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The Free Press Salutes – Anti-ICE protestors and Columbus Sanctuary Collective

The Free Press salutes Anti-ICE (Immigration & Customs Enforcement) activists who shut down city streets around ICE headquarters in downtown Columbus, attempted to occupy the ICE office and erected a two-story wooden tripod structure in front of the building with a sign reading "ICE RUINS LIVES HERE" on Monday, July 9. Demonstrators held signs reading "Abolish ICE" and chanted "No Borders, No Wall!"

Police descended on the demonstrators, bringing in a hook and ladder firetruck to remove two activists one attached to the top and one to the bottom of the handmade structure. Columbus Police arrested a dozen activists, charging them with trespassing and/or obstructing police business. Ten of them spent the night in the Franklin County Jail and pleaded guilty the following morning. Their attorneys Bob Fitrakis (this paper's editor) and Connie Gadell-Newton categorized the protestors' actions as "nonviolent civil disobedience in the finest tradition of American dissent." Judge Barrows indicated he agreed with them.

The Little Kitchen food truck launched in September 2017 and their menu, that is 100 percent plant-based, offers a lot of allergy-friendly recipes to accommodate those with gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free, egg-free, etc. requirements. They feature filling and delicious main dishes such as creamy cashew-based vegan mac and pea, a fiesta salad, loaded nachos and smoothies. They also offer seasonal foods and treats such as delightful vegan shakes in flavors such as “cake batter,” “coffee cold brew,” “old fashioned chocolate shake” (malt flavor) and “peppermint.” Founder Chloe Graffeo says, “I don’t want people to be afraid to try healthy comfort foods.”

The Little Kitchen Truck is located in Clintonville in front of Virtue Salon every Friday from 11am-2pm and at the Columbus Commons Food Truck on Thursdays 11am-2pm. Check their website for more details on when and where to find them. They have also been found at Farmer’s Markets (Clintonville and Westgate), Food Truck Festivals, corporate events and private events (weddings, graduation parties) which are added on as requested.

I'm a little bored with American movies lately so I've decided to go the foreign films route. Barely knowing my Bertolucci from Benigni and my Kurosawa from my Kawasaki, I've decided to just start with the letter A.

Thus from the Grandview Public library I've taken on About Elly, The Admiral, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and The Attack.

Here goes, my fellow amateur auteurs...

About Elly (2009) comes dramatically from modern and traditional Iran: a weekend at the beach for three couples, their children and guests turns from lightheartedness into catastrophe in an instant when the title character disappears and the mystery of why gets pretty darn sticky – I was riveted. the title character disappears. Director Asghar Farhadi pits the well-meaning, gorgeous matchmaker Goldshifteh Farahani against timeless Persian/religious gender rules in literally the best movie of surprise twists I've seen in years. This turns into an adult drama the likes of which make you realize we're a silly fantasy-addicted culture. Very highly recommended.

Congress took the first steps to make Klansmen and neo-Nazis a special protected class of citizen with special protection when on July 8, Congressman Daniel Donovan (R-NY) introduced the “Unmasking Antifa Act of 2018.” It is currently in the House Judiciary Committee where it will languish while the Democratic Party is done pretending to fight Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee. With the business of the House cleared of performances, the bill will then move forward.

The bill makes assault or intimidation of anyone exercising their rights under the Constitution while wearing a mask punishable by 15 years in federal prison. Despite the fact that the Klan has done that since the beginning of the lukewarm period of American history books call by the misnomer “reconstruction,” the bill names only one kind of person.

The design is to make it a crime to fight back against racists in any public way. Under this new law, all a Nazi snowflake would have to do is claim they were triggered by counter protestors, and everyone present would face 15 years in prison for wearing a mask or 10 years in prison for “conspiracy” if they were not.

Take an improbable real-life event, add a few history lessons, throw in an inspirational sermon or two, season it with a dollop of satire and romance and pour the whole concoction into a crime-drama mold. Then, for good measure, top it all off with an impassioned plea for decency. 

What do you get? With Spike Lee as the director, you get the messy, magnificent and moving BlacKkKlansman.

John David Washington (Denzel’s son) stars as Ron Stallworth, who in the early 1970s becomes the first black cop in the Colorado Springs Police Department. Though at first relegated to serving in the records room, Ron is eager to try undercover work and jumps at the chance to infiltrate a student-sponsored event featuring Kwame Ture, the civil rights activist formerly known as Stokely Carmichael. There Ron proves his worth by taking to subterfuge like Trump to hyperbole. As a reward, he’s reassigned to the department’s intelligence unit.

Friday, July 27 through August 2 at 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
LOCATION: Gateway Film Center, 1550 N High St, Columbus, OH 43201
FACEBOOK EVENT LINK: https://www.facebook.com/events/462558880872450/
Hosted by Move to Amend - Central Ohio and Gateway Film Center 

Thursday, July 26, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Franklinton Branch Library, 1061 W. Town St.

An open meeting of the Anna Hass Morgan Club of the Communist Party USA with updates about Mexico and Cuba by comrades who have recently returned from those two countries.

Hosted by Columbus Club, Communist Party USA, The Anna Hass Morgan Club and Communist Party of Ohio, CPUSA.

Discover music from some of Central Ohio’s best indie artists through Listen Columbus, a free local music streaming service available 24/7 to anyone with an Internet connection. The Upper Arlington Public Library offers this service at www.listencolumbus.org.

The Upper Arlington Public Library launched Listen Columbus in 2016 as a way to highlight the local music scene, give exposure to Columbus-area musicians, and provide music fans with a free entertainment option. The Listen Columbus collection currently features over 35 albums from musicians recording, living and touring in Central Ohio.

Listencolumbus.org also includes a local music news blog. The Listen Columbus Facebook page shares news and events from local musicians of all kinds.

The Upper Arlington Public Library is currently seeking additional musicians to add to Listen Columbus. Bands and individuals can visit www.listencolumbus.org about to learn how to apply.

I know that there as many tales of the atrocities committed by whites against African Americans in the United States as there are stars in the sky, but discovering this particular story blew me away.  The fire at the Boys Industrial School (BIS) in Writghtsville, Arkansas, was an especially  horrific tragedy that  could have been averted were it not for the pathological white supremacy, naked racism, and pure hatred for blacks found in the South throughout virtually the entire history of this country. (I’m sure there are books out there that will allow me to focus on white supremacy and racism in the North; just be patient.)