Category Archives: activism

Corvallis Bookfair, Tyumen Case, and Counter-Surveillance

"TFSR 3-10-24 | Heart of the Valley Anti-Capitalist Bookfair, Updates on Tyumen Case, and Counter-Surveillance" featuring: a photo of posters of the Tyumen prisoners strung between trees in a forest; a logo of flames licking a double-helix of DNA; a print for the bookfair with people reading under a tree
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This week, we’re featuring four segments.

First up, you’ll hear a chat with organizers of the 2024 Heart of the Valley Anticapitalist Bookfair which ran its first iteration in Corvallis, Oregon from January 19-21st.  A zine of their experiences will appear on that blog soon. [ -> 00:24:18 ]

Then, you’ll hear a brief segment updating listeners on the conspiracy case against six anarchists and antifascists in Russia known as the Tyumen case (for where it initiated). The six anarchists, some of whom barely knew each other, were tortured into confessions of conspiracy to further anarchist ideology and damage the Russian war machine. [ 00:24:34 – 00:32:53 ]

Following this, we spoke with Aster, a European anarchist involved in the counter-surveillance and anti-repression project known as the No Trace Project which works to share information about known methods and cases of state surveillance. The project does this in order to improve and expand our collective knowledge, tools and abilities at evading state crackdowns as we organize and act. This interview was conducted via encrypted messages and Aster’s portion is being read by an unrelated volunteer. [ 00:35:47 – 01:05:18 ]

If you plan to visit their site, we suggest at least running a VPN (riseup.net has a free one) and using an anonymized browser. One method is to download the tor browser (find your device/operating system at ssd.eff.org for some tips) and visit the NoTrace Project tor address. Their website can also be found at https://NoTrace.How

Finally, you’ll hear Sean Swain’s reading of names of people killed by cops in the USA during October of 2023. [ 01:09:50 ]

Tyumen Links

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Featured Tracks:

Continue reading Corvallis Bookfair, Tyumen Case, and Counter-Surveillance

Extremism, Fascist Voids and Antifascist Hope with Joan Braune

Extremism, Fascist Voids and Antifascist Hope with Joan Braune

"TFSR 2-25-24 | Extremism, Fascist Voids and Antifascist Hope with Joan Braune" featuring the book cover of "Understanding and Countering Fascist Movements"
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An interview with Joan Braune, author of Understanding and Countering Fascist Movements: From Void to Hope out this year from Routledge. In this chat we talk about understanding fascism and fascists, motivations and deterrents, the framework of “deradicalization”, the role of former fascists in education around fascism and the importance of fostering antifascist movements.

Continue reading Extremism, Fascist Voids and Antifascist Hope with Joan Braune

Harm Reduction and Eco-defense in Appalachia

Harm Reduction and Eco-defense in Appalachia

Project Mayday logo featuring a badger and crossed needles, a photo of an MVP site at Peters Mountain with a zoom in on Madeline Ffitch locked down + "TFSR 2-18-24 | Harm Reduction + Eco-Defense in Appalachia"
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First up, Ian chats with Tasha of Project Mayday, a harm reduction project operating in so-called West Virginia. They discuss harm reduction strategies and the political framework of their approach to mutual aid. The conversation also touches upon co-existing in the public health and non-profit space without compromising their radical values and some of the many ways that drug policy and pharmaceutical marketing affect people who use drugs. Listeners can contact Project Mayday at the links below and should watch those spaces for news about the benefit show coming up on April 28th.

Then, I spoke with Toby from Appalachians Against Pipelines and Madeline Ffitch, an activist recently arrested for locking down to a drill threatening to move the Mountain Valley Pipeline through Peters Mountain at Jefferson National Forest. We talked about the recent days of solidarity, direct actions against the MVP, repression of activists and related topics.

  • Transcript
  • PDF (Unimposed) – pending
  • Zine (Imposed PDF) – pending

Project Mayday Links

Appalachians Against Pipelines links

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Featured Track:

  • We Roll (instrumental) by Pete Rock from We Roll

Continue reading Harm Reduction and Eco-defense in Appalachia

Free Alex Stokes + Russian Anti-War Saboteur Ruslan Siddiqui

Free Alex Stokes + Russian Anti-War Saboteur Ruslan Siddiqui

"TFSR 2-4-2024 | Alex Stokes faces 20 years + Russian Anti-War Sabateur Ruslan Siddiqui" featuring a photo of Alex looking to the left and Ruslan in fatigues in a forest holding a cow skull
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This week on the show, we’re starting out with an interview with Lo and Meghan, two supporters of Jewish independent journalist, artist and antifascist leftist from Albany, NY, Alex Stokes Contompasis. Alex is serving a 20 year sentence for defending himself and 3 other community members attacked by Proud Boys and Oath Keepers at the New York state capital on January 6th, 2021. For the hour, we speak with Lo and Meghan, two friends and supporters of Alex who talk about Alex’s media work, the politically-charged court case and his ongoing appeal. More on his case can be found at FreeAlexStokes.Com, you can order his artwork to support his case there as well. They mentioned getting support & attention from the International Anti-Fascist Defence Fund.

Then, you’ll hear an interview from our comrades at Frequenz-A in so-called Germany with a recent interview of Anya of the grassroots group called Solidarity Zone that offers legal, media and other support to people facing charges for anti-war direct actions inside of Russia to speak about their work and the case of Ruslan Siddiqui, an anarchist who does not deny railway sabotage against the Russian war efforts in Ukraine. This first aired on episode 75 of B(A)D News: Angry Voices From Around The World from the A-Radio Network.

Solidarity Zone Links

Finally, you’ll hear Sean Swain reading from an incomplete list of people killed by law enforcement in the USA during the month of April 2023.

Announcements

Red Onion Hunger Strike Phone Zap

The saga at Red Onion continues, with more than 30 participants. Participants are asking supporters to call the Governor and the Virginia Department of Corrections to demand that the Red Onion follows state restrictions on solitary confinement. Kevin “Rashid” Johnson is additionally requesting his treatment for congestive heart failure and prostate cancer that he be moved from Red Onion to a facility like Sussex I or Buckingham that are near to large medical facilities.

You can hear a recent interview we had with a comrade of Rashid and see a roundtable of comrades of Rashid on Black Power Media recently talking about his situation. Here’s a social media post with all of the pertinent information: https://kolektiva.social/@BlueRidgeABC/111868911724769356

  • VADOC Central Administration USPS P.O. Box 26963; Richmond, VA 23261
    David Robinson
    Phone: 804-887-8078
    Email: david.robinson@vadoc.virginia.gov
  • VADOC Director, Chadwick S Dotson Phone: 804-674-3081
    Email: Chadwick. Dotson@vadoc.virginia.gov
  • VADOC Central Administration Rose L. Durbin Phone: 804-887-7921
    Email: Rose. Durbin@vadoc.virgina.gov
  • Beth Cabell, Division of Institutions Phone: 804-834-9967
    Email: beth.cabell@vadoc.virginia.gov
  • Governor of Virginia Glenn Youngkin Phone: 804-786-2211
    Email: glenn.youngkin@governor.virginia.gov

Sample script: I am calling in support of the hunger strikers at Red Onion State Prison. I am concerned about the serious health effects of long-term solitary confinement and other illegal and brutal methods of confinement including sensory deprivation. Please end the use of these practices. I am also seriously concerned for the health of Kevin ‘Rashid’ Johnson, as he is being prevented from accessing care for his health conditions. Please move him back to Sussex I or to Buckinghm, near a major medical facility, so that he can resume cancer and cardiac treatment. Thank you.

Support Guarani M’Bya in Brazil

from FireFund.Net:

This campaign aims to support two native land in São Paulo south and also, others in state interior and coastal zones.
Our goals is to restore and expand the prayer house (Opy’i) and communal kitchen, plant native trees and subsistence foodsuch as corn, rice, potato and others, distribute water and generate clean energy collected from surrounding rivers, support the cerimonies, and other constructions such as houses and other demands that the comunitie brings to us.
Also carry out the construction of ecological bathrooms and support the school located in the land. These are some of the missions and commitments we have to native people here in São Paulo.

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Featured Tracks:

  • Get It Together (Buck Wild Instrumental) by The Beastie Boys
  • High Water Everywhere, Part 2 by Charlie Patton from Complete Recordings 1929-1934

Continue reading Free Alex Stokes + Russian Anti-War Saboteur Ruslan Siddiqui

Mohammad Hureini of Youth of Sumud

Mohammad Hureini of Youth of Sumud

A black and white photo of Mohammad Hureini in a jacket with a Nehru collar in an olive orchard plus the words "TFSR 1-28-24 | Mohammad Hureini of Youth of Sumud"
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This week, we’re featuring a conversation with Mohammad Hureini (twitter / instagram), a young activist from Masafer Yatta, an area in the hills south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank in Palestine. Mohammad is a member of a non-violent group called Youth of Sumud that struggles to hold on to the sites and lives of Palestinian villages despite displacement by the Israeli military occupation as well as the illegal zionist settlements (like the neighboring Havat Ma’on) and their routine violence and impunity. For the hour, Mohammad speaks about the work of Youth of Sumud, their recent report co-published with The Good Shepherd on increased settler violence entitled Indigenous Erasure: How the zionist movement is using state sanctioned violence to eliminate the Palestinian communities of the West Bank, the South African genocide case against Israel in the International Court of Justice and other topics.

Organizations Mohammad names doing on the ground support:

Recent interviews about the conflict in Palestine

Announcements

B(A)D News #75 is out!

Check out the January 2024 episode featuring updates on support for antifascists facing charges in Budapest from February 11, 2023; reflections from an Autonomist on the ’80s-’90s journal “Radikal”; a portion of our interview with Israeli refuser Yuval Dag; and an interview from Solidarity Zones on the case of accused Russian war sabateur, Ruslan Siddiqui

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Featured Track:

  • Building Steam with a Grain of Salt by DJ Shadow from Entroducing….

Continue reading Mohammad Hureini of Youth of Sumud

Hunger Strike at Red Onion + Military Refuser in Israel

Hunger Strike at Red Onion + Military Refuser in Israel

This week on the show, we’re featuring three segments.

Image of Yuval Dag holding a poster, prisoner holding a license plate reading "Red Onion Prison Hunger Strike" with the text "TFSR 1-21-24 | Hunger Strike at Red Onion Prison + Yuval Dag, Israeli Military Refuster"
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First up, you’ll hear an interview with Shupavu wa Kirima, General Secretary of the Revolutionary Intercommunal Black Panther Party, comes on to talk to us about the ongoing hunger strike among prisoners at Red Onion State Prison in Virginia protesting the abuse of solitary confinement and the medical status of hunger striker Kevin “Rashid” Johnson. More at https://RashidMod.Com [00:01:18 – 00:25:47]

Then, Yuval Dag, an Israeli anarchist member of Mesarvot recently imprisoned for publicly refusing conscription, talks about draft refusal, opposing the war on Palestinians and the occupation and undoing zionist ideology. More at https://linktr.ee/meaarvot [00:27:31 – 01:06:13]

Finally, you’ll hear Sean Swain reading the names of people killed by US law enforcement during February 2023 [01:06:15 – 01:12:02]

Call-in / Emails For Red Onion Hunger Strikers

Who To Contact:

VADOC~ Central Administration; USPS—
P.O. Box 26963
Richmond, VA 23261

Virginia DOC ~ Director, Chadwick S Dotson,

VADOC ~Central Administration

Rose L. Durbin, Phone~804-887-7921
Email: Rose.Durbin@vadoc.virgina.gov

Beth Cabell, Division of Institutions
beth.cabell@vadoc.virginia.gov
(804)834-9967

Gov. Glenn Youngkin
(804)786-2211
glenn.youngkin@governor.virginia.gov

Red Onion Hunger Strike Participants last we heard:

  • Kevin “Rashid” Johnson – #1007485
  • Jason Barrett – #1092874
  • Rodney Lester – #1429887
  • Charles Cousino – #2213403
  • Eric Thompson – #1208012
  • Joe Thomas – 1193196
  • Nguyen Tuan – #1098070
  • Demetrius Walllace – #1705834
  • Gregory Binns – #1157265
  • P. Williams – #2103207
  • DeQuan Saunders – #1458253
  • J. Hilliard – #1988319
  • Ray Galloway – #1407902
  • Gregory Azeez – #1421616

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Featured Track:

  • One Man Army (instrumental)  by Rage Against The Machine

Continue reading Hunger Strike at Red Onion + Military Refuser in Israel

Cypher Human Rights Comics with Adam Shapiro

Cypher Human Rights Comics with Adam Shapiro

Book cover of "We Are Many" featuring a cartoon march of a women in purple shirts with flags with the feminism symbol + the text "TFSR 12-24-23 | Cypher Human Rights Comics with Adam Shapiro"
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On this episode, Ian spoke with Adam Shapiro, Co-editor of We Are Many, a comics anthology released as part of the Cypher Zine project (@cypher_comics on Instagram) and published by Radix Media. The book pairs artists and activists to create narratives around the defense of women and sex workers around the globe.

Among other topics, the conversation touches on the process of matching local artists with the activists on the ground, notions of human rights defense (as defined by UN guidelines) as it relates to autonomous, self-directed struggle. They also speak about the strengths and limitations of NGO-led initiatives, and the effects of emergent disasters on long-term organizing initiatives.

But first, a Sean Swain shares his book reviews of 2023.

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Featured Track:

  • Glaciers of Ice by El Michels Affair

Continue reading Cypher Human Rights Comics with Adam Shapiro

Stop Cop City RICO Updates 01

Stop Cop City RICO Updates

"Stop Cop City / Defend The ATL Forest | TFSR 12-17-23 | Stop Cop Cities RICO Updates" featuring an upturned cop car with a tree growing through the middle
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This week on the show,  we dig into the pre-trial hearings and jury selection for Ayla King, Stop Cop City movement’s first and only co-defendant so far to be granted a speedy trial. First up, we’re joined by Silver, an on-the-ground correspondent among many in Atlanta focused on supporting the collective defense against the State of Georgia’s RICO indictment. Stay tuned for future coverage of the trials as they unfold.

We will be focusing on the pretrial proceedings of defendant Ayla King, who has bravely flexed their right to a speedy trial and whose case we will be following more in-depth when opening arguments begin on January 10th. To help us unpack some of the media and legal intricacies in this case we will hear from Jewel, a North Carolina based lawyer (member of NLG Mass Defense) followed by an interview with Matt from Atlanta Community Press Collective. Jewel will help us understand some of the strategy of exercising a right to speedy trial while Matt will speak as one of the only members of local media to actively cover jury selection.

First, some background to this case for listeners less familiar:

  •  On August 29th the State of Georgia filed an indictment against 61 people in the movement to Stop Cop City and defend Weelaunee people’s park. The state alleges that music festival attendees and protestors engaged in racketeering, domestic terrorism, arson and money laundering– all as part of a so called mob conspiracy to halt construction of the massively unpopular expansion of police traning grounds in Southeast Atlanta– also known as Cop City.
  • This indictment follows a years-long, powerful and popular struggle against the city of Atlanta and their Police Foundation’s attempts to build the 90 million dollar training grounds. The expansion of this site not only follows the widespread anti-police movements of 2020 but further bolsters US backed military training such the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange (aka GILEE) – a direct exhange program between Atlanta police and the Israeli Occupational Forces, who are currently waging genocide in the occupied Gaza strip of Palestine.
  • We have experienced the unrelenting and escalating criminal charges (such as domestic terrorism charges for so called trespassing on public land, racketeering charges for mutual aid), raids of collective organizing and healing spaces, and even the assassination of a beloved comrade, Tortuguita. Not only have these atrocities failed to stop the movement against Cop City, but they have inspired renewed resistance and solidarity from across the country and across the world.

Announcements

Noise Demo on NYE at Buncombe Jail

If you’re around Asheville on Sunday, December 31st, you’re invited by a coalition of abolitionist crews to attend the New Years Noise Demo, gathering at 7pm at the ampitheater at 630 Pack Square and to bring things for making some noise. The Asheville Community Bail Fund will be selling Certain Days Calendars and folks will also be bailing out and welcoming folks to start their new year outside the walls of the Buncombe County Detention Center. It’s a great event to meet folks and learn about local projects dreaming of and working towards a future without prisons! More at Blue Ridge ABC’s website.

If you’re in another area of Turtle Island, you can scan your social media for noise demos to participate in or make one up yourself. Often there’s a list of things to get involved in available at ItsGoingDown.Org

Anticapitalist Bookfair in Small Town Oregon

If you’re in the Corvallis, Oregon area in early January, the folks organizing the Heart of the Valley Anti-Capitalist Bookfair have announced their programming and entertainment schedule for events January 19th to 21st. A few of our past guests on The Final Straw are listed there if you want to brush up on the topics. More info at Hotvbookfair.noblogs.org

Eric King in Halfway House

Anarchist and antifascist prisoner, Eric King, has been released to a halfway house as he finishes the last portion of his nearly-decade-long incarceration. You can donate to his post-release fundraiser via his GoFundMe, read updates and words from Eric at SupportEricKing.org or on Instagram

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Featured Tracks:

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Continue reading Stop Cop City RICO Updates 01

Ongoing Resistance to the Mountain Valley Pipeline

Ongoing Resistance to the Mountain Valley Pipeline

"TFSR 12-3-23 | Ongoing Resistance To The Mountain Valley Pipeline" featuring a photo of MVP resisters holding a banner with a Palestinian flag and the words "Free Palestine: No Pipelines, No Prisons, No Genocide"
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This week, we checked back in with folks involved in the struggle to block the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a 303 mile so-called natural gas pipeline proposed to bring fracked gas from the Marcellus and Utica shale formations across parts of West Virginia and Virginia with an extension into North Carolina.

Since a chat with activists we had in July, there have been nearly weekly actions to block the expansion of the pipeline across waterways and carsed terraine, endangering water tables and ecosystems around central Appalachia. We talk about this proposed project, the damage that’s been done and continues to be spread, the increasing belligerence of the men employed in the destruction and the ramping up legal repression facing activists and community members.

You can learn more by checking out StopMVP.org or follow the social media accounts AppalachiansAgainstPipelines or POWHR. Support of the movement can also be offered up at Appalachian Legal Support Fund. And you can find out about companies involved in the MVP here.

Check out our past interviews about the MVP here.

Sean Swain makes a special announcement at about [ 00:50:00 ]

Announcements

Vehicle for Chico Mendes Reforestation Project

From their GoFundMe:

Proyecto de Reforestación Chico Mendes (Chico Mendes Reforestation Project) is a community-run nonprofit based in the Guatemalan highland village of Pachaj. What began as three friends planting trees on the weekends in 1998 has grown into a family of over 3600 local students and more than 1000 international volunteers who have worked with the project since. With each tree planted, soil bag filled, and weed cleared, we are proving that small steps of change today are what shape the future…

However, Chico Mendes is facing major challenges once again. The recent 30+ days of disruptions stemming from state push-back in recognizing newly-elected President Arévalo has led to the cancellation of two major international, collaborative projects with universities, resulting in 24,000 unplanted trees. With groups unable to come to us, we need to replant all by ourselves. But with less hands available and a mountainous terrain prone to landslides that poses a significant challenge to the replanting process, we are struggling to meet our goals. This is why we are seeking to fundraise for a four-wheel-drive truck to assist the Chico Mendes team in carrying more trees through mountainous terrain to get on track with our replanting mission.

This is a labor of love. People are taking lower salaries so that everyone has some to go around and sometimes, work is done out of the goodness of one’s heart rather than payment, but we need your help. This vehicle would directly help our community sow the seeds of environmental and Indigenous justice.

Check out the GFM link above and if you can throw them some dollars, they’d appreciate it much.

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Featured Tracks:

  • Halcyon by Filastine from Drapetomania
  • Ghost of a Chance by Danny Dolinger from Rome Wasn’t Burnt In A Day

Continue reading Ongoing Resistance to the Mountain Valley Pipeline

Against Genocide: A Palestinian Solidarity Panel

Against Genocide: A Palestinian Solidarity Panel

Art by Heba Zagout, Palestinian artist killed with her two young children in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza on Friday, October 13, 2023. Art shows doves in front of a red sky with a cramped, organic yet blocky cityscape and stylized waves in the foreground + "TFSR 10-29-2023 | Against Genocide: A Palestinian Solidarity Panel (Firestorm Books)"
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This week on The Final Straw, we’re excited to share a panel discussion recorded at Firestorm Books entitled Against Genocide: A Palestinian Solidarity Panel, recorded on Sunday, October 22nd 2023.

From the event description:

“With the “iron-clad” support of the United States and other Western powers, Israel has made explicit its plan for the systematic destruction of Gaza and the Palestinian people. At this event, participants—including Palestinian and Jewish activists—will discuss the history of the occupation and the present campaign of dehumanization that’s paving the way to genocide. We’ll also explore the radical solidarities that are necessary to stop the assault on Gaza and secure a just peace.

This event is a fundraiser for The Hebron International Resource Network (HIRN), an organization based in the West Bank that is working to house Gazan workers deported to the West Bank by Israeli forces. Please consider bringing a cash donation! Firestorm will additionally be donating the net proceeds from all sales in-store and online.

Art by Heba Zagout, Palestinian artist killed with her two young children in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza on Friday, October 13.”

Zines suggested by Milstein

Sean’s Segment

We’re linking here to Sean Swain’s most recent segment on the history of violence before the most recent escalation of war on the people of Gaza coming from the state of Israel.

Announcement

Support Former Political Prisoner Zolo Azania

Former Black political prisoner and friend to many of us, Zolo Azania, needs our financial assistance to pay for important repairs on his car. He uses his car to drive to work. Details below. Please be generous.

Zolo recently had a new transmission installed in his car along with other necessary repairs. The total bill came out to $4,659.51. He had put aside $1,200 for car repairs, therefore he needs another $3,459.51 in order to reclaim his car.

After spending nearly 37 years in Indiana prisons, Zolo has been free for nearly 7 years now. After facing many challenges on the outside, we’re very happy to say Zolo now owns a house! Of course he needs to pay a mortgage and pay for repairs and upkeep on the house. After working 5 years at low paying jobs, Zolo was recently able to obtain a better paying job with benefits. This job requires a commute which is difficult on public transportation.

Zolo would like to avoid excessive charges for the dealership to store his car. If Zolo cannot pay this repair bill he risks losing his car altogether.

Zolo appreciates any donation but please be as generous as you can.

You can send donations to him via Zelle, Venmo or Cash App ($ZoloAzania5). His accounts are under “Zolo Azania”

Bad News #72 Online Now!

You can find the October 2023 episode of the English-language BAD News: Angry Voices From Around The World podcast produced by the A-Radio Network online now, featuring a short version of our interview about the December 8th case in France, updates from Greece by way of the comrades in Thessaloniki at 1431AM Free Social Radio, and Frequenz-A about the about the Karl Helga Wagenplatz in Leipzig, which is under the threat of ever-present forces of gentrification.

Continue reading Against Genocide: A Palestinian Solidarity Panel