The June 15, 2024 Polk Pride festival in Lakeland FL’s Munn Park went off without interference this time around. Last year, the same Christian nationalists that assaulted a child at the Feb 2023 Pasco Pride event showed up. They screamed and howled slurs under anti-LGBTQ banners and nearly started a fight. This time around, they did not show up. The reason might be a warrant against one of them for striking someone with a sign, which in their case probably means a sign on a stick. Anyway, word was the cops are looking for that one.

Present at the festival and able to participate without any interference were a pro-Palestine “No Pride in Genocide” contingent that gave out fliers and participated in the march around Munn Park.

On the 8th of June, pro-Palestine LGBTQ activists blocked the color giuard, MPD contingent, and first few contingents therafter of the Capitol Pride parade. The blockade was to protest sponsors and parade contingents that profit from Israel’s war crimes in Gaza.

DC’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) then violently assaulted the blockaders. They did this under the usual leadership of killer cop Jason Bagshaw.

Its worth remembering that Israel will gladly kill LGBTQ Palestinians not for being Queer but for being Palestinian.Thus, “pinkwashing” arguments for suporting Israel are completely invalid. The only hazard to LGBTQ Palestinians that is not also a hazard to LGBTQ Floridians such as myself is the IOF and it is the #1 threat there. Bombs don’t single out LGBTQ folks to spare.

The 8th of June was a horrific day in Gaza, as an IOF raid that retrieved only four hostages killed at least 210 Palestinians and wounded over 400 more. Many were seen with limbs blown off by Israel’s bombs.

On this same day, tens of thousands (possibly 100,000) furious protesters descended on Washington DC for a protest organized just weeks earlier to pressure Biden’s administration to half the flow of deadly weapons to Netanyahu’s murderous regime in Israel.

The huge “We are your red line” protest in DC got off to a strong start as cops attempted to arrest someone, only to be defeated by determined opposition and a sucessful unarrest. Cops fired pepper spray into the crowd, hitting even journalists such as Ford Fischer but were not successful in holding on to their hostage. Instead, the cops withdrew from the crowd in defeat and humiliation.

At its height, the protest stretched all the way around the White House, using a massive “red line” that was between a ribbon and a banner to lampoon Biden’s failed “red line” remarks on Gaza. Gaps in the banner ensured protesters could get in and out, but the crowd controlled the entire ring.This had the effect of placing the White House under siege.

While this was going on, a “No Pride in Genocide” contingent blocked the DC Capitol Pride parade’s lead elements. This was to protest the presence in the parade and among its sponsors of arms merchants selling guns and bombs to Israel.

After the Red Line protest came the People’s Court of Justice, in which Israel was convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity. After that came an attempt to set up a student encampment for Gaza on the ellipse. The initial police response was driven off by a determined crowd counter-advancing on them. Cops later blocked all entrances, putting the encampment under siege, with exit allowed but nobody able to return. Seening the danger, protesters marched out and returned to Penn Ave in front of the White House

As night fell, protesters banged the fence and someone burned what almost surely was an Israeli flag.

On the 7th of June, DC’s anuual Dyke March took to the streets. This was one day before Capitol Pride. The Dyke March always protests corporatization of Pride, but this year a special message was added: No Pride in Genocide!

Many of the corporate sponsors of Pride parades nationally are making money selling weapons or electronics to Israel, and thus are funding corporate Pride events with blood money.

On May 31st, 2024, Critical Mass Orlando again took to the streets. This is a very large family-friendly social ride.

On the 30th of May, pro-Palestine protesters showed up at the Orlando office of Rep Darren Soto (D/FL-09). He has been siding like Biden with Israel’s horrific genocide in Gaza. Protesters warned he would “pay an electoral price for this” no matter what the political landscape.

He and his staffers ducked protesters, the office appearing to be closed. It was not: shortly after the protest ended, they retrieved the demands note left on their doorstep and left a response which I have not read.

Minutes before the protest was to start, there were five Fl state police cruisers, one security guard, and two fire department vehicles in the parking lot. The fire dept left shortly before protesters arrived, unknown what they were doing.

At the start of the protest speakers read out ther demands. These included not only a cease-fire and an end to arming Israel, but also an end to the muscular, full-powered attempts to snuff out dissent in the US. The nationwide police assaults on campus protesters were cited by a speaker as one example, as was the violent police attack with tear gas in Lake Eola Park on May 11.

On the 28th of May, Tampa Fl Palestinians and their supporters marched from 56th and Fowler to the main intersection in front of USF and then back.

This time around in Tampa, the cops seemed to be on well-earned leashes. Stung by the publicity after the brutal attacks on the USF encampment, the Tampa Police Department held back, and the marked police vehicles I saw belonged to the Temple Terrace Police Department rather than IOF-trained Tampa PD.

Four years ago on the 25th of May, Minniapolis cops murdered George Floyd. The Uprising began that very day and night. On 5-25-2024, activists gathered at Lakeland Florida’s sole police HQ to remember George Floyd. They also celebrated Antwan Glover’s hard fought victory over false charges filed after he was assaulted by Lakeland cops.

Protesters demanded charges be dropped in a number of similar cases in Lakeland. They also demanded brutal cops be fired and prosecuted. The keynote speaker of the entire rally was Antwan Glover himself.

Bonus clip at very start of video: Days into the start of the Uprising, MN 3ed precinct burns as police radio transmits order to evacuate

On the 21st of May, the first of what may be a long string of solidarity protests was held at the courthouse for the USF 13 arrestees. These are the folks violently and brutally arrested by cops in response to the Palestine solidarity encampment at University of South Florida (USF).

One speaker at the rally was one of the Tampa 5 defendents, who held out and refused to negotiate until the government threw in the towel and dropped the charges. Another was one of the USF 13, stating that like the Tampa 5 defendents they were refusing “misdemeanor diversion.” It is the government, the USF administration, and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor who should be facing criminal charges, not these 13 defenders of Palestine! Their Israeli friends ARE facing warrants, thanks to the International Criminal Court.

Note that contrary to a lying statement by Ron DeSantis, the encampment was NOT “removed in minutes” but rather survived the first police attack on April 29. At 5:01PM on April 30 riot cops returned in much greater force in a blizzard of tear gas and even rubber bullets.

On the 15th of May, the Palestine Solidarity camp at UCF held their Nakba 76th anniv vigil with no police interference.The point was made at the vigil that Israel has bombed EVERY university in Gaza.

The only incident involving cops was one of reckless driving. After two cops drove fast in lights and siren to the intersection with the main road, one of them drove back into the campus at high speed with headlights OFF and no other lights showing until his brake lights came on. This is how cars, and bikers, and pedestrians get rammed and slammed. Booo!