The Ex-Worker

DESCARGAR AQUÍ LAS ENTREVISTAS EN ESPAÑOL Just days into the new year, masked encapuchados circle-pitted while burning the church of the Carabineros. That’s how fierce the Friday protests continue to be. Action has somewhat (not entirely!) slowed down on the other days of the week, but anarchists have taken advantage of the extra time to pour energy into organizing: neighborhood assemblies, prisoner defense, and anarchist congresses. Students are burning their university entrance exams—a preview of what’s to come when the school year begins anew in February. We have interviews from the streets, from the anarchist congresses, and with an anarcho-syndicalist healthcare workers’ union. With everything going on, we feel like we have to leave the podcast behind and film a documentary. Check out our wishlist and get in touch if you can help us get the gear we need: podcast@crimethinc.com. {January 17th, 2020}   -------SHOW NOTES------   Table of Contents: Help Us Make a Documentary! {:00} Introduction {6:10} December 1–13, 2019 {8:45} Interview: Felíz 13.12 from Concepción! {18:45} December 14–31, 2019 {35:15} New Years Eve in Santiago {45:35} Matías Catrileo Anniversary {58:10} Students Rebel Against the University Entrance Exam {01:05:15} Anarchist Assembly of the Bío-bío {01:08:30} Interview with an Organizer {01:09:50} Interview with a Mapuche Anarchist {01:20:00} Valparaiso Anarchist Assembly {01:28:15} Santiago Anarchist Congress {01:35:10} Interview: Asamblea Libertaria De Santiago {01:36:05} Interview: Grupo Solenopsis {01:42:40} Interview: Grup Eco Anarquista {01:46:35} October 18 Prisoner Defense Coalition {01:51:30} Afusap – Anarcho-syndicalist Healthcare Union {02:08:50} Poetry {02:15:05} Outro {02:18:50} WISHLIST OF ITEMS WE NEED TO FILM OUR DOCUMENTARY (Also shareable on Instagram and Twitter) A Panasonic Lumix g95 camera, or any other camera that shoots in 4K with a decent stability and a good auto-focus A GoPro with a waterproof case A powerful laptop or desktop Mac with plenty of RAM for video processing SD cards External hard drives Cloud storage Batteries Zoom lenses Lens cleaner A lens protection filter A full-face 3M gas mask, with extra cartridges! A monopod and/or a shoulderpod A digital recorder and decent boom microphone Lavalier microphones and a receiver Motion graphics and subtitling volunteers Any kind of hookup or discount on international airplane tickets And, possibly, soundtrack music Write to us at podcast@crimethinc.com if you have gear to donate, or if you can help set up an ongoing, online donations account for supporting anarchists in Chile Write to [tatuajessinfronteras@protonmail.com](mailto: tatuajessinfronteras@protonmail.com) to participate in the February 15 international tattoo fundraiser for prisoners from the uprising in Chile. Check It’s Going Down for an announcement at the beginning of February. There’s a website with more info in both English and Spanish here, and also on Instagram. Trusted fundraiser to support protesters in Chile Our previous coverage/Nuestra cobertura previa: The Ex-Worker #72: Radio Evasión—dispatches from Chile Part 3 Con el episodio en español a descargar! The Ex-Worker #71: Radio Evasión—dispatches from Chile Part 2 En español también! Week 2: neighborhood assemblies & daily rioting downtown The Ex-Worker #70: Radio Evasión—dispatches from Chile Part 1 Reports from fare-dodging to a week of full-blown revolt, en español también Chile: Resisting under Martial Law A Report, Interview, and Call to Action Chile: Resistiendo bajo la Ley Marcial Un reporte, una entrevista y una llamada a la acción On the Front Lines in Chile Six Accounts from the Uprising CrimethInc. already has one excellent documentary about Chilean social struggles: The Chicago Conspiracy. Help us continue this story! Listen to our two-episode special on Chilean anarchism from 2014: Part I, Part II Some of Matías Catrileo’s poetry Galería CIMA, daily livestream of Plaza Italia Mauricio Fredes, the demonstrator who died on the primera línea near Plaza de la Dignidad Prisoner Support: SANTIAGO: Coordinadora por la Libertad de los Prisionerxs Políticxs 18 de Octubre/Defense Coalition for the Freedom of the Political Prisoners of October 18. Also on Instagram CONCEPCION: Red Protestar No Es Delito Gustavo Gática, blinded by Carabineros de Chile The Chilean state’s own National Institute of Human Rights recognizes 300+ cases of eye-damage and 20+ cases of significant loss of vision Angry civilians throw water on leftist politician Gabriel Boric for his vote in favor of the anti-looting law One outlier politician entered the Chilean congress wearing a balaclava and denouncing the president Inti-Illimani playing their classic hit “El pueblo unido jamás sera vencido” on December 13 in Plaza de la Dignidad. More shots of the massive concert and demonstration here The best memes in response to the government’s “intelligence” report that K-Pop is fueling the revolt in Chile Carabineros de Chile ruining a Christmas dinner in Plaza de la Dignidad Can teargas canisters cause fires? Furniture leaping to its doom in solidarity with the students rebelling against the university entrance exam There are some concerning attempts at coopting the uprising for nationalist reconciliation between left and right, but thankfully so far they have very little presence or purchase in the streets When the Chilean ruling class tries to meme Instagrams: Coordinadora por la Libertad de los Prisionerxs Políticxs 18 de Octubre No Pasarán Frente Fotográfico FunaMetro Piensa Prensa - Instagram Prensa Estudiantil Memercurio Evasión Masiva Chile Ongoing movement media from around Chile: Radio Kurruf (Concepción) - Instagram Radio Villa Francia - Instagram Radio Placeres (Valparaíso) Radio Humedales (Concepción) Prensa Opal Rara Señal Music featured in this episode: Underground Reverie Mon Laferte Dirti Lepra Combo Chabela Dela Pills Inti Illimani Sara Hebe Sailor Punk & Niñx Debacle  

DESCARGAR AQUÍ EL EPISODIO EN ESPAÑOL Has normality returned to Chile? NO! Social peace? Neither! The people don’t want peace without dignity. To borrow a phrase from the situationists, the people don’t want the peace of the graveyard. The revolt has been going on for over a month now. In this episode we have two reports about the day-to-day reality of the demonstrations in downtown Santiago, two interview with anarchists in Santiago and Valparaiso, an analysis on the April 2020 constitutional plebiscite, and a couple of strange, surprise interviews too. If you can help us with Spanish translation or transcription, please write us at podcast@crimethinc.com. {November 29th, 2019}   -------SHOW NOTES------   Table of Contents: Introduction {0:00} November 25 report {00:02:55} November 12: A view from the streets {00:27:40} Not Falling for It: How the Uprising in Chile Has Outlasted State Repression And the Questions for Movements to Come {00:49:35} Rara Señal interview {01:01:45} Santiago anarchist interview {01:22:35} Faced with the constitutional assembly and the government’s repressive agenda: What is the anarchist proposal in the Chilean revolt? {02:06:55} Joker interview {02:15:20} Total Chaos interview {02:17:50} Trusted fundraiser to support protesters in Chile Our previous coverage/Nuestra cobertura previa: The Ex-Worker #71: Radio Evasión—dispatches from Chile Part 2 En español también! Week 2: neighborhood assemblies & daily rioting downtown The Ex-Worker #70: Radio Evasión—dispatches from Chile Part 1 Reports from fare-dodging to a week of full-blown revolt, en español también Chile: Resisting under Martial Law A Report, Interview, and Call to Action Chile: Resistiendo bajo la Ley Marcial Un reporte, una entrevista y una llamada a la acción On the Front Lines in Chile Six Accounts from the Uprising Texts included in this episode/textos y comunicados que se mencionan en este episodio: Not Falling for It: How the Uprising in Chile Has Outlasted State Repression, and the Questions for Movements to Come No nos engañarán: Como la revuelta en Chile ha sobrevivido y burlado la represión del estado y unas preguntas para los movimientos por venir La Ilegitimidad de la Violencia, la Violencia de la Legitimidad: Que quiere decir Piñera cuando habla de “la violencia” The Illegitimacy of Violence, the Violence of Legitimacy A Qué se Refieren Cuando Hablan de Paz? What They Mean when They Say Peace Frente a la asamblea constituyente y la agenda represiva del gobierno: ¿cuál es la propuesta anarquista en la revuelta de la región chilena? Pojects interviewed and mentioned in this episode/iniciativas que incluimos en este episodio: Rara Señal: Reportes del caos desde el accidente geográfico costero de Valparaíso ¡No hay vuelta atrás! LaPeste.org Anarquia.info Contra Info Keep on the look out for the full interview with Rara Señal via Anarchist Radio Berlin Movement art inspired by Negro Matapacos Documental Matapacos Galería CIMA, daily livestream of Plaza Italia Wikipedia: Camilo Catrillanca The case of Macarena Valdés Encapuchados toss a teargas canister into a police vehicle In defense of the Black Bloc: Disproving certain accusations and conspiracy theories against those who wear masks Applause for the “first line” demonstrators The case of Abel Acuña, who fell from the statue in Plaza de la Dignidad. If it hadn’t been for the police he could have lived Motorcycle demonstration rolling in to Plaza Italia the evening of November 25 The first game of professional soccer since the revolt began was cancelled due to demonstrators, and players covered their eyes in recognition of the more than 200 eyes that have been lost due to the pellets that police are shooting at demonstrators Protests fill the luxury malls of bourgeois neighborhoods When they toppled that enormous highway sign in Antofagasta The best flyer ever Washington Post story on the gringo piece of shit who shot at protesters in Reñaca/Viña del Mar. Fuck this fool. A Chilean cop confuses a videoactivist for an undercover Skaters critical mass Demonstrators in Concepción topple a statue of Spanish colonizer Pedro de Valdivida Demonstrators in Plaza de la Dignidad, Santiago, ground a police drone using lasers UPDATED Datadump de Carabineros de Chile (Pacos inculiables) A MASSIVE repository of police and military brutality recorded from individual phones and cameras Instagrams: FunaMetro Piensa Prensa - Instagram Iniciativa Pasaje Justo Evasión Masiva Chile Memes Politiqueros Ongoing movement media from around Chile: Radio Villa Francia - Instagram Radio Kurruf (Concepción) - Instagram Diario Venceremos - Instagram Radio Placeres (Valparaíso) Radio 19 de Abril (Cobertura Colectiva) Radio Humedales (Concepción) Prensa Opal Periódico Resumen (Concepción) Radio Manque (Rancagua) Rara Señal Medio Libre La Zarzamora  Radio JGM Kiwicha Comunicaciones Radio Última Frecuencia Waiwen Tv (Osorno)  RadioWilliche Mül’ütu (Melipulli – Puerto Montt) Radio Latue (Coyhaique) Revista Caminando (Temuco-Valdivia)  

Two weeks of revolt in Chile and there are no signs of it slowing down! In this Radio Evasión dispatch, we bring you up to speed on all the developments in the past week: the president’s attempts to quell the protests with reforms, the lifting of Martial Law, and the cancellation of the upcoming APEC trade summit. We have two communiqués translated into English from Chile, and eight interviews! This episode we tried to focus on not just the combative protests at Plaza Italia downtown, but also represent a little bit of how the neighborhoods on the periphery of the city are getting organized with cacerolazos, cultural events, barricades, and people’s assemblies.For feedback, ideas for interview questions, or to contribute material, send us an e-mail at podcast@crimethinc.com. {November 1st, 2019}   -------SHOW NOTES------   Table of Contents: Introduction {0:00} Update since last episode {1:54} From Civil Disobedience to Popular Insurrection: A Reflection on Revolt and State Repression in the Chilean Region {10:05} Interview 26 October: Cacerolazo in Puente Alto {16:00} Interview 28 October: Downtown in the teargas with an anti-authoritarian legal worker {19:30} Interview 28 October: Coordinating Assembly of High School Students, ACES {30:35} Interview 28 October: Villa Olímpica festival of resistance with Kassandra Romanini {36:40} Interview 29 October: Colegio Paulo Freire in San Miguel {40:55} Interview 29 October: Middle school students’ anti-police demonstration {1:01:26} Interview 30 October: The People’s Assembly in Plaza Bogota {1:03:40} Report from the Olla Común at Plaza Italia {1:07:40} The Right to Live Is Not to be Begged For, It Is to Be Taken! {1:13:18} Outro {1:18:10} En Español {1:19:12} Our previous coverage/Nuestra cobertura previa: The Ex-Worker #70: Radio Evasión—dispatches from Chile Part 1 Reports from fare-dodging to a week of full-blown revolt, en español también Chile: Resisting under Martial Law A Report, Interview, and Call to Action Chile: Resistiendo bajo la Ley Marcial Un reporte, una entrevista y una llamada a la acción On the Front Lines in Chile Six Accounts from the Uprising Texts included in this episode/textos y comunicados en este episodio: The Illegitimacy of Violence, the Violence of Legitimacy De la desobediencia civil a la insurrección popular: una reflexión en torno a la revuelta y el terrorismo de estado en la región chilena Pojects interviewed in this episode/iniciativas que incluimos en este episodio: Fundraiser to support Chilean protestors  Olla Común Plaza Italia Radio Colegio Paulo Freire Radio Comunitaria Villa Olímpica Directory of Ollas Comunes in Chile La Asamblea Coordinadora de Estudiantes Secundarios de Chile - ACES Anonymous Chile hacked the police and leaked their private chats: [#PacoLeaks ~ Datadump de Carabineros de Chile (Pacos culiaos)](https://pacoleaks.rebelside.pw/) A MASSIVE repository of police and military brutality recorded from individual phones and cameras Virtual cacerola machine! Check out these texts from Seattle 1999 and Barcelona 2001, for more context on the mobilizations in the so-called “anti-globalization” movement that we compare the ongoing uprising in Chile with. FunaMetro Piensa Prensa - Instagram Iniciativa Pasaje Justo Evasión Masiva Chile Ongoing movement media from around Chile: Radio Villa Francia - Instagram Radio Kurruf (Concepción) - Instagram Diario Venceremos - Instagram Radio Placeres (Valparaíso) Radio 19 de Abril (Cobertura Colectiva) Radio Humedales (Concepción) Prensa Opal Periódico Resumen (Concepción) Radio Manque (Rancagua) Rara Señal Medio Libre La Zarzamora  Radio JGM Kiwicha Comunicaciones Radio Última Frecuencia Waiwen Tv (Osorno)  RadioWilliche Mül’ütu (Melipulli – Puerto Montt) Radio Latue (Coyhaique) Revista Caminando (Temuco-Valdivia)    

Beginning last Monday, October 14, high school students in Santiago, Chile kicked off a campaign of mass fare-dodging, or evasiones, in response to a 30 peso fare hike. The movement grew quickly and, before anyone knew it, revolt spread all across Chile. On the one hand, the government declared a State of Exception, including a military-imposed curfew. On the other hand, the president and congress have been working hard to offer trablescrap reforms to satisfy the angry and exploited. However, neither the repression nor the reforms have been able to quell the resistance, which today celebrates its anniversary of one week in the streets. To catch you up on what’s been happening, we bring you an overview timeline of the revolt, along with four interviews from the streets. We’re not sure if this will be a one-off episode or the first in a series of updates from Chile, it all depends on how things go—whether they heat up or cool down, but for feedback, ideas for interview questions, or to contribute material, send us an e-mail at podcast@crimethinc.com. {October 25th, 2019}   -------SHOW NOTES------   Table of Contents: Introduction {:00} Timeline of the Uprising {2:23} Interview on the Streets with a Preschool Teacher {10:20} Interview about the Looting in Neighborhoods on the Outskirts {13:40} Interview in the Middle of Street Conflict During the General Strike {24:20} Interview with an Anarchist from Valparaiso {27:35} En Español {34:20} Coverage in English: -Chile: Resisting under Martial Law A Report, Interview, and Call to Action -On the Front Lines in Chile Six Accounts from the Uprising Support! Fundraiser to support Chilean protestors  Anarchist call for international solidarity  Ongoing movement media from Chile: Radio Villa Francia - Instagram Radio Kurruf - Instagram Piensa Prensa - Instagram Diario Venceremos - Instagram Radio Placeres (Valparaíso) -Radio 19 de Abril (Cobertura Colectiva) Radio Humedales (Concepción) Prensa Opal Periódico Resumen (Concepción) Radio Manque (Rancagua) Rara Señal Medio Libre La Zarzamora  Radio JGM Kiwicha Comunicaciones Radio Última Frecuencia Waiwen Tv (Osorno)  RadioWilliche Mül’ütu (Melipulli – Puerto Montt) Radio Latue (Coyhaique) Revista Caminando (Temuco-Valdivia) Posts and videos: A MASSIVE repository of police and military brutality recorded from individual phones and cameras Students practicing jumping a turnstile Student shot at the evasiones massivas The ENEL electricity company’s building on fire during the first night of riots More information on the claims of torture in Metro station Baquedano An article describing metro station damage and how long to expect for service to return Piñera declares war on social unrest “We are at war against a powerful, implacable enemy, who does not respect anything or anyone.” Decentralized dissatisfaction: protests spread to cities without Metro Virtual cacerola machine!    

As the news breaks of a Russian-Turkish alliance determined to stamp out Kurdish autonomy, what’s at stake in the international fight to defend Rojava? This episode continues our exploration of the embattled revolution in northeastern Syria through interviews with a variety of anarchists who have engaged in international solidarity work there. One recounts the women’s movement and the impact on gender roles of the autonomous social experiments in Rojava, while another provides an inside look at the armed forces and the struggle against ISIS. Participants in the Internationalist Commune describe their educational and ecological projects, and two anarchist combat medics serving with the SDF in the war zone describe their experiences. We hope these will deepen your understanding of this complex effort to remake society from the ground up amidst war and fascism on all sides—and strengthen your solidarity efforts, as we fight to support the resistance in Rojava. As we mentioned last time: even though we’re focusing on the crisis in Kurdistan again for this episode, let’s not forget that even as the Turkish bombs are falling, other important rebellions are taking place across the world—in Chile, in Catalunya, in Ecuador, in Haiti, in Lebanon, in Hong Kong, and beyond. We’ll have more coverage of these and other revolts through the Ex-Worker and on the CrimethInc. blog in the days and weeks to come, so stay tuned! {October 23nd, 2019}   -------SHOW NOTES------   Table of Contents: Introduction {0:01} Interview with the Internationalist Commune {5:29} Interview with Merva {12:13} Interview with Internationalist Volunteer in the YPG {23:22} Interview with Anarchist Combat Medics in Rojava {52:04} Solidarity Song: Go on Home, Turkish Soldiers {1:02:57} Conclusion {1:04:48} This episode includes CrimethInc.’s previously published interview with the Internationalist Commune in Rojava, an excerpt from a Final Straw Radio interview with two anarchist combat medics in Rojava, and this song based on an Irish anti-colonial resistance ballad reworked for Rojava today. One of our interviewees recommends that supporters donate funds to Heyva Sor, a Kurdish medical aid organization that is helping to bring urgently needed medical supplies to the war zone. Want to learn more about the situation in Rojava? Check out podcast episodes from It’s Going Down—This is America #92 includes an interview with an Assyrian anarchist in the region—and The Final Straw. We decided not to include this letter from the PKK to the American people, but we’re including the link so you can read it if you’d like. Although we’re not aligned with all aspects of their perspective, we do think it’s important to hear how some Kurdish militants are framing their struggle to an American audience, and to offer folks here who are working to mobilize people in the US against the Turkish invasion and in solidarity with Rojava tools with which to do so. IMPORTANT: over 100 groups and individuals have signed on to the following “Call to Action: Solidarity with Rojava—Against the Turkish Invasion! An Urgent Call from a Network of Organizations”. If you or your organization agree, you can email the organizers to add your names: coordination.for.rojava at protonmail dot com. This list of demonstrations around the US in solidarity with Rojava and against the Turkish invasion will continue to be updated as we learn about more events. For further background on the radical potential of the Rojava experiment, we encourage you to listen to the two previous Ex-Worker engagements with the topic, Episode 36 and Episode 39. Want to take action? Consider organizing a boycott or direct action using this list of businesses and institutions that are complicit with the Turkish war effort.    

The revolutionary social experiments in the Kurdish territories of northeastern Syria remain under attack. As SDF forces mount fierce resistance in Sêre Kaniyê and waves of outraged protest sweep the world, the news in recent days has been full of the “ceasefire” negotiated by Turkey and US Vice President Pence. But what is really going on? And why is it so important to aspiring revolutionaries around the world? In Episode 68 of The Ex-Worker, we begin by deconstructing this so-called ceasefire, drawing on an account and analysis shared by anarchist volunteer currently in the war zone. But the bulk of this episode consists of an in-depth interview with an anarchist from the US who participated in a solidarity education delegation in Rojava this summer. She offers detailed insights into daily life amidst revolution and war, the council system and other social and political institutions, the role of military veterans and martyrs in public life, processes for absorbing criticisms and revising revolutionary praxis, and the lessons learned for organizing back in the US. We conclude with a message from another internationalist volunteer sent days ago as the bombs began to fall in Sêre Kaniyê, appealing for action. This episode continues tomorrow as we release a second installment featuring more interviews exploring armed struggle, gender roles, and daily life in Rojava. Even though we’re focusing on the crisis in Kurdistan again for this episode, let’s not forget that even as the Turkish bombs are falling, other important rebellions are taking place across the world—in Chile, in Catalunya, in Ecuador, in Haiti, in Lebanon, in Hong Kong, and beyond. We’ll have more coverage of these and other revolts through the Ex-Worker and on the CrimethInc. blog in the days and weeks to come, so stay tuned! {October 22nd, 2019}   -------SHOW NOTES------   Table of Contents: Introduction {0:01} The “Ceasefire” Is a Deadly Fraud: Interview with an Anarchist on the Front in Rojava {6:15} Interview with Shannon, Part 1 {18:50} Solidarity Song by Sabrina Melendez {51:25} Interview with Shannon, Part 2 {52:27} Solidarity Song by Sabrina Melendez, Part 2 {1:24:18} Last Message from an Internationalist Volunteer {1:25:42} Conclusion {1:27:09} This episode draws on “The ‘Ceasefire’ Is a Deadly Fraud: Interview with an Anarchist on the Front in Rojava.” Here is the Twitter thread in which the French volunteer fighting in Sêre Kaniyê makes a final appeal for action. Want to learn more about the situation in Rojava? Check out podcast episodes from It’s Going Down—This is America #92 includes an interview with an Assyrian anarchist in the region—and The Final Straw, whose October 20th episode includes an interview with a couple of anarchists working as combat medics with the SDF in Rojava, and whose October 9th episode is titled “Rojava, War, Imperialism, and Defense: An interview with Gönül Düzer.” IMPORTANT: many groups and individuals have signed on to the following “Call to Action: Solidarity with Rojava—Against the Turkish Invasion! An Urgent Call from a Network of Organizations”. If you or your organization agree, you can email the organizers to add your names: coordination.for.rojava at protonmail dot com. This list of demonstrations around the US in solidarity with Rojava and against the Turkish invasion will continue to be updated as we learn about more events. For further background on the radical potential of the Rojava experiment, we encourage you to listen to the two previous Ex-Worker engagements with the topic, Episode 36 and Episode 39. Want to take action? Consider organizing a boycott or direct action using this list of businesses and institutions that are complicit with the Turkish war effort.    

As the crisis in Rojava deepens and political turmoil spreads across the world, it’s critical for us to understand how we got here. Who exactly are the Kurds, and why have so many thousands of them been willing to risk their lives fighting against ISIS and to defend their autonomy? What can we learn from their struggle? In this episode, we examine the historical background to today’s conflict by looking at the decades of militant Kurdish resistance that led up to the formation of the autonomous cantons of Rojava. You’ll hear an audio version of CrimethInc.’s detailed 2015 essay “Understanding the Kurdish Resistance: A Historical Overview and Eyewitness Report,” which tracks the emergence of the Kurdish Worker’s Party (PKK) and its conflicts with Turkish nationalism, waves of insurgency and repression, the evolution of Kurdish radical thought, the Revolutionary Patriotic Youth Movement, the Gezi Park uprising in Istanbul, the siege of Kobane, and lots more. To bring you up to date on developments since then, we also share an interview with one of the authors of the essay, in which we explore the impact of the failed 2016 coup attempt in Turkey, repression of social movements, Erdoğan’s goals with the invasion, and prospects for resistance and solidarity. Stay tuned later this week for more interviews with people who’ve participated in the social revolution in Rojava. {October 16th, 2019}   -------SHOW NOTES------   Table of Contents: Introduction {0:01} Understanding the Kurdish Resistance {4:44} The Early Days of the PKK {5:30} Öcalan’s Prison Years and the Peace Process {14:27} Gezi {20:25} The Wild Youth of Kurdistan {23:43} The Revolution in Kurdistan {31:44} The Fighters {36:12} Kobanê {43:47} National Liberation from Borders {47:24} Elections and a Massacre {51:03} Interview on Turkey and Kurdish Resistance Today {59:19} Conclusion {1:09:30} This episode centers on the 2015 CrimethInc. article “Understanding the Kurdish Resistance: A Historical Overview and Eyewitness Report”. IMPORTANT: over 100 groups and individuals have signed on to the following “Call to Action: Solidarity with Rojava—Against the Turkish Invasion! An Urgent Call from a Network of Organizations”. If you or your organization agree, you can email the organizers to add your names: coordination.for.rojava at protonmail dot com. This list of demonstrations around the US in solidarity with Rojava and against the Turkish invasion will continue to be updated as we learn about more events. For further background on the radical potential of the Rojava experiment, we encourage you to listen to the two previous Ex-Worker engagements with the topic, Episode 36 and Episode 39. Want to take action? Consider organizing a boycott or direct action using this list of businesses and institutions that are complicit with the Turkish war effort.  

An urgent crisis is unfolding in northern Syria, with implications for global geopolitics and revolutionary possibilities for years to come. In response to US troop withdrawal and a green light from President Trump, the Turkish military has invaded Rojava, an autonomous Kurdish region within the borders of Syria, killing hundreds and displacing over 100,000 so far. Activists around the world have condemned the invasion as a boon to ISIS, a prelude to ethnic cleansing of the Kurdish population, and an effort to destroy an important experiment in self-organization by an increasingly fascist regime. The Kurdish-led Syrian Defense Forces have just struck a deal with the regime of Bashar al-Assad to bring Russian-backed Syrian government troops into Rojava in hopes of halting the Turkish advance. The experiments in autonomy and democratic confederalism enacted in the cantons of Rojava have been inspiring to many anarchists; but the combination of the dire threat of annihilation by the Turkish military and the painful compromises necessary for survival have put this radical legacy in question. How did this happen? And what can we do? This is the first episode in a series The Ex-Worker will release this week exploring the current crisis. We bring you up to date on the circumstances surrounding the invasion with first-hand reports, analysis, responses to criticisms of solidarity efforts, and more. We conclude with a call to action and info on how to plug in to the global wave of resistance against the invasion. Stay tuned later this week for more historical background, interviews, and more! {October 14th, 2019}   -------SHOW NOTES------   Table of Contents: Introduction {0:01} “The Threat to Rojava: An Anarchist in Syria Speaks on the Real Meaning of Trump’s Withdrawal” {4:44} About the Experiment in Rojava {13:10} The Factions {15:40} What Does the Troop Withdrawal Mean? {27:58} What Will Happen Next? {31:04} Looking Forward {35:29} In Search of a Third Way {39:02} Why the Turkish Invasion Matters {43:44} Call to Action: Solidarity with Rojava Against the Turkish Invasion {1:04:08} Conclusion {1:07:53} This episode contains excerpts from a variety of texts published by CrimethInc. on Rojava and the developing crisis there: “The Threat to Rojava: An Anarchist in Syria Speaks on the Real Meaning of Trump’s Withdrawal” (December 2018); “The Nationalists and the Jihadists Together—And Against Them, Only Autonomous Resistance” (October 2019); “The Borders Won’t Protect You But They Might Get You Killed (November 2015); “Why the Turkish Invasion Matters: Addressing the Hard Questions about Imperialism and Solidarity” (October 2019). IMPORTANT: over 100 groups and individuals have signed on to the following “Call to Action: Solidarity with Rojava—Against the Turkish Invasion! An Urgent Call from a Network of Organizations”. If you or your organization agree, you can email the organizers to add your names: coordination.for.rojava at protonmail dot com. This list of demonstrations around the US in solidarity with Rojava and against the Turkish invasion will continue to be updated as we learn about more events. For further background on the radical potential of the Rojava experiment, we encourage you to listen to the two previous Ex-Worker engagements with the topic, Episode 36 and Episode 39. Want to take action? Consider organizing a boycott or direct action using this list of businesses and institutions that are complicit with the Turkish war effort.    

On August 26th, riot police under orders from the newly elected right-wing government stormed and evicted four squatted social centers in the Exarchia neighborhood of Athens, Greece, in a serious attack on both precarious migrants and the anarchist and anti-authoritarian movements. In response, Greek anarchists have organized assemblies and demonstrations, while solidarity efforts have poured out from across the world. Both shaken and inspired by these events, the Ex-Worker podcast has emerged from hibernation to ask anarchists in Exarchia what’s going on and what needs to be done. This episode explores the situation in Exarchia through three interviews with anarchist residents of the renowned radical neighborhood. The first is an audio version of “The New War on Immigrants and Anarchists in Greece,” published on the CrimethInc. blog on August 28th, which gives an in-depth analysis of the evictions with historical context and insight into the dynamics of the Greek anarchist movement, supplemented by an excerpt from the 2015 piece “Syriza Can’t Save Greece.” The second is a long discussion with a squatter from the Lelas Karagianni 37 squat in Exarchia, the oldest squat in Greece and a central hub for assemblies and anarchist organizing in Athens; it touches on the role of the media and the previous Syriza regime in paving the way to this wave of attacks; the anarchist movement’s strategy for regaining the initiative from the state; and the significance of international solidarity. The third and shortest interview with the Void Network reports back on the September 14th anti-repression demonstration in Athens and reflects on the prospects for ongoing resistance. Tune in to learn more about this critical struggle to defend freedom and autonomy in an inspiring enclave of radical experimentation. {September 18th, 2019}   -------SHOW NOTES------   Table of Contents: Introduction {0:01} The New War on Immigrants and Anarchists in Greece: Intro {4:25} Syriza Can’t Save Greece (2015) {6:08} The New War on Immigrants and Anarchists in Greece: Interview {17:17} Lelas Karagianni 37 Squat: Interview {41:21} Athens Indymedia Call for September 14 Demonstration {1:23:02} Void Network Interview {1:24:04} Clara’s Closing Motivational Speech {1:35:00} Conclusion {1:37:36} In this episode, we present an audio version of “The New War on Immigrants and Anarchists in Greece: An Interview with an Anarchist in Exarchia” and an excerpt from “Syriza Can’t Save Greece: Why There’s No Electoral Exit From the Crisis”, both which originally appeared on the CrimethInc. blog. We interview a participant from the Lelas Karagianni 37 squat in Exarchia. Here is their “Solidarity Will Win” statement; a video promoting the September 14th demonstration in Athens; some photos from the September 14th demo; the Statement of the Anarchist Political Organization Against the Repressive Campaign of the State, and the No Pasarán! poster. We also interview a participant from the Void Network in Athens; you can read the “Solidarity to squats and all spaces of struggle- ASSEMBLY Announcement” from their website. To stay up to date on developments in Exarchia, consult Athens Indymedia or (although we at the Ex-Worker stubbornly insist on discouraging you from using Facebook) this public “Exarchia” Facebook group. Check out this long interview with another anarchist from Exarchia released through the It’s Going Down podcast, which offers more in-depth history and contemporary analysis of the neighborhood and the Greek anarchist movement.    

Welcome to Episode 11, the final installment of No Wall They Can Build, the Ex-Worker Podcast’s serialized audiobook exploring borders and migration across North America. This episode concludes the book with personal reflections about the author’s own journey in and out of the desert and the unavoidable links that bind all of us across all borders. To become a real force for change, those who would act in solidarity must overcome the limits of privilege politics and guilt, understanding our activities as fighting for our own lives and dismantling the illusion of separation between ourselves and others. What links migrants, solidarity workers, and all people struggling to survive amidst the disorienting nightmare of postmodern civilization is the pursuit of dignity—a sentiment beautifully expressed in a message sent by Rachel Corrie, an American solidarity worker in occupied Palestine, to her mother in 2003 just weeks before she was murdered by an Israeli bulldozer while attempting to stop a home demolition. Two final stories—one chilling and one touching—illustrate the astonishing peril of the desert even for experienced travelers, and the solace that unexpected alliances with creatures of the desert can provide for migrants and solidarity workers alike. Ultimately, the book concludes, to end death in the desert, to rediscover our own humanity, and to have any hope of our survival on this planet, there is one thing in common that we all must do—find our way back home. {June 13th, 2019}   -------SHOW NOTES------   Table of Contents: Who Will Tear Down That Second Border With You? {0:01} Introduction {0:54} Solidarity {1:12} Story #1: Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death {3:38} Dignity {7:18} Rachel Corrie on Dignity {10:52} Story #2: Luther the Tomcat {11:14} Home {16:07} All Our Relations {19:46} Dedication {21:20} In Memoriam {21:36} Conclusion {21:48} Breaking News: the felony trial of No More Deaths volunteer Scott Warren has ended in a hung jury. While this means that the government can still bring new charges against him, for the time being it is a strong victory against the state’s effort to criminalize humanitarian aid for migrants. Read statements by Scott and his lawyer here. Content advisory: this episode includes a discussion of sexual violence from 4:48–5:25. Note: For this audiobook, we will not provide full transcripts of the text of each episode as we do for The Ex-Worker or The Hotwire. If you want to read along, you can find the book in PDF. This week’s episode covers pages 197 to 208. You can check out our poster diagramming the North American border regime and immigrant solidarity stickers. Over the summer, the Ex-Worker Podcast collective will begin work on our next audio book project, which will begin to appear in the months to come—stay tuned! If you have any suggestions or feedback about this audiobook or other Ex-Worker projects, get in touch at podcast[at]crimethinc[dot]com. Thank you for listening!