The Ex-Worker

As we go to press, protests in Sacramento and beyond are ongoing over the police murder of Stephon Clark. We interview an anarchist sex worker about the new FOSTA-SESTA bill and its impact on sex workers’ safety and organizing. We also feature an interview with a comrade from Quebec about the anti-capitalist mobilization against the G7 summit in Quebec in June. Don’t miss our roundup of #DefendAfrin actions that took place on March 24, or our reflections on the political moment we’re in after the March For Our Lives. {March 28, 2018}

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

• Table of Contents:
  • Introduction {0:00}
  • Headlines {1:35}
  • FOSTA-SESTA interview {5:23}
  • Sacramento against killer cops {11:07}
  • March For Our Lives {12:35}
  • #DefendAfrin actions roundup {16:50}
  • Repression Roundup {24:25}
  • Next Week’s News {29:45}  
• Download 29:30 minutes long version
• CrimethInc. texts mentioned in this Hotwire:
  • We Don’t Need Gun Control, We Need To Take Control
  • Why the Torture Cases in Russia Matter: How the Tactics that the Russian State Uses against Anarchists Could Spread
• Other anarchist shows mentioned in this Hotwire:
  • In Hotwire 22 we cover the controversial anti-gentrification black bloc in Hamilton, Ontario
  • The Ex-Worker #53: “Anti-Globalization” Walking Tour of Washington, D.C.
  • This Is Parkdale, a documentary about grassroots tenant organizing in Toronto  
• Start gearing up for a summer of anarchy in Quebec!
  • The Montreal Anarchist Bookfair (May 26–27)
  • The anarchist theatre festival (May 22–23 in Montreal)
  • The anarchist film festival (May 17–20 in Montreal)
  • The North American Studies Network Conference (June 1–3 in Montreal)
  • Anti-G7 mobilization (June 7–9 in Quebec City)
• Fundraising:
  • Crimean anarchist political prisoner Evgeny Karakashev is in need of support. You can donate by PayPaling money to abc-msk@riseup.net, and please mention “for Evgeny Karakashev.”
  • In the wake of FOSTA-SESTA, there are groups like Saint James Infirmary, Red Light Legal, and a new group called New Whore-izons which are all focusing in different ways on redistributing both and wealth and resources by sex workers and for sex workers.
  • The Southeast Trans and/or Women Action Camp has had their donation page shut down twice, so if you have some bucks to spare you can donate at PayPal.me/setwac2018.
  • Indigenous water protector Mason Neck is also in need of help. You can donate to his commissary here (TO MASON NECK, HUGHES COUNTY), and you can send him letters and books here:
    MASON NECK
    HUGHES COUNTY PRISON
    3100 E. HWY 34
    PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA 57501
• Author Mark Bray speaking about his book Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook
  • Thursday, March 29: Appalachian State University, NC, 7 PM in Belk Library, Room 114  
• Mutual Aid Disaster Relief tour
  • March 30 @ 6 PM at The Park Church 208 W Gray St Elmira, NY 14901: Protectors v. Profiteers: Communities in Resistance to Disaster Capitalism
  • March 31 @ 10 AM at The Park Church 208 W Gray St Elmira, NY 14901: Giving Our Best, Ready For The Worst: Community Organizing as Disaster Preparedness
  • April 2 @ 6:30 PM at Pittsburgh Public Library, Pittsburgh, PA: Protectors v. Profiteers: Communities in Resistance to Disaster Capitalism
  • April 3 @ 7 PM at Glitter Box Theater 460 Melwood Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213: Giving Our Best, Ready For The Worst: Community Organizing as Disaster Preparedness
  • April 4 @ 7 PM at Glitter Box Theater 460 Melwood Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213: Giving Our Best, Ready For The Worst: Community Organizing as Disaster Preparedness  
• Use this straightforward guide to writing prisoners from New York City Anarchist Black Cross to write birthday greetings to political prisoners Chuck Sims Africa and Delbert Africa.
  • Charles Sims Africa #AM–4975 
    SCI Dallas 
    1000 Follies Road 
    Dallas, Pennsylvania 18612
    {Birthday: April 2}  
  • Delbert Orr Africa #AM–4985 
    SCI Dallas 
    1000 Follies Road 
    Dallas, Pennsylvania 18612
    {Birthday: April 2}
• J20 support resources:
  • J20 Legal Defense Fund
  • Twitter
  • Fed book
  • An Open Letter to Former J20 Defendants, with useful “do”s and “don’t”s 
  • Teen Vogue: The J20 Arrests and Trials, Explained
• Corrections & Clarifications:  
  • We were just going to press last week when reports about actions for the week of solidarity with Russian anarchist prisoners were coming in. We want to update our list to mention that solidarity rallies and marches were also held in Stockholm; Helsinki; Kharkiv; Prague; Turku, Finland; Brno; Barcelona; Bern; Leipzig; and Canberra, Australia.
  • Last episode we incorrectly reported that Herman Bell was released. Rather, he was granted release on parole after over four decades in prison—hurrah! But now New York City’s mayor, the governor, and the police unions are trying to reverse that decision. Here’s what you can do to support Herman:
    • 1) CALL New York State Governor Cuomo’s Office NOW: 518–474–8390
    • 2) EMAIL New York State Governor Cuomo’s Office      
    • 3) TWEET at Governor Cuomo: use the following sample tweet: “@NYGovCuomo: stand by the Parole Board’s lawful & just decision to release Herman Bell. At 70 years old and after more than 40 years of incarceration, his release is overdue. #BringHermanHome.”
    • Use this script for phone calls and emails:  “Governor Cuomo, my name is __________ and I am a resident of [New York State/other state/other country]. I support the Parole Board’s decision to release Herman Bell and urge you and the Board to stand by the decision. I also support the recent appointment of new Parole Board Commissioners, and the direction of the new parole regulations, which base release decisions more on who a person is today than on the nature of their crime committed years ago. Returning Herman to his friends and family will help heal the many harms caused by crime and decades of incarceration. The Board’s decision was just, merciful and lawful, and it will benefit our communities and New York State as a whole.”