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Month: October 2024

Defaced Columbus statue that was thrown into a Virginia pond finds more welcoming home in NYC suburb

Posted on by neversleep

A Christopher Columbus at the center of a tumultuous 2020 protest recently found a new home in a New York City suburb – and this time, it’s embraced by some of the locals.

“We’re all very proud of Christopher Columbus, and we’re here to preserve the history of Christopher Columbus finding and discovering America,” Paul Borghese of the Order of the Sons of Italy Lodge No. 2176, told [mainstream news source].

Michael Pizzi, another member of the order, told the outlet that the figure “represents Italian heritage and culture and everything that we’re proud of.”

The 8-foot tall bronze likeness of the historically significant Italian explorer was formerly housed at the entrance of Byrd Park in Richmond, Virginia, until being uprooted by protesters in light of George Floyd’s 2020 death, according to reports.

In images from the tumultuous summer, protesters are seen marching near the statue, holding signs that called for removal of imagery that recognizes colonizers to pay respect to indigenous communities.

Other reports and images show the statue on the ground after being pulled down from its pedestal with ropes, defaced with spray paint and lit on fire.

The protesters then dragged the statue to a nearby pond and submerged it in water.

A statue of Christopher Columbus rests in a shallow pond after protesters pulled it off its pedestal and dragged it across a street in Richmond, Virginia, June 9, 2020.

The nearly 100-year-old homage to Columbus was later retrieved and restored before eventually being shipped to its new home in the Empire State.

It’s now housed at the Rockland Sons of Italy Lodge in the hamlet of Blauvelt, located approximately 20 miles northwest of New York City.

But, while some are happy to see the statue housed in its new location, others argue honoring Columbus is unethical or even pointless.

Cliff Mathias, cultural director of the Red Hawk Native American Arts Council, told [mainstream news source] that “Columbus never discovered America,” elaborating by saying he never stepped foot on the continent of what is now considered the United States.

“By no means is Columbus someone that this country should celebrate,” Mathias continued, adding, “If you go to Italy… most of them don’t give a hoot about Columbus. He’s not celebrated in Italy at all.”

Found on Mainstream Media

Not Liking Someone Doesn’t Mean They’re a Cop: On Bad-jacketing

Posted on by neversleep

Read the full text, including visuals, online as a PDF.

Find the full text ready for printing as an imposed PDF.

Since the commencement of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, millions around the world have taken to the streets in support of Palestine against the genocidal Zionist entity. We are, globally, in an unprecedented moment of anti-imperialist mobilisation, which threatens not only the Zionist occupation but the colonial powers that uphold it.

This text was written through the summer and early autumn of 2024 from Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee territory (so-called Southern Ontario, Canada), where people, many new to the left, have been facing intensified violence and harassment from both police and Zionists. Protests are regularly met with arrests and other attacks, which have created a climate of fear among attendees and organisers.

At the same time, that fear, combined with a disconnect from previous generations of struggle and an often-unchallenged fear of militancy, has led to practices that end up putting our comrades in more danger. This text hopes to address one such recurring issue.

Continue reading “Not Liking Someone Doesn’t Mean They’re a Cop: On Bad-jacketing”

E-Bike Vandalism: A Growing Concern for Riders in Major U.S. Cities

Posted on by neversleep

A troubling trend has emerged in recent months, causing significant inconvenience and frustration for e-bike riders in major U.S. cities. Vandals are increasingly targeting e-bikes, damaging essential components and rendering them unusable. One of the most common tactics involves scratching out QR codes and tearing off e-bike numbers, making it impossible for riders to unlock and operate the bikes.

E-bike riders in New York City have been particularly vocal about the issue, reporting numerous instances of vandalism. The practice not only affects individual riders but also disrupts the entire e-bike sharing system, limiting transportation options for commuters and tourists alike.

The reasons behind the vandalism are unclear, but experts speculate that it could be motivated by a combination of factors, including boredom, frustration, or a desire to cause disruption. Some believe that the anonymity provided by e-bike sharing systems may embolden vandals to act without fear of consequences.

Found on Industry Media

Armed robbers in Mercedes steal nearly $200K in jewelry across NYC

Posted on by neversleep

Armed robbers in a Mercedes-Benz have stolen nearly $200,000 in jewelry during a weeks-long crime spree targeting people on the streets of three New York City boroughs.

No serious injuries were reported in the eight robberies, which stretch back to early September and span Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx. In total, more than $190,000 worth of jewelry was reported stolen.

The latest robbery linked to the pair was early Monday morning in Rego Park, Queens, where a 36-year-old man was mugged at gunpoint at 95th Street and 62nd Drive shortly after 1 a.m. The suspects tried to steal his watch, but he fought back and they fled empty-handed in the Mercedes, police said.

Just two hours before that robbery, the pair targeted a 63-year-old man on Bell Boulevard in Oakland Gardens, Queens, punching him repeatedly in the face and stealing his wallet, police said.

The duo has also been linked to the robbery of a 47-year-old man on the Horace Harding Expressway in Douglaston, Queens, on the evening of Sept. 18. They stole his $20,000 watch, police said.

And on Sept. 15, they allegedly robbed a 33-year-old man of his $10,000 watch on McDonald Avenue in Gravesend, Brooklyn.

They even stormed into a 54-year-old man’s house in South Ozone Park on the evening of Sept. 13, cops said, but ultimately fled without stealing anything.

Their largest haul was on the morning of Sept. 12, when they allegedly robbed a 25-year-old man of his $90,000 watch and $200 cash in the Concourse section of the Bronx.

They also tried to break into a residence in the South Bronx on Sept. 5 by smashing a window with a rock, but they were unsuccessful, police said.

The first robbery linked to them was on the night of Sept. 3, when a 32-year-old man was robbed of a $70,000 necklace in Auburndale, Queens.

Found on Mainstream Media

“Live Free, Ride Free, Fuck NYPD”

Posted on by neversleep

 

Last week, a series of demonstrations took place in New York City after police attacked a person they accused of dodging the fare on the subway. The police opened fire, shooting the suspect, a police officer, and multiple other people who happened to be in the station. This shows the real cost of police enforcing subway fare. We received the following report from a mass fare evasion action in Manhattan on the evening of September 18.

It’s senseless to have police randomly shooting people to enforce a $2.90 fare. The subways should be free, as they chiefly serve to put working-class people at the disposal of capitalist profiteers in the first place. The resources to make this possible exist—they are simply held hostage by the ruling class, to whom the lives of ordinary people have no worth.

It was a demonstration very much like the one described below that set off the Chilean uprising of 2019, triggering copycat actions in the United States. Struggles against the cost of public transit and the murderous police that enforce it continue around the world.

Photographs by Abu Zeek.

Continue reading ““Live Free, Ride Free, Fuck NYPD””

Ancestral land returned to Onondaga Nation in upstate New York

Posted on by neversleep

The Onondaga Nation has regained 1,000 acres (405 hectares) of its ancestral land in upstate New York, a tiny portion of the land members say was unjustly taken by the state beginning in the 18th century.

The heavily forested land is south of Syracuse and near the Onondaga’s federally recognized territory. The land, which includes headwaters of Onondaga Creek, was transferred by Honeywell International on Friday under a federal Superfund settlement related to the contamination of the environment, according to the Onondaga Nation.

The land is part of an expanse of 2.5 million acres (1 million hectares) in central New York the Onondagas say was taken over decades by New York beginning in 1788 through deceitful maneuvers that violated treaties and federal law.

Sid Hill, the Tadodaho, or chief, of the Onondaga Nation, said Monday they were grateful to federal and state officials for working with them to return “the first 1,000 acres of the 2.5 million acres of treaty-guaranteed land taken from us over the centuries.”

“This is a small but important step for us, and for the Indigenous land back movement across the United States,” Hill said in a prepared statement.

Rebuffed in U.S. courts, the Onondagas are now pursuing their claim before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which is part of the Organization of American States.

The nation’s case involves a roughly 40-mile-wide (65-kilometer-wide) strip of land running down the center of upstate New York from Canada to Pennsylvania. The Onondagas hope the case spurs negotiations that could lead to the return of some land.

Found on Mainstream Media