Washington, D.C. | 1/20/17 - Queer Resistance #DisruptJ20 activists hold a block party at the 13th & F Streets Inauguration entry point. Rihanna was blaring out of blown speakers.

Washington, D.C. | 1/20/17 - Queer Resistance #DisruptJ20 activists hold a block party at the 13th & F Streets Inauguration entry point. Rihanna was blaring out of blown speakers.

Washington, D.C. | 1/20/17 - A police officer hands a demonstrator his dropped glasses as he is escorted from an Inauguration entry point. He was chanting about water rights.

Washington, D.C. | 1/20/17 - Riot police stare down protestors from across the street in Logan Circle. Police kept their distance until the protest moved south and destruction of property began. Then, little distance was kept.

Washington, D.C. | 1/20/17 - #DisruptJ20 Activists stare down riot police in Logan Circle. The group of a few hundred protestors mobilized south shortly after this shot was taken. The police followed suit.

Washington, D.C. | 1/20/17 - Activists argue tactics over while hovering over a burning Trump poster.

Washington, D.C. | 01/20/17 - A protestor holds sign conveying a not-so-subtle message for white supremacists, white nationalists, anti-semites and neo-Nazis.

Washington, D.C. | 1/20/17 - A woman looks above to a police helicopter hovering over a #DisruptJ20 demonstration in Logan Circle.

Washington, D.C. | 01/20/2017: People chant in support of demonstrations from atop a roof as the latter march south down 13th St. from Logan Circle. A helicopter hovers above the march while a caravan of unmarked white vans carrying riot police follow suit. Clashes with police erupted shortly thereafter.

Washington, D.C. | 1/20/17 - Police enter their tagged up squad car in Logan Circle. Clashes with activists ensued shortly thereafter.

Washington, D.C. | 1/20/17 - Trump protestors march east on 13th & I St. shortly after the swearing in ceremony.

Washington, D.C. | 1/20/17 - A woman calls for paramedics, while a man receives medical attention after being struck in the head with an unknown object during police clashes with protestors. 

Washington, D.C. | 1/20/17 - A man receives medical attention after being struck in the head with an unknown object during police clashes with protestors.

Washington, D.C. | 1/20/17 - Police deploy flashbang grenades scattering protestors downtown. They're loud.

Washington, D.C. | 1/20/17 - Protestors run chaotically as clashes with police escalate to the point of flashbang grenades, pepper spray, batons and a litany of arrests.

Washington, D.C. | 1/20/17 - Police surround and corner protestors against the building at 1201 L St. Some of the photojournalists and protestors being held back can be seen reflected in this officer's glasses.

Washington, D.C. | 01/20/2017 - M.P.D.C. surround protestors, cornering them against the building on 1201 L St. - a block north of the U.S. Department of Justice. Over 200 people were eventually arrested and charged with felony rioting, including 6 journalists covering the demonstrations. As of January 28th, only one journalist has had his charges dropped. The Guardian reports that the remaining five journalists still face felony charges.

Washington, D.C. | 01/20/2017: M.P.D.C. in riot gear block access to dozens of protestors being detained on 12th & L Streets. Journalists and demonstrators were relegated to the sidewalk while arrests were in process across the street. Two hundred and thirty people were ultimately arrested and charged with "rioting or inciting to riot," a felony which can result in up to 10 years in prison and a $25k fine. Among those charged were six journalists covering the Inauguration Day protests. As of January 28th, only one of the six has had his charges dropped.

Washington, D.C. | 1/20/17 - Dripping with pepper spray, a police officer checks his body camera after clashing with protestors on 12th and L Streets.

Washington, D.C. | 01/20/2017 - Inauguration Day protestors continue to march throughout the evening in downtown. The marching band celebrating the Inauguration a few blocks away could be heard in the background.

Washington, D.C. | 01/20/2017: A Trump supporter calmly explains his position to reporters the night of President Trump's Inauguration. The scene was juxtaposed with pro and anti-Trump supporters yelling at each other about 20 ft. behind me.

A protestor holds her hands up as she is held and questioned by Metro Police. She was a part of a large group of protestors, some of whom, clashed with a Trump merchandise vendor as they marched passed. She was released moments after this photo was taken. The vendor was irate but unharmed.

Washington, D.C. | 01/21/2017 - Women raise their fists cheering from the steps of The National Archives Building as hundreds of chanting, cheering protestors march west down Constitution Ave. 

Washington, D.C. | 01/21/2017 - A proud mother shares a moment with her daughter and son while protesting in front of the The White House.

Washington, D.C. | 01/21/2017: A hand-drawn poster of Princess Leia Skywalker rises above the immense crowd of protestors downtown.

Washington, D.C. | 01/21/2017: Two girls laugh in jubilation amongst the immense crowd of marchers. Approximately 470,000 to 680,000 participants marched in DC alone. Combined with other cities across the nation, it was the largest protest in United States history.

Washington, D.C. | 01/21/2017: Even statues refused to remain silent during the 2017 Women's March.

Washington, D.C.| 01/25/2017: Police cordon off the street below in response to Greenpeace activists hanging a 70-by-35 foot 'RESIST' banner hanging from a crane hundreds of feet in the air.

Washington, D.C.| 01/25/2017: A Greenpeace activist is chained to a crane blocking access to his colleagues above. The organization hung a giant 'RESIST' banner from the crane in clear view from the White House.

Washington, D.C.| 01/25/2017: Greenpeace activists voluntarily roll up the 70-by-35 foot banner hanging from a crane hundreds of feet in the air. The handwritten sign read, "RESIST" and swayed in clear sight of the north side of the White House. Police took a hands-off approach with the activists themselves. Instead, MPDC cleared off three blocks around the construction site awaiting the activist's voluntary descent. When I asked an officer what they might be charged with, he said, "We're not sure yet and are now just focused on their safety and safety of those down here below." All seven activists were eventually arrested and charged with unlawful entry, second-degree burglary and destruction of property.

Washington, D.C. | 01/25/2017: Statue of Gen. James "Birdseye" McPherson looks on while Greenpeace activists voluntarily roll up a 70-by-35 foot, handwritten 'RESIST' banner draped from a crane roughly 300 feet in the air. Its line of sight aimed straight to The White House, the banner was a call "to resist the environmental, economic and racial injustice that Trump and his administration have already laid out and put into practice,” Travis Nichols, a Greenpeace spokesperson told the The New York Times. The protest came the day after President Trump revived the development of both Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines. Reuters reported on February 2, 2017 that the U.S. Army Core of Engineers says "it will grant the final easement needed to finish the Dakota Access Pipeline."

Washington, D.C. | 01/30/2017: Hundreds of demonstrators took to the Supreme Court on a cold Monday night to protest the Executive Order denying entry for citizens from Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, & Sudan for 90 days. All refugee admissions have been suspended for 120 days and people fleeing war-torn Syria have been denied entry indefinitely. As this photo was taken, the crowd was chanting, "No hate! No fear! Refugees are welcome here!"

Washington, D.C. | 01/30/2017: A man perches in a tree in front of the U.S. Supreme Court to get a better view of Democratic Congress members addressing the crowd of protestors in opposition of President Trump's recent string of executive orders. Sporadic shouts of "Do your job!" eventually turned into chants, echoing the growing frustration of the democrat's strategies for combating Trump's administration.

Washington, D.C. | 01/30/2017: Police clear protestors from First St. NE between The Supreme Court and U.S. Capitol. The protest was against President Trump's Executive Order restricting people from seven different (majority Muslim) countries from entering the United States. All refugees fleeing war-torn Syria have been denied entry indefinitely despite rigorous vetting protocols already having been in place.

Washington, D.C. | 01/30/2017: Protestors continue chanting in front of the U.S. Capitol Building in opposition to President Trump's executive orders on refugees and immigration. The protestors were redirected by police on motorcycles to the sidewalks after the preceding press conference had ended.

Washington, D.C. | 01/30/2017: Police motorcycles whizz by clearing protestors from First St. NE between The Supreme Court and U.S. Capitol.

Kevin is one of the estimated 3,000-6,000 children or "chokora" who depend on scavenging from the Dandora Dumpsite for their livelihood. A 2007 UNEP study indicated that 30% of the children tested had heavy metal poisoning, while half of children had blood lead levels equal to or exceeding internationally accepted toxic levels and/or suffered from respiratory problems - upper respiratory tract infections, chronic bronchitis, asthma, fungal infections and so on.

Noel is one of the 6-10,000 people who generate a living from the Dandora Dumpsite. Approximately 850 tons of waste - food, scrap metal, glass, plastics, paper, electronics - are dumped at the site every day. When I caught up with Noel, he was en route to the scale to weigh his findings. One kilogram of sorted plastic will net you around KES 200 ($2.25) depending on the demand.

This former quarry is now one of the largest dumpsites in Africa at 30 acres. It opened 40 years ago by City Council as a temporary solution for waste management - it was declared full in 2001. After plans to move the site to Ruai fell through in January 2016, Governor Evans Kidero decided to expand its capacity for 10 more years of operation. This move is also said to be "temporary."

The delightful Phoebe Olesia, 28, laughing at my attempts at "sheng" (slang Swahili), while a friendly dog curiously observes in the background. I believe "Sema msupa" was responsible for cracking this smile. As we spoke, she would emanate this cheerful resolve that was at once lovely, while demanding admiration. After her husband abandoned her and their children last year, Phoebe began working at the Dandora Dumpsite to make ends meet. There's a reason why locals refer to the Dumpsite as "Boma" or "home" in Swahili. Since its removal or relocation is nowhere in sight,  the dumpsite is a fairly reliable fall-back point: if one lands on hard times, one can always lean on the "Boma" for a source of income to get back on one's feet. Phoebe's plan is to eventually save enough to open her own kiosk in town to sell vegetables.

"Ask and you shall..."
 

Mike Njuguna, 17 catches some shade while breaking from collecting plastics at the Dandora Dumpsite.

Before embarking on his daily commute from his home in Mali Saba Village to the Dandora Dumpsite, Mike Njuguna watches a rerun of Winnie the Pooh with his kittens.

Benson Mumo Muli, 21, watches over a fellow colleague's cache as a mound of trash burns in the background. Benson has been sorting and selling plastics at the site for the past two years. He also fashions what appeared to be reams of plastic (think of banner material) into carpeting and bicycle seat covers. He lived with his father in neighboring Korogocho until he died when Benson was 12 years old. Orphaned and having no money for school fees, Benson had his education cut short and has been on his own ever since. With limited options of employment in the area, Benson chose honest work at the site over getting caught up with the local cartels.

"Tuko Pamoja" - Maribou storks and waste workers often work side by side in Dandora. Plans to relocate the dumpsite to Ruai were dashed in January 2016 when the Kenya Aviation Authority warned that scavenging birds would be too much of a flight risk for incoming and outgoing flights from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

A child plays near broken down heavy machinery adjacent the Dandora Dumpsite.