Category Archives: General

#LibertadDiDimora, activism, Autonomia, Bologna, CounterInsurgency, Feminism, General, Immigration, Italy, Labor, Neoliberalism, Police, repression, Student

#LibertaDiDimora: Hobo, Repression and Autonomia around the University of Bologna, Italy

hobo-bologna.info
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This week’s episode features a conversation with Francesca. Francesca is a student at the University of Bologna in Italy and is one of the people at the center of a wave of repression in response to ongoing autonomous organizing inside and outside of the University. The University of Bologna is the oldest, continuously operating public University in the world. Francesca is also a member of the Hobo collective, which runs an autonomous social space inside of the Poli-Sci department of the University.

In December of last year, after numerous marches and interventions around the city and university on a range of issues such as immigrant rights, precarity of employment, underpaying of university workers, increased cost and decreased quality of services at the university, affordable housing, the censure of political dialogue and more, the District Attorney of Bologna had Francesca and 5 comrades arrested as a preventative measure in order to stop their organizing and to terrorize the students and militants of the area. 4 students have been placed on house arrest in Bologna, making it quite difficult to make ends meet economically, and 2 were exiled from the city, thus cutting short their educational career. In response, a campaign called “#LibertaDiDimora”, which translates to freedom of home, was launched to respond to the repression of the 6 comrades and to continue struggles around freedom of movement and housing issues inside and outside of the university. More on student organizing around the world at http://commonware.org/

For the hour, we’ll be speaking with Francesca about her case, the campagn, the Autonomia movement which Hobo is alligned with, the monetization of education, precarity, internships, immigration in Italy, squatting and more. More at http://hobo-bologna.info

But, first a few announcements.

In the wake of the tragic murder of nine African American bible study members on June 17th, 2015 at the Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church by a white supremacist their was an outpouring of grief and solidarity expressed around the world. This was followed by a series of protests and direct-action removal of the Confederate Battle Flag from the capital grounds in Colombia, South Carolina. The pressure built in other Southern States to remove the CSA Battle flag from their state flags resulting in blowback from some white folks to the removal of this “heritage” symbol that means oppression to so many others. Subsequent to the killings and flag debates, at least 6 black churches were torched between June 22nd and June 29th around the South East. Churches in: Knoxville, TN; Macon, GA; Charleston, SC; Elyria, OH; Tallahassee, FL. To top this, and never to lose an opportunity to display their pointy heads, the Klu Klux Klan has decided to call for a rally on the steps of the South Carolina State House on July 18th at 3pm and just as the racists will be coordinating to show up at the rally, so are anti-racists and regular-ass folks around the region. There are all sorts of calls for participation in all sorts of ways to counter a public display of hatred by the KKK. I hope to see y’all there. http://columbiascdemocallout.tumblr.com/

In a perfect segway, the next evening, July 19th 2015, folks are invited to come to the new location for Firestorm Books & Cafe at 610 Haywood Rd for a presentation by Saralee Stafford & Neal Shirley on their book, Dixie Be Damned: 300 Years of Insurrection in the American South. For our conversation with the Shirley & Stafford, check out this link.

A reminder to listeners with graphic talents, we’re soliciting designs for stickers, posters and more. The artists who’s designs are selected will receive a few prizes from our freeboxes (actually, some tee shirts and literature). We’re looking for the name of the show, our website and images that may reflect the project. We’re hoping it can be a tool for better advertising the project and getting more folks involved. You can email designs in pdf format to thefinalstrawradio(aat)riseup( dott)net or send them in physical form to, again:
The Final Straw
C/o Ashevillefm
864 Haywood Rd
Asheville, NC 28806

Finally, I’d like to give a brief shout out to some other audio & video projects that have been kicking out the jams of late. If you’re familiar with The Final Straw, you may have heard some of their names on our 4th Anniversary show last year.

Check out the Free Radical Radio at http://freeradicalradicalradio.net for a mostly weekly mix of commentary, comedy, critique and always witty reparte.

For great action updates, audio documentaries, reviews and more, Crimethinc’s podcast called “The Ex-Worker” is not to be missed. You can find episodes at http://crimethinc.com/podcast, along with links and transcripts of the episodes.

WhichSide Podcast, which features hosts Jeremy Parkin & Jordan Halliday, did a great interview with Kevin Van Meter, contributor to the book “Life During Wartime”. Regular episodes feature chats on anarchism, activism, animal liberation, veganism and more. More can be found at http://whichsidepodcast.com.

Finally, I want to give a shoutout to The Stimulator & his f-ing show, It’s The End Of The World and We Know It (And I Feel Fine) for riot porn, interviews, commentaries, updates and stunning images and movie references. More from that project at http://submedia.tv

Playlist

General, Georgia, Hunger Strike, Prisons

Riedsville Resisters: Hunger striking against the TIER Program at Georgia State Prison (+ music)

atlblackcross.org
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This week you’ll be hearing an interview with Earthworm (Dell) of Atlanta Black Cross and Sandy, who’s the mother of an inmate at Georgia State Prison, about the TIER program being implemented there. The TIER program is the means by which the certain prisons in Georgia are reducing the time outside of cell for prisoners down to mere hours a week from multiple a day based on minor accusations and infractions and sometimes with no clear process towards getting out or limit of stay. While inside, these prisoners are kept on a minimal diet with no commissary, often no access to the library for legal research along with other issues.

In response to the conditions under TIER at GSP, numerous prisoners initiated a hunger strike back in April, with one continuing to this day.

More on what’s going on with TIER at GSP, check out http://atlblackcross.org, to read the words of the prisoners themselves via their letters posted and transcribed there. You can also find addresses for the prisoners at that site. A good intro article can be found here

Also mentioned was the Free Alabama Movement, which is a multi-state network of incarcerated folks (Alabama & Mississippi, plus affiliates in CA & VA) organizing non-violent protests to the exploitation of their labor for profit, the racialized system of incarceration in the U.S. and the horrible conditions of their incarceration. More on the project, including links to their prisoner-sourced podcasts can be found at http://freealabamamovement.com/
For our interview with members of the FAMM, check out this link

Finally, referenced was the case of Kalief Browder, incarcerated at the New York prison of Rikers Island from the age of 16-19, without trial on the accusation of stealing a backpack. Browder committed suicide 2 years after his release, in June of 2015.

Following the interview we’ll be hearing songs by the Philly post-punk project King Azaz, the Oakland deathrock band Bitter Fruit and the Czech atmospheric RABM project Marnost from a recent comp which translates to “Come and See”.

Playlist

activism, Capitalism, Durham, General, North Carolina, Prisons, repression

Lockback at the Durham County Jail

http://amplifyvoices.com/
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This week Bursts spoke with Steve from the Inside/Outside Alliance in Durham, NC. IOA is made up of folks with incarcerated family in the Durham County Jail, friends and concerned community members and they work to amplify and organize inside and outside (hence the name) of the jail walls to challenge the punishment those on the inside are facing.

In April of this year, Lt. Col. Natalie Perkins (who serves as Detention Director for the Durham Sheriff Michael D. Andrew’s Dept) decided to cut people’s access to out-of-cell time from up to 6 hours a day to 2 hours a week and limit their time out at the same time. This means that prisoners could maybe expect to take a shower and make a 2AM call to their family/lawyer once a week. The reasons for this change have shifted over the months from costs to potential danger to prisoners and Detention Officer’s safety. The end result is an increased pressure on the mental health of the inmates, leading a greatly increased number of suicide attempts (so much so that the Sheriff’s dept just requested funds to make the cells more suicide-proof rather than decrease the pressure on those they imprison).

Alongside of this is the increased cost and decreased quality of services available to those incarcerated at DCJ due to privatization of aspects. Aramark‘s medical services have doubled the rate for medical visits from $10-$20 each. Food under another service by Aramark has down-shifted from 3 hot meals to 2 sandwiches daily. The facility is contractually obliged to provide a certain number of inmates for Aramark to feed and to extract labor from in serving and cleaning up after their food services. And if an inmate’s too hunger after their 4pm dinner of a sandwich, they are certainly free to buy junk food from the Aramark canteen if they have money in their commissary (via I-Care & FreshFavorites, both brands of Aramark). TouchPay services for putting money on an inmate’s commissary account charges a $5 and some cent fee each time you use it and the DCJ has drastically cut back the hours of the fee-free window with a teller to help you make the transaction.

On top of all of this, the jail doesn’t allow inmates to have pencils (ostensibly in case they become improvised weapons), so the only time that they can write to family, friends or their lawyers is during that 2 hour window a week. Their only way of making complaints is a receipt-free service using their TPay console, the same as they use to check their commissary.

The extractive and frighteningly Kafka-esque circumstances at this facility, one which like most in the United States disproportionately incarcerates poor people and people of color is certainly not one of a kind. To check out the work that folks at Inside/Outside and the inmates at Durham County Jail are doing, check out their website and listening page at http://amplifyvoices.com

In the last ten minutes we hear 2 aggressive musical tracks. Firstly, Ast from their recent split with Ancst (both German anarchist Black Metal projects) we hear the track Von Einem Ende.

Finally, we close out hearing Human Wreck with Liquid Savior from their album, Catch 22. Human Wreck is from Athens, Greece.

Playlist

activism, Anarchist, Ben Turk, Earth & Animal Liberation, Eric McDavid, gender, General, June 11, Marius Mason, Michael Kimble, Missouri, Music, Prisons, Queer, Sean Swain

June 11th, inmate drugging at SECC Missouri & Sean Swain updates

june11.org
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This episode of The Final Straw is served in three portions, all concerning prisons and prisoners.

Before the segments begin, a couple of announcements concerning upcoming events in Asheville, North Carolina for the days surrounding June 11th and the International Day of Solidarity with Long Term Anarchist and Eco Prisoners. These events include a Books to Prisoners open house at Downtown Books & News on Thursday the 11th at 3:30, a showing of a documentary about Mumia Abu-Jamal at 7:30pm at Firestorm that night and a dance party and pie auction on the night of the 13th at the Odditorium. Facebook pages exist for these events, with details listed.

Also in there is mention of the call-out for Monday the 8th & every Friday to protest the Durham County Jail’s refusal to allow prisoners there the chance to get out of their cells for more than 2 hours a week. For more info on this struggle against the so-called Lockback, check out http://amplifyvoices.com

First among the segments, following commentary by Sean Swain, we’ll hear an up date on his situation from his friend and supporter, Ben Turk. Sean’s outgoing communication has been blocked, so his segment has had to go underground. This is in repsonse to Sean speaking up for another prisoner and using his outside support network to press the prisons after a racist attack by guards on a fellow prisoner at Lucasville. More at http://seanswain.org

Following that, we hear from Jenny of Sacramento Prisoner Support about the call-out for the upcoming June 11th International Day of Solidarity with Eric McDavid, Marius Mason & Long Term Anarchist and Eco Prisoners. Jenny tells us about the history of June 11th, talks about differences in the circumstance of June 11th for this year, and other aspects of prisoner support. More info on June 11th can be found at http://june11.org

Finally, we talk to Brianna Peril & Tommy Powell from the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee & the Missouri Innocence Project (respectively) about prisons in Missouri and what appears to be the psychiatrization and forced drugging of inmates at the SouthEast Correctional Center (SECC) outside of Charleston, Missouri, and this week’s call-in-campaign to pressure the jailers to stop the process and bring more transparency to the situation. More about the call-in can be found on the fakebook page for the event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/405416019661232/
Linked from there is the fakebook page for IWOC.
The page for Midwest Innocence Project, affiliated with the MO Innocence Project can be found here: http://themip.org/

The episode is capped by a sludge metal track by General Grievous. More info in the playlist.

Anarchist, Author, Capitalism, communization, Feminism, gender, General, History, Indigenous, Mexico, Neoliberalism, Racism, Zapatista

Hilary Klein on “Compañeras: Zapatista Women’s Stories”

http://hilaryklein.org/
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This week, William spoke with Hilary Klein, author/editor of the new book “Compañeras: Zapatista Women’s Stories”, out from Seven Stories Press.

Over the hour, Hilary talks about her 7 years of living in Chiapas and recording the stories and experiences of women there, collecting stories on their behalf. The book covers the Zapatistas experiences before the EZLN uprising of 1994, during that period and after. Discussion address what gender, indigeneity and class looked like and how that’s changed in the Zapatista communities, the state of Chiapas and in Mexico. William and Hilary also explore the effects that the EZLN & La Otra Compaña have had on radicals and anarchists abroad, the origins of the EZLN, some parallels and distinctions between anarchism and Zapatismo and much more.

More writings by Hilary (and links to the book) can be found at http://hilaryklein.org/

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Anarchist, Author, Capitalism, Coal, communization, Feminism, gender, General, History, Indigenous, Labor, Marxism, Neoliberalism, North Carolina, Philosophy, Police, Prisons, Racism

Dixie Be Damned: a regional history of the South East through an Insurrectional Anarchist lense

http://www.akpress.org/dixie-be-damned.html
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This week, we’re excited to present a conversation with Saralee Stafford and Neal Shirley, editors and authors of a new book out from AK Press entitled “Dixie Be Damned: 300 years of Insurrection in the American South”. The book is a study of Maroon, Indigenous, White, Black, worker, farmer, slave, indentured, women and men wrestling against institutions of power for autonomy and self-determination. All of this in a region stereotyped to be backwards, slow, lazy, victimized and brutal. The editors do a smash-bang job of re-framing narratives of revolt by drawing on complex and erased examples of cross-subjectivity struggles and what they can teach us today about current uprisings in which we participate.

Throughout the hour we explore some of the examples that became chapters in the book, critiques of narrative histories and academia and what new ways forward might be towards an anarchist historiography. Keep an ear out for Saralee and Neal’s book tour, coming to a bookspace near you.

Playlist

Anarchist, conspiracy, Czech Republic, General, Operation Fenix, repression, Sean Swain

Operation Fenix: Repression in Czech Republic

http://antifenix.noblogs.org/
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This week’s episode theme: Repression!

Not really, but all of the content is related to that topic: Operation Fenix in Czech Republic; announcements on the 30th anniversary remembrances of the bombing of the MOVE house in Philly; updates on Mumia’s health status; Dave Strano out on bail, injured by police in Denver; support for Baltimore arrestees; the silencing of Sean Swain.

I forgot to say Happy May Day to y’all out there. Happy May Day, celebration of the corruption of the American Legal System as encapsulated in the indictment of the Haymarket 8, anarchist labor leaders and rebels accused of responsibility for throwing a bomb at cops during a rally in Chicago in 1886. Funny thing is, many of those 8 weren’t present and those who were were busy giving speaches when the bomb was thrown by an unknown figure. Of the 8, 4 were executed after a show trial, 1 committed suicide in prison to defy the authorities, and the 3 were later exonherated. Since all of their names have been cleared.

It’s also notably a European pagan holiday celebrating fertility, or new beginnings as spring rolls into full steam.

Since this event it’s been celebrated worldwide by marches and parades, by uprisings and riots, by picnics and gatherings. Tip of the hat to the folks of Seattle, Montreal, Milan, Istanbul, Oakland, Seoul, Moscow, Barcelona and sooo many other places where folks rose up in revolt. A great segment talking about this year’s May Day can be found at http://www.submedia.tv/stimulator/2015/05/09/may-day-gray-day/

OpFenixThe main content of the episode is a conversation with Lucy and Michael, two Czech anarchists speaking about the raids, arrests and charges of terrorism in the Czech Republic known as Operation Fenix/Phoenix. From the support site:

With ‘Operation Fenix’ came the biggest wave of police repressions against the anarchist and radical left movement in the recent czech history.

Taking people early in the morning hours, accusations of preparation of terrorist acts and confiscation of a server, which held several activists’ sites, all came with ‘Operation Fenix’ which started on Tuesday, 28th of April. Anti-extremist police is actively trying to frighten the left scene and collecting information in a fishing expedition.

Through the hour, Lucy and Michael talk about the far right in Czech Republic, the far left and anarchists, squatting in Prague, sabotage & animal liberation movements attached the Network of Revolutionary Cells in that country and also about the upcoming Prague Anarchist Bookfaire.

Other notes:

Sean Swain can’t do his youaretheresistance segment this week. He’s been silenced by his jailers at SOCF Lucasville in Ohio, cut off from email, phone calls, video visits and apparently mail. Rather than read his posts and letters that are available at seanswain.org, I’ll give a synopsis.

Basically the situation is this: Sean (and many other on his cellblock) witnessed a guard pepper spray 2 prisoners in neighboring cells for nothing. On April 20th, after a series of escalations by guards, prisoners were pepper sprayed, threatened with beatings, taken to the hole and Sean witnessed the and wrote about the event. Because of the unfairness of the way that the guards and courts have dealt with the 9, Black prisoners taken to the hole on the claims of organizing, and in particular the treatment of Rob Mahone (Sean’s neighbor), Sean decided to allow his record of the events to be posted at seanswain.org

May 13th, this Wednesday is the 30th anniversary of the Philly PD’s bombing of an already persecuted but defiant MOVE organization in that city. MOVE is a group focused on a worship of life and with a critique of racism, cruelty to animals, civilization and capitalism. On MAY 13th, 1985, the Philly pigs, ostensibly in an attempt to end a standoff with members of the MOVE organization where they’d barricaded themselves in a house, took a C4 bomb from the National Guard armory and dropped it by a helicoptor onto a house, killing 11 people, 5 of them children and levelling a city block. 7 move prisoners remain imprisoned on BS charges. You can find out more about the case at onamove.com including info on events in Philly, Oakland, West Hollywood & Minneapolis. http://onamove.org;

In a related note, the life of longterm prisoner, journalist, MOVE supporter and former Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal is still in danger and there’s a request for immediate pressing of his jailers in Pennsylvania to give him the medical attention that he needs. Mumia recently fell ill, going into Diabetic shock and suffering from untreated skin legions while incarcerated at SCI Manci. Though officials had conducted 3 blood tests on him in prior time no one informed him he’d developed Diabetes. He’s been denied medical treatment at various stages, an adequite diet and also access to his family, lawyers and supporters.
You can call the following officials to express concern:
John Wetzel – Secretary, PA Department of Corrections – (717) 728-4109
Thomas Wolf – Governor of Pennsylvania – (717) 787 2500
and more info on the case can be found at http://freemumia.com ;

There’s a continued request for solidarity for folks arrested in Baltimore in the wake of rioting that resulted from the murder of a 25 year old Black man named Freddie Grey at the hands of the police and their subsequent denial of guilt despite his arrest being videotaped. Legal and bail funds for the rebels can be donated at http://www.crowdrise.com/legalbailsupportforbaltimore ;

There’s a request for economic aid and support for community organizer Dave Strano after his beating and arrest at a Baltimore solidarity action that was attacked in Denver, CO earlier this month. He was bonded out on the 5th of May for $5,000. For more info and to help him out, check out https://denverabc.wordpress.com/2015/05/05/denver-community-organizer-arrested-call-out-for-jail-solidarity/

Playlist

General, Health, Music, Prisons

Prisoner Health announcements for Abu-Jamal + Robert Seth Hayes + metal and punk

freemumia.org
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There are two announcements at the start of this episode concerning health developments and request for public action on behalf of longstanding prisoners and former Black Panthers. Following those, we feature new death rock by BÖRN from Iceland (playing at Static Age in AVL on May 9th), doom by Thou and more.

First, Mumia Abu-Jamal is an imprisoned journalist, former Panther and supporter of MOVE members while they faced repression in Philly in the 70’s and early 80’s. He was accused of killing a cop while driving his cab in 1981. He is not getting enough medical treatment for his recently diagnosed diabetes (including a specific diet to help him cope and medication) and related skin disorder. More information and a call to action on his behalf can be found at http://www.freemumia.org

Robert Seth Hayes is a former Panther and BLA member who is accused of killing a cop in NYC in 1973. He suffers from many, worrying and chronic health problems including poorly controlled diabetes and weight loss, much like Mumia. Supporters are requesting that people call in on April 27-28th to a number of officials in NY to get him medical treatment and stop this punishment. There’s also a fax-in day on April 29th and 30th on his behalf. More info at http://powmedicaljustice.com/call-fax-in-for-seth

Playlist

General, Hasan, Hunger Strike, Lucasville Uprising, Ohio

Hunger Strike at OSP Youngstown nears 30th day

lucasvilleamnesty.org
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This week we’re joined by Imam Siddique Abdullah Hasan, one of 6 prisoners who are almost a month into a solidarity hunger strike at Ohio State Prison in Youngstown to press the Warden about current conditions at the prison.  Among the issues the hunger strike is protesting include the inability of all new/incoming prisoners to OSP and those currently on the highest level of security (5B) to attend congregational religious activities, also poor quality of food presented by Aramark (the company contracted to provide meals at OSP, and who’s food services sparked the hunger strike in January of 2014 at Westville Correctional Facility in Indiana) a lack of access to outside recreation for the prisoners and more.  You may recall Hasan from a prior interview we did with him on the anniversary of the 1993 Lucasville Prisoner uprising which began because of some of the same issues and for which Hasan is facing the death penalty as an organizer of the beginning of the protest sparking the uprising as well as helping to organize the end of that uprising. The 1993 uprising resulted in the deaths of 9 prisoners (accused of being snitches) and one prison guard. To hear our interview with Hasan from October of 2013, click here.

Also, Sean Swain speaks about the hunger strike at OSP, where he was formerly incarcerated, and the harsh realities of lack of access to human interaction, direct sunlight and the out doors.

There is a rally in solidarity with the hunger strikers in Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday the 14th of April at 3pm at the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corruption, 770 West Broad St.  The point of the rally is to deliver a list of demands to the officials of the ODRC and pressure them to change the conditions at OSP Youngstown, ending the hunger strike.  The rally coincides with the 22nd anniversary of the Lucasville Uprising which started because of a denial of religious rights of muslim prisoners including Abdulla Siddique Hasan.  More info at LucasvilleAmnesty.org

From that site:
“If you can’t make it to Columbus, please be creative and find a way to support the hunger strike on Tuesday. Organize a solidarity fast like students at the University of Toledo did on Friday, with an evening “break the fast” get together. Or a call-in lunch, gather with friends mid-day and call the prison, Central Office, and The CIIC (numbers and scripts below). Or a letter writing party, write letters to officials, your local newspapers, and/or to the hunger striking prisoners.

Whatever you do, let us know by emailing Ben at Insurgent.Ben@gmail.com so he can share the stories with the hunger strikers and the world. Tuesday will be the 30th day of this hunger strike, if everyone can find a way to express solidarity on that day it will make a huge difference for these men’s morale and resolve, as well as sending a strong message to the prison authorities that the hunger strikers are not alone in their protest.

There is also a rally in the works for at or near OSP on Saturday. Details will be posted at lucasvilleamnesty.org as they are confirmed.”

If you’d like to write to Hasan, he can be reached at:
Siddique Abdullah Hasan
R130-559
OSP
878 Coitsville-Hubbard Rd
Youngstown, OH 44505

To get ahold of ODRC director Gary Mohr you can call 614-752-1150.
Or direct your mail to
Gary Mohr, ODRC Director, 770 West Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43222
or Email him via
drc.publicinfo@odrc.state.oh.us

and you can express your concern for the safety of the prisoners hunger striking at OSP.

More info and suggestions are up at lucasvilleamnesty.org

Playlist for the episode is here