Category Archives: zine

Episodes we’ve transcribed and formatted for easy printing

ACABookfair, Anarchist, Anarchist Media, Art, General, Graffiti, Transcribed, United States, zine

Art As A Vehicle For Anarchist Ideas (ACAB 2024)

photo with a line of riot cops covered in various colors of paint
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This week, we’re sharing another presentation from the 2024 ACABookfair in so-called Asheville. On youtube you’ll find the audio sync’d up with the slideshow presentation from the bookfair by visiting youtube.com/@thefinalstrawradio.

The following is a recording from the 2024 Another Carolina Anarchist Bookfair in so-called Asheville, NC. You can find more info and recordings from this and other years at ACABookfair.NoBlogs.Org. This is a presentation entitled Art as a Vehicle for Anarchist Ideas with N.O. Bonzo, Des Revol, and Sugarbombing World. From the description:

“Three longtime anarchist artists—N.O. Bonzo, Des Revol, and Sugarbombing World—will explore the role that art plays in resistance and movements, along with remembrance of the past and visions of the future. They’ll look at ways that art brings people together, and can serve as a great tool, whether in organizing and agitating, and/or inviting people into anarchism.”

Continue reading Art As A Vehicle For Anarchist Ideas (ACAB 2024) →

Anarchist, Antifa, General, Germany, Prisons, Rashid, Red Onion State Prison, Transcribed, United States, Virginia, zine

Red Onion Prison Updates + Antifa-OST Case in Germany

This week, we’re featuring two segments.

logo featuring an onion with a person behind bars in the pearl and the logo for "Soli Antifa-Ost"

First up, Phil Wilayto of the Virginia Defenders talks about conditions at Red Onion State Prison in western Virginia where a number of prisoners have been self-immolating in order to escape longterm isolation and racist guard violence. You can find Phil’s article on the SF Bay View which includes a clip of Noelle Hanrahan on Al-Jazeera talking about this subject, and past interviews with and about Kevin “Rashid” Johnson at this link here. [00:01:02 – 00:41:15]

Then, you’ll hear Jo, an anarchist from Germany, speaking about the recent building of conspiracy cases against antifascists known as Antifa-Ost, or Antifa East. You can find our prior interview about NSU Watch and Day X here. [ 00:44:45 – 01:11:42 ]

More info on Antifa-Ost and the Budapest Structure:

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Featured Track:

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Continue reading Red Onion Prison Updates + Antifa-OST Case in Germany →

Anarchist, Author, community, Detritus Books, General, History, Peter Gelderloos, Pluto Press, Politics, Transcribed, zine

Peter Gelderloos on Memory, Community, Organization and Struggle

book covers of "They Will Beat the Memory Out of Us: Forcing Nonviolence on Forgetful Movements" and "Organization, Community, Continuity"
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This week, we’re airing an interview with anarchist author, Peter Gelderloos about two of his recent books They Will Beat the Memory Out of Us: Forcing Nonviolence on Forgetful Movements (Pluto Books, 2024) as well as Organization, Community, Continuity (Detritus, 2024). For this episode, we speak on movement memory, community, care work, organization and struggle.

Past interviews with Peter can be found here and his collaboration with Sub.Media is here.

Continue reading Peter Gelderloos on Memory, Community, Organization and Struggle →

abortion, ACABookfair, Anarchist, Feminism, Health, History, Misogyny, North Carolina, Racism, Sexism, Transcribed, United States, zine

Abortion Beyond The State (with Jex Blackmore, ACAB24)

"Abortion Beyond The State" with two black and white images of the US capitol
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This week, we’re sharing a presentation entitled “Abortion Beyond The State” by Jex Blackmore and Hydra Mutual Aid Fund, recorded at the 2024 Another Carolina Anarchist Bookfair in so-called Asheville, NC. You can find more audios, past schedules and more at ACABookfair.NoBlogs.Org.

From the description:

“Government control of reproductive capacity has long persisted as a tool to subordinate birthing people, women, people of color, people living on lower incomes, and other marginalized groups. The Supreme Court’s harmful ruling in Dobbs made clear that both the State, its actors, and the non-profit industrial complex have failed the people, giving rise to the urgent necessity for the movement to defend itself through direct provisions to community. This workshop will provide context to the current crisis surrounding bodily autonomy and reproduction and share a roadmap for subverting state control by building networks of support to provide safe and effective abortion regardless of legality.

The Hydra Fund is an independent mutual aid fund supporting access to reproductive care in Michigan. Their mission is to eliminate financial barriers to abortion access in Michigan by providing direct financial aid for purchasing abortion pills and obtaining in-clinic abortion procedures. Additionally, Hydra Fund is engaged in a community outreach education program to support access to evidence-based abortion information.”

For other abortion chats you can listen to from TFSR, check out this link

Other resources mentioned include:

Announcement

Phone Zap for Malik Muhammad

Malik Muhammad, a prisoner from the George Floyd Uprising has been on hunger strike against extended use of solitary confinement with no property and after a beating and tasering by staff. You can learn how to participate in a phone zap at MalikSpeaks.NoBlogs.Org

Continue reading Abortion Beyond The State (with Jex Blackmore, ACAB24) →

abolition, gender, General, Hurricane Helene, North Carolina, Prisons, Sexism, Transcribed, United States, zine

NC Womens Prisons + Overcrowding Post-Helene in NCDAP

This week, we’re featuring two interviews concerning prison conditions in North Carolina.

"TFSR 11-17-24 | NC Womens Prisons + Overcrowding Post-Helene" featuring a photo of women in a county jail in NC and a photo of Benevolence Farm
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First up, you’ll hear from Elizabeth Simpson of Emancipate NC, one of the signatories to a public letter to this state’s department of corrections calling for the release of hundreds of prisoners in North Carolina. This comes in response to over-crowding and understaffing of prisons following the emergency transfer of 2,000 prisoners from prisons in the western part of the state effected by Hurricane Helene. [00:01:15 – 00:18:50]

Then, Mona Evans of Benevolence Farm, a post-release residence and re-entry program in North Carolina for people coming out of the women’s prisons talks about their programs, re-entry and some of the realities faced inside womens prisons in this state.   [00:20:04 – 01:04:40]

In this conversation I mentioned Victoria Law’s latest book, Corridors of Contagion: How the Pandemic Exposed the Cruelties of Incarceration (Haymarket Books). You can find our 2013 interview with her about her 2nd edition of Resistance Behind Bars: The Struggles of Incarcerated Women at this link.

Other projects Mona mentioned include:

  • Arise Collective re-entry program
  • DownhomeNC engages in a number of progressive causes in this state, including the bail fund that Benevolence Farms is currently running. You can find our 2020 interview with them here.

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Featured Track:

  • Women on the Inside by Sistas In The Pit from The We That Sets Us Free: Building A World Without Prisons

Continue reading NC Womens Prisons + Overcrowding Post-Helene in NCDAP →

abolition, Antifa, Deutsch, fascism, Immigration, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, PNW, Prisons, Protest, repression, Transcribed, United States, zine

Resisting Immigration Prison in Tacoma and Fascists in Pittsburgh

This week, we’re featuring three segments in our episode.

Burgundy, yellow and red banner with the words "Shut Down The NWDC", the logo for Pittsburgh Fash Watch featuring the keystone shape of PA plus the three Iron Front arrows in a circle and "We Keep Us Safe"
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First up, you’ll hear Maru Mora-Villalpando talking about the immigration prison known as the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, WA and the organizing that her organization La Resistencia does to shut down this private prison run by Geo Group. [ 00:00:54 – 00:44:00 ]

Then, a member of Pittsburgh Fash Watch, an antifascist group, talks about their mobilization and unmasking of white supremacists in their area, such as WLM and Goyim Defense League (GDL) chud Brandon Cahall. [ 00:45:07 – 00:54:42]

Finally, Sean Swain addresses post-election ennui. [ 00:54:45-end ]

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Featured Track:

  • Bella Ciao by Leslie Fish

Continue reading Resisting Immigration Prison in Tacoma and Fascists in Pittsburgh →

Antisemitism, Author, fascism, General, Politics, Racism, Shane Burley, Transcribed, zine

Out-Organizing Antisemitism with Ben Lorber and Shane Burley

book cover of "Safety Through Solidarity" with a star of david made of interlocking hands
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A recent conversation we had with the Ben Lorber and Shane Burley, co-authors of the recently published book, Safety Through Solidarity: A Radical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism. For the hour we discuss the roots of antisemitism in the West, pushing back on Zionism in the midst of the genocidal war on Palestinians, a rebirth of Bundism and addressing antisemitism in left spaces. I definitely recommend this book to folks and hope you enjoy the chat! And as always, thanks for supporting this project.

If you’re a non-Pacifica station looking for this weeks 58 minute radio show, you can find it here. We’re hoping Archive.Org will be back online and allow us to upload files there soon.

Past interviews with Shane:

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Featured Track:

Continue reading Out-Organizing Antisemitism with Ben Lorber and Shane Burley →

abolition, Appalachia, Asheville, Bail Funds, Capitalism, General, Housing, Hurricane Helene, North Carolina, Palestine, Transcribed, zine

Jail and Housing Conditions, Recovery in Post-Helene Asheville

Jail and Housing Conditions, Recovery in Post-Helene Asheville

WNC Tenants network logo, Sumud Collective logo and Asheville Community Bail Fund logoWNC Tenants network logo, Sumud Collective logo and Asheville Community Bail Fund logoThis week on The Final Straw Radio, you’ll hear three  interviews relating to community needs and recovering concerning Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina.

If you’re a non-Pacifica radio station airing the show, here’s a link for the 58 minute radio edition while Archive.Org continues to be down due to hacker attacks.

First up, you’ll hear Jen Hampton of the WNC Tenants Network about the re-opening of eviction courts in Buncombe County and conditions of housing in an already difficulty place to live.

Then, Bruce and G talk from the Asheville Community Bail Fund speak about conditions in the local jail during and after this unnatural disaster.

Finally, Yousef of the Palestinian and Arab-led Sumud Collective speaks about his experience of the storm and recovery work in the region in an interview recorded a couple of weeks ago.

Other links from Jen:

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Featured Track:

  • Reflections by The Supremes from Gold

Continue reading Jail and Housing Conditions, Recovery in Post-Helene Asheville →

activism, Appalachia, Asheville, California, community, Environment, Homelessness, Housing, Hurricane Helene, North Carolina, Oakland, Rural Organizing And Resilience, Transcribed, United States, zine

Homeless Organizing in Oakland and Rural Relief After Helene

Homeless Organizing in Oakland and Rural Relief After Helene

Collage of black and white photo of man holding sign to a tent reading "Oakland Homeless Union" + banner reading "Y'all Means all - Rural Organizing and Resilience" on a realtree background
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This week on the show we’re featuring two inteviews. First up, you’ll hear from Freeway, a houseless activist in Oakland, CA, about the recent series of sweeps of homeless being promoted by Governor Gavin Newsom. Freeway has been a member of Wood Street Commons and is now a member of Oakland Homeless Union (IG or donate).

Then, Janet of Rural Organizing and Resilience (IG or donate) in Madison County, speaks about post-Hurricane Helene organizing and disaster preparedness in the mountains of Western North Carolina. More and links to be added soon.

Other groups mentioned by Janet of ROAR include:

Announcement

Phone Zap for Buncombe County Jail

Members of the Asheville Community Bail Fund have announced a phone zap concerning conditions in the Buncombe County Detention Facility where reports are coming out of a lack of clean water, irregular bathroom breaks and other lack of access are leading to calls for those in the jail to be released or transferred to a facility with more humane conditions.

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Featured Track:

  • I Wanna Know If It’s Good To You by Funkadellic from Free Your Mind… And Your Ass Will Follow

Continue reading Homeless Organizing in Oakland and Rural Relief After Helene →

Appalachia, Asheville, Deutsch, Disaster Relief, General, Hurricane Helene, Mutual Aid, Transcribed, zine

Mutual Aid and Disaster Relief in Southern Appalachia

Mutual Aid and Disaster Relief in Southern Appalachia

<a href='https://traffic.libsyn.com/forcedn/thefinalstrawradio/tfsr-podcast-20241006.mp3">Download This Episode</a>Over the first weekend of October, 2024, there was a deluge from two storms (including level 4 Hurricane Helene) descended on southern Appalachia, mostly on the eastern side which includes Asheville and other parts of western NC, eastern TN, south eastern Ohio, and northern Georgia. At the point of this recording there are over 200 known dead and hundreds missing, portions of the region continue to be without electricity or cellular service, and where the toxic mud and water linger and separate people from medical and community care. This episode, we’re speaking with two people who’ve lived in the region and have been helping other residents distribute storm relief.

Groups worth following doing work on the ground include:

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Featured Tracks:

  • 500 Year Flood by Adam Pope
  • Day 3 on Pigeon River by Sarah Howell

Continue reading Mutual Aid and Disaster Relief in Southern Appalachia →