The D.C. watchdog group, Common Cause, and Communities for Sheriff Accountability released “The Paid Jailer: How Sheriff Campaign Dollars Shape Mass Incarceration.” The report is the culmination of one year of research, documenting 48 sheriffs across eight states. Donations they say are ethically conflicted, often came from businesses that stand to gain from elections. Beth… Read more »
Interview with C.L. reporter about BLM arrests and about the labor history of Ybor
Read MoreBlack Lives Matter protester shot by police in May 2020 sues City of Tampa
Read MoreRadioactivity Friday: Tampa activist Askia Mohammed Aquil
Read MoreFive protesters arrested by USF University Police Department
Read MoreVideo shows Pinellas deputies repeatedly punching, elbowing Biden supporter during political rally in Palm Harbor
Read MoreA Pizza Hut driver was filmed driving through Black Lives Matter protesters in St. Pete and the company is keeping quiet
Read MoreRadioactivity Tuesday: Investigative report links futuristic policing to citizen harassment in Pasco County
Read MoreBen Crump releases new video of truck driving into Tampa activist
Read MoreRadioactivity Wednesday: Controversial mural evokes more police violence against activists in Tampa
Read MoreRadioactivity Thursday: Dark money and local elections; Militarization and police violence
Read MoreProtesters react to Trump's Florida trip: "Get out of Tampa"
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Car vs Protester: driver released and protester arrested.
On Saturday a protester was hospitalized and arrested after being struck and carried off by a vehicle that had driven through a demonstration in Hyde Park. About 50 people had gathered to show support for activist and veteran Jae Passmore, who sustained a leg injury and a concussion a week ago during another Black Lives Matter rally where she was… Read more »
Tampa activists pressure City Council on police reform
Dozens of speakers turned out at Tampa City Council’s public comment this morning at the Tampa Convention Center, where meetings have been recently moved to accommodate social distancing. The focus of many of the comments was in support of a recent movement to fire Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan, called #dumpdugan. Residents poured out their… Read more »
Tampa police review board fields complaints
Amid calls for policing reforms, Tampa’s police Citizen Review Board met Tuesday night at the Tampa Convention Center. The board has attracted little attention in the past. But more than 100 people attended this week’s meeting. For more than three hours, speakers addressed the Board during the public comment period. They aired their grievances with… Read more »
Truck drives into Tampa activist at Black Lives Matter protest
Over the weekend several Juneteenth marches and celebrations continued across the Tampa Bay area. On Sunday one march landed in front of Meat Market in Hyde Park Village, which was hosting brunch despite an employee recently testing positive for COVID-19. Former Hillsborough County Commission candidate and military veteran Jae Passmore was struck by a car… Read more »
Black Lives Matter counter-protests “Back the Blue” rally
More than a dozen Black Lives Matter marches gathered across Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg last weekend with about 2,000 in attendance at the Bayshore Boulevard march on Saturday. In response to three weeks of global protests against police brutality, about 50 law enforcement advocates held a rally in support of officers. WMNF was on… Read more »
Experts share their thoughts on reducing police violence and ending racism
Peaceful demonstrations across the country continue over racism and police violence; we continue our examination of these issues on MidPoint Monday. Listen to the full show here. We began the show with a short excerpt from a very interesting town hall from last week. It was hosted by the group Equality Florida and called “LGBTQ… Read more »
Sunday Black Lives Matter march draws 1,000
Last Sunday marked the end of several days of protests in the Tampa Bay area as Black Lives Matter protests extend internationally in response to the killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. One of the largest demonstrations was at Cyrus Greene Park on Sunday afternoon. More than 1,000 protesters attended the… Read more »
Mayor Castor makes appearance at George Floyd solidarity protest
Last Saturday afternoon about 1,000 protesters joined with the nationwide Black Lives Matter marches seeking justice for George Floyd. Large sections of Fowler avenue in Temple Terrace were blocked off. Students for a Democratic Society and the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression organized the action. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor participated in the march,… Read more »
In Tampa, people in poverty are forced to the edge of existence
“They would rather us starve than be allowed to live out here.” On the morning of September 3rd, Matthew Conway stood on a median in downtown Tampa holding a sign that read ‘Jesus loves you’, until Tampa police officers detained and arrested him. He spent 10 hours in jail before he was bailed out. In… Read more »
