Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality

10/09/2026

== NEW LOCATION DUE TO WEATHER ==

2026 marks 250 years since Gabriel was born in Henrico, Va. As a young enslaved blacksmith, he led a movement to break the chains of slavery in Virginia and to raise the dignity of Labor and all working people.

This year’s Gabriel Gathering will feature representatives from Virginia unions, including UFCW Local 400, APWU Local 199 Retirees Chapter and Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Workers United.

Bring a friend and join us as we retell the Story of Gabriel's Rebellion and rededicate ourselves to properly memorizing Shockoe Bottom, once the epicenter of the U.S. domestic slave trade.

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24th Annual Gabriel Gathering: "Gabriel the Worker"
🗓️ October 10 at 6pm
📍 The gallery at 7 E Cary St, Richmond, VA 23219

Please bring a flower. 🌹

Hosted by the Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project of the Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality.

10/07/2026

The annual Gabriel Gathering returns Saturday to Shockoe Bottom, honoring Gabriel and the participants in the 1800 rebellion against slavery. ⤵️ Find a link to the story in the comments.

09/18/2026

09/04/2026

08/30/2026

TODAY marks the 226th anniversary of Gabriel’s Rebellion, one of the most intentionally underappreciated slave insurrection attempts in U.S. history.

We are honoring Gabriel today by unveiling a new state highway marker titled "Gabriel's Uprising" at 4 p.m. on the East Broad Street sidewalk between 16th Street and the entrance to I-95. This is the same location as the marker that’s being replaced, “Execution of Gabriel." The new marker incorporates more accurate information revealed by recent research.

JOIN US FOR THE UNVEILING!

https://facebook.com/events/s/historic-marker-unveiling-from/1606068474213617/

08/05/2026

📣 ‘ANTIFA’ TRIAL IN TEXAS THREATENS ALL ACTIVISTS 📣

On March 13, two judges, George W. Bush-appointed Reed O’Connor and Donald Trump-appointed Mark Pittman, sentenced nine protestors for their alleged involvement in an anti-ICE demonstration held July 4, 2025, outside the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas.

On June 23, eight of the defendants received unusually harsh sentences ranging from 30 to 100 years. One defendant is still awaiting their sentence.

Daniel Sanchez Estrada, who was not present during the protest, is facing 30 years in prison for, after the protest, moving a box of his partner’s personal items, which included antifascist zines and pamphlets.

Although the Prairieland 9 case is being seen as a “test case” given that it is the country’s first federal indictment targeting “Antifa,” more indictments against leftist “antifascist” protestors have followed.

To learn how you can support the Prairieland defendants, go to prairielanddefendants.com

🗞️ Read the full story online in the summer issue of The Virginia Defender. Link in the comments.

Full story written by Fern Diaz-Castro

07/30/2026

SHOCKOE PROJECT UPDATE:
A VERY DISTURBING PAUSE

"When the Shockoe Project started its work in 2024, $46 million of the $58 million was earmarked for the overall project- the North and South Memorial areas. In March of this year, Baskervill, the lead contracting architectural company, was notified
that there was just $18 million available. That’s a difference of $28 million, unaccounted for. An explanation was requested. To date, the only comment was to the effect that no one ever said that money couldn’t be reallocated if something came up. So did “something” else come up? Was the money reallocated? And if so, to what?"

🗞️ Read the full story online in the summer issue of The Virginia Defender. Link in the comments.

Full story written by Ana Edwards.

07/13/2026

HOT OFF THE PRESS 🔥
The Summer 2026 edition of the Virginia Defender is out now! Grab your copy at a local business near you or read it online.

Read it now 🗞
https://virginiadefender.org/2026/07/03/summer-2026-issue/

06/10/2026

Who are the Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality?

Founded in 2002, the Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality is an all-volunteer organization working for the survival of our communities through education and social justice actions.

Whether it's working to preserve Black historical sites in Richmond, protesting the brutal, racist conditions at the Red Onion Supermax prison in Southwest Virginia or fighting fascism at home and abroad, where there's a struggle of the oppressed against the oppressor, that's where you'll find the Defenders.

Scroll through to learn more about our work in this digital zine made by our membership.

Learn more -----------------

The Virginia Defender Newspaper
https://virginiadefender.org/

Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project
https://www.sacredgroundproject.net

Odessa Solidarity Campaign
odessasolidaritycampaign.net

Migrant Family Fundraiser
https://chuffed.org/project/136986-migrant-family-needs-urgent-funds

Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality
https://defendersfje.blogspot.com/

Youtube
https://youtube.com/

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/virginiadefendernews