The Ex-Worker

It’s our last episode of the season! We have a big report on the Yellow Vests movement in France, and how it shows the need to move beyond the loyal opposition of centrism versus fascism. We say fuck Thanksgiving some, fuck the border a lot, fuck border patrol even more, fuck the government, fuck pipelines, fuck Wal-Mart, but thanks so much to all our wonderful listeners. Stay anarchy. {November 28, 2018}

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

• Table of Contents:
  • Intro {0:00}
  • Headlines {0:48}
  • Fuck Thanksgiving {5:00}
  • Migrant caravan news and interview {7:20}
  • Yellow Vests movement—fuck “apoliticism,” fuck centrism, fuck fascism {21:10}
  • Repression roundup {28:00}
  • Next Week’s News {35:30}
• Download 29:30 minutes long version.
• Upcoming events/demos/etc:
  • November 30: Mass demonstrations against the G20 meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
  • November 29 - December 2: Anarchist Book Fair in Umea, Sweden
  • Until December 7: There is a call for autonomous actions against the Laval Migrant Prison being built in Laval, Quebec, Canada.
  • December 2: The 5th Annual Howard Zinn Book Fair will be held from 10am–6pm at San Francisco City College Mission Campus, located t 1125 Valencia Street. This year’s theme is Fighting for the Air We Breathe and you can find out more at howardzinnbookfair.com.
  • December 6: To mark the ten year anniversary of the death of Alexis Grigoropoulos, Greek anarchists and students are calling for occupations and student mobilizations throughout the county on December 6.
  • December 9: A call by Stand Up to Racism and Unite Against Fascism to oppose a fascist march in London, England. Meet on Downing St, London at 11am.
  • December 10: There’s an international call from anarchists on four continents for a day of action against borders on December 10. The idea is to kick off the 10th of each month being an anti-border day of action.
  • December 31: Worldwide noise demonstrations outside prisons, jails, and detention facilities to demonstrate support for those held captive inside.
  • January 5–6: the Father Frost Against Putin Festival will take place again in Helsinki, Finland. The intention of the festival is for anarchists to be able to discuss the state of affairs in Russia and the ex-USSR while getting to meet other political activists without the roving eye of police or special service operations.
  • January 15-February 15: The Caravana Wallmapu is a caravan of different autonomous and alternative media collectives from around Latin America and the world, that will be traveling for a month through Mapuche territory in Argentina and Chile to draw attention to the struggles, experiences and voices of the Mapuche people. Check out @carav_wallmapu
  • January 25–26: BLACK FLAGS OVER BROOKLYN 2019 is a new anti-fascist, anti-racist extreme metal festival coming to the dark heart of Brooklyn, New York. Check out @blackflagsovrBK on Twitter to learn more.
  • February 2: Flower United is calling for a large anti-racist mobilization in response to a planned white supremacist rally at Stone Mountain Park outside Atlanta, GA. Check out flowerunited.org for more info.
  • February 23: the New York City Anarchist Mental Health Conference will be held in NYC. The one-day conference is for anarchist, anti-authoritarian, and anti-capitalist mental health care workers and students to skill-share, build community, and discuss how to infuse mental health work with anarchist values. Email nycamhc@protonmail.com for more info.
• In response to the California fires, North Valley Mutual Aid is organizing with community members to provide support for those affected. They’re currently asking for donations via their gofundme. Please also let them know if you have specific materials to donate or otherwise want to get involved on the ground; the Wallywood encampment is in Chico, California, in the Wal-Mart parking lot. And anyone from Paradise and the surrounding communities is encouraged to get in touch with ideas and needs to keep their efforts centered on those impacted directly who might not know their community is here to help in this manner. They can be reached at NVMA@riseup.net.
• Check out North Shore Counter Info for developments on the Locke Street case in Hamilton, Ontario.
• The Unistoten Camp is in need of support to stop TransCanada from coming into their indigenous territory. They’re asking people to come join the efforts, donate, and start solidarity campaigns! Visit unistoten.camp for more information.
• You can donate to the commissary of water protector Rattler through his support campaign, at freerattlernodapl.com or send him a letter at:

  Michael Markus 06280–073
  FCI Sandstone
  FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
  P.O. BOX 1000
  SANDSTONE, MN 55072

• Urgent call for a email/phone zap! Supporters of the Virgin Island 3 are imploring folks to help get them released from prison by pressuring the Governor to commute their sentences. Join with the Philly Anarchist Black Cross to help get them free. Because the Governor’s term is ending, time is truly of the essence and NOW is the time to contact him and express support for their commutation applications. You can remind the Governor that one of their co-defendants received a pardon back in 1994 and THERE’S NO REASON these men have been held for an additional 24 years. Please write a letter in support of their commutation, you can mail, email, or fax one in.

  Email letters to the Executive Assistant to the Governor: carmen.potter@go.vi.gov

  Call the officials in charge of reviewing the commutation applications: Governor Mapp’s Office: (340) 774–0001
  Lt. Governor Potter’s Office: (340) 774–2991
  Attorney General Claude Walker: (340) 773–0295
  Legal Counsel E. Henderson: (340) 712–2212

  Postal mail for commutation support letters: 

  Governor Kenneth Mapp
  Government House
  21–22 Kongens Gade
  Charlotte Amalie
  St. Thomas, VI 00802
  
  Lt. Governor Osbert Potter
  Office of the Lieutenant Governor
  1131 King Street, Suite 101
  Christiansted
  St. Croix, VI 00820

  Write to the Virgin Islands 3 to show support directly:

  Warren Ballentine #16–047
  Tallahatchie Correctional Facility
  415 US Highway 49N
  Tutwiler, MS 38963

  Beaumont Gereau #16–001
  Tallahatchie Correctional Facility
  415 US Highway 49N
  Tutwiler, MS 38963

  Meral Smith #16–024
  Tallahatchie Correctional Facility
  415 US Highway 49N
  Tutwiler, MS 38963

• The Vaughn trials are ongoing! You can check out vaughn17support.org for more information.
• You can watch footage on the ground of resistance against G20 at antenanegratv.com.ar, a rebel tv station occupying the airwaves in Buenos Aires. We’ve also been keeping a daily logbook over at crimethinc.com.
• Visit hambachforest.org to learn more about the Hambacher Forest and the efforts to protect it, or better yet, if you’re anywhere near Cologne, visit the Hambach Forest yourself to join in on the resistance!
• To find the best ways to support the migrant caravans travelling to the US-Mexico border, look up Commotion.World. They have lots of useful info—from listing the physical items that are needed, to who you can trust to donate to, to what you can do if you want to actually be on the ground, to a map of ICE detention centers and business that contract with ICE.
• There is a call out for solidarity actions with anarchists in Russia, who are currently experiencing brutal state repression. You can read more about the situation on rupression.com.
• Some other great podcasts to listen to, while we’re off the air:
  • The Final Straw
  • This is America
  • From Embers
  • Dissident Island
  • Channel Zero
  • Resonance Audio Distro
• Over the next month, use this straightforward guide to writing prisoners from New York City Anarchist Black Cross to write birthday messages!
  • On December 3, Kevin “Rashid” Johnson, an outspoken revolutionary prisoner active with the New Afrikan Black Panther Party and the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee.

    Kevin Johnson #264847
    Indiana Department of Corrections
    Reception-Diagnostic Center
    737 Moon Road
    Plainfield, IN 46168

  • December 4 is the birthday of Reality Winner, the alleged NSA whistleblower who is currently being held while awaiting trial on charges of leaking classified documents to the media.

    Reality Winner #22056–021
    FMC Carswell
    Post Office Box 27137
    Fort Worth, Texas 76127

  • December 15 is the birthday of Muhammad Burton, one of the Philly 5, a group of men accused of an alleged attack on a police station that killed one cop. Burton has maintained his innocence since his arrest.

    Fred Burton AF 3896
    SCI Somerset
    1590 Walters Mill Rd
    Somerset, PA 15510 USA

  • On December 17, Connor Stevens, one of the “Cleveland 4”, activists entrapped in a bomb plot set up by the FBI in order to repress the Occupy movement.

    Connor Stevens #57978–060
    FCI Jesup
    2680 Highway 301 South
    Jesup, Georgia 31599

  • Also on December 17, Alejandro Rodriguez-Ortiz, one of the Vaughn 17 prisoners currently facing charges for alleged participation in an uprising in early 2017.

    Alejandro Rodriguez-Ortiz
    SBI# 00515700
    Sussex Correctional Institution
    P.O. Box 500
    Georgetown DE 19947

  • On December 30, Casey Brezik, an anarchist prisoner serving time for an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate the governor of Missouri.

    Casey Brezik #1154765
    Farmington Correctional Center
    1012 West Columbia Street
    Farmington, MO 63640

  • And, on December 31 another Vaughn 17 prisoner, Jonathan Rodriguez, celebrates his birthday.

    Jonathan Rodriguez SBI# 00593313
    Sussex Correctional Institution
    P.O. Box 500
    Georgetown DE 19947

• Sales are OPEN for the 2019 Certain Days: Freedom for Political Prisoners calendar! The theme of next year’s calendar is Health/Care, and it features art and writing from current and former political prisoners like David Gilbert, Mike and Chuck Africa, and Laura Whitehorn. If you buy 10 or more, be sure to use the discount code “BULK” to get 10 or more calendars for $10 each—you can then sell the calendars to fundraise for your own organizing.
• CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS
  • In Hotwire 46 we incorrectly reported that Mapuche villager Camilo Catrillanca was 14 years old when he was killed by police. In fact, he was 24 and a father.