Local

Thursday, May 9, 9am-12noon, Franklin County Municipal Court, 375 S. High St.

Activists will hold support for 17-year-old Masonique Saunders by rallying outside of the Franklin County Courthouse, demanding her immediate release and freedom from all of her charges.

On May 9, Masonique Saunders, a teenager, will have her long-awaited hearing to determine if she will be tried as an adult for felony murder charges. Saunders was arrested for felony murder six days after Columbus Police shot and killed her boyfriend, Julius Tate Jr., while both Tate and Saunders were both sixteen years of age. Originally scheduled for early February, this hearing comes after Saunders has sat in juvenile detention center for over five months. While the court proceedings are happening, activists will rally outside of the courthouse to display support and solidarity for Masonique.

Democracy vs. Imperialism  

Wed, May 8, 12:30-3pm
275 S. Wilson Rd.Join us in celebrating the reveal of the cross-country, preferred route of the Great American Rail-Trail in Columbus! A signature project of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, the Great American Rail-Trail will connect nearly 4,000 miles of rail-trails and other multiuse trails across 12 states and Washington, D.C.—including Ohio!

When: Wednesday, May 8, 2019 | 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.; program starts at 1 p.m.

Where: Camp Chase Rail-Trail at Wilson Road Park
| 275 South Wilson Road, Columbus, OH 43204 (or watch the event on Facebook Live)

This event will be featured in a cascading cross-country live broadcast on RTC’s Facebook Page. If you can’t be there in person, tune in on Facebook to experience the celebration on the Camp Chase Trail.

The event will be an opportunity to:

• Celebrate decades of trail-building success by the Central Ohio community.

• Hear about the ambitious plans to continue providing trail opportunities for all Ohioans.

Columbus City Council Candidate and longtime neighborhood advocate Joe Motil spoke against City Council’s approval last night for a 6-year $3.6 million income tax incentive for the Root Insurance Company. Root Insurance is a local company that has been the rave of major venture capital fund groups across the United States. Root’s auto insurance products are sold, administered and monitored through a smartphone app. The company’s valuation is now estimated at over $1 billion dollars. Root has expanded to 20 states and plans on selling its product nationwide by the end of the year.

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