Asheville, gender, General, harm reduction, North Carolina, panel discussion, Prisons, Queer, Racism, repression

Tranzmission presents on Queer realities in prison

2014/06/04 The Final Straw Radio

http://tranzmissionprisonproject.tumblr.com/ — Download This Episode

This week’s episode features a presentation by members of Tranzmission Prison Project, an Asheville-based group. TPP is described on their tumblr as “Prison abolitionists against Queer & Trans* incarceration “. This is a recording of group members presenting their LGBTQQIA Prisoner Realities workshop recently at Warren Wilson College.

Trigger warning: This episode discusses sexual assault, solitary confinement and other torturous punishments.

For more info on this project, check out:
http://www.tranzmissionprisonproject.org/

Anarchist, General, Grand Jury, PNW, Sean Swain

Steve Jablonski on exile against the PNW Grand Jury (05/04/2014)

2014/05/12 The Final Straw Radio

(Post Script, April 2015: It has come to our attention at The Final Straw, and within the wider North American Anarchist scene, that Steve Jablonski’s story of evasion of a Grand Jury in the PNW was a false one. It’s regrettable that someone would choose to gain social and economic capital by posing themselves as bravely resisting the state and it’s harassment. As has been verified to us here at the show, Steve not only lied on this show, but in tons of personal interactions in the U.S. and Canada and took advantage of good intentions and trust while also soaking up resources that could have been used to support others actually resisting Grand Juries and otherwise experiencing State repression. The audio of this episode has been removed. For further clarification: http://anarchistnews.org/content/regarding-steven-jablonskis-deceptions-grand-juries-and-sensible-solidarity)

This week’s show features a conversation with Steve Jablonski, recently returned from a period of self-imposed exile in Canada as avoidance of receiving a Federal Grand Jury subpoena in relation to anti-police organizing in the pacific northwest and the May Day spree of 2012 in Seattle. Steve talks about the choice he made, the circumstances that allowed him to return, the support he received while abroad and his return to the U.S.

This week’s Sean Swain segment is read by a supporter. Sean has resumed his meals but is still being denied phone and email access. It is suggested that you take a minute and give a call to Chief Inspector Gary Mohr in Columbus Ohio at (614)752-1671 or (614)752-1677 and request that Sean be given those accesses so that he can more easily communicate with his new legal counsel, Richard Kerger. Seanswain.org also suggests calling ODRC Legal Services at 614-752-1765 and requesting to speak to Counsel Trevor Clark. Sean believes that Trainwreck Trevor is the source of his silencing.

We also announce a request by the Move9 Parole supporters that people call the Pennsylvania Parole Board from the 5th to the 9th 24/7 at (717) 772-4343 and request that the Board parole Debbie (Sims) Africa (#006307) on the grounds that Debbie has:
1.) received a positive recommendation from both the Warden and Superintendent of her prison for parole;
2.) employment and housing both set up for her if she is paroled
3.) an excellent prison conduct record.
More info can be found at http://move9parole.blogpsot.com
Hear our interview with Orie Lumumba about the Move9 case here: http://thefinalstrawradio.noblogs.org/post/2014/02/27/update-on-the-g20-extraditees-the-move-9-parole-push-02162014/

A great way to support legal fees and such for resisters, including Dennison Williams and Kerry Cunneen who are still in exile, as they evaded the Grand Jury AFTER being served with subpoenas, and make your walls pretty, check out http://pnwgjresistance.storenvy.com/ or http://nopoliticalrepression.wordpress.com/ and specify donations for Dennison and Kerry. Hopefully money will get to them.

Also, Steve wanted me to include info about his buddy, Amelie, who is caught up in the 5E3 prisoners in Mexico: http://fuegoalascarceles.wordpress.com/in-english-information/

A-Radio Berlin, Anarchist, Author, Chile, Feminism, gender, General, harm reduction, Health, History, Prisons, Racism, repression, Sean Swain

Dan Berger on “The Struggle Within: Prisons, Political Prisoners, and Mass Movements in the United States”

2014/05/07 The Final Straw Radio

98217821-young-woman-wearing-groucho-marx-mask-gettyimages — Download This Episode

This week, William speaks with Dan Berger – who is an author, prison activist and movement historian – about his new book “The Struggle Within: Prisons, Political Prisoners, and Mass Movements in the United States” just out from PM Press. They speak about histories pertaining to radical mileus as well as the much debated term “political prisoner” and how it relates to prison abolition and support work, among other topics. More about him and his work can be found at http://danberger.org.

Also included is a piece by comrades at ARadio Berlin entitled “Practical Self Help; An Abortion Hotline in Chile”. More of their works can be found at http://aradio.blogsport.de.

Sean Swain’s segment this week is read by The Stimulator of http://Submedia.tv, check out their radical films at that site. Sean is still refusing meals, so far as we are aware. Updates can be found at http://seanswain.org

Rebroadcast, Sean Swain

Life During Wartime (rebroadcast) + Zerzan reads Swain

2014/04/28 The Final Straw Radio

This episode, we replay an interview from August of 2012. An interview with Will Munger, one of the editors and contributors to the AK Press release of 2013, Life During Wartime. This book is a project of the CounterCounterInsurgency conference that’d happened prior in Portland and the articles discuss various explorations of the use of CounterInsurgency by law enforcement and the military domestically in the United States to suppress political and “a-political” movements and threats. Available from AK Press.

What is COIN (Counterinsurgency)? How is it being applied to movements and communities in the United States? How do we resist it? These are among the topics covered during the conversation.

Among other things, Will’s research has focused on the case study of the relationship and dialogue developed between law enforcement in Salinas, California and the Monterey, California-based Naval Postgraduate School. This relationship has allowed NPS to conduct the beginnings of a proxy-war on the local Latino populations with a focus on eradicating gang networks. Will’s essay, “Social War in the Salad Bowl” won a grant from the Institute for Anarchist Studies this last year.

U.S. Army Field Manual 3-24: Counterinsurgency Warfare
NPS: Gangs and Guerrillas

First, though, John Zerzan reads a script by Sean Swain, anarchist prisoner who’s being denied access to phone and email privileges due to his participation in this show and his recent success at gaining a new lawyer. April 20th marks the 23rd anniversary of Sean’s incarceration, so he reflects on the case that initially got him locked up. His new lawyer hopes to overturn that initial conviction and get Sean released. http://www.seanswain.org

Anarchist, Ben Turk, General, Hunger Strike, Music, Prisons, repression, Sean Swain

Ben Turk on the silencing of Sean Swain, anarchist prisoner in Ohio

2014/04/21 The Final Straw Radio

On April 6th of 2014, anarchist prisoner Sean Swain, who’s been kind enough to allow us to present his audio commentaries (available at http://www.seanswain.org) had his access to phone calls and email shut down by JPay corporation (which facilitates financial transactions between prisoners and their families and other corporations while skimming profit and also saving and mining the private user data) alongside of Global Tel* Link. This comes just after Sean was able to engage a new lawyer, Richard Kerger, who’s done work on the Lucasville Uprising death row prisoners.

This episode, we speak to Ben Turk, a supporter of Sean’s about new updates in Sean’s case, his silencing and how folks can help pressure the state to give Sean back his access to phones and email.

Prior to that interview, however, a special guest reads a script from Sean for this week’s “You Are The Resistance”. Take a listen, or find it later at archive.org as youaretheresistance04132014 alongside the past segments for download or streaming.

Ben then tells us about his efforts, via Insurgent Theatre, to print a compendium of the plays he’s written and his upcoming tour of the play BADGE (formerly known Know Your Enemies and prior to that as ACAB), where Ben play’s the part of Officer Friendly, a community liaison officer who slowly realizes that, in fact, all cops are bastards. This play will be touring with D. Jones’ film “The Shadow of Lucasville” around numerous parts of the U.S. and Canada. Check out the play intro and the preview of the film at http://www.insurgenttheatre.org

Ben also suggests taking a moment to call the current Prison Director, Gary Mohr at 614-752-1677 and requesting that Sean Swain be given back access to his email and phone communications so that he can resume more direct contact with lawyer, Rick Kerger.

If you care to apply pressure to Global Tel Link, which controls the private-side of the ability of prisoners and outsiders to communicate via email and phone, Sean says they are headquartered in Reston, VA and has offices in: Houston, TX, Sacramento, CA; Altoon, PA; & Mobile, AL. http://www.gtl.net

More on JPay can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JPay

The last half of this episode features the first track from new album by the Baton Rouge anarchist metal project, Thou. The album’s called Heathen and the track is called Free Will. Next up, we hear the track IV from the album Descent of Man by Vestiges.

Playlist available here

A-Radio Berlin, Author, Belarus, Bomani Shakur, General, Hunger Strike, Keith Lamar, Lucasville Uprising, Prisons, Racism, repression

Keith Lamar, Lucasville Defendant, speaks on his new book “Condemned”

2014/04/14 The Final Straw Radio

http://keithlamar.org/ — Download This Episode

This week we present quite the variety of consumables. Firstly couple of announcements about KOWA-LP and AshevilleFM and an update on the 5E prisoners from Mexico which includes a description of life and bribery culture in the prison where Carlos is currently held.

Next, the TFS crew’s newest member, Neka, interviews Keith Lamar (AKA Bomani Shakur), a defendant in the Lucasville Uprising case, facing the death penalty for allegedly leading a death squad of prisoners who killed snitches in April of 1993, of which he claims innocence. Keith is the author of a new book, Condemned, which he talks about alongside talking about his case and his upcoming final appeal. Find out more about his case and check out his book at his website, http://keithlamar.org and if you’re in or around Ohio and can make his hearings, please do show support.

If you’re in the line of travel for Black Bird Raum, pick up a copy of Keith’s book from their tour. http://www.blackbirdraum.net/

After that we are happy to present a recently translated interview by comrades from Anarchistisches Radio Berlin with a member of the Anarchist Black Cross of Belarus about a number of topics including prisoner support and anti-repression work the ABC is doing, the confusing nationalist and anarchist alignments occurring in parts of Ukraine, repression in Russia and much more. More from ARB can be found at http://aradio.blogsport.de

Finally, we play two tracks from a recent split by Drom and Moro Moro Land, two metal bands from eastern Europe. http://negationrecords.bandcamp.com/album/drom-moro-moro-land-split

Anarchist, Environment, General, Germany, Hambacher Forest, Lucasville Uprising, Prisons, repression, Sean Swain, ZAD

Hambacher Forest resists RWE’s lignite carbon mine!

2014/04/07 The Final Straw Radio

hambachforest.blogsport.de — Download This Episode

This week’s episode, we start off with announcements of the April 12th anti-racist march in Olympia, the April 28th Intl. Police conference in Phoenix, and a thanks from us for the recent awarding of The Final Straw with recognition by Anarchist News of our audio work.

Next, Sean Swain talks about the defendants of the Lucasville Uprising case.

The main segment is a discussion with Sonny, a German anarchist involved in resistance to the operation and spreading of the Lignite Carbon mine and subsequent destruction of the nearby environment by RWE. Sonny talks about the resistance there, the displacement of animals, devastation of the landscape and the eviction of 55,000 people over the years from local villages to expand the mine.

This week’s discussion happened as news came from the Hambacher resistors that the state was in the process of evicting the forest defenders. On 3/29/13 Sonny and I got back together to talk about updates on the situation.
https://hambachforest.blogsport.de

More on the American Water (company) operated by RWE within the U.S., check out the info at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Water_%28company%29

Anarchist, France, General, Notre Dames-de-landes, repression, Sean Swain, Vinci, ZAD

“The Sacking of Nantes, indeed!”: ZAD residents respond for Feb 22nd demo (16/03/2014)

2014/03/24 The Final Straw Radio

This week’s show features an interview with two residents of the ZAD about the demonstrations of February 22nd in Nantes, France. Also, Anarchist prisoner Sean Swain talks about Swivilization in his weekly segment. More on him can be found at seanswain.org

The demonstration, dubbed a “sacking” by the media and police, featured directed attacks by demonstrators on offices of the French construction company threatening the lands of Notre-dames-de-Landes, a police station, a travel office, and a private transit company. The day of action also featured speeches, picnics, play, marches, discussions and theater.

In this conversation, some folks from the ZAD describe what they saw, why violence occurred, how that violence as an idea is wielded to form a narrative by the media and state and how it was experienced by folks actually present with the movement and the land.

More info on the ZAD can be found at zad.nadir.org
More on the No-TAV movement, which co-called-out the February 22nd demos from Turin: http://anarchistnews.org/content/whole-world-reflected-fragment-3-myths-around-struggle-against-high-speed-train-tav-susa

Anarchist, Feminism, gender, General, Queer, Russia, Sean Swain, Ukraine

Interview with Volodya: Anarcha-feminism + LGBT in the former-USSR today

2014/03/10 The Final Straw Radio

This week William talks with Volodya, a Russian anarchist podcaster whos podcast Echo of Freedom can be found at http://freedom.libsyn.com. They talk about his experiences working in the anarchist milieu, anarchafeminism, and intersections between the LGBTQ movement in Russia and movements such as antifa.

Sean Swain (website http://www.seanswain.org) discusses Mumia Abu Jamal and class/race struggles as related to police forces. Among other things…

First up, an announcement from the Autonomous Worker’s Union in Kiev, Ukraine, about Russian military invasion of the Crimea and other parts of Ukraine. More info at http://avtonomia.net and http://nihilist.li

activism, Anarchist, gender, General, Immigration, Prisons, Queer, Racism, repression, Sean Swain, Toronto G20

CeCe McDonald on release + Dane Rossman about extradition and borders (February 23, 2014)

2014/03/04 The Final Straw Radio

This week’s episode has 3 portions:

The first is Sean Swain’s most recent challenges to Governor Kasich of Ohio.

Next up, William interviewed CeCe McDonald. CeCe was recently released after her arrest in 2011 after the death of neo-nazi who attacked CeCe and friends while hurling transphobic, homophobic and racist epithets. CeCe talks about the support she received, what time was like inside for her and how release has been. For more about her case, check out: http://supportcece.wordpress.com/

Next, Bursts spoke with Dane Rossman, who was extradited to Canada from the U.S. in relation to charges around the 2010 Toronto anti-G20 protests. Dane speaks about his experiences in detention, the other 3 known extraditees and what they face with their convictions, how to support them and anti-border and detention work going on in the Southwest of the U.S.
More on Dane’s case can be found at: http://supportdanerossman.blogspot.com/
More on the 3 extraditees at: http://notorontog20extradition.wordpress.com/
More on the anti-Operation Streamline movement in the Southwest U.S.: http://endstreamline.org/

The Final Straw Radio Podcast