Protest Reports
The Central Ohio Worker's Center planned and numerous other local organizations supported a march and rally to raise the minimum wage in Columbus on May Day, May 1st. See the photo slide show below. (Photos by Bob Studzinski)
There was a demonstration at ODRC Friday, April 24, 2015 demanding justice for old-law prisoners. There were approximately 30 people there, a very good attendance for a prison issues demonstration. The demonstration was "In memory of Gerald Loomer" sponsored by "First Thing's Smoken" and "In the Name of Justice." Gerald Loomer, died in an Ohio prison in February. On February 9, Darlene Loomer Moore Bendenritter posted on Facebook (page Release Gerald Loomer): "There was a demonstration at ODRC today demanding justice for old-law prisoners. I counted 30 -- very good attendance for a prison issues demonstration.
Fair Food friends and allies gathered on Monday, April 20th at 11:30am to support the Ohio State Student/Farmworker Alliance and Coalition of Immokalee Workers' Boycott on Wendy's! The crowd wanted to show Wendy's that Ohio Fair Food will not stop till they sign the #Fair Food Program.
Supporters of the hunger strike in the supermax unit at Ohio State Penitentiary rallied in Columbus Tuesday, April 14, calling upon prisons director Gary Mohr to order the restoration of the inmates' constitutionally protected recreation and religious rights. Those rights had been taken away as collective punishment for the misdeeds of one prisoner.
The month-long hunger strike in the supermax unit at Ohio State Penitentiary largely ended the next day, after attorneys Alice Lynd and Staughton Lynd, and one of the strikers negotiated with the warden. The prison reportedly agreed to some of the demands of the strikers – changing policies for phone calls and restoring religious services. The demand for rescinding a new restrictive recreation policy, however, was not met. Officials denied a “negotiated settlement.” The hunger strike started with more than 30 prisoners; until Wednesday, five were still refusing meals, all of whom had lost 20 to 30 pounds in the course of the strike and some experienced medical problems. One of the five continues to strike, over concerns not yet made public.
“Columbus is safe from Fracking. It’s all happening out in eastern Ohio, right?”
One of the many big questions facing this country is how we are going to improve our educational system. Charter schools may not be the solution, but they seem to be here to stay. There is need for more transparency, accountability and simplicity from our charter schools in order to eliminate not just the underperforming, but the systematically corrupt.
The charter school debate was one of the primary issues addressed at the “We Rise” rally held Wednesday, March 11 in front of the Ohio Statehouse, sponsored by ProgressOhio and Common Good Ohio.
The key issue at the rally was the need for greater transparency, accountability and simplicity in every facet of government, especially education, to ensure that “We Rise” in ensuring student success.
We're delighted that you have begun the long-awaited process of normalizing relations with Cuba, and we're anxious to see a US embassy open in Havana, but there is an action that you alone can take to further improve relations: take Cuba off the terrorist list!
Most people around the world would find it very strange that Cuba would be on a “terrorist list" with Sudan, Syria and Iran. Cuba is most known worldwide for exporting doctors, musicians, teachers, artists, and dancers–– not terrorists.
Cuban diplomats says they cannot conceive of re-establishing diplomatic relations with the United States while Cuba continues to be considered a sponsor of international terrorism. President Obama, your next executive action should include removing Cuba from the list!
Signed, Your Name Click here to sign the petition
A handful of cold, wet protesters stood in the rain outside Nationwide Arena on Sunday afternoon, January 25, urging people to ask the City of Columbus to overturn the bailout of the Arena with their tax money.
The message from the Columbus Coalition for Responsive Government (“the Coalition”) to National Hockey League (NHL) All-Star fans attending the game was direct: Columbus’ kids and generations of the unborn will be burdened with nearly three billion dollars of debt because of the city’s taxpayer bailout of the Blue Jackets and Nationwide Arena.
The Coalition’s Jonathan Beard explained, “Columbus politicians and business leaders cut a deal to dump the money-losing Nationwide Arena on the taxpayers two years ago.” Beard charges that the deal was “done behind closed doors” and against the citizens’ wishes, who had five times rejected any tax money going into the Arena.
Because voters rejected using their local tax money to fund the Arena, City officials decided to use state casino tax revenue which had been earmarked by the City of Columbus and the County for general citizen needs.
What: Rally and delivery of over 500 signatures asking David Deweese, Supervising Officer at the Customs Enforcement (ICE) Immigration Office to Stop the Deportation of Angel Bustos
When: November 14, 2014 - 10am
Where: Customs Enforcement (ICE) Immigration Office - Leveque Tower - 50 W. Broad St., Suite 306 - Columbus, Ohio 43215
Who: April Withrow; wife of Angel Bustos, family members, people of faith, friends and allies
Columbus, Ohio- As the nation waits on President Obama to unveil his “Ten Point Plan” for overhauling the U.S. Immigration policy via executive action which may suspend deportations for millions: one family in Columbus may be broken apart soon.
When Ángel Bustos arrived at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in Columbus on October 27, he never imagined may never see his wife and son again. Ángel was accustomed to weekly meetings with ICE while his petition to remain in the US was being processed. David Deweese, supervising ICE officer for the Columbus field office, denied Ángel’s petition.