SteveAhlquist.Substack.com
@steveahlquist
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He/Him Steve Ahlquist is a reporter at https://t.co/jUESyPb9fQ Proudly anti-fascist.
Joined January 2009
The reporting of Steve Ahlquist can now be found on SubStack:. You can contribute to his work here:.
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Over 130 high school students walk out of Classical High School to protest the continued employment of teacher Ramona Bessinger, whose extremist views, students say, threaten their safety. @UpriseRI
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I'm going to be presented with an award at tonight's @HousingNetwrkRI Annual Meeting happening at the Providence G Rooftop in about an hour. It's for my work covering housing and homelessness. I dressed up a little.
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Brave healthcare workers counter protesting the “Reopen RI Rally.” Just over 50 people here. @UpriseRI
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I keep hearing that we are “lucky” to live in a state that codified the protections of Roe v Wade. It wasn’t luck. It was the hard work of advocates and activists forcing the General Assembly to act, including @WomanProjectHQ and @ReproFreedomRI. It was impossible. They did it.
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Police knocked this backpack off a counterproster as they arrested them. Other police found it and are treating it as a bomb threat. Seriously. @UpriseRI
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.@GovDanMcKee staffer Eva-Marie Mancuso asked why I was filming her and other staffers issuing eviction notices but not filming her getting coffee and donuts for the campers. I replied that when she gets evicted from her home I hope she gets a cup of coffee.
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Over 400 people at the Rhode Island State House as part of #MarchForOurLives protest calling for common sense gun laws. @RICAGV1 @MomsDemand @UpriseRI
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In response to the City of Woonsocket moving the Pride flag after raising it in a place of prominence because it was somehow an insult to veterans. Last night someone placed 144 flags, to symbolize the 144,000 LGBTQIA+ veterans who have served this country. @UpriseRI
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People from @MomsDemand and @RICAGV1 outside the @RIHouseofReps chanting "Time for a vote!" They are pushing four the passage of five gun bills, including the banning of assault weapons. @UpriseRI
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The progressive victories in Rhode island tonight are about great candidates, but it's more about ideas: Medicare for All, Green New Deal, $15 minimum wage, taxing the rich, criminal justice reform, doula bill, equal pay, affordable housing, fair redistricting, voter ID and more.
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At the William H Hall Free Library in Cranston where a crowd of over 200 people have assembled to support the rights of trans kids from a hate group. @UpriseRI
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10,000 is the official count for today’s protest.
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Today I spoke briefly with a five year old girl pepper sprayed by Providence Police officers. @UpriseRI.
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Across from the Providence Place Mall, hundreds fall to the ground in honor of George Floyd, chanting “I can’t breathe” in his honor during a youth led march organized by Gen Z: We Want to Live @UpriseRI
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The official speaking program of the youth organizers is over. People are starting to leave the protest. Well over 6000 in attendance, largest protest in recent if not all of Rhode Island history. @UpriseRI.
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Newly elected Representative @BrandonPotterRI is calling for Representative @JustinPriceRI to be removed from office. He is "unfit" for the job, given his presence at the Capitol during the attack and his baseless claims of antifa involvement. @UpriseRI
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If you choose to eat outside of a restaurant on a busy street, traffic, buses, car horns and yes - the occasional chants of protesters making you feel uncomfortable are all part of the ambiance. Public space is public.
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Right now the public restrooms at the Kennedy Plaza, Newport and Pawtucket bus hubs are closed to the public. Imagine that being the case for the train station or the airport. This gives you a sense of how important Rhode Island officials have decided bus riders are. @UpriseRI.
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Complimenting the youth who organized a historic protest in Providence Yesterday, Providence Mayor @Jorge_Elorza just lifted the problematic and unfairly enforced curfew @UpriseRI.
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Just spoke to @GovDanMcKee about the possibility of him signing an executive order that would protect RIers who provide abortion services to people from out of state from prosecution, like in Massachusetts. “It’s in the works,” said McKee. @UpriseRI @ppvotesri @WomanProjectHQ.
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Right now, members of @GovDanMcKee ‘s staff and the RI State Police are issuing eviction notices to those on the State House plaza. They have 648 hours.
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There’s a line about the professionalism of the police I keep hearing from officials. But they can’t even consistently wear a mask to prevent Covid spread. That’s not professional.
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Providence City Councilmembers Gonsalves, Anthony and LaFortune, as well as Council President Matos vow to vote against any budget that does not reallocate money from the police. @UpriseRI.
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"IF we did" have slavery in RI says @RISpeaker Mattiello on the Gene Valicenti show this morning, expressing doubts about the existence of slavery in Rhode Island. Valicenti suggests going to Newport to see the graves of enslaved people. @UpriseRI.
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Students read from Ramona Bessinger’s Twitter account, and say she alerted white supremacists to the protest, and asked for their support. @UpriseRI.
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Providence Monument Commission just voted to not put the Columbus statue back up, recommended selling the statue and use proceeds to improve the neighborhood. @UpriseRI.
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Capitol Police have State Police on the way to arrest Senator @Cynthia_Mendes_ for her protest against homelessness. The Senator is planning to sleep overnight in a tent.
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I spoke to Bobby, who is camping out at the State House. He works full time nights at a restaurant. No shelter has a schedule that will allow him to keep his job. They don't allow entering later or sleeping late. @UpriseRI.
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People upset with the words and the actions of Speaker of the House Mattiello should hold accountable their own State Representatives, the ones who have consistently voted to keep him in the Speakership for years now. @UpriseRI.
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This is a great story @TeenVogue. But the three uncredited pictures should be credited to @SteveAhlquist and @UpriseRI. The email I sent you after publication has been ignored. Youth Activists Upended Politics in This Blue State in 2020
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.@MariaForCF declares victory in the race for Central Falls Mayor. First woman mayor in the city’s history. @UpriseRI.
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The system isn't broken. It's a perfectly calibrated, well-oiled injustice engine.
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Carpenter’ Union holding signs on the Smith Street 95 overpass declaring that Black Lives Matter.
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About three dozen people gather in Burrillville RI to rally in support of #BlackLivesMatter. @UpriseRI
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Trump is now being cared for by some of the best, socialized medicine, in the world. When he leaves the hospitals, he’ll have no bills to pay, no debt to worry about. @UpriseRI.
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Okay everybody, I'm out of gas. See you in a day or so, unless something big happens. In the meantime, don't forget that, for whatever it's worth, anything @UpriseRI accomplishes it does with the help of your donations. Thank you!.
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Since when does the City of Providence put up signs like this? How is a sitting councilmember putting up permanent campaign signs in their ward. @UpriseRI
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Members of @RISenate spent time this week admonishing members of the public about their manners and demanding respect. Then they introduced an anti-trans youth bill and rules to curb testimony. Respect needs to be earned.
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Senators Morgan and Lombardo out with an anti-trans bill here in Rhode Island. Trans youth deserve our support, not legislation that further marginalized and humiliates them.
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Hanging out in the State House rotunda, hoping for 20 minutes with Housing Secretary Josh Saal. He really doesn’t want to answer my questions for some reason. @UpriseRI @GovDanMcKee
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"Roe v Wade is NOT going to be overturned. I think that’s a concern that’s not rooted in reality.”. - [former] Rhode Island Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello in 2018.
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Maybe celebrate May Day by visiting Rhode Island’s first and only unionized, worker owned cooperative coffee shop. White Electric is located at 711 Westminster Street in Providence and open today from 9am - 3pm. @WECoffeeCoop @wecafeworkers . Why get your coffee anywhere else?
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I just joined the tested positive for covid club. Membership perks include sore throat, post nasal drip and aching joints. So I’ll be working from home this week, if I’m working at all. @UpriseRI.
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.@UpriseRI was once again left off the press list of the Providence Police Department, and did not get notified about the Jhamal Gonsalves press conference this morning. This is intentional, not an accident, @PvdPublicSafety @Jorge_Elorza.
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One thing we could do in Rhode Island to fight climate change: Find a new Speaker.
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.@MomsDemand at the Rhode Island State House to say it’s time to vote on the gun bills before the @RIHouseofReps #timeforavote #GunSafetyRI @UpriseRI
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Rep @DavidMoralesRI was literally thrown out of the PUC hearing today for crying, “Shame!” As the commission approved record rate hikes. @UpriseRI .
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Garbage transfer station aimed at the Port and Washington Park is dead. Applicant withdrew application. More to come. @UpriseRI.
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As usual, the police are defending a hate group from a peaceful rally, instead of protecting kids from hate fueled adults.
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Over 100 people, half of them high school students, in attendance at the Smithfield School Committee meeting demanding that LGBTQ+ privacy issues be respected.
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I’m confused by people who think government doesn’t work but also believe the police never do wrong.
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Happening now: Members of the Rhode Island Public Defenders Office will be marching to the courthouse to take a knee for George Floyd and against police violence. @UpriseRI
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PVD City Councilmember @JoannRyanPVD5 wants to rename a road and a field because they are named after a former slave ship owner, but is still preventing the passage of a source of income bill that would help prevent racism in housing.
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Huge day for progressives in Rhode Island. Maybe more people should have run in other races.
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.@NBC10 has removed the @GeneValicenti interview with @JoeShekarchi and @SenatorRuggerio. Is this a tacit admission that the interview was racist and misogynist?.@UpriseRI.
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Kennedy Plaza right now. @WomanProjectHQ brings the Independent Woman, who was originally supposed to top the Rhode Island State House, to life. @UpriseRI A terrific piece of almost forgotten history.
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“There’s nothing Rhode Island can do to impact climate change in a real and impactful way,” says @RISpeaker Nicholas Mattiello. He says the work needs to be done at the national level. @UpriseRI .He was booed.
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Senator @MackDistrict6 with a large victory over her ParentsUnitedRI opponent Adriana Bonilla. @UpriseRI
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I really don’t like @GovRaimondo’s idea of “appropriate protests.” That’s for the people, not the Government, to decide. @UpriseRI.
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.@SUPERPAC_RI was gracious enough to give me an award for my journalism. Great honor. @UpriseRI
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Allen Charette was found dead in Woonsocket’s Social Park this morning. Unhoused, Allen has dealt with substance use issues for years. He received treatment for exposure to his hands just last week. Last night he died on a bench, alone. @UpriseRI @mayorLBH @GovDanMcKee
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Rhode Island State Treasurer @SethMagaziner calls on Representative @JustinPriceRI to resign. Price "has abused his platform by amplifying false conspiracy theories surrounding the attack on the U.S. Capitol" says Magaziner. @UpriseRI.
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Is anyone surprised that the Fane Tower is officially dead? What a terrific amount of wasted effort catering to the whims of a millionaire slumlord. Can Rhode Island do better? @UpriseRI.
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.@jul1arock is killing it on the train derailment story. She was on NPR’s On the Media this week. I can take no responsibility for how great she is, but will say she used to contribute to @UpriseRI .
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Video of the first arrest I saw. Police officer has his knee and body weight on counter protester’s head. @UpriseRI
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The Nobel Prize in Economics just went to the researchers that proved that raising the minimum wage has little to no impact on unemployment, They did their research in the 90s, and we've had 30 years of confirmational studies since then. @UpriseRI.
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This rally isn’t the biggest in Providence history, but it’s one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen 2000 people or so far. @UpriseRI
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If CVS cared about the health of women, they wouldn’t be funding anti-abortion religious extremists legislators in Texas. @CVSHealth @WomanProjectHQ @UpriseRI
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The event "exceeded my expectations" said organizer Jennifer Lima about North Kingstown's very first Pride Parade.
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Fascist/white supremacists are showing an interest in the prayer vigil/rally being organized around the eviction of unhoused people from the RI State House plaza. Don't be afraid: Be aware, be strong and be at the rallies. @UpriseRI.
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Marie Franco’s son Jose died in the ACI in February. Prison officials never notified her that her son died. They did not let her see his body before cremating him. They provided 3 different reasons for his death. She had to pay for the autopsy report. @UpriseRI
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When low-wage workers were recast as “essential” workers during the pandemic, it was a tactic - a trick - to force workers to risk their health and the health of the families to keep the economy running. @UpriseRI.
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One of Rhode Island’s top ‘slumlords’ receives a Sunday morning wake up call. @UpriseRI.@reclaimri.
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There was an oil spill on the Seekonk River in Pawtucket yesterday, possibly related to the construction of the new Soccer Stadium there. Dead fish, oil slicks and the smell of petroleum is strong near the river's edge. @UpriseRI Remediation crews were out.
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The real violence: Homeless beds in an abandoned storefront. I bet we could House these folks safely for what we’re paying in police overtime today. @UpriseRI
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Going back out to get more info and reactions. @UpriseRI was the only news org on site, by the way, and we run entirely on donations.
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