Thread by @aletweetsnews

(THREAD) Well guys, it's time for a recap thread.

I covered over 80 protest actions in 2018, and out of the 4,300 photos I took, here's some scenes from the most defining moments in DC activism this year.

(1) #NeverAgain was one of 2018's biggest political stories, without a doubt. It took only 38 days for a small group of Parkland students to rally millions and set off a surge of student-led engagement.

(2) 2018 was the year the "die-in" tactic went viral. Even smaller actions, like a few dozen students blockading McConnell's office, were seen by millions. Young people wanted a sign that politicians were getting their message loud and clear.

(3) Weeks of vigils and walkouts peaked with the March for Our Lives, joining the ranks of the first Women's March as one of the biggest days of protest in recent history.

(4) In late spring, audio of children crying in Border Patrol custody spurred thousands to Capitol Hill in a bid to stop family detention.

Faith leaders took to the Russell building with thermal foil and a cage on June 21.

(5) "Families Belong Together" morphed into #AbolishICE, which saw immigrant advocates march on the agency itself and hound Sec. Nielsen at a restaurant.

The Women's March pivoted to civil disobedience, with mass arrests through #WomenDisobey in Senate offices.

(6) The bulk of activism in DC is put together by local organizers.

Between groups like WERK for Peace, No Justice No Pride, BLM DC, Stop Police Terror - 2018 saw homegrown actions for Terrence Sterling, sex workers, #J20, #MeToo, and more.

(7) @werkforpeace gained fame after their LGBT dance party-protest at Pence's house last year.

In 2018, biodegradable confetti and rainbow suspenders came to the Trump Hotel and Stephen Miller's house in #WERKforConsent and #WERKnotWalls.

(8) Any DC protest recap would be incomplete without @codepink, who were especially active this year supporting the Trump-Kim summit and calling for the Saudis to be held accountable for Jamal Khashoggi's death.

(9) #CancelKavanaugh exploded with weeks of dramatic sit-ins two months before the midterms, just when most activists had transitioned into last-minute GOTV efforts.

(10) The Kavanaugh protests saw a widespread use of sit-ins and a new tactic I guess I'll call "occupy the elevators," captained by survivors who felt they'd been cast aside by GOP lawmakers in a game of political chess.

(11) In the hours after Kav's confirmation, protesters stormed up SCOTUS and lingered outside his private swearing-in.

He'd been seated, but they wouldn't waver, and their next step was a vow to make senators who'd supported him pay a price at the polls.

(12) "Unite the Right" in Charlottesville was one of 2017's biggest stories, and a year later, its attempted revival in DC wildly diverged from the original.

Near where a handful of far-right rallied, thousands of counter-protesters peacefully chanted and marched for hours.

(13) Front-and-center against UTR2 were local Black Lives Matter organizers, who were probably the most galvanized of the dozens of left-wing groups who showed up to counter Kessler.

(14) The DACA permit deadline passed in early March. Without a solution from Congress, hundreds of Dreamers headed to the Capitol demanding permanent protection in the form of a clean DREAM Act.

So, that's a wrap.

It's been a dramatic year for all of us, and one full of change for me personally. I can't say it's always been smooth sailing, but I'm infinitely grateful for the chance to cover history through the beat of the streets for four years (!) and counting.

And the mightiest of shout-outs to @FordFischer, @MomesMolli, @zdroberts, @JamesFTInternet, @sandibachom and all the other talented, inspiring people I've met and worked with along the way.

See you in 2019. 🍻