A small number of fundamentalist Christians showed up at Orlando Pride. They seemed to avoid overt counterdemonstration. They refused to answer question about whether or not they support a return to the police raids on LGBTQ nightlife that the Stonewall Riot (which Pride commemorates) put a stop to.
All posts by luke
Many out of town cops at Orlando Pride
While Orlando cops DID march in the Pride parade (how does this celebrate Stonewall?), a lot of the visible policing and patrolling at Orlando’s Pride parade was done by out of town cops.
This is NOT seen at Washington DC’s huge Capitol Pride festival, and it seemed that OPD’s actual policing was kept in the background.
This was especially true of their bike cops, who are notorious from their repeated harassment of and assaults on Palestine protesters. This is a guess, but I’m wondering if this is fallout from those incidents?
Also note that most of Lake Eola Park was fenced off, and the post-parade festival took place behind bag search checkpoints. I did not enter the controlled area for the usual reasons.
Treasonous Gay MAGA meatheads show up at Orlando Pride.
A few white and presumed middle class Trump supporters claiming to be Gay or Lesbian showed up at Orlando Pride on Oct 19. They called themselves “Homosexual Trump supporters.” Wonder where they got that language: attending a Southern Baptist church while buried in the closet?
Assuming they are not lying about their sexuality they are betraying their community with this stance.
Beyond the violent military raids on Latinx migrants Trump is planning (which these white folks don’t think will bite them), there is the reaction of Fl Governor DeSantis to consider. DeSantis is a Christian nationalist or cosplaying one. Trump in office OR a decision by himself and the FL state house not to recognize a Harris victory will remove all Federal restraints from anti-LGBTQ pogromist activity by the Florida state government.
I directly warned them that if Trump wins we should expect a return to police raids and arrests at LGBTQ nightlife venues. Thus, I judge them as directly betraying our community.
US Park Police attack Indigenous Trail of Truth riders in DC, attempt to sieze horses defeated
On the 14th of October, indigenous People’s Day, the Trail of Truth ride demanding Federal recognition for the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe culminated in Washington DC. On the next day, the 15th of October, US Park Police launched a failed attempt to take their horses near the National Museum of the American Indian
There were several reported arrests and the US Park Police became quite violent, but in the end they were defeated. Muwekma Ohlone occupied the tops of their horse trailers, effectively preventing cops from moving them. At the end of the day it seems the cops threw in the towel, allowing them to come down in victory.
A lot of the reporting of this is on facebook where I have no access to it, but someone on the ground sent me two video clips. Shown is the defenders coming down in victory after the defeat of the police attempt to take the horses into custody.
THE MUWEKMA OHLONE NATION ALONGSIDE SEVERAL OTHER INDIGENOUS NATIONS EMBARKED ON A SIGNIFICANT THREE MONTH LONG JOURNEY ON HORSE FROM SAN FRANCISCO CA TO WASHINGTON D.C. IN A CONCERTED EFFORT TO GAIN FEDERAL RECOGNITION.THIS HISTORIC RIDE CULMINATED YESTERDAY ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY, WITH THEIR ARRIVAL.“MUWEKMAOHLONE HAS BEEN IN A 45-YEAR STRUGGLE TO GET OUR EXISTENCE ACKNOWLEDGED.” – CHARLENE NIJMEHDAY AFTER INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY, INDIVIDUALS OF THE INDIGENOUS-LED TRAIL OF TRUTH HORSE RIDE ARRESTED IN WASHINGTON D.C. WHILE PROTECTING THEIR HORSES FROM BEING DETAINED BY D.C AUTHORITIES.STAND WITH US✊🏾🪶
Christian Nationlist/ MAGA events in DC and PA show Trump again able to mobilize street soldiers
Two events one on the Mall in DC on Oct 12 and one at a warehouse-sized gun shop and shooting range in PA showcased Trump’s again rising ability to summon forth his street soldiers.
Update: NPR confirms DC event organizers Jenny Donnally and Lou Eagle are “connected” to NAR (New Apostolic Reformation).
The DC event was the “A Million Women” prayer event attacking abortion and the right of transgender folks to exist. Their “don’t mess with our kids” message is an explicit demand that the rights of trans kids NOT be recognized by school systems and heathcare providers.
Some pointed out that they missed their turnout goals big-time, filling only one panel of the Mall while their extra screens and speakers sat in empty panels. This is still thousands of Christian nationalists calling for genocide and for roundups over abortion though. Presumably all of these folks will be at least voting for trump and some of them fighting for him too. Lots of the fundamentalists on the Mass were videoed raising their arms in what sure looked like mass Nazi saluting.
An even more menacing event took place at Kahr Arms / TommyGun Warehouse in Greeley, PA:
www(dot)rodofironfreedomfestival.org
At this event, Rod of Iron pastor Sean Moon received what again sure looked like Nazi salutes from a crowded warehouse. Attendees included former US General Flynn, who called for military tribunals and even executions of officials who have stood against Trump. Ivan Railkin (who wants to be Trump’s “Minister of Retribution”) was videoed shooting a .308 rifle with an apparent suppressor, then talking about shooting the “deep state” in the heart.
This sort of talk and training has nothing to do with an electoral campaign and everything to do with a military one in the context of anything from a coup attempt to a civil war.
Speaking of civil war and secession, four days ago Frida Ghitis on threads (not linked from here as they are owned by Meta) predicted W Va would refuse to recognize the election results if Trump loses. I have received the same report from other sources.
We should assume Trump will be able to muster at least as many street soldiers this time around as in 2020, even with all those Proud Boys in prison.
On top of all else, at his Friday event in Aurora, Colorado, Trump brazenly invoked the laws used for internment of Japanese-Americans in WWII as legal grounds for mass roundups and mass deportations of migrants.
truthout(dot)org/articles/trump-pledges-to-use-law-behind-japanese-internment-to-conduct-mass-deportations/
There is nothing peaceful about any of this shit folks, and the election is still 24 days away.
Internet Archive down due to DDOS attacks
You may have noticed videos here cannot be loaded for the past couple days. This is due to a determined DDOS attack on archive.org where they are hosted. The likely suspects in this attack are allies of book publisher Hatchette, allies of the RIAA, and allies of the MPAA. All of these suspects would be acting for copythugging reasons.
Hatchette was lead plaintiff in a major copythug lawsuit against archive.org’s lending of electronic books. There were several other publishers involved by Hatchette was the lead plaintiff and worst offender. Please DO NOT BUY any book published by Hatchette, torrent it instead.
More details from DC including statement by Samuel Mena Jr III, the journalist FIRED BY CBS for setting his own left arm on fire at the Oct 5 protest for Palestine
We have more coming from DC about CBS Journalist Samuel Mena Jr III, who was so disgusted by the “both sides” fake “journalism” his bosses had him peddling that he set his left arm on fire at the Oct 5 DC protest for Palestine. He did so to these words:
“To the 10 thousand children in Gaza that have lost a limb in this conflict, I give my left arm to you. I pray my voice was able to raise up yours, and that your smiles never disappear”
Note that CBS fired him for essentially doing his job by bringing attention to what may be the 21st century’s worst genocide so far. At last report his is still in the hospital for burn treatment. Let’s hope prosecutors don’t try anything nasty in this case.
His full statement has been posted to https://samuelmena.weebly.com/palestine (copy in reserve in case it gets taken down) and it ends with the same words above that he used in public This part of his statement is also critical:
“How many Palestinians were killed that I allowed to be branded as Hamas? How many men, women, and children were struck with a missile cosigned by the American media? Cosigned by “Samuel Mena Jr?” I joined this industry to serve the people of the state of Arizona that I call home. And now, I understand the reality that is maintaining face for the American Empire.
How much more of our history have I swept under the rug because I was told it was in the past? For how much of my life, was I groomed to aid in facilitating settler colonialism?
Does Hawaii see us as her friend, or does she, along with every other coastal Island, see us as their captors? Did we end World War 2 with the Atomic bomb, or did we become the worlds greatest fear? Where are the history books written by Native Americans?
Am I a product of a misinformation campaign? And if I am, what hope is there for the American people?”
From Oct 7 in Orlando: Speakers outside City Hall for Palestine
As a public hearing inside was cut short to avoid public comment, pro-Palestine activists spoke outside Orlando’s City Hall.
Not in the video below is the unprovoked police attack and arrest of a UCF SDS member on spurious charges.
I was unable to film this in person, as the heavy traffic saturating I-4 had already begun. Thus this video is reposted from the UCF Divestment Coalition Instagram via the imginn.com 3ed party frontend
National day of action: pro-Palestine rally at Orlando City hall supports Resistance, calls for revolution
On the Oct 5 National Day of Action marking 1 year of war in Palestine, protesters at Orlando City Hall issued a statement of explicit support for resistance in Palestine and Lebanon. They also openly called for revolution in the US
National day of action: pro-Palestine marchers take to the street in Tampa
On the 5th of October, pro-Palestine marchers took to the streets in Tampa, FL to condemn Israel’s attacks on Palestine and Lebanon, and US aid for that war. This was an expllcitly pro-resistance march. With resistance fighters in Lebanon inflicting serious losses against Israeli ground attacks on to Lebanon, protester added a new chant. This chant (on the video) is “Lebanon make us proud-take another soldier down!” I think we shall hear a lot of that one going forward.
The 5th of October was a national day of action for Palestine and Lebanon. This was the Saturday closest to the Oct 7 anniversary of the start of Israel’s all-out war of extermination against Gaza.
Street marches for Palestine have been less common in both Tampa and Orlando it seems due to vicious police harassment. With the current scandal in Orlando concerning cops being caught on video assaulting protesters w no provocation, they stayed mostly out of sight in Tampa. At the end of the march, bike cops rode past the dispersal point, as though to say “we have been watching you.”