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 Cooking for the VCU Living Wage Campaign- Food Not Bombs Solidarity!

Join Richmond Food Not Bombs to help cook for the May Day Living Wage at VCU Rally.

May 1st at 10am at 1401 West Leigh Street (not the same address where we cook on Sundays)

Much of the prep work will take place before the cooking period; don’t be alarmed by the short period of time.

Food Not Bombs is making rice, chili, and green salad to serve after the VCU Living Wage Campaign’s May Day rally for a living wage. The cooking will take place at Kat McNeal’s house, near the Lombardy Kroger. If you become lost, call Kat at 703-859-0393.

We need extra hands primarily for loading the vehicles, some vehicles to load, and some people who feel comfortable lifting heavy pots of hot food. We will serve at 1pm, at Monroe Park.

We also need a volunteer to print handbills for FNB, to provide to diners who may not have heard of us.

May Day Rally for a Living Wage at VCU- catered by Food Not Bombs

Wednesday May 1st from 12 noon to 1pm at the VCU Commons Plaza

May Day is a day to celebrate the victories of the working-class in their struggles against exploitation and oppression throughout history. Join the Living Wage Campaign and its allies on May Day, International Workers’ Day, as we rally for a living wage for service workers at VCU.

The average VCU service employee, especially those working through Aramark, rarely receives a pay raise. Many VCU employees must hold more than one job just to make ends meet. At the same time, many adjunct professors also do not make a livable salary and have no insurance or job security.

It is our tuition money that funds VCU, and we have every right to be outraged. The mistreatment of workers and the misplaced priorities of VCU come at the expense of the students as well.

The rally will start at noon in the Commons/Ram’s Plaza (where the big ram horns are).

Richmond Food Not Bombs will be providing some food for folks at this rally as an act of solidarity. If you are able to, bring some money to donate to FNB, or bring a grocery item we use (oil, sugar, salt, flour, spices, pasta, rice) etc. You could also come help us cook any Sunday from 12:30 to 3:30 at 2005 Barton Avenue, come eat in the park every Sunday at 4pm at the corner of Main and Belvidere in Monroe Park, or come clean up after the meal at 2005 Barton Avenue.

Here is the link for the facebook event:

https://www.facebook.com/events/372157122898759/?fref=ts

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

First Fridays, May Day and VACLAA!! Mensajes sobre Texto/ Messages about Text

Reposting for friends at VACLAA. Immigration and May Day are incredibly intertwined, and the connections between labor struggles and immigration struggles really can’t be emphasized enough. Come out on First Fridays (May 4th) to meet with folks from VACLAA and tie these struggles together and make some art! This is going to be awesome.
Our Copwatch First Fridays Patrol will be meeting basically across the street from this event at 7pm.

From the Virginia Center for Latin American Art:

VACLAA’s back at First Friday’s Artwalk on May 4th with a new live mural project about words and power and we need your input!

Messages about Text

Some of the most amazing writing on the topic of work, struggle and human dignity was created in Latin America. From the political discourse of Che Guevara to the poetic innovations of Cesar Vallejo, the word has always been a respected tool in Latin America for attaining a more just society and ennobling the efforts of women and men as they seek a sense of personal dignity. In honor of these efforts, VACLAA is producing a mural with components of relief and collage that challenges Richmonders to seek a deeper vein of discourse in a world in which words carry such little weight they drift away in text bubbles.

We invite members of the Richmond community to bring their own favorite quotes from artists, poets, political activists, grandmothers, or their own dog-eared journals on the subject of the power of men and women through work to attain a sense of self worth.

In addition to the live art event, our site at 401 W. Broad St. will be alive with readings from Latin Youth Poets from Huguenot High School, music from Underwater Seacreatures, handmade crafts from a group of Mexican artisans, savory food from Ken Ticos Cuban Restaurant and VACLAA coffee tastings.

Location: 401 West Broad Street – Moore’s Auto body parking lot

VACLAA regresa al First Fridays Artwalk el 4 de Mayo con un proyecto nuevo. Es un mural hecho en vivo acerca de las palabras y el poder. ¡Para completarlo necesitamos su participación!

Mensajes sobre Texto

Algunos de los escritos más increíble sobre el tema del trabajo, la lucha y la dignidad humana, fue creada en América Latina. Desde el discurso político de Che Guevara a las innovaciones poéticas de César Vallejo, la palabra ha sido siempre una instrumento respetada en América Latina para alcanzar una sociedad más justa y elevar los esfuerzos de mujeres y hombres que buscan un sentido de dignidad personal. En honor a estos esfuerzos, VACLAA está produciendo un mural con estos elementos. Esperamos que el collage desafía la gente de Richmond a buscar una vena profunda del discurso en un mundo en el que las palabras tienen pesan tan poco que se alejan en las burbujas de texto.

Invitamos a los miembros de la comunidad de Richmond a traer a sus citas favoritas de escritores, poetas, activistas políticos, sus abuelas o sus propias revistas de sus diarios personales sobre el tema del poder de los hombres y mujeres a través del trabajo para lograr un sentido de autoestima.

Además del evento de arte hecho en vivo, nuestro sitio en el 401 W. Broad St. también tendrá las recitaciones de poetas jóvenes de América de la escuela secundaria Huguenot, música de Seacreatures Submarinas, artesanías hechas a mano de un grupo de artesanos mexicanos, la comida sabrosa de Ken Ticos Restaurante Cubano y pruebas de café hecho para VACLAA.

Localizado en el 401 West Broad St.- En el aparcamiento de Moore’s Auto Body

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!!!