News
Updates on our actions and recent events impacting communities in the East Valley. Below are articles/press releases written by East Valley Unite.
May 23
Mass Opposition Leads Chandler Police to Remove Flock Camera Pointed at Elementary School; 5 Cameras Removed; City Council Tables Vote Until July, Leaves Cameras on in Meantime
Broken fragments of the Galveston Elementary camera were found littered in the area, leading to questions about the method of removal.
Chandler, Arizona – “Five cameras being removed almost immediately, just from the public pressure Thursday night, is really encouraging, and will be a huge factor of motivation for the community to continue this fight,” Taylortaft explained.
May 22
5 Flock Cameras Removed After Public Opposition in Chandler; Council to Vote on Contract July 16
Chandler, Arizona – 5 total Flock cameras were removed from Chandler following a City Council meeting Thursday night where placement of the cameras in majority Hispanic neighborhoods was scrutinized and criticized by the public. Chandler Police removed one facing Galveston Elementary School Thursday night, and 4 additional Flock cameras were removed from the Galveston neighborhood Friday morning.
May 22
Mass Opposition Leads Chandler Police to Remove Flock Camera Pointed at Elementary School; City Council Tables Vote Until July, Leaves Cameras on in Meantime
Chandler, Arizona – Community members showed up en masse on Thursday night at the Chandler City Hall, packing the room to urge the city council to vote no on renewing the city’s contract with Flock, and the company’s ALPR cameras. A key concern among the community was a camera pointed directly at Galveston Elementary School.
May 19
Chandler Residents To Show Up En Masse to Pressure City Council To Break Contract With Flock
Chandler, Arizona – Community members are expected to show up en masse on Thursday night at the Chandler City Hall to urge the city council to vote no on renewing the city’s contract with Flock, and the company’s ALPR cameras.
May 18
The Dangers of Flock and Other ALPR Cameras
Flock and other Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras take and analyze pictures of all passing vehicles, identifying information such as a location, date, and time, and details such as a car’s make, model, color, dents and other imperfections, stickers, etc., creating “searchable data points”.
May 1
Over A Thousand People Marched and Shut Down Streets in Downtown Phoenix.
Phoenix, Arizona – Over a thousand people gathered in Margaret T. Hance Park Friday as part of the May Day Strong national day of action. A core part of May Day is economic disruption, an escalation from the No Kings protests in March, and October and June of last year. Protesters marched down 1st street, ultimately shutting down parts of Van Buren Street, 1st Avenue, and other parts of downtown in the vicinity of Civic Space Park.
April 30
May Day is Not Another No Kings. It’s an Escalation. Here’s What it Will Look Like in Phoenix.
Phoenix, Arizona – Larger economic actions will require participation from all parts of society. From students and teachers to labor unions, momentum needs to be built, and May Day is a critical part of building up to something bigger. Protests, rallies, and marches bring those people into the movement, which is why May Day events will be held across the country.
April 21
Thousands to rally in Phoenix for May Day during Nationwide Economic Action
Phoenix, Arizona – Thousands are expected to gather in downtown Phoenix on May 1st to increase visibility around a nationwide economic disruption. No Kings on March 28 brought together over 8 million people nationwide from various backgrounds to say no to the unconstitutional, cruel, and authoritarian actions of the Trump administration. On May first, organizers seek to continue the momentum.
March 28, 2026
High School Student Organizes Thousands Large Human Banner in Suburban Arizona
Chandler, Arizona – Thousands formed a human banner in Chandler earlier today. They then marched and joined up with thousands of others to form a protest totaling over 5,000 strong…
February 7, 2026
East Valley Organizations Coordinate Series of 7 Bridge Protests
Mesa, Arizona – It has been just over one year since Donald Trump took office. “These are signs of fascism,” said Nathan Taylortaft, co-director of East Valley Unite, “It actually is fascism, and people need to recognize that so they take action.”…
January 20, 2026
East Valley Taking Unique Approach to Nationwide Walkout – Hundreds Turn Out
Mesa, Arizona – January 20 marks one full year of Donald Trump in office. In response to his authoritarian actions, people around the valley are organizing. People walked out of work at 2pm on January 20, and then congregated at various protests. This marks a significant escalation…
January 11, 2026
350 Mobilized in 48 Hours to Build a Community Resilient to ICE in Midst of Nationwide Mobilization
Mesa, Arizona – In response to the murder of Renee Nicole Good in Minnesota, vigils erupted nationwide Wednesday night. Continuing the momentum, on Thursday night more vigils and marches sprouted up around the country. This comes as DHS is reportedly scaling up operations in the Phoenix area…