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VOL. 71, NO. 9 OCT. 22, 2025 THE INDEPENDENT PRESS OF VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
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RICHMOND’S DIY VENUES ARE DISAPPEARING
So are the resources they preovide
MOLLY MANNING News Editor MAEVE BAUER Spectrum Editor CORA PERKINS Assistant Spectrum Editor The first thing to greet partygoers at a recent “First Caturdays” rave was the smiling faces of cat ear-wearing volunteers. They sat behind a table lined with menstrual products, opioid-overdose antidote naloxone and pamphlets and zines about mutual aid and human rights — all free resources. The rave was held at Powers BMX Shop, where bike ramps for bunny hops and tail whips the garage are turned into DJ stands, and the space outside is used as a stage for fire spinners and local artists. “That’s really what this stuff funds, everybody’s artistic vision and creating a space where people feel safe to
explore themselves and their interests and their hobbies and their flow,” said Maeve Fasce, a volunteer. “Yeah, just get a little weird, a little fun and listen to music. And I see all people from all walks of life come here and it is really amazing.” At tendees were told they must ring the bell hanging at the edge of the check-in tent on their way into the event for “good luck.” In junkyards, under bridges and in the furthest reaches of Richmond, do-it-yourself music venues have provided people with alternative spaces to safely party for decades. But as the city develops and demographics change, the scene has shifted to more established venues that do not provide the same resources to attendees.
DIY VENUES Continued on page 11
The “First Caturdays” rave at Powers Bike Shop on Oct. 4. Photo by Molly Manning.
Anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ protest draws record crowd to Richmond BEN MARTINDALE Contributing Writer AVA MOREHEAD Contributing Writer An estimated 20,000 people f looded Richmond on Sunday to participate in the latest anti-Trump “No Kings” protest following unprecedented actions by the president’s administration. The gathering brought a diverse crowd of different ages, identities and ideas to Capitol Square.
The estimated number of participants was double that of the last “No Kings” protest in June, which had an estimated 10,000 people — numbers not seen since 2020, according to previous reports by The CT. James, a Richmond resident who declined to share his last name, carried an American flag to the protest, which he said represented hope. He came out because he believes America is heading in a dangerous direction. NO KINGS Continued on page 3
Yes, Jay Jones was wrong. But don’t pretend Republicans are innocent. KATIE MEEKER Opinions & Humor Editor MAYA SUNDERRAJ Assistant Opinions Editor
Protestors march down Broad Street during the “No Kings” protest on Oct. 18.
Photo by Burke Loftus.
On Oct. 3, only 32 days from election day, Virginia’s democratic attorney general candidate, Jay Jones, was caught in a highprofile scandal — leaked text messages from 2022 saw Jones advocating for the deaths of former state House Speaker Todd Gilbert and his family. Republ icans nationw ide have condemned Jones’s behavior, with many calling for him to drop out of the race. Even President Donald Trump weighed in, calling Jones’s comments “sick and demented jokes.”
While many of Virginia’s democratic of f ic i a l s h a v e i s s ue d s t ateme nt s disapproving of Jones’s actions, most have not called for his withdrawal from the race. This dismissal has roused further criticism from the right, with conservatives using it to fuel their tale of leftist violence. This narrative has risen in prominence exponentially since the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk last month, and Jones’s text messages are the perfect supplement. Still, this portrayal is shallow and suspicious at best. It intentionally does not wholly encompass America’s problem with violent rhetoric and political violence. JAY JONES Continued on page 12
Meet Jordan Tillery
Richmond artists against deportations
Is my body worth the cost of college?
see sports page 5
see spectrum page 9
see opinions page 14