The Ex-Worker

Discover the essential differences between mutual aid and charity, as the discussion emphasizes a shift towards community-driven support systems. Explore how mutual aid fosters collective prosperity and challenges capitalist frameworks through resource sharing. Delve into the transformative impact of mutual aid networks in building strong communities centered on joy and connection. The conversation also critiques authoritarian approaches, advocating for decentralized power and empowering grassroots organizations to address community needs effectively.

This episode offers audio versions of “Minneapolis to Feds: ‘Get the Fuck Out’” and “Los Angeles Stands up to ICE: A Firsthand Report on the Clashes of June 6,” which trace the origins of the angry response to federal raids that spread across the United States in early June 2025. -------SHOW NOTES------ Table of Contents Introduction {0:34} Minneapolis to Feds: “Get the Fuck Out” {0:41} Account I: The Raid {8:11} Account II: The Response {11:51} Los Angeles Stands up to ICE {17:58} First Action, High Noon {19:48} Second Action, 4 pm {22:59} Third Action, 10 pm {24:35} This episode offers audio versions of “Minneapolis to Feds: ‘Get the Fuck Out’” and “Los Angeles Stands up to ICE: A Firsthand Report on the Clashes of June 6,” published by CrimethInc. on June 4, 2025 and June 6, 2025, respectively. The articles include a variety of hyperlinks offering further documentation of the events. The clash in Minneapolis came on the heels of a raid in San Diego in which Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and Homeland Security Investigations agents shot flash-bang grenades at an angry crowd. You can read more about the response to the federal raid in Minneapolis here. After the uprising in Los Angeles, fierce protests followed elsewhere around the country. We published reports from Austin, Texas and Chicago, Illinois. We have also published a readercollecting many reports and analyses covering the events of the first half of June 2025. Many ICE operations have obviously been calculated to be as brutal as possible, targeting documented as well as undocumented people with the intention of terrorizing the general public. This gratuitous cruelty is fundamental to Donald Trump’s governing strategy, as explained here. A large number of employees at other federal agencies have been reassigned to assist in the assaults on communities that ICE is carrying out. You can read about that here. To learn more about what you can do to resist ICE assaults on your community, you could begin with this guide. You can also educate yourself about rapid response networks. In 2018, demonstrators established blockades at ICE facilities, demonstrating how to take the initiative in the fight against ICE. The movement against white supremacy and police that culminated in 2020 with the George Floyd uprising offers an important reference point for any struggle against federal forces. This short guide has been circulating in the wake of the uprising in Los Angeles; it covers street safety and other important factors to consider in the midst of the resistance to ICE and Donald Trump’s attempt to impose fascism via military occupation. If it is possible that you will be in an environment in which chemical weapons are deployed, it is possible to extinguish tear gas canisters—consult this tutorial. You can find a wealth of similar information about how to stay safe in demonstrations here.  

Dive into a compelling discussion on the necessity of anarchism in response to rising autocracy. Explore how legal systems often support oppression and cannot guarantee freedom. Discover the motivations behind authoritarianism and the urgent call for grassroots movements to combat these forces. The conversation highlights the growing power of billionaires and advocates for meaningful social change. Ultimately, it presents anarchism as a solution for collective liberation in addressing critical issues like public health and climate change.

Engagement in political conflict can lead to greater safety than avoidance. Historical examples illustrate the power of bold resistance against tyranny. Activists share their gripping experiences from protests, highlighting the psychological challenges they face. The podcast emphasizes the importance of collective action and personal agency in fighting systemic oppression, encouraging listeners to confront injustices head-on. Courage in the face of adversity fosters a sense of empowerment amid overwhelming odds.

Dive into the complexities of extrajudicial killings and societal responses to violence. The discussion contrasts sacrificial violence with retribution, highlighting how marginalized groups become scapegoats. Explore the cycle of vengeance and its destabilizing effects on society. The insights challenge us to rethink accountability and the role of media in shaping perceptions of power. A call for collective action emerges, advocating for solutions that address injustice rather than perpetuating punishment.

The discussion dives into the potential challenges of a second Trump term and how to mobilize against them. It critiques the role of money in politics and calls for grassroots action to counteract authoritarianism. The importance of community and unity is emphasized, promoting small victories that can lead to larger change. The podcast also tackles state violence and deportation efforts, advocating for strategic resistance using innovative tactics like strikes. It's a rallying cry for collective activism in these uncertain times.

At a time when misinformation, rising authoritarianism, and disasters exacerbated by industrially-produced climate change are creating a feedback loop of escalating crisis, it’s crucial to understand disaster response as an integral part of community defense and strategize about how this can play a part in movements for liberation. In this reflection, a local anarchist involved in longstanding disaster response efforts in Appalachia recounts the lessons that they have learned in the course of dealing with the consequences of Hurricane Helene over the past six weeks and offers advice about how to prepare for the disasters to come. {November 18, 2024} -------SHOW NOTES------   Table of Contents Introduction {0:37} Start Preparing Now {3:59} Communications {5:35} Supply Chain Logistics {7:23} Heavy Machinery {9:06} Breaking the Spell {10:29} Rumors and Misinformation {12:04} Vultures {14:19} Engaging with the State {16:28} Finances {18:42} Getting Organized {20:35} This episode offers an audio version of The Eye of Every Storm: Anarchist Response to Hurricane Helene, published by CrimethInc. on November 13. We present this in collaboration with Audible Anarchist, another collective producing audio content. For related content, you can listen to an interview with an anarchist involved in Mutual Aid Disaster Relief organizing in the wake of Hurricane Irma in 2017 in the fourth episode of The Hotwire. You can also read these accounts of anarchist relief efforts in North Carolina following Hurricane Florence in 2018. Finally, this analysis written in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida explores the colonial roots of the disasters that a series of hurricanes has inflicted upon New Orleans. You can read about how people responded to the impact of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico here. Anarchists in Brasil have made the case that capitalism is one of the chief causes of the suffering inflicted by the floods of May 2024. In episode 95 of the Ex-Worker Podcast, you can hear two perspectives on the responsibility of the Turkish and Syrian governments for the suffering caused by the earthquakes of February 6, 2023. For more information about how capitalism is implicated in the sort of industrially produced climate change that is exacerbating hurricanes and other “natural” disasters around the world, you could consult this short text by Peter Gelderloos. Finally, if you are looking to get connected to anarchist disaster relief efforts, you could start by learning more about Mutual Aid Disaster Relief.

Explore the daunting impact of the Democratic Party's flawed strategies as they face a Trump resurgence. The podcast critiques political complicity and the party's support for police amid rising violence and poverty. It also sheds light on how institutions have been co-opted by far-right agendas, highlighting the shifts in social media's influence. Grassroots mobilization is advocated as essential for combating authoritarian threats and redirecting the party towards progressive values in a changing political landscape.

This episode offers an audio version of “Don’t Stop: Continuing the Fight Against Cop City”, published on December 12th. It traces the activities of the movement to Stop Cop City and defend the Weelaunee Forest from June through December 2023, including accounts of the campaign for an Atlanta voter’s referendum on Cop City, the Sixth Week of Action, the relationship between clandestine direct action and public organizing, local Black organizing against the project, the Block Cop City march in November, and potential strategic pathways forward. Tune in for an in-depth evaluation of the latest phase in one of the most critical social struggles of our time. {February 4, 2023} -------SHOW NOTES------   Table of Contents: Introduction {0:37} The Hour Is Drawing Late {2:37} They Don’t Care About You {6:38} The Referendum {8:24} What Mass Organizing Makes Possible {11:19} The Sixth Week of Action {17:58} The New Balance of Forces {22:03} Escalating Tactics {25:20} Atlas Technical Consultants Drops Out {27:45} Scooping the Mid-Range: Repressing Public Resistance {30:16} The Storm Before the Storm {33:26} Escalating Repression: RICO and the Furtherance of the Conspiracy {36:26} RICO in Georgia {39:54} You Can’t Break Us {41:12} The Scope of Repression Broadens {43:30} This is Not a Local Repression Strategy {45:37} Attrition and Conflict {47:51} From Atlanta to Gaza, No Cop City Anywhere {52:22} Black Self-Organization {54:51} Block Cop City {58:05} Building a Common Understanding {1:01:10} Anatomy of a March {1:03:26} Forward, Arm in Arm {1:06:52} Re-Grouping {1:14:16} A Supporter of the Police? {1:15:45} Gauging Success and Failure {1:17:40} Victory and Defeat: A Chimera {1:27:13} Fighting without Assurances {1:29:38} Continuing Forward {1:31:14} Winning by Attrition {1:35:03} Outro/PSA {1:38:54} This episode offers an audio version of “Don’t Stop: Continuing the Fight Against Cop City”, published by CrimethInc. on December 12th. It includes excerpts from “Don’t Panic, Stay Tight: Frontline Reflections on Block Cop City,” an account of the November 13th march in Atlanta. For background on the first two and a half years of the movement, see the following articles and podcast episodes: “The City in the Forest,” (audio version) – chronicles the first year of the movement. “The Forest in the City” (audio version) – chronicles the second year of the movement. “Beneath the Concrete, the Forest” (audio version) – collects first-person accounts from the occupation of Weelaunee forest through the first half of 2022. “Balance Sheet” – explores and evaluates the strategies that different currents in the movement have employed. “Defending Abundance Everywhere” – essays on the webs of relationship linking all creatures and underlying the struggle to defend the forest. “The Atlanta Police and Georgia State Patrol Are Guilty of Murder” – analysis of the assassination of Manuel “Tortuguita” Terán. “Living in an Earthquake” (audio version) – chronicles February through June of 2023, including the fifth week of action, the repression that followed, and the City Hall mobilizations. “Understanding the RICO Charges in Atlanta” (audio version) – analysis of the new wave of legal repression launched in September 2023. Stay up to date on developments with news from the Atlanta Community Press Collective The Uncover Cop City campaign is targeting the insurers whose coverage makes Cop City possible, including Nationwide Insurance and Accident Fund - follow the links to find office locations and contact information to show your opposition to the project.

At first, it appeared to be an ordinary forest defense campaign aimed at discouraging Atlanta city government from pouring money into an unpopular police training facility. But over the past two years, the fight against Cop City has escalated into one of the fiercest struggles of the Biden era, pitting a wide range of courageous people against a united front of politicians, prosecutors, and police. In their desperate efforts to deflect popular resistance and force through the project, police and prosecutors have pressed trumped-up domestic terrorism charges against almost every defendant arrested since last December; they have killed one forest defender; they have charged those engaged in legal support for the arrestees. In the following account and analysis, published on June 21st as “Living in an Earthquake: The Fight against Cop City Confronts Unprecedented Repression,” participants in the movement in Atlanta trace its trajectory from the fifth Week of Action that began on March 4, 2023 through the City Council vote of June 5. {December 28, 2023} -------SHOW NOTES------   Table of Contents: Introduction {0:37} Preface {2:21} Living in an Earthquake {3:28} February 2023 {5:59} The Fifth Week of Action {8:33} Retaking Weelaunee People’s Park {9:19} The South River Music Festival: A Flower Between Two Abysses {11:49} The March on the Cop City Construction {16:01} Role Reversal {20:15} The Raid on the South River Music Festival {22:12} The Defense of the Music Festival {26:19} A Pyrrhic Victory? {32:31} Jumping to Conclusions {33:20} Defense {36:25} Urban Encampments {38:54} The Limits of Deterrence {43:51} Time and Space {46:14} Controlling Risk {48:21} The Aftermath {52:45} The Week of Action Continues {55:09} Without a Shadow of Doubt {57:07} The Conclusion of the Fifth Week of Action {1:03:14} Clearing Out {1:08:10} Deforestation and Its Consequences {1:14:20} Earth Day Weekend of Resilience {1:15:59} Campus Actions {1:16:50} War by Other Means {1:19:03} The Attack on the Solidarity Fund {1:25:21} The Centrists versus Everyone {1:27:43} However They Vote, We Must Be Ungovernable {1:30:39} The Theory of Failure and Disappointment {1:40:07} Making a Virtue of Necessity {1:42:50} This episode offers an audio version of “Living in an Earthquake: The Fight against Cop City Confronts Unprecedented Repression,” published by CrimethInc. on June 21st. For background on the first two and a half years of the movement, see the following articles and podcast episodes: “The City in the Forest,” (audio version) – chronicles the first year of the movement “The Forest in the City” (audio version) – chronicles the second year of the movement “Beneath the Concrete, the Forest” (audio version) – collects first-person accounts from the occupation of Weelaunee forest through the first half of 2022 “Balance Sheet” – explores and evaluates the strategies that different currents in the movement have employed “Defending Abundance Everywhere” – essays on the webs of relationships linking all creatures and underlying the struggle to defend the forest “The Atlanta Police and Georgia State Patrol Are Guilty of Murder” – analysis of the assassination of Manuel “Tortuguita” Terán “Understanding the RICO Charges in Atlanta” (audio version) – analysis of the new wave of legal repression launched in September 2023 For our most recent coverage, see “Don’t Stop: Continuing the Fight Against Cop City”, published by CrimethInc. on December 12th; stay tuned for the audio version, soon to be released as Ex-Worker Episode #105. You can find texts, posters, graphics, and more materials about the movement online through Defend the Atlanta Forest: Library. Check out the Atlanta Community Press Collective for ongoing coverage.