Category: Social Control
Israeli Forces Clear Al-Aqsa for Settlers’ Tours
Old City, Occupied East Jerusalem, Palestine – On May, 5, 2022, heavily armed Israeli forces cracked down on Palestinians worshipping inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Dozens were injured, an ancient pulpit was damaged and the prayer area of the mosque was sealed off by Israeli…
Leaked U.S. Supreme Court Abortion Draft Decision Incites Protests
Washington, D.C. – Yesterday evening, Politico published a leaked draft decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case they heard on December 1, 2021 concerning whether all pre-viability prohibitions on abortion are unconstitutional. The leaked draft states: “We hold that Roe and Casey must…
A Fight to Defend Abortion in Brooklyn: Clinic Defense and New York City for Abortion Rights
Brooklyn, NY – When a group of Catholic anti-abortion extremists began protesting outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in Brooklyn, a local pro-choice organization called New York City for Abortion Rights (NYCFAR) took to the streets and waged a grassroots campaign to defend open access to…
Freedom of Choice Under Fire in Ohio
Toledo, OH – In an attempt to outlaw all abortions, Ohio House Bill 480 was introduced on November 2, 2021 to protect “unborn persons,” making it the most extreme bill to move through a state’s legislature in the recent string of bans popping up across…
Target Supremacy: What You Should Know About the 2013 Security Breach
Since Target Corporation’s massive hack in 2013, some significant information has come to light, like the fact that Target was extracting extremely sensitive information from millions of its own customers before it was compromised. Additionally, Target has invested heavily in mass surveillance technologies and policing,…
“Abortion is Sacred:” The Past and Present of Reproductive Rights
When the topic of reproductive health pops up in U.S. news—usually with conservative states trying to limit its access—it’s easy to forget, or perhaps many haven’t learned, that less than 150 years ago, the now polarizing hot-button issue of abortion was a widely accepted part…
Are the “Fora Bolsonaro” Protests Enough?
Time and time again millions of Brazilians go back to the streets to protest against misgovernance. Rocked by the shouts of “Fora Bolsonaro” (Bolsonaro out) and opposing shouts of “Olê, olá, Lula, Lula,” around 500 Brazilian cities, including all the capitals and another 17 countries…
Over 212 Dead and 3,400 Arrested as Protests Rock South Africa
Durban, South Africa – At least 212 people have been reported killed and some 3,400 arrested in what observers describe as the worst political violence South Africa has experienced since the early 1990s. The unrest began on Thursday, July 8 in response to former South…
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…
FBI Spy Plane Circled Minneapolis in Lead-Up to Chauvin Trial, Identified by Air Traffic Audio
Minneapolis, MN – The morning of Thursday, March 4, saw Minneapolitans waking up to the noise of a surveillance aircraft circling. The spy plane circled from around 9:15 a.m. until departing the airspace just after noon. There are likely to be similar flights in the…
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…
Homeless Tenants Union: Unhoused Self-Advocacy in the Twin Cities
Bloomington, MN – In November 2020, Unicorn Riot sat down with a handful of people who are a part of a new union of unhoused community members at an Extended Stay America hotel in Bloomington, MN, where several have been temporarily residing. They told us…
Demands to Drop the Charges on Amina and the 646 Mass Arrested
Minneapolis, MN – Three months after six hundred forty-six people were mass arrested on Interstate 94 in Minneapolis, calls to drop the charges are continuing. A February 5 rally at the Hennepin County Government Center demanded specifically that a felony charge on college student Amina…
Federal Judge Rules Denver Cannot Conduct Sweeps Without At Least 48-Hour Written Notice
Denver, CO – A federal judge ruled January 25, 2021 partially in favor of Denver Homeless Out Loud and several others in the order issued for the preliminary injunction in a class-action lawsuit against Denver, the State of Colorado, and numerous government and contract workers.…
PSS Spy Plane Plan Slides Sneakily into St. Louis
St. Louis, MO – Aerial surveillance company Persistent Surveillance Systems (PSS) negotiated a plan in secret with a member of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen with hopes of flying multiple spy planes simultaneously over the city’s metro area in 2021. The plan that PSS…
Protesters Demand Elections Remain Untampered Across United States
Protests that took place across the country on November 4 were specifically demanding that the United States uphold democratic elections, but also generally demanding that the fight for social progress not waver even if Joe Biden unseats incumbent Donald Trump in the 2020 Presidential election.
Coronavirus Concerns End St. Paul Educators Strike, Close Many Public Schools
St. Paul, MN – After a 19+ hour negotiating session beginning at 8:00 a.m. Thursday morning, a tentative agreement was reached between Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS) and the St. Paul educators’ union around 3:30 a.m. on Friday, March 13 — the same day Minnesota…
Housing First Advocates Protest USICH Director Marbut’s Visit to Denver
Denver, CO – The day after President Donald Trump descended on Colorado Springs Thursday for a rally, Robert Marbut Jr., the new U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) Director, and Housing Secretary Ben Carson are reportedly meeting with Denver’s Mayor Michael Hancock today, February 21.…
Immigrant Rights Advocates Rally in Response to Rotten Food Given to Detainees
Aurora, CO – Two days into the New Year, Jeanette Vizguerra received a distraught phone call from Dennis Hernández who is a detainee inside the GEO Group’s ICE detention facility in Aurora. Hernández told Vizguerra that he among other detainees had received rotten food two…
Judge Rules Denver’s Camping Ban Unconstitutional, Dismisses Jerry Burton’s Ban Ticket
Denver, CO – Jerry Burton has been living on and off the streets since around 1983 when he left the Marine Corps. During his periods of surviving outside in Denver, he has received three tickets for violating the Unauthorized Camping Ordinance, also known as the…
Advocates Demand Denver Protect Rights of People Without Homes
Denver, CO – In the afternoon of October 21, 2019, local advocacy group Denver Homeless Out Loud (DHOL), along with other social justice and human rights groups, held a rally outside City Hall to continue to demand that the city government take action in support…