Washington DC, Saturday April 22, 2017. Tens of thousands gathered in the pouring rain at the Washington Monument* for a rally and march to the US Capitol in support of science and reason. The new administration of President Donald J. Trump has proposed deep budget cuts to NIH, NASA, EPA and other government agencies that engage in scientific inquiry for the public good. Even worse, Trump and his supporters are openly hostile to any ideas or set of facts that they perceive as standing in the way of their business or political interests.

*Similar events were staged in over 600 cities and towns worldwide.

Washington DC, April 14, 2018. Around two hundred activists associated with Answer Coalition, Code Pink, Veterans For Peace, Socialist Alternative and other peace groups gathered in front of the White House to protest the latest wave of intensified bombing in Syria by the U.S.A., Great Britain and France. In a brief address to the nation last night President Donald J. Trump suggested that the bombing of Syria could be an open ended affair of uncertain duration. The neocolonialist coalition bombing last night near Damascus and other cities was supposedly a retaliation for the evil Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's most recent use of chemical weapons. An International inspection team arrived in Damascus just yesterday and have not yet determined the source of the chemical attack. This morning, President Trump foolishly declared "mission accomplished". Heard that one before?

Postscript. Reporters Robert Fisk from The Independent of Great Britain and Pearson Sharp of One America News

were unable to confirm that the alleged chemical attack had indeed occurred when they visited the site and the surrounding neighborhood in Douma, Syria.

Washington DC, April 14, 2018. Around two hundred activists associated with Answer Coalition, Code Pink, Veterans For Peace, Socialist Alternative and other peace groups gathered in front of the White House to protest the latest wave of intensified bombing in Syria by the U.S.A., Great Britain and France. In a brief address to the nation last night President Donald J. Trump suggested that the bombing of Syria could be an open ended affair of uncertain duration. The neocolonialist coalition bombing last night near Damascus and other cities was supposedly a retaliation for the evil Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's most recent use of chemical weapons. An International inspection team arrived in Damascus just yesterday and have not yet determined the source of the chemical attack. This morning, President Trump foolishly declared "mission accomplished". Heard that one before?

Postscript. Reporters Robert Fisk from The Independent of Great Britain and Pearson Sharp of One America News

were unable to confirm that the alleged chemical attack had indeed occurred when they visited the site and the surrounding neighborhood in Douma, Syria.

Washington DC, The National Mall, September 16, 2017. Around a thousand supporters of President Donald J. Trump gathered here today for an event they rather unfortunately named "The Mother Of All Rallies". The organizers boasted that they would pitch an event that would dwarf the massive anti-Trump Women's March that was staged the day after Trump's poorly attended Inauguration. There were militia and other anti-government hate groups in attendance but DC is not crazy Charlottesville, Virginia so there were no open carry firearms. I did observe some participants carrying metal rods and wooden walking sticks clearly intended to be used as weapons. Some participants sported Nazi, Neo-Nazi skinhead and other white supremacist tattoos and clothing. Most of the speakers stuck to the same tired old far right wing talking points; undocumented immigrants are "illegal aliens" and should be kicked out of the country, the media is mostly "fake news", Hillary should be "locked up", folks who refuse to "unite" behind Trump are "un-American" etc.

Washington DC, January 18, 2020. Around ten thousand folks gathered here today for the fourth Women's March to protest the disgraceful Presidency of the Forever Impeached Donald John Trump. Thumbs up to the organizers who staged a beautiful, well planned event and to the DC Police who kept a respectful distance.

Washington DC, July 6 2019. A motley collection of about three hundred folks affiliated with various far right wing groups gathered here today under the banner of "#DemandFreeSpeech*" for a rally with speeches. Mostly the speakers whined into the mic about being kicked off of social media for unsportsmanlike conduct. As I wandered around Freedom Plaza I saw pizza-gaters and other nut job conspiracy devotees, Roger Stone fans, anti-semites, Christian Supremicists, gun fetishists, Proud Boys and unapologetic racists. What unites all of them is their obvious love of their leader, President Donald J. Trump. Over in nearby Pershing Park I found over a thousand gathered in opposition to Trump and his facist supporters. After hours of speeches there was some great live music and dancing. Thumbs up to Black Lives Matter DC, MDC-DSA, #AllOutDC, @DCDefend and the other groups who made it rock.

*Theirs, not yours.

Washington DC, January 4, 2020. On January 3, 2020 President Trump acting on the flimsiest of pretexts (and without any Congressional consultation...) ordered the Pentagon to kill the top Iranian General and others in a drone strike near the Baghdad Iraq airport. This act is likely to set off a cycle of retribution that could end in a regional war. Trump ran on ending the stupid wars of his Presidential predecessors but that was, like most of his other promises, a brazen lie. Now forever impeached, he has predictably resorted to acts of brutality to distract the electorate and justify his continued governance in a time of national emergency. DC and seventy other cities were not buying it. The protests that erupted nationwide say loudly and clearly that violence and war are not the answer.

The DC protest gathered in Lafayette Park across from the White House for a rally with speeches and then marched to the infamous Trump International Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue. I estimate crowd size at 800 or so. Thanks to Answer Coalition, DC Black Lives Matter, Code Pink, Popular Resistance, Metro DSA and other peace groups who organized the action on very short notice.

Brian Becker of Answer Coalition on the mic.

Washington DC, Sunday January 29, 2017. On the ninth day of Donald J. Trump's presidency tens of thousands hit the streets in front of the White House to protest his cruel, bigoted and unConstitutional ban on immigration and travel from seven Muslim majority countries. A Federal judge has already issued a stay on the ban but Homeland Security will reportedly not honor it. Will the lawyers save us? The crowd gathered on Pennsylvania Avenue and adjoining streets and later marched to the U.S. Capitol. The crowd was diverse in every way and peaceful. There were no arrests.

Washington DC, the evening of Thursday October 12, 2017. Around 50 peace activists and supporters associated with Move On, J Street, Win Without War, NIAC, Women's Action For New Directions and other groups gathered in front of the White House for an hour long rally with speeches to stop a war with Iran. President Trump is expected to "de-certify" the multilateral Iran deal that, at the very least, has been successful at interrupting the development of nuclear weapons by the Islamic State. Skilled diplomats and peace advocates worldwide worked very hard for over two years to get the Iran deal over the finish line in 2015. All objective observers, including generals and other 'national security' officials in Trump's administration, agree that Iran has lived up to their deal obligations. Still, our President, along with his ally Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, is determined to end the United States participation in the agreement, risking runaway nuclear proliferation and a possible catastrophic war. Many of us on the ground tonight have been here before. Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and more. It's remarkable that the foolish rush into yet another war that could and should be prevented is protested by so few. Ben Wikler from Move On is on the mic.

Washington DC, Sunday January 29, 2017. On the ninth day of Donald J. Trump's presidency tens of thousands hit the streets in front of the White House to protest his cruel, bigoted and unConstitutional ban on immigration and travel from seven Muslim majority countries. A Federal judge has already issued a stay on the ban but Homeland Security will reportedly not honor it. Will the lawyers save us? The crowd gathered on Pennsylvania Avenue and adjoining streets, later marching to the U.S. Capitol. The crowd was diverse in every way and peaceful. There were no arrests.

Washington DC, July 6 2019. A motley collection of about three hundred folks affiliated with various far right wing groups gathered here today under the banner of "#DemandFreeSpeech*" for a rally with speeches. Mostly the speakers whined into the mic about being kicked off of social media for unsportsmanlike conduct. As I wandered around Freedom Plaza I saw pizza-gaters and other nut job conspiracy devotees, Roger Stone fans, anti-semites, Christian Supremicists, gun fetishists, Proud Boys and unapologetic racists. What unites all of them is their obvious love of their leader, President Donald J. Trump. Over in nearby Pershing Park I found over a thousand gathered in opposition to Trump and his facist supporters. After hours of speeches there was some great live music and dancing. Thumbs up to Black Lives Matter DC, MDC-DSA, #AllOutDC, @DCDefend and the other groups who made it rock.

*Theirs, not yours.

Expel Betsy DeVos, Destroyer of Education. Rise and Reist and UFT protest Trump's Secretary of Education NYC.

Washington DC, January 18, 2020. Around ten thousand folks gathered here today for the fourth Women's March to protest the disgraceful Presidency of the Forever Impeached Donald John Trump. Thumbs up to the organizers who staged a beautiful, well planned event and to the DC Police who kept a respectful distance.

Washington DC, January 18, 2020. Around ten thousand folks gathered here today for the fourth Women's March to protest the disgraceful Presidency of the Forever Impeached Donald John Trump. Thumbs up to the organizers who staged a beautiful, well planned event and to the DC Police who kept a respectful distance.

The first drone strikes under President Trump were carried out in central Yemen over the weekend the Pentagon said Monday.

On Friday Saturday and Sunday armed U.S. drones attacked al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Yemen at Al Bayda a town about 175 miles southwest of Sanaa the capital. The strikes...

www.dronewatchdogs.com/first-drone-strikes-trump-administ...

Washington DC, Saturday June 30, 2018. Tens of thousands gathered in and around Lafayette Park near The White House to protest President Trump's cruel and inhumane policy of separating immigrant parents from their children at the US Mexico border and imprisoning them in cages. There were hundreds of similar protest events large and small staged all over the USA today.

Washington DC, March 26, 2017. Over a thousand Palestinian rights activists and supporters rallied in front of the White House and marched to the Washington Convention Center to protest the American Israel Public Affairs Committee yearly meeting. Around a dozen activists affiliated with the Jewish youth peace group If Not Now were removed (but not arrested!) by police for blocking one of the many entrances to the AIPAC event. A handful of counter protesters affiliated with AIPAC and the Jewish Defense League were very well protected by DC Police as they taunted the much larger contingent of peace marchers. The event was largely peaceful but some isolated scuffles broke out late in the day.

Washington DC, Friday September 20, 2019. Strike! On a beautiful late summer day thousands gathered in John Marshall Park and marched a short distance to the lawn of the US Capitol to protest the failure of Trump's Republican Party to deal with the coming climate emergency. The Republicans will now face a unified left that has finally connected the dots between environmental degradation, corporate capitalism, growing income inequality, racism, militarism and other structural evils of our society.

Washington DC, Saturday March 24, 2018. Hundreds of thousands gathered here today to protest the ever more frequent gun massacres that have sadly become one of the defining features of life in the USA over the past thirty years. The shootings have evolved into increasingly more deadly events because of the ease of obtaining semi-automatic rifles, high capacity ammo magazines and other weapons of war. Organizations like the National Rifle Associations have successfully bribed our national legislators to beat back most attempts to enact sane gun laws that would ban civilian sales of these military munitions. In the wake of the Parkland, Florida high school mass shooting a youth led movement* has become energized and is pushing back against the gun lobby status quo and, it has to be noted, against the entire immoral agenda of Trumpism and 21st Century Republicanism. President Trump spent today at his golf resort in Mar a Lago, Florida. Again.

Yes, there was a very small number of pro-gun rights activists on the streets in DC today.

*There has been an active black led movement against gun violence and other forms of vigilante and police violence in America for many decades but it has been ignored or unfairly reported on by corporate media and actively harassed by police wherever it appeared. The most recent example is the Black Lives Matter movement.

Washington DC, Sunday January 29, 2017. On the ninth day of Donald J. Trump's presidency tens of thousands hit the streets in front of the White House to protest his cruel, bigoted and unConstitutional ban on immigration and travel from seven Muslim majority countries. A Federal judge has already issued a stay on the ban but Homeland Security will reportedly not honor it. Will the lawyers save us? The crowd gathered on Pennsylvania Avenue and adjoining streets, later marching to the U.S. Capitol. The crowd was diverse in every way and peaceful. There were no arrests.

Washington DC, Saturday March 24, 2018. Hundreds of thousands gathered here today to protest the ever more frequent gun massacres that have sadly become one of the defining features of life in the USA over the past thirty years. The shootings have evolved into increasingly more deadly events because of the ease of obtaining semi-automatic rifles, high capacity ammo magazines and other weapons of war. Organizations like the National Rifle Associations have successfully bribed our national legislators to beat back most attempts to enact sane gun laws that would ban civilian sales of these military munitions. In the wake of the Parkland, Florida high school mass shooting a youth led movement* has become energized and is pushing back against the gun lobby status quo and, it has to be noted, against the entire immoral agenda of Trumpism and 21st Century Republicanism. President Trump spent today at his golf resort in Mar a Lago, Florida. Again.

*There has been an active black led movement against gun violence and other forms of vigilante and police violence in America for many decades but it has been ignored or unfairly reported on by corporate media and actively harassed by police wherever it appeared. The most recent example is the Black Lives Matter movement.

Washington DC, the evening of Thursday October 12, 2017. Around 50 peace activists and supporters associated with Move On, J Street, Win Without War, NIAC, Women's Action For New Directions and other groups gathered in front of the White House for an hour long rally with speeches to stop a war with Iran. President Trump is expected to "de-certify" the multilateral Iran deal that, at the very least, has been successful at interrupting the development of nuclear weapons by the Islamic State. Skilled diplomats and peace advocates worldwide worked very hard for over two years to get the Iran deal over the finish line in 2015. All objective observers, including generals and other 'national security' officials in Trump's administration, agree that Iran has lived up to their deal obligations. Still, our President, along with his ally Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, is determined to end the United States participation in the agreement, risking runaway nuclear proliferation and a possible catastrophic war. Many of us on the ground tonight have been here before. Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and more. It's remarkable that the foolish rush into yet another war that could and should be prevented is protested by so few.

Washington DC, The US Capitol grounds, November 30, 2017. Progressive activists and supporters gathered here for a "People's Filibuster" in opposition to a Republican tax plan designed to favor the rich at the expense of the working poor and middle class. If passed, the Trump endorsed legislation would add 1.5 trillion dollars to the national debt, strip the health care from 15 million Americans, rip off billions of dollars from Medicare for seniors and redistribute even more billions in wealth to the greedy, undeserving upper 1%. "Who could love such a plan?" asked one of the faith group speakers at the rally. "Satan!" was the reply from the crowd.

Washington DC, the evening of Thursday October 12, 2017. Around 50 peace activists and supporters associated with Move On, J Street, Win Without War, NIAC, Women's Action For New Directions and other groups gathered in front of the White House for an hour long rally with speeches to stop a war with Iran. President Trump is expected to "de-certify" the multilateral Iran deal that, at the very least, has been successful at interrupting the development of nuclear weapons by the Islamic State. Skilled diplomats and peace advocates worldwide worked very hard for over two years to get the Iran deal over the finish line in 2015. All objective observers, including generals and other 'national security' officials in Trump's administration, agree that Iran has lived up to their deal obligations. Still, our President, along with his ally Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, is determined to end the United States participation in the agreement, risking runaway nuclear proliferation and a possible catastrophic war. Many of us on the ground tonight have been here before. Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and more. It's remarkable that the foolish rush into yet another war that could and should be prevented is protested by so few.

Washington DC, Saturday January 11, 2020. Around 120 peace and justice activists mobilized by Amnesty International, Code Pink, The Center For Constitutional Rights, Witness Against Torture, Defending Rights And Dissent and other groups rallied in Lafayette Park in front of the White House to protest the 18th Anniversary of the continuing barbaric, sadistic, cynical and completely unnecessary incarceration without charge or trial of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay Cuba. Our Disappointer In Chief President Barack Obama failed year after year to honor his promises to close this shameful facility, free the remaining inmates who were long ago cleared for release and transfer the rest of the men to incarceration in the United States where, hopefully, they can get more humane treatment and the due process under the law they are entitled to. Our current Republican President Donald J. Trump promised not only to keep the Guantanamo prison complex open but to load it up with "bad dudes", Thankfully, the latter threat turned out to be just another one of his countless broken campaign promises.Still, it is extremely unlikely that anybody currently in Gitmo will be leaving until we Remove or Defeat 45. After the rally with speeches and some rousing live music we marched to the infamous Trump International Hotel where our sad yearly gathering dispersed.

Washington DC, Saturday March 24, 2018. Hundreds of thousands gathered here today to protest the ever more frequent gun massacres that have sadly become one of the defining features of life in the USA over the past thirty years. The shootings have evolved into increasingly more deadly events because of the ease of obtaining semi-automatic rifles, high capacity ammo magazines and other weapons of war. Organizations like the National Rifle Associations have successfully bribed our national legislators to beat back most attempts to enact sane gun laws that would ban civilian sales of these military munitions. In the wake of the Parkland, Florida high school mass shooting a youth led movement* has become energized and is pushing back against the gun lobby status quo and, it has to be noted, against the entire immoral agenda of Trumpism and 21st Century Republicanism. President Trump spent today at his golf resort in Mar a Lago, Florida. Again.

Yes, there was a very small number of pro-gun rights activists on the streets in DC today.

*There has been an active black led movement against gun violence and other forms of vigilante and police violence in America for many decades but it has been ignored or unfairly reported on by corporate media and actively harassed by police wherever it appeared. The most recent example is the Black Lives Matter movement.

Left to right: Dr. Karen Pitakdumrongkit and Dr. Satu Limaye

Washington DC, March 6, 2017. Around 500 souls mobilized largely online on very short notice gathered in Lafayette Square in front of the White House to protest President Donald J. Trump's 'Muslim Travel Ban 2.0' enacted today. Der Gropenfuhrer's New Order was inked in his bunker without fanfare or press coverage save for an official photo. A similar but even more egregiously illegal January 27 edict ignited an explosion of massive protests nationwide and was decisively struck down by Federal courts. The protesters at today's event were all peaceful but stalwart activist-videographer "Luke" was roughed up and detained needlessly by Secret Service and other cops for bullshit DeploraBall charges already dismissed. Thank God that there were plenty of lawyers and photographers on the scene as witnesses until "Luke" was free to go. Know your rights. Download the ACLU Mobile Justice App and use it.

Expel Betsy DeVos, Destroyer of Education. Rise and Reist and UFT protest Trump's Secretary of Education NYC.

Washington DC, Sunday January 29, 2017. On the ninth day of Donald J. Trump's presidency tens of thousands hit the streets in front of the White House to protest his cruel, bigoted and unConstitutional ban on immigration and travel from seven Muslim majority countries. A Federal judge has already issued a stay on the ban but Homeland Security will reportedly not honor it. Will the lawyers save us? The crowd gathered in front on Pennsylvania Avenue and adjoining streets and later marched to the U.S. Capitol. The crowd was diverse in every way and peaceful. There were no arrests.

Casey Durst, CBP DFO,; Marlon Miller, ICE SAC Philadelphia; James Carroll, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy; Keith Smith, Rear Admiral US Coast Guard; Richard Ross, Philadelphia Police Commisioner; and William McSwain, US Attorney, host a press conference at the Philadelphia customs house where they displayed 1/4 of the cocaine seizure.

Washington DC, The National Mall, September 16, 2017. Around a thousand supporters of President Donald J. Trump gathered here today for an event they rather unfortunately named "The Mother Of All Rallies". The organizers boasted that they would pitch an event that would dwarf the massive anti-Trump Women's March that was staged the day after Trump's poorly attended Inauguration. There were militia and other anti-government hate groups in attendance but DC is not crazy Charlottesville, Virginia so there were no open carry firearms. I did observe some participants carrying metal rods and wooden walking sticks clearly intended to be used as weapons. Some participants sported Nazi, Neo-Nazi skinhead and other white supremacist tattoos and clothing. Most of the speakers stuck to the same tired old far right wing talking points; undocumented immigrants are "illegal aliens" and should be kicked out of the country, the media is mostly "fake news", Hillary should be "locked up", folks who refuse to "unite" behind Trump are "un-American" etc.

The protest took place outside the drive up entrance to Swissotel on East Wacker Drive in downtown Chicago. Heartland Alliance was holding its big annual gala dinner there.

The protesters say that Heartland is profiting off the incarceration of immigrant children. They say that these places are nothing but detention camps that are "ill equipped to handle the needs of immigrant children".These facilities are staffed by non-professionals. Anxiety and thoughts of suicide run high among the children. There are widespread allegations of physical and sexual abuse.

They say that Heartland Alliance is "in cahoots with big money". By the government proclaiming that certain people are illegal private industry - meaning places like Heartland - are making a profit off incarcerating these children.

For its part, Heartland, on its website, invites interested people to "Join us to protect the rights and dignity of immigrants and asylum seekers, and that Heartland "strongly oppose the actions of the current administration".

Washington DC, Friday September 20, 2019. Strike! On a beautiful late summer day thousands gathered in John Marshall Park and marched a short distance to the lawn of the US Capitol to protest the failure of Trump's Republican Party to deal with the coming climate emergency. The Republicans will now face a unified left that has finally connected the dots between environmental degradation, corporate capitalism, growing income inequality, racism, militarism and other structural evils of our society.

Washington DC, The National Mall, September 16, 2017. Around a thousand supporters of President Donald J. Trump gathered here today for an event they rather unfortunately named "The Mother Of All Rallies". The organizers boasted that they would pitch an event that would dwarf the massive anti-Trump Women's March that was staged the day after Trump's poorly attended Inauguration. There were militia and other anti-government hate groups in attendance but DC is not crazy Charlottesville, Virginia so there were no open carry firearms. I did observe some participants carrying metal rods and wooden walking sticks clearly intended to be used as weapons. Some participants sported Nazi, Neo-Nazi skinhead and other white supremacist tattoos and clothing. Most of the speakers stuck to the same tired old far right wing talking points; undocumented immigrants are "illegal aliens" and should be kicked out of the country, the media is mostly "fake news", Hillary should be "locked up", folks who refuse to "unite" behind Trump are "un-American" etc.

Washington DC, Saturday June 30, 2018. Tens of thousands gathered in and around Lafayette Park near The White House to protest President Trump's cruel and inhumane policy of separating immigrant parents from their children at the US Mexico border and imprisoning them in cages. There were hundreds of similar protest events large and small staged all over the USA today.

Washington DC, January 4, 2020. On January 3, 2020 President Trump acting on the flimsiest of pretexts (and without any Congressional consultation...) ordered the Pentagon to kill the top Iranian General and others in a drone strike near the Baghdad Iraq airport. This act is likely to set off a cycle of retribution that could end in a regional war. Trump ran on ending the stupid wars of his Presidential predecessors but that was, like most of his other promises, a brazen lie. Now forever impeached, he has predictably resorted to acts of brutality to distract the electorate and justify his continued governance in a time of national emergency. DC and seventy other cities were not buying it. The protests that erupted nationwide say loudly and clearly that violence and war are not the answer.

The DC protest gathered in Lafayette Park across from the White House for a rally with speeches and then marched to the infamous Trump International Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue. I estimate crowd size at 800 or so. Thanks to Answer Coalition, DC Black Lives Matter, Code Pink, Popular Resistance, Metro DSA and other peace groups who organized the action on very short notice.

Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Expel Betsy DeVos, Destroyer of Education. Rise and Reist and UFT protest Trump's Secretary of Education NYC.

The protest took place outside the drive up entrance to Swissotel on East Wacker Drive in downtown Chicago. Heartland Alliance was holding its big annual gala dinner there.

The protesters say that Heartland is profiting off the incarceration of immigrant children. They say that these places are nothing but detention camps that are "ill equipped to handle the needs of immigrant children".These facilities are staffed by non-professionals. Anxiety and thoughts of suicide run high among the children. There are widespread allegations of physical and sexual abuse.

They say that Heartland Alliance is "in cahoots with big money". By the government proclaiming that certain people are illegal private industry - meaning places like Heartland - are making a profit off incarcerating these children.

For its part, Heartland, on its website, invites interested people to "Join us to protect the rights and dignity of immigrants and asylum seekers, and that Heartland "strongly oppose the actions of the current administration".

Washington DC, Sunday January 29, 2017. On the ninth day of Donald J. Trump's presidency tens of thousands hit the streets in front of the White House to protest his cruel, bigoted and unConstitutional ban on immigration and travel from seven Muslim majority countries. A Federal judge has already issued a stay on the ban but Homeland Security will reportedly not honor it. Will the lawyers save us? The crowd gathered on Pennsylvania Avenue and adjoining streets, later marching to the U.S. Capitol. The crowd was diverse in every way and peaceful. There were no arrests.

Washington DC, Saturday April 15 2017. A surprisingly large crowd of around ten thousand folks gathered on the West Lawn of the US Capitol for a rally and march to protest President Donald J. Trump's refusal to release his tax returns. Issues addressed in the vast sea of homemade protest signs included Trump's well documented shady business practices, foreign entanglements, sexism, anti-immigrant bigotry and war mongering. The DC event was just one of many similar protests staged nationwide.

Washington DC, March 16, 2019. Around two thousand folks opposed to US sanctions, interventions and a possible war against the fairly elected (and fairly inept...) Maduro government of Venezuela gathered in Lafayette Park for a rally with speeches. They later marched through the downtown streets and blocked the main intersection in Chinatown for a time. DC Police kept a respectful distance and let them do their thing.

Now why would the US want to interfere in the affairs of another sovereign state? Because naughty Venezuela has billions of gallons of oil and vast deposits of rare minerals in the ground but they refuse to play ball and hand control of them over to US corporate interests. They also like to party with some of the other kids in their neighborhood who are not approved by their Old Uncle Sam.

Around two hundred very spirited anti-Maduro demonstrators gathered on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House.

Thumbs up to the various police who managed to keep both groups safely separated without interfering in the expression of their causes. Thanks also to the few activists who tried with some success to engage the anti-Maduro group in peaceful dialogue.

Another very hopeful observation today is that young people, including many young people of color, seem to be embracing social justice activism in numbers I haven't seen in years . Let's hope that they're in it for the long haul.

Washington DC, March 6, 2017. Around 500 souls mobilized largely online on very short notice gathered in Lafayette Square in front of the White House to protest President Donald J. Trump's 'Muslim Travel Ban 2.0' enacted today. Der Gropenfuhrer's New Order was inked in his bunker without fanfare or press coverage save for an official photo. A similar but even more egregiously illegal January 27 edict ignited an explosion of massive protests nationwide and was decisively struck down by Federal courts. The protesters at today's event were all peaceful but stalwart activist-videographer "Luke" was roughed up and detained needlessly by Secret Service and other cops for bullshit DeploraBall charges already dismissed. Thank God that there were plenty of lawyers and photographers on the scene as witnesses until "Luke" was free to go. Know your rights. Download the ACLU Mobile Justice App and use it.

Washington DC, March 16, 2019. Around two thousand folks opposed to US sanctions, interventions and a possible war against the fairly elected (and fairly inept...) Maduro government of Venezuela gathered in Lafayette Park for a rally with speeches. They later marched through the downtown streets and blocked the main intersection in Chinatown for a time. DC Police kept a respectful distance and let them do their thing.

Now why would the US want to interfere in the affairs of another sovereign state? Because naughty Venezuela has billions of gallons of oil and vast deposits of rare minerals in the ground but they refuse to play ball and hand control of them over to US corporate interests. They also like to party with some of the other kids in their neighborhood who are not approved by their Old Uncle Sam.

Around two hundred very spirited anti-Maduro demonstrators gathered on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House.

Thumbs up to the various police who managed to keep both groups safely separated without interfering in the expression of their causes. Thanks also to the few activists who tried with some success to engage the anti-Maduro group in peaceful dialogue.

Another very hopeful observation today is that young people, including many young people of color, seem to be embracing social justice activism in numbers I haven't seen in years . Let's hope that they're in it for the long haul.

Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Washington DC, Sunday January 29, 2017. On the ninth day of Donald J. Trump's presidency tens of thousands hit the streets in front of the White House to protest his cruel, bigoted and unConstitutional ban on immigration and travel from seven Muslim majority countries. A Federal judge has already issued a stay on the ban but Homeland Security will reportedly not honor it. Will the lawyers save us? The crowd gathered in front on Pennsylvania Avenue and adjoining streets and later marched to the U.S. Capitol. The crowd was diverse in every way and peaceful. There were no arrests.

Washington DC, July 6 2019. A motley collection of about three hundred folks affiliated with various far right wing groups gathered here today under the banner of "#DemandFreeSpeech*" for a rally with speeches. Mostly the speakers whined into the mic about being kicked off of social media for unsportsmanlike conduct. As I wandered around Freedom Plaza I saw pizza-gaters and other nut job conspiracy devotees, Roger Stone fans, anti-semites, Christian Supremicists, gun fetishists, Proud Boys and unapologetic racists. What unites all of them is their obvious love of their leader, President Donald J. Trump. Over in nearby Pershing Park I found over a thousand gathered in opposition to Trump and his facist supporters. After hours of speeches there was some great live music and dancing. Thumbs up to Black Lives Matter DC, MDC-DSA, #AllOutDC, @DCDefend and the other groups who made it rock.

*Theirs, not yours.

Washington DC, The White House, February 15, 2017. Around 100 Palestinian rights activists and supporters gathered on fenced-off Pennsylvania Avenue near the deconstructed remains of Trump's inaugural viewing stand to protest his meeting today with fellow apartheid wall builder Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Bibi and Donald smirkingly announced today in their joint press 'conference' that they were in agreement that there would be a continuation of the no-state solution to the over 50 year old dispute between Palestine and Israel.

Washington DC, The National Mall, September 16, 2017. Around a thousand supporters of President Donald J. Trump gathered here today for an event they rather unfortunately named "The Mother Of All Rallies". The organizers boasted that they would pitch an event that would dwarf the massive anti-Trump Women's March that was staged the day after Trump's poorly attended Inauguration. There were militia and other anti-government hate groups in attendance but DC is not crazy Charlottesville, Virginia so there were no open carry firearms. I did observe some participants carrying metal rods and wooden walking sticks clearly intended to be used as weapons. Some participants sported Nazi, Neo-Nazi skinhead and other white supremacist tattoos and clothing. Most of the speakers stuck to the same tired old far right wing talking points; undocumented immigrants are "illegal aliens" and should be kicked out of the country, the media is mostly "fake news", Hillary should be "locked up", folks who refuse to "unite" behind Trump are "un-American" etc.