The Final Straw Radio

In a revealing conversation, an anonymous long-term anarchist comrade shares insights on surviving state repression. They discuss the emotional toll of trauma and the importance of supportive communities in navigating mental health challenges. The speaker emphasizes cultivating a strong security culture amidst growing surveillance and the need for collective resilience. Personal anecdotes highlight strategies for coping with intimidation, reinforcing the significance of solidarity in revolutionary movements. This discussion invites newcomers to engage with the anarchist ethos while prioritizing emotional well-being.

This week, we're sharing a recording of Andrew Zonneveld from the 2024 Another Carolina Anarchist Bookfair talking about his book All Will Be Equalized!: Georgia's Freedom Seekers of the Swamps, Backwoods, and Sea Islands 1526-1890 alongside his friend Modibo Kadalie. To see a video with the slides from the presentation, check out our youtube page. Transcript PDF (Unimposed Zine (Imposed PDF)

In this episode, you'll hear Cedric and Khuzama, two libertarian communists with connections to Syria and editor contributors to the blog interstices-fajawat.org , speaking about their observations of what's been going on leading up to and through the ouster of Bashar Al-Assad, as well as complications among various factions on the ground and the view from the Syrian diaspora. The situation on the ground is changing fast, so check the show notes for this episode on our website for links to news sources that can be helpful in keeping up. Transcript PDF (Unimposed) Zine (Imposed PDF) And if you care to hear a perspective from an anarchist combatant affiliated with Tekosina Anarsist, which works with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria affiliated with the SDF and Rojava Revolution, you can find our episode from December 22nd and the transcribed zine.

This week, we're sharing a conversation with Errico, a combatant member of Tekoşîna Anarşist, an internationalist anarchist formation in critical solidarity with the Rojava Revolution. For this episode, Errico answers some questions we had about what's been happening in Syria and concerns from within the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. You can find ideas and updates from the TA formation on their blog, https://tekosinaanarsist.noblogs.org. Past interviews with TA can be found here. Transcript in English Transkrypcja polska 中文稿 PDF (Unimposed) English 中文 English Zine (Imposed PDF) Errico's voice has been re-recorded by a comrade for anonymity. The transcript is already up in the show notes and at our website for easier reading, translation and sharing and you can find past interviews we've done with TA linked in the show notes. And there is an announce-only signal group that anyone can join with updates and analysis by anarchists in the region or paying attention which we'll link in our shownotes. Just a headsup, the usernames of members of this group will be visible to the all other users there and it might be a good opportunity to set up your signal username and make your phone number unfindable for better anonymity prior to joining the signal group ( https://signal.group/#CjQKIN0TDK_nsHV4uXRtLIdaUOL2R6yv7uvRs8c3RUiXLr-EEhBPEntGCDqJQOD4pzU36i6O ) We simultaneously recorded an interview with Cedric and Khuzama, two libertarian communists and editors of and contributors to the blog Interstices-Fajawat.org about their insights into Syria. This interview will be coming out soon, so keep an eye on our feed. . ... . .. Featured Track: Rojava Punks by Emperor X from The Lakes of Zones B and C

This week, we're featuring two segments. First up, Phil Wilayto of the Virginia Defenders talks about conditions at Red Onion State Prison in western Virginia where a number of prisoners have been self-immolating in order to escape longterm isolation and racist guard violence. You can find Phil's article on the SF Bay View which includes a clip of Noelle Hanrahan on Al-Jazeera talking about this subject, and past interviews with and about Kevin "Rashid" Johnson at this link here. [00:01:02 - 00:41:15] Then, you'll hear Jo, an anarchist from Germany, speaking about the recent building of conspiracy cases against antifascists known as Antifa-Ost, or Antifa East. You can find our prior interview about NSU Watch and Day X here. [ 00:44:45 - 01:11:42 ] More info on Antifa-Ost and the Budapest Structure: https://www.129a.info/en/index.html https://political-prisoners.net/tag/antifa-ost-verfahren/ https://www.soli-antifa-ost.org/ https://www.basc.news/ . ... . .. Featured Track: The Adjuster by Adjuster

This week, we're airing an interview with anarchist author, Peter Gelderloos about two of his recent books They Will Beat the Memory Out of Us: Forcing Nonviolence on Forgetful Movements (Pluto Books, 2024) as well as Organization, Community, Continuity (Detritus, 2024). For this episode, we speak on movement memory, community, care work, organization and struggle. Transcript PDF (Unimposed) Zine (Imposed PDF)

This week, we're sharing a presentation entitled "Abortion Beyond The State" by Jex Blackmore and Hydra Mutual Aid Fund, recorded at the 2024 Another Carolina Anarchist Bookfair in so-called Asheville, NC. You can find more audios, past schedules and more at ACABookfair.NoBlogs.Org. Jex's slide presentation visuals over the audio can be found at YouTube Transcript PDF (Unimposed) Zine (Imposed PDF) From the description: "Government control of reproductive capacity has long persisted as a tool to subordinate birthing people, women, people of color, people living on lower incomes, and other marginalized groups. The Supreme Court's harmful ruling in Dobbs made clear that both the State, its actors, and the non-profit industrial complex have failed the people, giving rise to the urgent necessity for the movement to defend itself through direct provisions to community. This workshop will provide context to the current crisis surrounding bodily autonomy and reproduction and share a roadmap for subverting state control by building networks of support to provide safe and effective abortion regardless of legality. The Hydra Fund is an independent mutual aid fund supporting access to reproductive care in Michigan. Their mission is to eliminate financial barriers to abortion access in Michigan by providing direct financial aid for purchasing abortion pills and obtaining in-clinic abortion procedures. Additionally, Hydra Fund is engaged in a community outreach education program to support access to evidence-based abortion information." For other abortion chats you can listen to from TFSR, check out this link Other resources mentioned include: Turnaway Study (tons of resources here) Carolina Abortion Fund Mountain Area Abortion Doula Collective PlanCPills.Org Announcement Phone Zap for Malik Muhammad Malik Muhammad, a prisoner from the George Floyd Uprising has been on hunger strike against extended use of solitary confinement with no property and after a beating and tasering by staff. You can learn how to participate in a phone zap at MalikSpeaks.NoBlogs.Org

This week, we're featuring two interviews concerning prison conditions in North Carolina. First up, you'll hear from Elizabeth Simpson of Emancipate NC, one of the signatories to a public letter to this state's department of corrections calling for the release of hundreds of prisoners in North Carolina. This comes in response to over-crowding and understaffing of prisons following the emergency transfer of 2,000 prisoners from prisons in the western part of the state effected by Hurricane Helene. [00:01:15 - 00:18:50] Then, Mona Evans of Benevolence Farm, a post-release residence and re-entry program in North Carolina for people coming out of the women's prisons talks about their programs, re-entry and some of the realities faced inside womens prisons in this state. [00:20:04 - 01:04:40] In this conversation I mentioned Victoria Law's latest book, Corridors of Contagion: How the Pandemic Exposed the Cruelties of Incarceration (Haymarket Books). You can find our 2013 interview with her about her 2nd edition of Resistance Behind Bars: The Struggles of Incarcerated Women at this link. Other projects Mona mentioned include: Arise Collective re-entry program DownhomeNC engages in a number of progressive causes in this state, including the bail fund that Benevolence Farms is currently running. You can find our 2020 interview with them here. . ... . .. Featured Track: Women on the Inside by Sistas In The Pit from The We That Sets Us Free: Building A World Without Prisons

This week, we're featuring three segments in our episode. First up, you'll hear Maru Mora-Villalpando talking about the immigration prison known as the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, WA and the organizing that her organization La Resistencia does to shut down this private prison run by Geo Group. [ 00:00:54 - 00:44:00 ] Then, a member of Pittsburgh Fash Watch, an antifascist group, talks about their mobilization and unmasking of white supremacists in their area, such as WLM and Goyim Defense League (GDL) chud Brandon Cahall. [ 00:45:07 - 00:54:42] Transcript Transkript auf Deutsch PDF (Unimposed) Zine (Imposed PDF) Finally, Sean Swain addresses post-election ennui. [ 00:54:45-end ] . ... . .. Featured Track: Bella Ciao by Leslie Fish

A recent conversation we had with the Ben Lorber and Shane Burley, co-authors of the recently published book, Safety Through Solidarity: A Radical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism. For the hour we discuss the roots of antisemitism in the West, pushing back on Zionism in the midst of the genocidal war on Palestinians, a rebirth of Bundism and addressing antisemitism in left spaces. I definitely recommend this book to folks and hope you enjoy the chat! And as always, thanks for supporting this project. Transcript PDF (Unimposed) Zine (Imposed PDF) Past interviews with Shane: Fascism Today Why We Fight . … . .. Featured Track: Daloit Politsey by Isabel Frey In Ale Gasn = In Every Street / Hey, Hey, Daloy Politsey! = Hey, Hey Down With The Police! featuring Zalmen Mlotek, Adrienne Cooper, Dan Rous with The New Yiddish Chorale and The Workmen's Circle Chorus from In Love and In Struggle: The Musical Legacy of the Jewish Labor Bund