The Final Straw Radio

The Final Straw Radio
undefined
Aug 19, 2018 • 1h 1min

William C Anderson: On Blackness and Anarchy

William C. Anderson This week on The Final Straw, we are super pleased to present a talk given at the most recent Asheville Anarchist Bookfair by William C. Anderson, who co authored the book As Black As Resistance with Zoe Samudzi. The talk he is giving here is based heavily on the first chapter of the book called Black in Anarchy, and in addition to laying the groundwork of how he and Samudzi wrote the book, he speaks about the truly conditional nature of so called "citizenship" that many people living in the US face, the continuing evolution of race and the reliance of white supremacy to Black subjugation, and he places Blackness in proximity to Anarchy, and much more. From the back cover: "As Black As Resistance makes the case for a new program of self-defense and transformative politics for Black Americans, one rooted in an anarchistic framework that the authors liken to the Black experience itself. This is not a book of compromise, nor does it negotiate with intolerance. It is a manifesto for everyone who is ready to continue progressing towards liberation for all people." We hope you will enjoy this talk, and if you are curious about the book As Black As Resistance by Zoe Samudzi and William C. Anderson, you can head over to AK Press to learn more! Announcements Phone Zap for Prisoners at McCormick CI IWOC announces that prisoners at McCormick CI in South Carolina are being forced to march around the square in only their boxer shorts, including in front of female staff. Among these prisoners are the Muslim prisoners whose religion demands that they cover their bodies. Check out the above link for a number and call script. Charlottesville Solidarity There has been a request for legal support for an anti-racist comrade who was arrested on August 12th, the year anniversary of the resistance to the United The Right rally on A12 in Cville in 2017. This trans comrade was arrested with the help of active doxxing efforts of a far-right troll this month, he was "genital checked" (read fondled and assaulted) by police without any non-police witnesses, and arrested and could use funds to help in court-support. You can donate to the legal support via a friend at https://paypal.me/lara757 , request that the police and city remove the comrades dead name and photo from their website and follow @SolidCville for future court support in September for this person. There is also a call up to support Toby & Veronica, two anti-racist organizers from Cville in court on August 23rd at 9:45 AM at the Charlottesville General District Court at 606 E. Market St, Charlottesville, VA. If you want to see analysis on antifascist events that have occurred thusfar, in DC and Cville, you can head to crimethinc.com and read interviews done with folks who were on the ground there, as well as listen to the most recent Hotwire episode which deals with these topics. Support Maya Little, #TakeEmAllDown On Monday, August 20th at 7pm at Peace & Justice Plaza at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, there will be a demonstration in support of Maya Little, an anti-racist activist who faces charges for allegedly throwing paint and her own blood on a confederate statue on UNC campus known as "Silent Sam." #August21 AAAnd DO NOT FORGET that in just a few days will kick off the 2018 Prison Strike, scheduled for August 21st thru September 9th. Coming just two years after the largest prison strike in US history, this one has the potential to be even bigger. If you would like more resources and ideas on how to get engaged with this strike and to learn about the striker's demands, go to prisonstrike.com, and additionally you can listen to the Rustbelt Abolition Radio episode entitled Prelude to the 2018 Prisoner Strike done with two members of IWOC Oakland. #August21 Meetup in Asheville On Tuesday, August 21st from 5pm to 7 or so at Firestorm Books & Coffee, join Blue Ridge Anarchist Black Cross for a series of updates and discussions concerning the Nationwide Prison Strike from August 21 - September 9th, 2018. BRABC will talk about the repressions that have already occurred as prisons around the country ramp up in fear of prisoners flexing their collective muscles by putting down their tools, educating each other, organizing and refusing meals. They'll provide you with some tools and knowledge to help you amplify the voices of those on the inside. For a list of events around the country to support #August21, check out igd or PrisonStrike.Com. Hunger Strike at Sterling Correctional in Colorado Denver ABC passed on information about a hunger strike that's started at Sterling CI in Colorado. The demands of the prisoners and updates can be found at the DABC website. NAABC Conference Fundraiser in AVL Also, on August 29th at The Odditorium in Asheville, BRABC will be hosting a benefit concert to raise funds for travel costs for formerly incarcerated folks and former Political Prisoners attending the North American Anarchist Black Cross conference in Colorado this fall. The show will feature performances by Too Bad (from Florida) and the local talents of Autarch, Good Grief & Harsh Mike. . ... . .. Playlist pending
undefined
Aug 12, 2018 • 1h 22min

SFBay View with Mary Ratcliff; Asheville threatening Harm Reduction;

Steady Collective + SFBayView Newspaper This week on the show we feature two interviews. The first is with Mary Ratcliff, the editor of 27 years of the San Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper, with a print distribution of 20,000 copies around the U.S., including thousands behind bars. For the hour, Mary talks about the history of the paper, it's relationship with prisoners and prison struggles and the difficulties faced by the poor and populations of color in white supremacist capitalism in the so-called U.S. Then I spoke with a volunteer at the Steady Collective, a group that self-describes as " dedicated to promoting the wellness of people who use drugs through empowerment and respectful collaboration. Our goal is to improve overall community health by reducing the rate of drug overdose and the spread of infectious disease with education, advocacy, and direct services." Their ability to operate a harm reduction program around needle exchange and narcan distribution to stop overdoses in the midst of the #opiodCrisis in Appalachia is being threatened by the city of Asheville. Here's the website for 12 Baskets, the food distribution program out of Kairos West. Announcements A12 in D.C., Cville & 8/18 in Boston Last weekend witnessed far right, nazi-affiliated, sexist, homophobe rallies in Portland and Berkeley, which I'm sure folks are aware of. Patriot Prayer and Proud Boy goons schlepped their way out from under rocks in their goofy-ass larping costumes to spit their deranged and hateful screeds and threaten and attack counter-demonstrators where they could. And the police helped by holding back and assaulting the anti-racists at both events with pepper spray, batons, tear gas and rubber bullets, as well as legal charges. Big ups to the brave folks who came out to stem the tide of hate on the West coast, and also a big a thanks to the comrades who came out in Providence, R.I. where they were able to shut that crap down real fast. This weekend the year anniversary of the August 11th Torch Rally and August 12th Unite The Right Rally in Charlottesville approaches. On Sunday, August 12th in Cville there's a day of events of remembrance and mourning starting at 9am in Washington Park. The police presence has been shown to be huge in the runup to this weekend with Martial Law and States of Emergency declared by local and state officials, leave for police being suspended, and swaths of the city shut down and blockaded. Follow #AllOutCville for updates. In Washington, D.C., haters are trying to put on a second UTR to draw their morons in swastika and Pinochet shirts and confederate bafoons into the streets. Information about what's happening and how to congregate against it can be found at https://shutitdowndc.org/ . And check out the ItsGoingDown's "This Is America #24" for voices from the ground in DC & Cville. On August 15th in Boston there is planned a Town Hall Meeting at the Arlington St Church in preparation for the counter-demonstration on August 18th at the MA State House to shut down the far-right hate front group, "Resist Marxism". More info at http://bit.ly/fight-right-boston Be safe out there, cops and klan go hand in hand. Bring water, watch out for your friends, don't leave alone. Worker's Assembly Asheville On Monday, August 20th at 6pm and every 3rd Monday of the month, the Asheville IWW is hosting a service industry workers assembly at Kairos West. If you work in food serice, retail, hospitality, breweries, or other service industries and don't have the right to hire or fire, come by and join the discussion on issues facing your ilk including wages and hours, but also issues such as racism and gendered violence that workers face in and outside of their workplaces. The discussions are aimed at creating direct action solutions and creating class solidarity. To hear about their first Assembly, check out our interview on the topic. Reminder on upcoming #August21 Prison Strike A few CZN member projects have been producing content specific to supporting and understanding the Nationwide Prison Strike. You can find great, related content to enjoy and share by ItsGoingDown podcast, Kiteline Radio & Rustbelt Abolition Radio. Links are in our notes to those recent episodes. Also, visit incarceratedworkers.org for the new and very shareable video breaking down IWOC's role in the strike and reasons to support #August21. Donate! If you appreciate this podcast and the voices that we bring to you each and every week (at least once), please consider a one-time or recurring donation via paypal or liberapay. You can also subscribe to recurring donations to us at patreon.com/tfsr and get some pretty sweet swag. If you want one of the shirts or mixtapes or sticker and button packs we offer to patreon supporters but can't afford a monthly donation, drop us an email and we'll work something out.
undefined
Aug 5, 2018 • 59min

Student/Community Organizing and Fighting Hopelessness with NoNEXUS Oberlin

This week we had the opportunity to interview Isabel and Christopher, who are active in differing ways in the No NEXUS Oberlin campaign, one in a long series of anti pipeline pushes in Oberlin Ohio. This campaign is based in part around the college which exists there, but is also in strong coalition with non college attending community members in the area who have been battling the extraction industry for years, from fighting pipelines to injection wells to fracking in this area. We talk about what it's like to organize as the part of a student body which seeks to break down the barriers between student and non student populations, about the NEXUS Pipeline (owned by that ever present destructive, capitalist monster Enbridge), and about the ties that direct action can have in battling political and personal hopelessness. To get in touch with this project you can write them at nonexusoberlin@protonmail.com or search their name on Facebook. The music we close the episode with is Lobo Marino, a track which is typically heard at the end of each End of the Line episode, an ongoing podcast out of Richmond on the many aspects of fighting the Mountain Valley Pipeline. You can find them at http://pipelinepodcast.org/ for more stories and experiences from the world of opposing extraction industries. #AllOutAugust Much love to those who are fighting fascism in Portland, the Bay, Charlottesville, DC, and Boston this month. The police have again shown that they are firmly on the side of white nationalists, as they have countless times before, where in Portland only a few centimeters of helmet saved the life of an antifascist from a so called "non lethal" police weapon. Stay safe out there, love and care from us in Asheville, and as always, FUCK THE POLICE!! #August21 This week we also feature the voice of New Afrikan Black Panther Party (Prison Chapter) Defense Minister, Kevin "Rashid" Johnson. Rashid is a writer, a fantastic artist, and a political prisoner currently held in Virginia but who keeps getting repressed for his organizing with prisoners around human rights issues. He's faced repression since 2016 directly in relation to prison strike writings. Thanks to comrades in the south east for sharing his voice with us. You can check out Rashid's work at his website or write him at: Kevin Johnson #1007485 Red Onion State Prison P.O. Box 1900 Pound, VA 24279 Support Anarchist Prisoner Eric King From Eric King's support page: The past few weeks have been rough for Eric and his family. We learned that Eric's partner has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. On top of the solidarity EP we are promoting, we decided to also start a gofundme page for his partner. As we mentioned in the previous post, incarceration affects the whole family. Eric's partner will now have extra medical expenses and appointments that will require time off of work, and extra childcare. The severity and treatment of the cancer is still being determined. We're hoping for the best, and will keep people posted. Please help us to support Eric and his family – donate if you can and/or share the fundraiser. Thanks so much for everyone's kind words and continued support. Please donate here! . … . .. Playlist here.
undefined
Jul 29, 2018 • 1h 18min

Donald Rooum, pt1: Author, Cartoonist + Anarchist

Donald Rooum, pt1 This week, we invite you to listen in on the first part of a conversation we had with 90 year old anarchist, cartoonist and author, Donald Rooum. Donald was born 1928 in Bradford, UK. Donald is most known for his longtime illustration of the wiley, bomb-throwing, firebrand anarchist cartoon character, Wildcat. In this episode, Donald talks about his early political trajectory and development from childhood involvement during World War II in a Communist Party front group into anarchism via the speakers corner in Hyde Park. Donald talks about the Malatesta Anarchist Club, his artistic development and love of cartooning and engagement with activism to stop corporal punishment in schools in the U.K. and ideas about social change and anarchist intervention. Donald's work was recently the focus of an animated film by film-maker Adam Luis-Jacob. Here's a brief biography with some of Donald's art (including some Wildcat comics). We'll release the second half of the conversation with Donald in the near future. Some notes from the conversation (followed by announcements): Publications featuring Donald: Peace News website and wikipedia page Freedom (newspaper) website + wikipedia + Donald's history of Freedom Freedom Press website and wikipedia page Donald's Intro to Anarchism on anarchistlibrary Donald's "The Ethics of Egoism" on anarchistlibrary Some low-quality images of Donald's at Spunk.Org People that Donald mentions: Philip Sansome (UK anarchist) wikipedia Vernon Richards (UK anarchist) wikipedia Article from 1945 reprinted on shutting of the War Commentary / Freedom Paper Abdulrahman Mohamed Babu (Zanzibari Revolutionary Nationalist) wikipedia Colin Ward (UK anarchist) wikipedia works by Colin Ward at anarchistlibrary David Hockney (artist) wikipedia Nicholas Walter (anarchist + atheist) wikipedia Benjamin Tucker (American anarchist) wikipedia Works by Benjamin Tucker at anarchistlibrary STOPP in wikipedia . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . ... . .. Announcements Sean Swain "Sean Swain, a long-term anarchist prisoner in Ohio, has come under fire by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. The ODRC has increased Sean's security level from 3 to 5b, an increase that has sent him to solitary confinement, led to him being handcuffed during visits, and further removed him from any possibility for parole. Additionally, the ODRC is threatening to put Sean on interstate compact, a system that ships subversive prisoners around the country, places heavy restrictions on communication, and interns them in the black hole of the interstate compact system. We're calling for any who feel compelled by Sean's plight to call ODRC director Gary Mohr and demand that Sean's appeal to the current disciplinary hearing be granted and that Sean's security level be lowered. (A script for the call can be found below.) Thank you all. Your solidarity means so much. some friends of Sean Swain" Call: Director Gary Mohr 614-387-0588 drc.publicinfo@odrc.state.oh.us melissa.adkins@odrc.state.oh.us (Administrative Assistant for Mohr) CALL-IN SCRIPT: "I am calling on behalf of Sean Swain, inmate #243-205. I am a friend of Sean. I am calling to request the ODRC grant Mr. Swain's appeal regarding his most recent disciplinary record, drop the charges, and lower his security level from 5b to 2. Mr. Swain is not a physical security risk, and there is no reason to keep him at such a high security rating where he will be unable to get the programming he needs to be eligible for rehabilitation and parole. Thank you for your consideration." Good News! Nicole Kissane, indicted in 2015 for conspiracy to violate the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act via releasing thousands of animals from fur farms and destroying breeding records in Idaho, Montana, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, was released after 21 months in federal prison. She still has 3 years of supervised release, but she's out from behind the actual bars. Welcome home, Nicole! Pansy Fest II If you're in the Asheville area next weekend, August 3-5, consider Pansy Fest II, a DIY queer/trans music and art festival. The fun starts at 2pm on Friday the 3rd at the Mothlight with a full-ticket of bands and ending out with a dance party til 2am. The weekend includes workshops at Firestorm Books & Coffee with more shows & after parties. Proceeds will go to support the Trans Kindred Fund & Tranzmission Prison Project. More info on their fedbook, or by emailing pansyfestavl@gmail.com #AllOutAugust First, coming up fast in early August, fascist and proto-fascist groups are trying to build up some steam for the one year anniversary of the Unite The Right rally on August 12th. The Islamophobic and Western Chauvinist groups Patriot Prayer and Proud Boys are calling for a demonstration and plan to amass a large and likely violent mob in Portland, OR, on August 4th. Antiracists are organizing under #AllOutPDX & #StopTheHate. So a coalition called PopMob, or popular mobilization, is organizing a broad event on August 4th at 10:30 at PDX city hall and then moving at 11:30 to join the larger event at Chapman Square. You can find more information by checking itsgoingdown.org, or finding the events on fedbook called "Stop The Hate" and "Resist Patriot Prayer". The latter is being called by Eugene Antifa & other groups and will meet up at 11:30 at Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Then a week later on the east coast of the so-called U.S. on August 12th there is a call for an Antifascist/Abolitionist Bloc to join the resistance to the far right's call for the Unite The Right 2 at a time and place to be announced on the site ShutItDownDC.org and news can be found under the tag #DefendDC & #AllOutDC. Mumia Abu-Jamal On August 30th in Philadelphia, PA at 13th and Filbert there will be a rally during the hearing of imprisoned journalist, intellectual and former Black Panther, Mumia Abu-Jamal. From 8am til 11am people are asked to show up in support of this man who has spent nearly 40 years in prison, 30 of it in solitary on death row, for a political show trial for the killing of a cop many believe he didn't commit. Whether he did or didn't, Mumia was obviously railroaded for his political beliefs and his reporting critical of the Philly PD & the administration of Frank Rizzo. More on the event, including the nature of the current legal motion, can be found on fedbook. #August21 Repression Starts People are pushing back. For starters: Imam Siddique Abdullah Hasan There is a phone zap in support of Lucasville Uprising prisoner and death row inmate, Siddique Abdullah Hasan, a voice you've heard on this show before. Hasan, a member of the Free Ohio Movement and outspoken activist behind bars for peoples dignity, is believed to be suffering similar repression as he did in the run up to the 2016 National Prison Strike. He has been transfered into the hole, likely as a way to shut him up. There is a phone zap called by the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee on Monday, July 30th between 9am and 5pm central time. Details forthcoming on the fedbook event. Kevin "Rashid" Johnson Kevin "Rashid" Johnson, a leader of the New Afrikan Black Panther Party (NABPP) and member of the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee (IWOC), whose organizing was discussed in DHS/FBI fusion center "terrorism threat assessment" publications as far back as 2009 (page 50) is being kept in solitary confinement after being given an "inciting a riot" charge for writing an article about the Operation PUSH strikes in Florida, and has faced punitive transfer after transfer.; Keith "Comrade Malik" Washington Keith "Malik" Washington, a Texas inmate who is also involved with the NABPP and IWOC, has spent the past two years in ad-seg (solitary confinement) on a bogus riot charge connected to his involvement in the 2016 prison strike. He was due to be released from ad-seg, but then had his clearance abruptly revoked and was sent back to solitary on the grounds that the classifications committee had "received additional information" from the Fusion Center in Texas. He has also had issues with medical information about his health issues mysteriously disappearing, leading to the administration putting him in dangerous situations, and is currently being held in an extremely hot and humid punishment cell that he describes as being like "a living hell" and causing headaches, nosebleeds and dizziness.; Jason Renard Walker Meanwhile, Jason Renard Walker, another Texas inmate involved with the NABPP and the 2016 strikes, and a contributor to the Fire Inside zine, has managed to get released from solitary, but faces constant threats and harassment from staff, including threats to send him back to solitary on bogus charges for things as simple as asking for water and medical attention, and trying to get back into his own cell so he can use a fan to cool down. Both Malik and Jason have reported having their mail tampered with, and the explicitly political nature of this censorship was made clear in a conversation with a prison official who told Jason that any writing containing the words "black panther" would be treated as gang material. Supporting the prison strike means monitoring and opposing the repressive methods that the prison system uses to try and break it, and paying attention to the treatment of 2016 strike organizers like Rashid, Malik, Jason and others can indicate the tactics that are likely to be used more widely in the weeks to come. Numbers and scripts to call in with for Malik's situation: Malik has specifically requested a call-in campaign urging Texas legislators to investigate the conditions at the McConnell Unit. Below are some details of Texas legislators and TDCJ officials, along with a suggested script you can use: John Whitmire, chair of the Texas Senate Criminal Justice Committee - (512) 463-0115 or (713) 864-8701 john.whitmire@senate.texas.gov (713) 864-5287 (fax) Sylvia Garcia, member of the Texas Senate Criminal Justice Committee - (512) 463-0106 or (713) 453-5100 sylvia.garcia@senate.texas.gov (512) 463-0346 (fax) José Menéndez, member of the Texas Senate Criminal Justice Committee - (512) 463-0126 or (210) 733-6604 jose.menendez@senate.texas.gov or (512) 463-2424 (fax) James White, chair of the House Committee on Corrections - (512) 463-0490 or (409) 283-3700 James.White@house.texas.gov or (512) 463-9059 (fax) Alma Allen, vice-chair of the House Committee on Corrections - (512) 463-0744 or (713) 776-0505 Alma.Allen@house.state.tx.us or (512) 463-0761 (fax) Abe Martinez, US Attorney – (713) 567-9349 or abe.martinez@usdoj.gov Ryan K Patrick, US Attorney – (713)-567-9000 Bryan Collier, TDCJ Excecutive Director – (936) 437-2101 / (936) 437-2123 or exec.director@tdcj.texas.gov Billy Hirsch, TDCJ Deputy Director – Billy.Hirsch@tdcj.texas.gov Philip Sifuentes, McConnell Unit Warden – (361) 362-2300 or philip.sifuentes@tdcj.texas.gov Miguel Martinez, Regional Director with responsibility for the McConnell Unit – (361) 362-6328 or miguel.martinez@tdcj.texas.gov Patricia Chapa, Assistant Regional Director – Patricia.Chapa@tdcj.texas.gov Emil Garza, Assistant Regional Director – Emil.Garza@tdcj.texas.gov Garth Parker, Telford Unit Warden – (903) 628-3171 garth.parker@tdcj.texas.gov Billy Howard, Assistant Regional Director with responsibility for the Telford Unit – billy.howard@tdcj.texas.gov Carl McKellar, Assistant Regional Director with responsibility for the Telford Unit – carl.mckellar@tdcj.texas.gov "Hello, my name is ----, and I am contacting you about conditions in the prisons run by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. I demand that the dangerous conditions of extreme heat and humidity that are widespread in units such as the McConnell and Telford Units are fully investigated and rectified immediately. I further request that immediate heat relief measures are put in place, as this is especially urgent for prisoners with health issues. The prison administration needs to stop the retaliation and harassment of whistleblowers such as Keith Washington (TDCJ 1487958) and Jason Walker (TDCJ 1532092). This retaliation includes, but is not limited to, unjustified use of solitary confinement as a punishment for constitutionally protected speech, denial of parole applications, and direct threats of harm. Please be aware that the State of Texas and the TDCJ may be held legally responsible for any harm suffered by these or any other inmates as a result of the administration's negligence or punitive actions. The practice of giving guards quotas of disciplinary reports to meet must also be stopped at once, as this leads to the generation of false or trivial reports as a way of meeting quotas. In closing, I also wish to state my support for the demands of the ongoing prison strike movement. Yours sincerely," Other ways to help Malik: 1. *Finding legal representation* Malik has stated that he urgently needs professional legal help in challenging the various forms of harassment he has been subjected to, particularly the interference with his mail. If you know of any sympathetic lawyers or other legal-minded folk who might be able to help, please contact them and ask if they could take the case on. 2. *Write to the comrades!* Every letter they receive lifts their spirit and protects them, because it lets prison officials know they have people around them, watching for what happens to them. It should also be possible to contact them via jpay.com if you prefer. Keith H. Washington, #1487958 McConnell Unit 3100 South Emily Drive Beeville, TX 78103 Jason Renard Walker, #1532092 Telford Unit 3899 Hwy 98 New Boston, TX 75570 Kevin Johnson, #1007485 Sussex 1 State Prison 24414 Musselwhite Dr. Waverly, VA 23891 Shameless Plug If you've made it this far into the announcements, you are obviously a glutton for punishment. Congrats! Now, we'd like to invite you to help us out a bit. The Final Straw Radio has been bringing you interviews with anarchists, anti-capitalists, feminists, eco-defenders, anti-racists and anti-fascists, prison rebels and prison abolitionists, authors and iconoclasts every week since 2009. And we've only been getting better. If you appreciate the work that we do, here're a few things you can do to show your appreciation: If you live in an area with a community radio station, one of those that isn't run by something like ClearChannel and just bumping the top 40's hits nor one that's preaching a gospel of pie in the sky when you die, consider helping us get onto your local airwaves. Community radio is often a shoestring venture with little locally produced content and is often happy for suggestions of what may bring listeners to their airwaves and get involved in local media and activism. If you are one of the lucky ones who lives near one of these stations, you can email the station or programming director and say that you are an avid listener and that you want to hear The Final Straw Radio on your local airwaves. Tell them that our show is free to air, that we produce an FCC-acceptable show that won't get them tattled on and that we produce it consistently, each Sunday night at 59 minutes in length. You can find out more about our radio option at our website by clicking the "Radio Broadcasting" tab. Another way you can help us out might be to share our podcast with people you care about in your community. You could rate us on iTunes so more people will see us, or share us on the obnoxious social medias that we are present on which you can find links to on the kontact page of our website. While you're sharing us, why not share the monthly anarchist news show we participate in known as B(A)D News: Angry Voices From Around The World produced by the A-Radio Network or check out the shows that share the Channel Zero Network? Or, you could drop us a line, tell us how we're doing, comment on our shows or give us suggestions for future episodes. We are always welcome to dialogue and suggestions, though we don't take 'em all. Finally, you could give us a donation, one time over paypal or recurring via Liberapay, an open source donation platform from France, or Patreon. Check out our Patreon for the thank you gifts that we offer to recurring donators. We have shirts, buttons, stickers and other swag up on there. See something you like but can't afford a monthly donation? Send us an email and we'll see what we can work out. The money goes to cover our production costs and save up for travels to conferences and events where we can get you more of that anarchist audio that you crave. Thanks so much!
undefined
Jul 22, 2018 • 1h

Indigenous Resistance in so called B.C. and Mattole Forest Blockade

This week we are talking a little break to work on other things, and so have taken the time to re-broadcast two interviews from two other radical and anarchist audio projects, both of which have been doing amazing work. From Embers The first we'll present is from an anarchist radio show in so-called Kingston, Ontario called From Embers. This interview was originally released by them in the middle of June, and is with Kanahus Manuel, who is a Secwepemc woman fighting against the Trans Mountain Pipeline on her land in a variety of ways. This situation of extraction, forced displacement, and ongoing subjugation on Secwepemc land is one which has many aspects to it all of which Manuel talks about in this interview. Kanahus Manuel was arrested recently, a few days after the tattoo gathering that she mentions around half way through the interview. If you would like to read more on this issue though, we will be posting a bunch of articles in the show notes for this episode, which you can access through our noblogs website or via your podcasting app. These links will include both how to support Manuel post arrest, the explicit call for solidarity from the Secwepemc Women Warriors Society, and also the original links that From Embers included in their blog post. To hear more from From Embers, hit them up at http://fromembers.libsyn.com/website/ A quick update, From Embers has JUST joined the Channel Zero Network! Woot! Radical People podcast The second interview is from the podcast Radical People, which recently became a member of the Channel Zero Network and is hosted by Eamon Farrelly. In this interview, Eamon speaks with Sweet Pea about the 20 year strong Mattole Forest Blockades in Humblodt County California. In this interview the guest speaks about their experiences participating in this forest blockade, and I thought it was an extraordinary interview because so often we get a picture of direct action which is very action oriented but this presents an experience which is profoundly emotional, or spiritual. Anyway, I liked it a lot and found it very inspirational, hope you will too. To hear more from Radical People, hit them up on Soundcloud, also via any podcasting app. We had to cut some out of this interview, and you can hear the full version on their platform. They also have a patreon if you have any loose change kickin around, and are on Twitter @Radical_Podcast. To get in touch with the Mattole Forest Blockade, you can email mattoleactioncamp@riseup.net and on FaceBook you can search Save the Mattole's Ancient Forest for news and updates via that medium. Links: Support Kanahus' Indigenous Land Defense Fund (includes a link to her YouTube channel) It's Going to be a hot Indian Summer: Secwepemc Women Warriors call land defenders to B.C. (on her arrest and much more info on the ongoing situation in this region) --Links included in the original From Embers blog post-- Wreck: A Vancouver Anarchist Publication Defend the Territory by Warrior Publications Secwepemcul'ecw Assembly (includes more information on the Kindermorgan man camps and the statement against them) Tiny House Warriors Facebook Page Tiny House Warriors GoFundMe Unsettling Canada by Arthur Manuel . ... . .. Playlist here.
undefined
Jul 15, 2018 • 1h 30min

Charles Cobb On Armed Self-Defense In The Civil Rights Movement

"You may be nonviolent, but I'm not gonna let these white people kill you". A presentation with Charles Cobb on This Nonviolent Stuff'll Get You Killed. This week we are very pleased to present a presentation done some months ago at Firestorm Books with Charles E. Cobb, Jr. Charles Cobb is a journalist, writer, and current senior analyst at allAfrica.com, which is "is a voice of, by and about Africa - aggregating, producing and distributing news and information from over 140 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public." Cobb has had a long career full of landmark moments, for example being the first Africa correspondent for NPR and being the first Black staff writer for National Geographic Magazine, among many other achievements. In this presentation, done on April 2nd 2018, Cobb talks about his 2014 book "This Nonviolent Stuff'll Get You Killed", which details his work from 1962 to 1967 for the SNCC (the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee), the most influential youth and student organization during the Civil Rights Movement. He also fills in a much overlooked gap in the understanding of the Civil Rights Movement, that is, the lived experiences of Black people living in the rural South at this time, gives his insights on embedding in communities for social justice purposes, and draws lessons from those insights as they pertain to the current Movement for Black Lives. In this talk he is being interviewed by Carol, who is a long time comrade and friend. Announcements Week of International Support in Lead Up to Nationwide Prison Strike A call from a variety of groups to make some noise for the upcoming prison strike, kicking off on August 21st, 2018. This is a challenge to every anarchist, abolitionist, rebel and determined fighter against prison society and white supremacy in Amerikkka: 'Between Monday, July 16 and Saturday, July 21, we're calling on you to help unleash a concerted and spectacular array of solidarity actions before the upcoming prison strikes! Prepare now, bring mayhem everywhere! As you likely know, prisoners will strike from August 21st to September 9th. They anticipate guards and administrators to respond with violent reprisals, media distortions, and extended lockdowns. Defending the strikes from the outside is an essential component of its success. Don't wait; retaliation has already started and as August 21st approaches we expect to see transfers, preemptive lockdowns, and more. Outside support efforts, in collaboration with imprisoned rebels, have already begun. Jailhouse Lawyers Speak, IWOC, and other organizations are building phone trees, publishing call-outs, and mounting pressure campaigns. Another thing outside supporters can do is promote and set a stage for the strike. From July 16-21, we want to make an opening act that warms up the public consciousness and media landscape. If we're successful, it will also be a loudspeaker for the prisoners' call, blaring it past the censors, the mailroom pigs, and the dense walls of isolation and silence that prevent prisoners from knowing what's cooking in other states or facilities until it's already served up cold. The challenge before us is to do things so spectacular, creative, and unexpected that the mainstream media cannot neglect them. Hashtag: #prisonstrike2018. Use any means necessary to break that media blockade: take the streets, paint the town, disrupt the status quo, hack a site, get things lit, or go ahead and chuck your anarchist purity, resort to wooing celebrity endorsements, buying clever ads, or schmoozing your way into the news. Remember, the radical and independent outlets most likely to cover our activities exist mainly online. We need to leverage that coverage to force the big old media (the kind that gets into prisons: TV, radio, print editions of newspapers) to report this news due to fear-of-missing-out. The goal: get the phrase "Nationwide Prison Strike: 8/21-9/9" printed or spoken on the largest platform so prisoners can see it and no one outside can ignore it. So get out there and surprise us! Overwhelm amerikkka's hostile media environment and get the word into prisons large and small across the nation. ' For downloadable Sticker and Poster Graphics: https://supportprisonerresistance.noblogs.org/nationalprisonstrike2018/ Groups endorsing the 2018 Nationwide Prison Strike: Jailhouse Lawyers Speak Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee The Fire Inside Collective Millions for Prisoners The People's Consortium WNC Prison Strike Info Session If you're in the Asheville area, Tuesday the 17th from 5-7:30pm at Firestorm, Blue Ridge ABC is holding an info session about the prison strike. There'll be an introduction workshop to writing to prisoners followed by news about the strike, propaganda to take home and brainstorming on outreach methods we can take to get word flowing on the outside and support those rumblings on the inside. This event is open to anyone who's interested in uplifting prisoner voices. Intl Week of Solidarity with Anarchist Prisoners In other prison-related news, here's an announcement about the August 23- 30th 6th Annual Week of Solidarity with Anarchist Prisoners. From https://solidarity.intenational/ : We are coming back with global week of solidarity with anarchist prisoners. Since last year, a lot has changed in our countries, but the general tendency is going in the worse direction with more repressions applied against anarchists not only in Europe but worldwide. With this in mind, we are calling for sixth annual week of solidarity! Last year lots of people sent us their reports from different parts of the world and we hope that this year the tradition will grow even bigger. We need to support our comrades! Use this week to spread the information about anarchists behind bars. Don't have prisoners in your country? No worry, support prisoners from other countries in your region or use those days to raise awareness of repression mechanisms and how anarchist communities can fight against them! Build up security culture, support your local anarchist prisoners and fight back. Do not hesitate to continue sending your reports to tillallarefree@riseup.net! Nobody is free till all are free! Intl Day of Solidarity with Antifascist Prisoners Also, of note, #J25Antifa is the 4th Annual Day of Soli with Antifascist prisoners. Many of the prisoners that are listed on the NYC Antifa post are within the borders of the Russian Federation and it's a good opportunity to show international solidarity in it's various forms for these good folks facing severe crackdowns. NYC Anarchist Black Cross is having a letter writing dinner at the Base in Brooklyn on Tuesday, July 17th at 7pm if you're in New York. Eric King's Partner Needs Help In other anarchist prisoner related topics, the partner of Eric King has just suffered some major tragedies in her life and could use some help. She was recently in a car accident from which she's recovering but now lacks a vehicle for her day to day work life, the childcare of Eric and her two kids, and her weekly visitations of him in prison. On top of that and her partner serving a sentence on which he has 5 more years, Eric's partner was also just diagnosed with thyroid cancer. If you have any extra dough you can toss to her, there's a go fund me page where she's soliciting donations. This can be found at gofundme.com. Sean Swain update To check in about last week's ask about Sean Swain's condition, we have yet to hear anything back from Sean, the prisoner who has for the last 4 years been doing a weekly segment on our radio show. Sean had been missing from the ODRC database of prisoners and not showing up as a transfer to another prison but the day after last week's episode of our show it was brought to our attention that Sean was now back in the Ohio database's website. Anyone with clues about Sean's condition and state of being, please drop us a line at thefinalstrawradio@riseup.net. The Texas prison system is trying terrorist-jacket politicized prisoner Malik Washington! Politicized prisoner Malik Washington was cleared for removal from Ad-Seg by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's state classification committee last month. He has spent the past two years in solitary confinement on a bogus riot charge, which TDCJ has since admitted was not for actual rioting, but for organizing fellow prisoners to engage in work stoppages during the 2016 nationwide prison strike. But as soon as Malik got to his new unit, he was informed that his clearance had been revoked, and that he was heading back to Ad-Seg. He was given no explanation of why, but his support network did some digging, and found out that the classification committee is claiming to have "received additional information" from the Fusion Center in Texas, causing a determination that "it was in the best interest of the department that he not be released from Ad-Seg." Fusion Centers bad news; they are based in the Department of Homeland Security and deal with anti-terrorism intelligence gathering, which, as we know, means manufacturing evidence to label people associated with the anti-authoritarian left, and others, as terrorists. Fusion Centers are shadowy, unaccountable arms of the repressive state apparatus, and are quickly becoming one of state's new favorite tools. What just happened to Malik is a signal that TDCJ is upping its repression of anarchist-identified prisoners, Muslims, and those engaged in black liberation struggle. Please share this info with any media contacts you have; urge them to investigate Fusion Centers, and to ask questions about what kind of information they collect, how it is fact-checked, and how this data collection contributes to political repression--and urge them to dig into Malik's situation! Write to Malik at: Keith H. Washington #1487958 McConnell Unit 3001 South Emily Drive Beeville, TX 78102 Red Fawn Fallis sentenced to 57 months in jail from Unicorn Riot: In May, Michael "Little Feather" Giron was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for actions taken to defend pipeline resistance camps from police assault. Several other water protectors still face federal charges, with potential sentences of decades in prison, stemming from their participation in the resistance to the Dakota Access Pipeline.Indigenous Water Protector Red Fawn Fallis, a political prisoner arrested during the movement to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline, was sentenced today in federal court by Judge Daniel Hovland. Fallis was sentenced to 57 months (4.75 years) in federal prison. She will receive a credit of 18 months 'time served' taken off of her sentence, from time spent in North Dakota jails before trial proceedings began. Fallis is expected to serve a total of 39 months in prison followed by 3 years probation. In January 2018, Fallis entered a non-cooperating plea agreement in which prosecutors agreed to seek a sentence of less than seven years. In exchange, she pleaded guilty to charges of 'Civil Disorder' and 'Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Convicted Felon.' Red Fawn and her supporters had previously maintained her innocence, and had stated that Fallis accepted the plea deal under the assumption that she would not receive a fair trial due to prosecutors withholding evidence. Judge Hovland had forbidden Fallis' defense team from mentioning treaty rights or other issues related to her arrest at anti-pipeline protests near the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's reservation border. The case against Red Fawn had centered around allegations she fired a gun during her arrest on October 27, 2016, when a massive police and military raid seized indigenous treaty lands on behalf of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The gun allegedly fired by Fallis was later revealed to have belonged to Heath Harmon, an undercover FBI informant who was romantically involved with Red Fawn at the time of her arrest. Before she was sentenced by Judge Hovland, Red Fawn Fallis told the court, "No matter where I go from here I am going to continue going forward…I wanted to move forward in a positive way away from Heath Harmon and the things he tried to put on me while I was trying to push him away." – Red Fawn Fallis Sharing Is Caring If you like the podcast, share it with someone. We want to spread these voices and their messages far and wide. Also, you can upvote us in the iTunes library to extend or reach. You can find our stuff up on twitter, fedbook, instagram, mastadon, youtube and reddit, plus our most recent show is always up on soundcloud.
undefined
Jul 8, 2018 • 1h 38min

End Prison Slavery: National Prison Strike 2018, Aug 21st- Sept 9

This week Bursts had two conversations, both focusing on the upcoming Prisoner Strike from August 21st to September 9th, 2018, one with a member of IWOC and one with a Amani Sawari, a media liaison for some of the prisoners who called for the strike. The viewpoints expressed by the two guests are at time contradictory and at others redundant but it felt better to keep their voices mostly intact rather than weave them to create a streamlined narrative. Amani Sawari In part one, Amani Sawari will speak about the prison strike, the need to increase opportunities for release and civic engagement by prisoners and former prisoners in the face of historical disenfranchisement and she'll also read some statements and demands from the prisoner-organizers. Her info on the upcoming strike and resources can be found at sawarimi.org. Brooke, Oakland IWOC At about 29min 45 seconds, we'll hear from Brooke, an organizer with the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee of the IWW. Brooke is based in Oakland, CA. He'll talk about IWOC and their role and views of prison organizing, labor organizing, and the upcoming strike. More from IWOC can be found at inarceratedworkers.org. announcements J20 Update As many listeners have no doubt heard, the remaining 38 j20 defendants got their charges dropped the other day without prejudice! This means that the cases could theoretically be opened again at any time, thought this is thought to be pretty unlikely. This is a historical moment, not only for the courts who were staggeringly unable to rise to this occasion - humiliating themselves at pretty much every possible turn - but also for anarchists everywhere. This whole long, difficult year and a half forged bonds that are all the more strong for having gone through the fire together, which can and no doubt will experience similar oppressions, difficulties, and tough breaks with the same finesse and resilience which was demonstrated here. To anyone listening who was personally affected by this, you are an inspiration. Now we get to celebrate, and now we get to feel the extent of our power. Sean Swain? If you're missing the voice of Sean Swain like we are, Here's a little plug with his voice to get those juices flowing. Now, please consider giving a call to Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Director Gary Mohr at 614-387-0588 or calling Warren Correctional Warden Chae Harris at 513-932-3388 (Fax: 513-933-0150) and asking about Sean's whereabouts and restrictions to his communication. If you find out anything interesting, maybe that we haven't learned yet about his silence, drop us an email at thefinalstrawradio@riseup.net or at his support email, seanswain@riseup.net.Thanks a lot! . ... . .. Playlist
undefined
Jul 1, 2018 • 1h 19min

OccupyICEPDX and J20 case updates

#OccupyICEPDX and J20 Updates This week, we're featuring two interviews. The first was an an interview from the IGDcast with someone affiliated with #OccupyIcePDX blocking the immigration detention center in Portland, OR. The second was a chat we had with a supporter of the J20 arrestees, from among the 230 people rounded up during the Inauguration protests of January 20th, 2017, in Washington, DC and still facing over 60 years in prison each. Updates from #OccupyICEPDX in Portland The first is an interview that our friends over at the IGD podcast, #ThisIsAmerica from the June 28th episode, number 14. It features a person involved in the occupation of the entry way of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland, Oregon against the deportations of migrants by ICE agents that have grabbed headlines for ripping families apart across the country and throwing children into cages. The interviewee shares experiences of ICE and Homeland Security invasions of the space and the importance of opposing this imposition of borders on free humans. More about resistance to the ICE raids can be found at https://itsgoingdown.org and subscribing to their podcast is as easy as clicking here! It's worth noting that on Saturday the 30th of July, fascist street forces attacked the anti-ICE encampment with weapons, passing through a police line as a phalanx to do it, and the police stood by and let it happen. The police acted to protect the fascist Proud Boys, Patriot Prayers, ultra-right Nationalists and Nazi's and only pushed back against antifascists when it was clear that our side was winning. Check out IDGcast #15 for Rose City Antifa talking about prep to resist the fash in Portland and keep an ear out for reportbacks on that medium and their website. Also, this good writeup available at crimethinc.com. Keep safe out there, wherever you are, and remember that the cops and Klan go hand in hand. Here's a fundraiser for costs and charges related to resisting Patriot Prayer on June 30th. Updates on J20 Inauguration Arrest Cases Next up, I spoke with a supporter of the J20 Inauguration arrestees about how the case has been progressing (basically the prosecutors are getting their patookus' handed to themselves), the pressures of facing felony charges and types of support folks can offer and other hijinks, including discussion of jury nullification. Don't know what that is? Enter it as a search term in your favorite search engine. More info on the case can be found through the regular and on point twitter feed of Unicorn Riot (@UR_Ninja) and as well as the handles @defendj20 and @dropj20 on twitter or at the website https://defendj20resistance.org. Please stay tuned to the end of the episode for a couple of anarchist podcast suggestions from William Goodenuff plus some news about streaming services, the dangerous incarceration of political prisoner "Comrade Malik Washington", & the Halifax Anarchist Bookfair. Announcements: The Final Straw Radio is now streaming on the internet station, Anon Global Radio. Halifax (A) Bookfair And here's an announcement about the upcoming Halifax Anarchist Bookfair in Nova Scotia, so-called Canada Brother Haroun in ATL needs support! Black community activist named Brother Haroun Walik, the founder and CEO of the Streets Groomers group in Atlanta, Georgia, had his house ransacked by police and FBI while he was in hospital for a recurring condition. The police are following a claim of assault which Haroun claims is untrue and is being acted on in retaliation for doing street-level organizing against gentrification and attempting to divert youth away from gang membership and patrol the streets against police intimidation with his org. You can find out more about Street Groomers at their website, http://streetgroomers.org, you can donate to his bond and legal costs at https://gofundme.com/6f87oc/ and you can keep up to date on the harassment of Haroun Walik in the updates section of that site as well as the @the_streetgroomers instagram. All Hands on Deck: Get Malik Washington out of Ad-Seg! Several weeks ago, friends and supporters of incarcerated freedom fighter Comrade Malik Washington were overjoyed to hear that he was getting released, finally, from Administrative Segregation (solitary confinement) at Eastham Unit in Texas--until TDCJ (Texas Department of Criminal Justice) pulled a fast one, falsely claiming that Malik refused the Ad-Seg Transition Program to get him released from solitary back to general population. This is a complete lie, as well as patently absurd: Malik has been fighting to get out of Ad-Seg from the moment he was thrown in there two years ago on a bogus riot charge (which was, itself, retaliation for prison strike organizing and agitating against inhumane and discriminatory prison conditions). Here's what actually happened: Malik arrived his new unit, Ramsey I, on June 21, only to discover that he was being assigned to a top bunk, which is prohibited by his medical restrictions as a seizure patient. Then it got worse: TDCJ had failed to transfer his medical restrictions records, or had erased them, and were now claiming no record of these restrictions, which have been on file and in place for the past ten years. Malik wrote a detailed statement requesting to be placed on a lower bunk in order to avoid injury; later that night, he was abruptly transferred out of Ramsey, and was told that staff there said he refused the transition program! This is blatant targeting of a prison rebel whose resistance has inconvenienced and embarrassed TDCJ time and time again; it is a continuation of the pattern of targeted harassment and retaliation Malik has experienced from TDCJ every step of the way. Malik's supporters are extremely concerned for his safety, and we urgently need the help of everyone hearing or reading this! 1. Please write to Malik at his new address -- every letter he receives tells prison staff that Malik has people looking out for him, which is important protection. Keith H. Washington #1487958 McConnell Unit 3100 South Emily Drive Beeville, TX 78103 2. Call Senior Warden Phillip Sifuentes at Malik's current facility (McConnell) and tell them Keith Washington (#1487958) should not be in Ad-Seg! Phone #: (361) 362-2300 (**048) 00 -- ask to be connected to the senior warden's office/receptionist--try to talk to someone, but also can leave a message. Script: Hello, I'm calling because I'm concerned about Keith H. Washington (#1487958) who was recently transferred to your facility. I understand he was transferred there from Ramsey Unit, because he supposedly refused to participate in the transition program there, but this is not the case. He never refused to be part of the program, and he needs to be transferred back to Ramsey and admitted to the transition program immediately! Please let us know how your call goes atblueridgeABC@riseup.net . ... . .. Playlist
undefined
Jun 25, 2018 • 1h 7min

Voices from the Balkan Route, Rojava and ZAD (Radio Klaxon)

This week on The Final Straw, we're airing three international segments covering anarchist perspectives from the Rojava Revolution in Northern Syria, voices from the pirate radio, Radio Klaxon on the ZAD, a land occupation in western France, and refugee solidarity and struggle in on the border of Croatia and Bosnia in the Balkans. First, we'll hear an interview with an anarchist recently returned from Rojava, the autonomous regions in North Western Syria where an anti-capitalist, ecological and feminist social revolution has been taking place while first fighting off Daesh or ISIS militants and now those fighters sent back in alongside troops from the fascist Turkish state under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The interview was conducted by comrades from Črna Luknja, comrades who first aired during the epic 8 hours of live radio from the 4th International Anarchist and Anti-Authoritarian Radio Gathering in May in Berlin, 2018. Črna Luknja, is based in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and airs their content (sometimes in English) can be found at http://radiostudent.si/druzba/crna-luknja. If you like what you hear, check out the monthly, English-language anarchist news podcast we in the A-Radio Network collaborates on called "BAD News: Angry Voices From Around The World." Our latest episode can be found on our website or at https://a-radio-network.org . To hear more audios from anarchists engaged with Rojava, you might consider checking out the podcast Vendenga Rojava. And for more resources from this perspective, check out http://internationalistcommune.com and check out their Kurmanji (or Kurdish) learning resources, updates on the situation there, ways to donate and ways to get more involved in the struggle in Rojava. Next, we'll hear from Riot Turtle, an audio-comrade involved in the anarchist media project, Enough Is Enough, based in Europe, recorded on June 17th, 2018. In this segment, we hear audios from Vileka Kladusa, a village on the Bosnian and Croatian border. You'll hear the construction of refugee tents in the background while people from SOS Team Kladuša, a local initiative to support refugees as they attempt to traverse the Balkan Route from the south of Europe and towards the north, facing violence from police and border officials day to day. You'll also hear refugees speak about their journeys and the violence they've faced, as well as audio from tension on the border with authorities. Earlier this month, there were about 1,000 people in this camp and only 4 international volunteers, no NGO attention besides a weekly visit by Doctors Without Borders and is supported by local initiatives of the Bosnian neighbors. To find out about how you can donate to these efforts, as well as more articles, video and audio by comrades at Enough Is Enough, you can visit their website (https://enoughisenough14.org) and search for "emergency call sos team bosnia". There you will find donation options for the efforts of SOS Team Kladuša as well as for Cars of Hope, which coordinates needs and haves to alleviate the suffering imposed by borders and move people. Finally, we'll hear a conversation we recorded a week before the second round of evictions at the ZAD in early May of 2018. The interview with Marcel and Camille (two names commonly used to anonymize folks speaking to the media on the ZAD), speak about the pirate radio station, Klaxon, that they have participated in for a long time. If you don't know, the ZAD is a decades long struggle against the building of an airport in traditional swamplands and farm lands in Brittany in western France near the city of Nantes. In the last 10 years, anarchists & autonomists have occupied the land to stop the government and the corporation VINCI from building a new aerotropolis megaproject for Nantes. This occupation and surrounding social movement has been marked by violent clashes with police and the creation of a police-free zone, an inspiration to many around the world. This year the French state cancelled the airport and began the process of legalizing some squats. With the end of the airport, less radical support in the movement drifted away and evictions began in earnest. Klaxon folks talk about the role their station plays in amplifying the voices of people on the ZAD who might intimidated in publishing their views on the website or in their newspaper or at public meetings because of intersections of class, race, gender, education, language access and such, as well as the role the station plays in resisting the evictions. You can hear Klaxon by visiting https://zad.nadir.org and clicking the listen link on the right side of the page. Ps, it's in French.
undefined
Jun 17, 2018 • 1h 11min

Shane Burley on Fascism Today + Asheville IWW on Service Work

This week on The Final Straw, we'll be airing two interviews. Shane Burley on Fascism Today In the first, Bursts spoke with author and activist Shane Burley about the state of street level fascism and anti-fascism in the U.S. Shane is the author of numerous articles on the subject as well as a the 2017 book from AK Press, "Fascism Today: What It Is And How To End It." The conversation ranges from talking about specific groups like Atomwaffen, The Proud Boys, Patriot Prayer and the Traditionalist Workers Party (TWP), to the Unite The Right 2 (UTR2) having been announced by Jason Kessler for either D.C. or Charlottesville, VA. Shane also talks about essentialism in fascism and the creeping relationship between "identitarian" patriarchs and the trans-misogyny of TERFs (Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists) in Deep Green Resistance, such as Lierre Kieth and Derrick Jensen. The book mentioned by Bursts about essentialism, fascism and anarchism can be found in audio format on R.A.D., another member of the CZN. The original text can also be found on their tumblr. Shane Burley is touring on the east coast, currently, and can be seen tonight (June 17th) at The Wooden Shoe in Philadelphia and on Tuesday the 19th at Potter's House in Washington, D.C. Asheville IWW on Service Workers Assembly Then about 45 minutes into the episode, you'll hear Bursts speaking with two members of the Asheville branch of the Industrial Workers of the World, or IWW. The wobblies talk about the upcoming Service Workers Assembly they have planned for Tuesday, June 26th from 6-9pm at Kairos West, under Firestorm in West Asheville. Here's a link to their fedbook. If you are a service worker in the Asheville area and want to chat with other folks from the industries about how your conditions could improve, come on by. No bosses, snitches or scabs, please. There's no Sean Swain again this week, hopefully we'll get the crossed wires fixed soon. Announcements Debbie Africa of MOVE9 released! Debbie Sims Africa was paroled this week from prison after about 40 years inside for crossing the Philly PD and the Frank Rizzo administration! We hope that a push can happen to get the remaining 6 members inside. Welcome to the outside, Debbie! #FreeEmAll Local Announcement In this run-up week to the Another Carolina Anarchist Bookfair (ACAB2018), there'll be a game of punk jeopardy on Thursday the 21st at the Lazy Diamond starting at 9pm. The venue is a bar, so it's 21 and up only. Proceeds from the benefit will go to the costs associated with the Charlotte Uprising in 2016, in particular to Glo Merriweather's and Rayquan Borum's legal defense funds. On Friday, feel free to stop by the welcome table at Firestorm for an intro to the range of events over the weekend. Check out the calendar of events, including the schedule for the workshops and more! Playlist

The AI-powered Podcast Player

Save insights by tapping your headphones, chat with episodes, discover the best highlights - and more!
App store bannerPlay store banner
Get the app