On December 7th, 2024, a community meeting sponsored by the Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality was held in Richmond, Virginia, in response to the self-immolation by men held at Red Onion State Prison. More than 100 people attended. The meeting was recorded and can be viewed via Facebook.
Please join us on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2-4:30pm at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church (1720 Mechanicsville Turnpike, Richmond, VA 23223) for the first public expression of concern about the ongoing crisis at […]
Richmond has been seeing a sharp escalation on the part of law enforcement in respect to pro-Palestinian activities. Not that harsh police tactics are new: Recall this past April’s violent breakup of a peaceful Gaza solidarity encampment at Virginia Commonwealth University by campus, city and state police.
Despite organizing in an increasingly hostile and repressive environment, pro-Palestinian activism across the Commonwealth is strong, growing and adapting to ever-changing obstacles imposed by the state.
On March 4, 2024, Richmond Public Schools terminated Richmond Education Association President Neri Suarez in a move that REA is describing as retaliation for union activities. REA represents the largest bloc of RPS employees, who are organized into seven bargaining units represented by four unions.
Editor’s Note: In our 20 years of publishing, The Virginia Defender has never once been asked to correct a fact or a quote. We’re very proud of that record. But since other publications publish corrections, we’d like to do the same – in our case, corrections to factual errors that have appeared in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Here are our first offerings.
The same fascist gang that vandalized the Arthur Ashe mural in Richmond’s Battery Park a few years ago was back in town in October, pasting posters and fliers designed to try and whip up hatred against immigrants.
The Virginia Defender 