The Ex-Worker

This week we go on a bunch of rants. We rant about why no state is better than a new state in Catalonia. We rant about why anti-fascists should not allow the state to position itself as the principal force protecting people from Nazi violence. We rant about how mutual aid and community relief must mean opposition to capitalism and a redistribution of wealth. Rant rant rant! Rah rah rah! {October 4, 2017}

-------SHOW NOTES------

• Table of Contents:
  • Introduction {0:00}
  • Headlines {1:42}
  • Does Catalonian freedom mean a new state, or no state? {7:55}
  • Is fascist violence terrorism, or just plain old fascism? {14:20}
  • Mutual aid means abolishing capitalism {18:57}
  • Repression Roundup {24:45}
  • Anarchist Podcast Jingles {27:47}
  • Prisoner Birthdays {29:42}
  • Next Week’s News {31:05}
• Upcoming anarchist bookfairs: The sixth annual anarchist book and propaganda gathering in Santiago, Chile will take place on October 14 and 15.
• Grassroots relief efforts:
  • Florida: Mutual Aid Disaster Relief
  • Texas: Bayou Action Street Health, Greater Houston Grassroots Relief, World on My Shoulders, Austin Common Ground, the Black Women’s Defense League, Redneck Revolt Houston, West Street Response Team, Houston Food Not Bombs
  • Puerto Rico: Hurricane Maria Community Recovery Fund, Mutual Aid Disaster Relief
  • Mexico: Oaxaca Earthquake Autonomous Solidarity Campaign
• Go here. to donate to the bail and legal fund for those arrested in St. Louis after the no-guilty verdict for killer cop Jason Stockley.
• The Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement’s call to deface Columbus Day on October 9 has a dope video here.
• We mention the new episode of Submedia’s excellent show Trouble. This month’s episode is on counter-insurgency. Submedia does great work, so throw them some taco money while they are fundraising this month.
• There’s a call to disrupt the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in Philadelphia from October 21 to 24., including a march starting at Thomas Paine Plaza at 10 AM on October 21. Read the call to action here..
• Alerta! Alerta! Anti-fascists in Florida are calling for anti-racists to oppose Richard Spencer, who will speak at the University of Florida in Gainesville on October 19.
• You can find the DropJ20 drop-the-charges call-in campaign here. Donate to the Counter Repression Spokes Ride to support the nearly 200 people facing 8 or more felonies each after being mass-arrested at protests of the presidential inauguration. Keep up with the latest at defendj20resistance.org. Consider coming down to DC to pack the courtroom during the first trial at the end of November 2017. And don’t forget to write a letter to political prisoner Dane Powell, the first of the J20 defendants to serve time. He recently wrote a call to moibilize support for the remaining 194 J20 defendants.

  Write Dane a letter:
  Dane Powell
  BOP Register number 82015007
  Federal Correctional Institution – Low
  PO Box 1031
  Colman, Florida 33521

• Learn more about the difficult situation anarchists in Belarus are in through Anarchist Black Cross Belarus.
• Freshet Collective is organizing legal support for the 414 cases are still pending from Standing Rock. Natasha Lennard covers how 6 of the cases are nearly unprecedented federal charges faced by native activists.
• Go here to find out about the anti-nuclear camp in Bure, France happening on October 21 and 22.
• The video and reportback from the anarchist disruption of a fundamentalist Christian conference in Australia.
• Friends and family Black Panther Party political prisoner Herman Bell are asking for people to email the New York Department of Corrections after Herman was viciously beaten by guards. Comrade Malik is facing retaliation from prison staff for prisoner organizing, and is asking supporters to email the Texas Ombudsman to prevent any further action being taken against him.
• Video of badgers being liberated in the UK!
• ICYMI: So many police were concentrated in Catalonia that in Madrid, 86 migrants took advantage of the shortage of police and escaped from an immigrant detention center. As we go to press, 47 of them are still free!
• Other anarchist podcast episodes mentioned in this Hotwire: Ex-Worker episode #56 about Charlottesville. Hotwire #3 has an interview with an anarchist DREAMer about how to support undocumented folks. The anarchist podcast Bilda Kedjor (break the chains) out of Sweden has great stuff! Their podcast is in Swedish, but the interviews are in English. Definitely worth a listen.
• CrimethInc. essays mentioned in this Hotwire:
  • Anarchists on the Catalan Referendum: Three Perspectives from the Streets
  • The Rise of Neo-Fascism in Germany: Alternative für Deutschland Enters the Parliament
  • After the Crest: What to Do while the Dust Is Settling
• Get your pre-orders in now for the 2018 Certain Days: Freedom for Political Prisoners calendar. This year’s theme is “Awakening Resistance,” and features art and writings by Jesus Barraza, Fight Toxic Prisons, Serena Tang, Andrea Ritchie, Roger Peet, Sophia Dawson, Rasmea Support Committee, EE Vera, Herman Bell, Fernando Marti, Alexandra Valiente, Billie Belo, Arlene Gallone Support Committee, Marius Mason, David Gilbert, UB Topia, April Rosenblum, Design Action Collective, Sundiata Acoli, Crimethinc, Annie Banks, Mutope Duguma, Xinachtli, Zola and more. You can sponsor copies for prisoners for only $8, postage included! Just be sure to specify their full legal name and prisoner number. Single copies of the calendar will be available for purchase in a few weeks. Any questions can be sent to info@certaindays.org.
• Political prisoner birthdays: (For a good introduction to writing prisoners, check out this guide from New York City Anarchist Black Cross.)

  Jamil Al-Amin #99974–555 USP Tuscon
  Post Office Box 24550
  Tuscon, Arizona 85734
  {October 4}

  David Gilbert #83-A–6158
  Wende Correctional Facility
  3040 Wende Road
  Alden, New York 14004–1187
  {October 6}

  Michael Davis Africa #AM–4973
  SCI Graterford
  Post Office Box 244
  Graterford, Pennsylvania 19426–0244
  {October 6}

  Meral Smith* #16–024
  Saguaro Correctional Center
  1252 East Arica Road
  Eloy, Arizona 85131
  *Address letter to Malik (Smith)
  {October 8}