, MN – The new ordinance approved by Minneapolis City Council on February 12, limiting government use of facial recognition technology (FRT), does virtually nothing to protect people from law enforcement who are entrenched with corporations like Target, activists said.* Without including private entities in…
Four Facts about Cieha Taylor’s Disappearance
Plant City, FL – Nearly one year ago 28-year-old Cieha Taylor’s black 2000 Toyota Solara was found parked on railroad tracks with the engine running; her cell phone, debit card and keys were inside. In researching this case, we came across four details which stood…
“The fight is not over:” CO Brown Berets Rally on Inauguration Day
Denver, CO — Shortly after President Joe Biden was sworn into office on Wednesday in D.C., a combination of groups came together in downtown Denver to proclaim their ongoing demands and concerns of the federal government—explicitly its mistreatment of Black, Brown, and Indigenous people.
“We’re…
Discord At The Capitol
Washington, D.C. – Since Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6 in an attempt to stop the 2020 presidential election from being certified, extensive media reporting has focused on identifying those involved. Many implicated in the violence during the siege on Congress have…
D.C. Riots: A Look at the Minnesota Contingent
Saint Paul, Minnesota – Numerous “patriots” from Minnesota followed incitement from President Donald Trump and took part in the violent storming of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. on January 6. The events resulted in a police officer being beaten to death and four other…
Proud Boys Sued For Vandalizing Black Church in DC, Leader Arrested
Washington, DC – Today, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law announced a lawsuit filed in DC Superior Court against the Proud Boys, a far-right men-only street fighting group. The suit was brought on behalf of the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, a…
Columbus Mother Wants Justice Three Years After Son Killed by State Patrol
Columbus, GA – A mother in Columbus, Georgia, advocates for accountability in police killings on the third anniversary of her son’s death. 35-year-old Jarvis Lykes died of a gunshot wound following an encounter with the Georgia State Patrol but there was no dash cam or…
Minneapolis Police Violently Assault Man Yards From George Floyd Memorial
Minneapolis, MN – An advocate for the homeless was brutally arrested just yards from George Floyd’s memorial on December 4, 2020. The advocate, a young Black man named JoJo, said that Minneapolis Police officer Kyle Mader dislocated his shoulder when he violently slammed him to…
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…
Twin Cities Anti-Fascists Scuffle with Proud Boys and Pro-Trumpers
Saint Paul, MN – Since the 2020 presidential election, an assortment of armed pro-Trump and white supremacist groups such as the Proud Boys have been defying pandemic orders against public gatherings to hold weekly Saturday protests against the coronavirus mandates and the election results at…
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…
Indigenous Elder Speaks on the Reality of Thanksgiving
Minneapolis, MN – Thanksgiving Day is framed as a time to connect with family, yet the roots of the holiday come from the massacres of Indigenous people in the U.S.
We sat down with Wanbli Máyašleča, an artist, healer, teacher, and Native American elder to…
Echoes of George Floyd in Brazil: Man Kneeled On, Killed by Security Guard
João Alberto Silveira Freitas, a 40-year-old Black man, was beat to death by security guards outside a Carrefour supermarket in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on November 19, 2020. Moments of the beating and killing, which happened a day before Brazil’s Black Awareness Day (Black Consciousness Day),…
Community Wants Justice for Mother of Three Killed by Teen Driver
Saint Paul, MN – A small crowd gathered on the West Side of St. Paul Sunday afternoon to demand justice for a woman who was fatally run over by a teenage driver. According to family and witnesses, Karina Chosa, a 35-year-old mother of three fell…