May Day Parade Initial Info!

Video from May Day Parade

May Day Parade video from David Martin- who comes out to many, many radica/anarchist/community events and protests to film them. Thanks David for making good independent media!!!

May Day Parade for Worker’s Rights and a Living Wage! Wednesday May 1st at 5pm!

Wednesday May 1st at 5pm meet in Monroe Park, the parade will leave the park at 6pm.

Bring signs, banners, flags, costumes, drums, instruments, medic bags, water, snacks etc.

May 1st is International workers rights day and it is celebrated all around the world by people taking the day off work and gathering to to express their general grievances. For years in RVA we have had a rally and a parade to commemorate this holiday and for lack of planning this year it looks like there will be no official rally with speakers but we will still be doing the amazing parade! I would love it if as many of you beautiful People out there as possible could take the day off and come take part in the parade! Bring any kind of musical instrument you want because we will be making alot of noise! the larger the crowd for the parade the better it will be so please bring all your friends!
We will need a lot of Bike marshals to help direct traffic so if you have a bike please bring it!
Word on the screet is that No BS Brass will be leading the march along with Captain Captain!
The Parade will begin at 6 but we will all start gathering in the park at 5

Here is a link to the facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/146946135478515/?fref=ts

May Day Parade a Success!

The May Day Parade this year was a success, involving the longest route yet, and no police harassment or arrests.

We took the whole street up Main street, up Harrison street, and down Broad Street from Harrison to 6th. There were impressive contingents of queer bees, and a focus on immigration as well.

Thanks to the All Saints Puppets, the speakers, bike marshalls, and legal observers for helping to make the parade a success.

There are TONS of pictures from the event, so we are just going to post a few of us. Here are some pictures of the Wingnuts and our fancy banner during the festivities:

These three pictures are from Shelton Bumgarner.

This picture is thanks to Brad Kutner

Happy May Day!

Happy May Day to everyone out there!
Remember HayMarket Square in 1886, the people who were killed by the police and the bosses, and the Chicago anarchists who were killed by the state! Workers and anarchist workers have struggled, fought, and died for the cause of justice, and it is in their honor and memory we celebrate.

If you are in Richmond, we hope you can make it to the May Day Rally and parade in Monroe Park. The Rally is at 5. The parade is at 6. So bring your signs/banners/flags/drums/instruments/costumes etc. and come celebrate International Worker’s Day!!

There will also be a potluck at 6:30 or 7 or so (whenever the parade is over), at 6th and Broad Streets, on an empty lot.

None of the May Day events have permits (who needs em), so keep this in mind in terms of deciding your risk level and arrest-ability level. There will certainly be many people at all of these events who are not arrestable, so you won’t be alone.

For folks who need a reminder about the importance of May Day, we recommend the zine Hurrah for Anarchy, which explains how the worker’s holiday originated, and the anarchist roots of the celebration. You can look at it online/download a copy here: http://www.tangledwilderness.org/zines/

Don’t forget our pagan friends too, for whom May 1st is Beltane, traditional May Day celebration of fertility, renewal, awakening & new beginnings that heralds the arrival of summer.

Friday!!! Pre-May Day Show!! 7pm at the Wingnut!

Friday April 27th at 7pm! Bands and Screenprinting! Come share with others your planned May Day related events and come hear about theirs!

Come out to hear Snail Party, from Canada! According to them: “snail party is a flailing orchestra made up of several scum fucks, a handful of crusty queers & a couple mortals too. we’re from halifax, nova scotia.”

You can listen to their music here: http://snailparty.bandcamp.com/

No cover charge, but please bring some money to donate to the band or buy merch from them if you can- they are coming a long way! All ages, sober show.
My Son the Doctor will be joining Snail Party to help celebrate International Worker’s Day!

Come ready to dance, screenprint a May Day patch with a design by Bizhan Khodabandeh, learn about other May Day events, and celebrate!

My Son the Doctor plays an eclectic mix of Eastern European, Balkan, and Mediterranean folk musics, with an emphasis on Yiddish, Hebrew, and Roma traditions. Klezmer dance tunes, Yiddish folk and theater songs, Israeli folk songs, Chassidic songs, Ladino songs, contemporary and traditional Roma songs, and Balkan pop—all with a high-energy approach with elements of rock, African music, and jazz.

Local graphic designer, Bizhan Khodabandeh has designed a May Day 2012 patch for Richmond that we will be printing on April 27th at the Pre-May Day Show at the Wingnut.

The patches are a roughly 4″ x 4″ design so bring pieces of fabric a little larger than that if you want to make a patch, or whatever fabric or shirt you want the image on! We will also have some pre-made for folks too.

Bizhan’s other amazing work can be found online at www.mendedarrow.com Bizhan has contributed a lot of work into Richmond May Day festivities over the past couple of years, designing previous bandannas and posters.

The Pre-May Day Show is on Friday April 27th at 7pm at 2005 Barton Avenue. There will be music and labor songs by Snail Party, My Son the Doctor, and 2 other local acts. Sober, All Ages. No cover charge, but donations for Snail Party from Canada and merch from other bands encouraged.

Richmond May Day Parade and Other May Day Events!

Richmond’s Annual May Day Parade will be taking place on Tuesday May 1st, 2012 from Monroe Park.

There will be a rally at 5pm and then a march/parade at 6pm.

More information to come! Keep your eyes and ears open for a ton of rad events scheduled around that whole weekend in Richmond! here are the activities confirmed so far:

Wednesday 4/25

1300 Bainbridge – the 13ainbridge Collective

Direct Action Training Wednesday 4/25Potluck Supper 5:30 – 6:30 Training 6:30 – 9:00Struggles for justice have intensified this year as our communities face an all-out assault on our rights. Growing ranks of activists getting organized to fight back find increased repression targeting protest and free speech. If ever a moment called us to bold action it is now. Direct action can be a powerful tool to focus our collective power. In this highly interactive workshop we’ll explore the basics of how to plan organize and implement a safe, effective direct action. topics covered will include de-escalating behaviors in tense situations, quick decision-making, roles and responsibilities and more. This training is offered in support of our movements for justice in this region by Occupy RVA and the Wayside Center for Popular Education. Trainer: Jeff Winder

Friday 4/27
– 4pm-7pm, 1600 Colorado Avenue
RePHRAME Teach-in Cookout
Open to contribution/suggestion for content.

In the lead up to May Day this year, join RePHRAME, public housing residents, Randolph Residents, and allies for a Neighborhood Cookout and Teach-in!

RRHA wants to sell off many scattered-site properties, including already occupied units. Come eat food, socialize, and hear the issues that are facing public housing residents in Richmond. Tell RRHA that working people deserve access to decent housing! Join us for fellowship and solidarity!

§  Wingnut Anarchist Collective, 2005 Barton Avenue,  7pm-11pm
Ø  Performances by Jake Mayday, Snail Party, My Son the Doctor
·         Contact if you want to add to lineup
Ø  Screen printing May Day Sabot Cat Patches
Ø  Possible Labor Song Workshop?
Ø  Launch Pad for IWW action

More events below!!!

Celebratory May Day Potluck with Food Not Bombs!

Join Food Not Bombs for a Celebratory May Day Potluck in the Park!

Sunday April 29^th at 4pm

In Monroe park, at the corner of Main and Belvidere

Food Not Bombs will be serving a free vegan community meal, like we have done every Sunday at 4pm for the past 18 years. We are inviting the community to come and bring vegan dishes and beverages to share, and turn this day into a potluck event to celebrate worker’s rights.

May Day (May 1^st) is International Worker’s Day. There will be many events in Richmond over the weekend leading up to Tuesday May 1^st. There will be information on those events available at the potluck.

Possible additional activities in Monroe Park after the potluck TBA!

Rain or shine, the food tastes fine!

For more information, please email rvafoodnotbombs@gmail.com, call 804 303 5449, or go online at www.richmondfoodnotbombs.wordpress.com

My Son the Doctor to play Pre-May Day Show

Local Richmond band, My Son the Doctor, has been added to the lineup for the Pre-May Day Show and Celebration at the Wingnut on Friday April 27th at 7pm.

Sober, All Ages show at 2005 Barton Avenue. (804) 303 5449 or wingnut_collective@yahoo.com for more

They will be joining Snail Party and Jake Mayday to help celebrate International Worker’s Day! Come ready to dance, screenprint a May Day patch with a design by Bizhan Khodabandeh, learn about other May Day events, and celebrate!

My Son the Doctor plays an eclectic mix of Eastern European, Balkan, and Mediterranean folk musics, with an emphasis on Yiddish, Hebrew, and Roma traditions. Klezmer dance tunes, Yiddish folk and theater songs, Israeli folk songs, Chassidic songs, Ladino songs, contemporary and traditional Roma songs, and Balkan pop—all with a high-energy approach with elements of rock, African music, and jazz.

The current line-up is:

Louis Schwartz: guitar and vocals
Allen Cole: clarinet
Cayman Mooney: accordion
Ken Kellner: guitar, bass, and vocals
Janine Turner: percussion and vocals
Dave Ellis: percussion

May Day Patches- Come Screenprint Your Own at Pre-May Day Show

Local graphic designer, Bizhan Khodabandeh has designed a May Day 2012 patch for Richmond that we will be printing on April 27th at the Pre-May Day Show at the Wingnut.

The patches are a roughly 4″ x 4″ design so bring pieces of fabric a little larger than that if you want to make a patch, or whatever fabric or shirt you want the image on! We will also have some pre-made for folks too.

Bizhan’s other amazing work can be found online at www.mendedarrow.com  Bizhan has contributed a lot of work into Richmond May Day festivities over the past couple of years, designing previous bandannas and posters.

The Pre-May Day Show is on Friday April 27th at 7pm at 2005 Barton Avenue. There will be music and labor songs by Snail Party, Jake Mayday, and 2 other local acts. Sober, All Ages. No cover charge, but donations for Snail Party from Canada and merch from other bands encouraged.