Slideshow NSFW. Around 16th and K St. NW.  Jan. 28th.  © 2012 Matt Dunn

March to Key Bridge Gallery.  Nov. 17th.  © 2011 Matt Dunn

11th and New York Ave, NW.  Nov. 8th.  © 2011 Matt Dunn

Freedom Plaza.  © 2011 Matt Dunn

Writes Jonathan L. Fischer:

Local crooner Raheem DeVaughn was among the group of protesters led by by Princeton academic Cornel West that was arrested on the grounds of the Supreme Court yesterday afternoon. The demonstration—protesting the court's 2010 Citizens United ruling that blocked the government from banning corporate spending in elections—took place following yesterday morning's dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall.

Freedom Plaza, Oct. 10th.  © 2011 Matt Dunn

© 2011 Michael W. Hicks

The Metro system, once a reliable point of pride for D.C.'s boosters, has had a rough few years: Safety problems, escalator outages, and rising prices have made the subway a regular subject of local griping. At times, it can be hard to keep up with the torrent of unflattering Metro-related scoops. As a public service,Washington City Paper is offering beleaguered riders this irregular round-up of recent media lowlights:

-The Washington Post's editorial board endorsed Metro's controversial bag check program as "necessary nuisance." (TBD isn't so sure.)

-A fight outside the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro station ended with a man stabbed in the leg, while another at the Glenmont Metro stop ended with a teen refusing medical treatment for "minor injuries."

-Metro is considering splitting Blue Line service next year, but isn't sure how to make sure people don't get on the wrong train.

-Escalators at Dupont Circle are about to undergo a "year-long rehab."

-50 transit employees protested their contract with Metro Thursday, due to "management's unwillingness to follow binding arbitration."

-Metro's General Manager Richard Sarles said it will take years for Metro to reverse the decline in its bus and rail networks.

In better news, Capital Bikeshare announced the winners of its "Winter Weather Warriors" competition. Clearly we all should have ridden a bike instead of waiting for a train or bus. Though bikes certainly have their own issues.

1000 Block Jefferson Drive, SW.   Jan. 31st.  © 2011 Matt Dunn

Freshman Ty Lane joins American University students to counter-protest against Westboro Baptist Church.

“Where the fuck are they?” says one American University student, as she and her friends join the crowd of AU students gathered to counter-protest the Westboro Baptist Church gathering on a cold Friday afternoon. “Are they here yet?”

They were. The problem these AU students were having, however, was that the Topeka-based church had brought far too few members to adequately address the student body at American University.

According to their press release, the WBC had arrived to “give your children [i.e., AU students] an opportunity to see what truth looks like.”

“Now they beg for some truth from the humble servants of WBC,” the group said. “They will know what their God requires of them & will not be able to plead ignorance any longer.”

To accomplish this mammoth task, the church had brought just four supporters. AU countered with between 700 and 1,200 student counter-protesters, according to university officials.

Some students didn’t even bother trying to actually see the WBC picketers, who stood across the street from the university, surrounded by protective police.

“I’ll see pictures online,” says Dakota David, a freshman at AU. She was spending her time walking around the crowd, taking note of the various counter-protest signs—some straight-forward, many tongue-in-cheek. “I think it’s awesome,” David says. “When you face something so horrible like the Westboro Baptist Church, we can all unite against that.”

AU students named their counter-protest the “Rally to Reaffirm Sanity,” basing their message off Jon Stewart’s rally last fall.

Some students copied the style of signs from the Stewart rally as well. One sign read “Good Lord, It’s Cold,” while another said “God Hates Hoyas.” Other signs were more direct. One declared “God Loves Orgasms,” and another noted that “Dude, You’re Gay If You Think Lesbians Aren’t Hot.”

Freshman Ty Lane, proudly displaying her rainbow-colored briefs to the WBC picketers, calls the counter-demonstration the largest collected student movement she’d seen since enrolling. “It’s the the biggest joining of AU that I’ve ever seen,” Lane says. “Everyone at AU has at least one gay friend.”

Upon learning Washington City Paper is willing to print curse words, Lane became more explicit.

“I think that Westboro should suck our AU gay cock,” she says. “Because gay rights are going to come around before they’re all dead... so they should deal with it.”

Kim Ketchoyian, a senior, says she's “flattered” by the WBC’s picketers. “I’m proud of my ‘faggy school’,” she says, putting air quotes around the WBC’s description of AU. “I feel like I’m at a zoo right now. They’re like the lion cubs.”

Many AU students seemed to be spending more time watching the speakers than opposing the WBC picketers. Several a capella groups performed, student leaders gave speeches praising AU’s diversity, and there were readings of poetry created by blacking out certain words in the WBC’s press release.

For her part, sophomore Patrice Ingham says she can't understand why the WBC chose to show up in the first place. “Do they really have to call us the ‘doom generation’ because we’re more accepting than them?” she says.

Others agreed.

“Nobody’s even paying attention to them anymore,” one girl mutters, while AU a cappella group On a Sensual Note sings a Lady Gaga song. “They might as well not even be here.”

Christian Kingston, who had donned an American University snuggie, spent the majority of the rally giving out “Free Consensual Hugs.” “We’re all part of the community, and we need to embrace who we are,” he explains. “By giving out these hugs... we embrace everyone as we are.”

“This is epic,” yells another student, accepting a hug from Kingston before turning back to listen to another a cappella song.

The rally ends with Nate Bronstein, AU’s student government president, leading the crowd in a chant of “Once an Eagle, Always an Eagle.” (AU’s school mascot is, unsurprisingly, an eagle. Its colors are red, white, and blue, though rainbow flags appeared the norm for this event.) Then the loudspeakers blast Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance,” and the whole rally turns into a very chilly dance party.

Not dancing, however, were the WBC protesters. They had left 15 minutes earlier. Guess they don’t like Lady Gaga.

500 Indiana Avenue NW, March 3