Unicorn Riot

06/22/2025

Activists have been showing up to meetings since the start of the 2025 legislative session in an attempt to create legal protections for wild rice. Wild rice, often known by its Objiwe name, manoomin, has been a means of sustenance for Dakota/Lakota and Ojibwe peoples since time immemorial. It is the reason that Ojibwe people migrated to this region, “the land where food grows on water” – without it, people’s health and wellbeing would suffer from not being able to live their way of life and not getting essential nutrients from the rice.

Activists first introduced SF 1247, a bill to protect wild rice, at the start of session with Senator Mary Kunesh (DFL-39). The bill would require risk justification before issuing permits, restrict watercraft usage in wild rice waters, and modify pesticide provisions.

The bill has not moved forward but activists are still determined to protect manoomin. Activists from Rise and Repair plan on continuing to show up to relevant hearings in order to make their presence known and gain further protections for wild rice. Full story and video in comments.

06/21/2025

While open carrying his AR-15 rifle at last Saturday’s “No Kings” protest in downtown Salt Lake, two volunteer “peacekeepers” there on behalf of the event organizers approached 24-year-old musician Arturo Gamboa and opened fire, wounding him and killing an unrelated protester, Arthur “Afa” Ah Loo.

Salt Lake City, UT — When friends of Arturo Gamboa heard that he had been shot at a protest last Saturday, they were shocked. A fixture in the punk and activist scenes of Salt Lake, Gamboa is a known leftist and musician who regularly carries fi****ms at protests in the city. And though he’s sho...

06/20/2025

Salt Lake City, UT — When friends of Arturo Gamboa heard that he had been shot at a protest last Saturday, they were shocked.

A fixture in the punk and activist scenes of Salt Lake, Gamboa is a known leftist and musician who regularly carries fi****ms at protests in the city. And though he’s shown up to rallies armed for years, Saturday was the first time it resulted in violence.

While open carrying his AR-15 rifle at Saturday’s “No Kings” protest in downtown Salt Lake, two volunteer “peacekeepers” there on behalf of the event organizers approached Gamboa and opened fire, wounding him and killing an unrelated protester, Arthur “Afa” Ah Loo. Now, a family mourns the death of a father, and Gamboa’s friends are preparing for challenges ahead as they rally support for the young punk rocker.

Read the full story at unicornriot.ninja, at the link in our bio

06/20/2025

NEW: Three Palestinian women from the Gaza Strip recently spoke to Unicorn Riot about being forcibly displaced by violent Israeli forces and living through war crimes and genocidal acts.

06/19/2025

Juneteenth is celebrated on June 19 as the day of “emancipation” for enslaved Africans. It was started in 1865 when Union soldiers made their way to Galveston, Texas, and shared the news of emancipation, telling slaves they were free. This was two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed into law, ending chattel slavery in the confederate states.

Listen to the late-great master storyteller Nothando Zulu tell the origin story of Juneteenth during a celebration at Webber Park Library in North Minneapolis six years ago.

06/19/2025

Philadelphia Police Crack Down on Anti-ICE Marches Twice in One Week - full story

Philadelphia, PA — The increasing tempo of pro-immigrant, anti-ICE protests hit Philadelphia last week, and the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) has decided to crack down. On Tuesday, June 10, and Saturday, June 14, autonomous protests were called outside of the Federal Detention Center (FDC),...

06/19/2025

Activists have been showing up to meetings since the start of the 2025 Minnesota legislative session in an attempt to create legal protections for wild rice. Wild rice, often known by its Objiwe name, manoomin, has been a means of sustenance for Dakota/Lakota and Ojibwe peoples since time immemorial. It is the reason that Ojibwe people migrated to this region, “the land where food grows on water” – without it, people’s health and wellbeing would suffer from not being able to live their way of life and not getting essential nutrients from the rice.

Activists first introduced SF 1247, a bill to protect wild rice, at the start of session with Senator Mary Kunesh (DFL-39). The bill would require risk justification before issuing permits, restrict watercraft usage in wild rice waters, and modify pesticide provisions.

The bill has not moved forward but activists are still determined to protect manoomin. Activists from Rise and Repair plan on continuing to show up to relevant hearings in order to make their presence known and gain further protections for wild rice.

Link to full story in comments.

06/18/2025

Six and a half years after the torturous jail death of Hardel Sherrell, charges have been filed against Michelle Skroch, the director of nursing who was in charge of Sherrell’s care at Beltrami County Jail. Skroch was charged with second degree manslaughter and two felony counts of criminal neglect. The charges mark a “historic moment” in Minnesota as Skroch is the first medical provider in the state charged with an inmate’s death, said attorney Zorislav Leyderman during a press conference at the Minnesota State Capitol on March 11, 2025. Link to full story and more coverage in comments.

06/18/2025

Unicorn Riot has been providing frontline coverage of social & environmental movements since 2015, help us continue our independent reporting by joining our wonderful community of supporters! 🦄🙏 Donate one-time or become a recurring weekly or monthly donor! 🥰

For over a decade, Unicorn Riot has been on the frontlines of social and environmental movements covering stories that are often ignored in mainstream discourse, including alternatives to conventional normalcies. Our small, independent nonprofit media org provides ad-free, on-the-ground reporting co...

06/17/2025

NEW: Philadelphia Police Crack Down on Anti-ICE Marches Twice in One Week
The increasing tempo of pro-immigrant, anti-ICE protests hit Philadelphia last week, and the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) has decided to crack down.
On Tuesday, June 10, and Saturday, June 14, autonomous protests were called outside of the Federal Detention Center (FDC), where up to 125 immigrant detainees can be held by ICE. The Tuesday protest included 80-100 protesters, while the Saturday demonstration brought an estimated 300. Both marches were met with intense police response which resulted in injuries and arrests.

Unlike other cities, where police shot tear gas and rubber bullets into crowds, the Philadelphia Police Department dispersed marches with tools on hand: battering protesters with batons, corralling the crowd with bicycles and nearly running activists and journalists over with motorized dirt bikes.

Philadelphia, PA — The increasing tempo of pro-immigrant, anti-ICE protests hit Philadelphia last week, and the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) has decided to crack down. On Tuesday, June 10, and Saturday, June 14, autonomous protests were called outside of the Federal Detention Center (FDC),...

06/16/2025

Activists have been showing up to meetings since the start of the 2025 Minnesota legislative session in an attempt to create legal protections for wild rice.

Wild rice, often known by its Objiwe name, manoomin, has been a means of sustenance for Dakota/Lakota and Ojibwe peoples since time immemorial. It is the reason that Ojibwe people migrated to this region, “the land where food grows on water” – without it, people’s health and wellbeing would suffer from not being able to live their way of life and not getting essential nutrients from the rice.

Activists first introduced SF 1247, a bill to protect wild rice, at the start of session with Senator Mary Kunesh (DFL-39). The bill would require risk justification before issuing permits, restrict watercraft usage in wild rice waters, and modify pesticide provisions.

The bill has not moved forward but activists are still determined to protect manoomin. Activists from Rise and Repair plan on continuing to show up to relevant hearings in order to make their presence known and gain further protections for wild rice.

Activists have been showing up to meetings since the start of the 2025 MN legislative session in attempts to create legal protections for wild rice.

06/15/2025

Philadelphia: Autonomous Anti-ICE March at Federal Detention Center

A call for solidarity with the uprising at the Delaney Hall ICE Detention Center in Newark brought several hundred demonstrators to the Federal Detention Center and surrounding streets in Center City Philadelphia on June 14, 2025. Philadelphia Police forcibly dispersed the march after about an hour after being frustrated by protester counter-measures. 3 people were reportedly arrested with one of them said to have been hospitalized.