Local

Tuesday, May 7, 2019, 7:00 – 9:00 PM

Gun violence has become an epidemic in the U.S., with shootings becoming so frequent in the news that many people have become desensitized to them. Over the last few years, some of the most shocking shootings have happened in public schools, causing shock and fear in students, administrators, and parents.

Although there are several reasons behind these shootings, such as lax gun control laws, sexism, bullying, and feelings of entitlement, schools are now looking for ways to prevent these tragedies from occurring in their schools.

In the world’s most developed countries, 80 percent of all deaths related to firearms occur in the U.S., according to statistics presented by Regis College. Gun violence is considered a public health issue in the country, where shootings are a leading cause of premature death in the general population. The U.S. also has some of the most laidback gun laws, which is a common reason attributed to the high levels of gun violence.

On Saturday May 4, the night of the Columbus Blue Jackets game and Gallery Hop in the Short North, the Coalition to Free Masonique Saunders blocked off the intersection at Buttles Avenue and North High Street for 90 minutes. Their goal was to stop the flow of capital to raise awareness about Columbus Police’s murder of Julius Tate Jr. and the false felony murder and aggravated robbery charges on Masonique Saunders. The Coalition wants people to pack the court at 9am on Thursday, May 9 to prevent Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien from trying Saunders, the falsely charged 17-year-old, as an adult.

Kaiya Gordon, Lainie Rini, and Margie Sarsfield, three out of the four people arrested, drove into the intersection and stopped their car. The police pepper-sprayed the activists near the car and used their bikes to push others onto the sidewalks. Rini and Sarsfield were attached to the car to prevent the cops from towing the vehicle with them in it.

While being brutally pulled, pepper sprayed, and denied medical care, Rini was shouting, “Let go. You’re hurting me. My eyes are burning.”

The color palette of springtime is a delight. Everywhere amongst landscapes are bright, colorful blooms. On a clear day, the most vibrant flower can stop someone dead in their tracks. There is a reason why flowers are given as gifts or used as adornments for dinner tables. Not only do blossoms bring happiness, but they breed life; the flower serves as the reproductive organ for the plant and will produce seeds, if not removed. These amazing plant allies attract pollinators such as bees, butterflies and beneficial insects to the garden. Flowers have a vital function within the ecosystem, one that binds all life together.

On Saturday May 4th, 2019, protesters outraged at the wrongful incarceration of Masonique Saunders held a march. Shortly after, two activists locked down to a car blocking traffic on High Street. Police maced these folks while they were completely immobilized and unable to move! At least four people were arrested during this peaceful action, and we need your support to bail them out so our comrades can rejoin the fight to #FreeMasonique. Any amount helps! 

Backstory on Masonique’s case: On December 7, 2018, Columbus police murdered 16 year old Julius Ervin Tate Jr.. On December 13, they arrested his 16 year old girlfriend, Masonique Saunders, charging her with the murder they committed. She recently “celebrated” her 17th birthday behind bars while Eric Richards, the officer who killed Julius Tate Jr., was recently awarded SWAT officer of the year. We are sick and tired of the racist police terror killing and caging Black youth! Stay updated on ways to get involved in supporting Masonique by following  @freemasonique on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter or checking freemasonique.home.blog

Write Chelsea

Saturday, May 4, 7pm
Goodale Park, 120 w. Goodale St.
Raise your voice in support of Masonique Saunders, falsely imprisoned in Franklin County. Masonique is 17 years old and charged with murder by the Columbus Police after the police shot and killed her boyfriend, Julius Tate, Jr. 
The National Week of Action to #FreeMasonique is May 3rd-10th, and we invite you to march with us on Saturday May 4th to call attention to the unjust charges this 17-year-old child is facing!
We will meet at the Goodale Park Gazebo at 7:00 PM and march up High St, making noise and raising our voices to demand Masonique’s freedom!

The Free Press Network is central Ohio's non-profit, community-driven media organization. Volunteers collaborate to support six publishing and media platforms that elevate locally produced content in central Ohio, USA. Sponsored by the Free Press, freepress.org, and the Columbus Institute for Contemporary Journalism (CICJ).

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Friday, May 3, 7-10pm, ROY G BIV Gallery, 435 W. Rich St.

A new look. A new gallery. The same commitment to emerging artists. Join us at our new location in Franklinton as we open our doors and invite artists, art lovers, fresh faces, and old friends to enter in. We’re kicking off our next chapter with “The ROY Family Reunion Exhibition,” a celebration of ROY artists from 1989 until now, showcasing the diverse talent that has made ROY the home for thoughtful, innovative work that it is today.

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World Press Freedom Day – May 3 – is not very well known, but freedom of the press is certainly a concern nowadays.

The United States now has the distinction of being one of the most dangerous countries for journalists in the word. Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index 2019 documented that 63 journalists were killed while doing their jobs during 2018 – a statistic 15 percent higher than the year before. The report states that U.S. journalists are subjected to an unprecedented number of death threats and blames much of it on Trump’s accusations about “fake news” and calling journalists “enemies” of the people.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) told NPR that reporters in the U.S have endured attacks by police and protestors, are targeted at the border and in other countries. All over the world, an increasing number of journalists are murdered, falsely imprisoned, and subject to violence. The CPJ reports that more than 260 journalists are in prison, the highest ever recorded.