Category Archives: General

The No-State Solution (with Mohammed Bamyeh, ACAB2024)

The No-State Solution (with Mohammed Bamyeh, ACAB2024)

"TFSR 8-4-24 | The No-State Solution (with Mohammed Bamyeh, ACAB2024)" alongside a shirt looking like a college sports log reading "The No-State Solution" and details about the presentation
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This week we’re sharing audio from Dr. Mohammed Bamyeh’s presentation entitled “The No-State Solution” as recorded at the 2024 Another Carolina Anarchist Bookfair in so-called Asheville, NC. Dr. Bamyeh is a Palestinian sociologist and professor at Pitt and the author of multiple books. There is a youtube video of this chat available on the Firestorm Books channel.  Shuli Branson’s current podcast is The Breakup Theory and she also authored a zine by the same title as this presentation.

A prior presentation of this title appeared at The Victoria Anarchist Bookfair, a discussion between Dr. Bamyeh and Dr. Uri Gordon. You can find a video or a zine of the dialogue.

Announcements

SCI Fayette hunger strike

According to incarcerated activists in SCI-Fayette in Luzerne Township, Pennsylvania, there are plans to initiate a peaceful hunger strike starting with breakfast on August 5th, 2024, to protest lack of out-of-cell time, locked down for laundry, commissary and evening recreation time during which they can contact family and friends. More on the details in our show notes to support their hunger strike demands.

The brothers at SCI-FAYETTE are planning a peaceful resistance 2 strike all the meals beginning the morning of 8/5/2024 because administration is continuing 2 limit our time out of the cell on the unit, as if we’re in a pandemic. This is the only facility n PADOC that are doing pandemic procedures. Continues to take from us. Creating problems & hostile environment. The men are tired of being locked down for commissary, laundry & now they’re restricting are evening recreation. For most inmates that’s the only time we can contact are family & friends. We want full day room recreation (no cohorts) on every housing unit 7:45-10-30am, 1:15-3:35pm & 5:00pm-8:30pm & more seats on the housing unit 2 accommodate the seating arrangements. We need their help on the outside to call #724-364-2200 & speak up 4 us.

Administration likes to keep matters like this in-house & hope we don’t have any outside support.

Please support us?

To hear about more ongoing and recent prisoner struggles and anti-repression news, check out the monthly column on ItsGoingDown.org entitled In Contempt.

Week of Solidarity with Anarchist Prisoners

August 23-30th is the Week of Solidarity with Anarchist Prisoners. To learn who is being supported, find propaganda and art and how to send your own updates, visit the website solidarity.international

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Featured Track:

  • Viva Tirado (part 1) by El Chicano from Viva Tirado

Continue reading The No-State Solution (with Mohammed Bamyeh, ACAB2024)

Three Way Fight: Revolutionary Politics and Antifascism (with Xtn Alexander and Matthew Lyons)

Three Way Fight: Revolutionary Politics and Antifascism

"Three Way Fight" book cover featuring three white arrows heading down and to the left
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This week, we’re sharing a conversation I had with Matthew Lyons and Xtn Alexander, editors and contributors to the book Three Way Fight: Revolutionary Politics and Antifascism, out this year from Kersplebedeb Books and PM Press. We talked about the development of the political tendency which troubles the read of both liberal capitalism and the autonomous far right from a revolutionary left libertarian perspective, some of it’s progenitors and a bit about the state of the far right today.

Continue reading Three Way Fight: Revolutionary Politics and Antifascism (with Xtn Alexander and Matthew Lyons)

Shut ‘Em Down 2024 + Monsour Owolabi

Shut ‘Em Down 2024 + Monsour Owolabi

A photo of Monsour Olowabi and a graphic promoting the 2024 Abolitin Shut 'Em Down Demonstrations
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An interview with Courtney of the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee & Millions For Prisoners New Mexico and Roc, communications bridge for Jailhouse Lawyers Speak and residential manager at the JLS housing center to speak about the JLS call for Shut ‘Em Down strikes inside and outside of prisons in December of 2024. We talk about abolitionism, the organizing that JLS is doing including that transitional housing project and other topics. You can find a past interview with Courtney here.

Then, you’ll hear Monsour Owolabi, incarcerated New African political prisoner in the Ferguson Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice system sharing some perspectives on inside-outside collaboration, the role of isolation in prisons as counter-insurgency and the importance of transitional housing projects. Monsour has been involved in Prison Lives Matter, the website https://www.texasletters.org/ has published his writings, and supporters have an instagram @FreeMonsourOwolabi

By putting these segments together, we are not proposing any organizational overlap between Mr Owolabi and JLS.

Shout out to Marylin’s Children for inspirational praxis.

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Featured Track:

  • Remember Rockefeller at Attica by Charles Mingus from Changes One

Continue reading Shut ‘Em Down 2024 + Monsour Owolabi

Views from the “Rogue Gold” Tree Sit (with Cricket and D)

Views from the “Rogue Gold” Tree Sit (with Cricket and D)

"TFSR 6-16-24 | Views From The 'Rogue Gold' Tree Sit (with Cricket and D) featuring a photo from 100 feet up in the Douglas Fir named Goldie
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This week you’ll hear an interview we conducted with Cricket, a tree sitter in a tree called Goldie in southern so-called Oregon as well as D of Siskiyou Rising Tide. The two talk about the experience and efficacy of tree sits, about the land threatened by the Bureau of Land Managements plan to have Boise Cascade and other timber companies log this area they’re calling Rogue Gold, recent success of a tree sit at Poor Windy, revelations of police surveillance and some of the history of forest defense in this region.

You can find more at TreeSittersUnion.org , donate via venmo to @Cascadia-Defenders or see lovely pictures on the instagram accounts @TreeSittersUnion or @Siskiyou_RisingTide

Continue reading Views from the “Rogue Gold” Tree Sit (with Cricket and D)

Memory, Movement and June 11th 2024

Memory, Movement and June 11th 2024

June 11th 2024 poster in black & white featuring mirrored images of a plant and the words "An International Day of Solidarity with Marius Mason and Long-term Anarchist Prisoners" "There are no separate worlds" "June11.org" and "TFSR 6-2-24 | Memory Movement & June 11th 2024"
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This week on The Final Straw, we’re sharing an interview we conducted in recognition of the upcoming celebration of June 11th International Day of Solidarity with Marius Mason and other long term anarchist prisoners. This week you’ll hear Julie Herrada, a long time anarchist activist, comrade of Marius Mason and worker at the Labadie Collection at the University of Michigan. Julie is joined by Matthew Hart, another longtime anarchist involved in labor organizing, historical research with the Dockstadter Mutual Aid Society and the Los Angeles Anarchist Black Cross chapter of the Federation. We speak about history, memory, prisoner support and continuing the struggle.

If you’d like to hear more about the history of June 11th and voices of anarchist prisoners and those who support them outside, we’ve taken the opportunity each year to have at least one show focusing on specific cases or concepts related to ongoing struggle and anti-repression work.

But first up, you’ll hear a comrade reading the 2024 call entitled No Separate Worlds and you’re hearing a conversation between anarchist historians and prisoner supporters about memory and the upcoming June 11th international day of soldiairty with marius mason and longterm anarchist prisoners. More info at June11.noblogs.org

Announcement

Fundraiser for Oso Blanco’s Family

There’s a fundraiser for the family of Cherokee anarchist prisoner, Oso Blanco, as they recently suffered a housefire that destroyed their home. You can learn more and find where to donate at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-political-prisoners-family-cherokee-rebuild-after-fire

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Featured Track:

Continue reading Memory, Movement and June 11th 2024

Addameer on Palestinian Prisoners + new TTRPG “Oceania 2084”

This week, we’re sharing two segments.

Addameer on Palestinian Prisoners

Montage of the log of Addameer featuring a dove flying up from barbed wire and "Addameer" in Arabic, as well as part of the book cover of "Oceania 2084" featuring an eye peering down
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First up, we spoke with Tala Nasser of the Palestinian prisoner human rights group, Al-Addameer which has offices in Jerusalem or Al-Quds, as well as in Ramallah. We speak about the report they released on Palestinian Prisoners day, April 17th, on the conditions of Palestinian prisoners, particularly since October 7th, 2023 including in Gaza since the invasion. More info on the group and their findings can be found at addameer.org

A-Radio Berlin on new TTRPG “Oceania 2084”

Then, we’ll hear a segment by our comrades at A-Radio Berlin speaking with Johan Eriksson, an anarchist game designer has recently published such an RPG called “Oceania 2084“, based on George Orwell’s novel “1984”. You can find more of about the game including a free austere pdf of the gameplay at jocher-symbolic-systems.itch.io , and you can hear more audios from A-Radio Berlin at aradio-berlin.org .

Sean Swain’s 2024 Presidential Run

For the sake of anyone in the office of Attorney General of Ohio if they’re listening: this segment is political satire. We feel it’s necessary to make this disclaimer as they referenced a spoof press conference for Sean as governor in exile of Ohio on the January 18th, 2015 radio segment in court filings to prove how dangerous Sean is, while actually just showing how stupid hierarchs are.

Midweek Release: Yaffa As

In case you missed mid-week release of our interview with Yaffa As, a queer and trans Palestinian poet, author, publisher and activist living in the diaspora about two recent collections they published as well as mutual aid and fundraising to get queer Palestinians out of range of Israeli genocide.

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Featured Track:

Continue reading Addameer on Palestinian Prisoners + new TTRPG “Oceania 2084”

“Clean For Who? Safe For Who?”: Asheville Business Improvement District

“Clean For Who? Safe For Who?”: Asheville Business Improvement District

Anti-Business Improvement District flyer from Asheville “Show up to City Council on May 14th for the first of two votes on the proposed B.I.D. Bring a friend! B.I.Ds are bad for • Democracy • Business • Residents Don't take the CRAP NO AVL BID Tell City Council SPEAK UP! MAY 14TH 5PM CITY HALL”
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We sat down with three local activists to talk about the proposed Asheville Business Improvement District, a model of service provision using public funding to increase policing in downtown by an unelected and unaccountable body of largely business and property owners. For the hour, Grace, Madison and Elliot talk about attempts to ram the BID through public process, some of the businesses and individuals behind it, how bids have panned out in other cities around the country and what space there is left to oppose this further privatization of public space in Asheville.

We didn’t mention it here, but there have also been rumblings of the BID model, a version of which was fought and never funded in 2012, being applied to other parts of Asheville, for example West Asheville. You can find more information and ways to get involved with folks organizing against the Business Improvement District at AshevilleBID.com and on Instagram at @NoAVLBid. This is our show for the week of May 12th.

As a quick note, there are a few acronyms frequently used in this conversation. One is RFP, which stands for Request for Proposals and is a process of contracting out an element of a project. Another acronym is ADA, in this case Asheville Downtown Association which is an independent pressure group made up of individuals, business and property owners. Not to be confused with the Asheville Downtown Commission, which was created by the City Council and contains appointed representatives from the ADA, city council, Buncombe County Board of Commissioners and few other community members including business owners.

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Featured Tracks:

  • Asheville BID song (unknown artist)
  • Moving Through The Streets (instrumental)

Continue reading “Clean For Who? Safe For Who?”: Asheville Business Improvement District

Don Bosco Park Defense in Bologna + Bernard Jemison on Conditions and Resistance in AL Prisons

This week, two segments plus Sean Swain

Don Bosco Park Defense in Bologna

An image of park occupation in Don Bosco in Bologna, Italy with tree sits and a shack, buildings in the background. Also a photo of Bernard Jemison. "TFSR 5-5-24 | Don Bosco Park Defense in Bologna, Italy + Bernard Jemison on Conditions in Holman and other Alabama Prisons"
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First up, an interview submitted by audio comrades in Italy about the struggle against the cementization of the city of Bologna and the defense of Don Bosco park from the expansion of a university, highways… the whole urban landscape without the input of the residents so the city can move a school rather than renovate it. This struggle, including the occupation and defense of the park, represents an innovation in urban struggles in Italy which consciously takes inspiration from the struggle to Stop Cop City in so-called Atlanta and the activities of the park defenders has forced the left-leaning municipal government and mayor to temporarily suspend the cutting of trees. [00:02:04 – 00:27:10]

Bernard Jemison on Conditions and Resistance in AL Prisons

Then, you’ll hear Bernard Jemison, an incarcerated activist held in Holman prison in Alabama talking about conditions inside the ADOC recent calls for prisoner strikes in the state by the Free Alabama Movement and their outside supporters, as well as his views on the demands being made. [00:27:57 – 01:05:10]

The demands that we mention are the following:

  1. BILL TO REPEAL THE HABITUAL OFFENDER ACT ON THE TABLE
  2. CIVIL CLASS ACTION LITIGATION FOR PAROLE ALREADY FILED. EVERYONE NEEDS TO SIGN UP.
  3. PAROLE BILL ON THE TABLE
  4. WE NEED TO ABOLISH LWOP AND CREATE AN AVENUE FOR JUVENILE OFFENDERS.
  5. NO MORE NITROGEN GAS EXECUTIONS..
  6. STOP SELLING OUR ORGANS.

A few articles on the subjects worth reading include:

Social media accounts Bernard thinks are doing a good job covering these issues:

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Featured Track:

  • On Point (instrumental) by House of Pain

Continue reading Don Bosco Park Defense in Bologna + Bernard Jemison on Conditions and Resistance in AL Prisons

Feather River Action! on Forest Fires and Clearcuts

Feather River Action! on Forest Fires and Clearcuts

"Lost Sierra Action Camp May 23-29, Plumas National Forest, California | TFSR 4-21-24 | Josh Hart of Feather River Action on Forest Fires & Clearcuts"
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Josh Hart of Feather River Action! in Plumas county joined me to speak about US Forest Service plans for an emergency thinning of forests in this north east part of so-called California and which is threatened to be reproduced in other Federal and private lands in the name of fire prevention around the country. We talk about the claims, motivations and alternative proposals of activists, scientists and community members and the upcoming Lost Sierra Forest-Climate Action Camp happening in the area at the end of May 23-29th.

Here’s another group working on the issue:

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Continue reading Feather River Action! on Forest Fires and Clearcuts

Jeremy White on the “San Diego Antifa” Case

Jeremy White on the “San Diego Antifa” Case

"TFSR 4-14-2024 | Jeremy White on the 'San Diego Antifa' Case" featuring a photo of Jeremy holding a camera, wearing a fedora and wearing a shirt that says "Gaza"
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A recent chat with Jeremy White, film-maker, activist, and street medic who’s facing prison time in what has been dubbed the “San Diego Antifa” case. You’ll hear Jeremy talk about what happened on January 9th, 2021 at the Stop The Steal rally, how the police interacted with members of American Guard and Proud Boys as they assaulted passers by, the conspiracy-theory driven DA Sommers Stephan and where the case was before it resumed on March 18th, after we recorded this chat. Jeremy also worked on a horror-comedy film called “Bitch Ass“.

Fundraising on the case:

Fundraising for Tallcan, former defendant:

  • Benefit concert Saturday, May 18th 2024 @Birdcage Comics
    165 W Hospitality Lane,
    Suite 17
    San Bernadino, CA 92408
    Doors @ 6pm / ALLAGES
    $8 Suggested donation / (no one will be turned away for lack of funds)
    The proceeds from this show will go to legal funds and family support.
    FEATURING LIVE PERFORMANCES BY:
    SEXETTE / GLORBO / THE HAIL MARIAS / DOVE / LOW SWEEP
  • Venmo: @PUSHINGDOWNTHEWALLS
    Cashapp: $PUSHINGDOWNTHEWALLS
    Please put “TC” in the notes.

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Featured Track:

Continue reading Jeremy White on the “San Diego Antifa” Case