Tag Archives: asheville

A-Radio Network, activism, Anarchist, Asheville, Autonomy, Capitalism, Črna Luknja, Gentrification, Greece, Housing, Hurricane Helene, Immigration, Protest, Squatting, United States

G20 Finance Track in Asheville + Prosfygika

This week’s episode features two segments.

G20 Finance Track in Asheville this month

old-timey postcard showing cityscape of Asheville, plus words "G20 Unwelcome in Asheville N.C. in the Land of the Sky", "G20AVL.NoBlogs.Org" and "TFSR 8-16-26 | G20 Finance Track in Asheville + Prosfygika"
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First up, you’ll hear Jeremy and Sea speak about the upcoming G20 Financial Track gathering of Finance Ministers and Central Bankers happening in Asheville at the end of August this year. We speak about the G20, neoliberalism, and some of the organizing happening locally. More info available at G20AVL.NoBlogs.Org

Squatted Neighborhood of Prosfygika

Then you’ll hear a segment form the June 2026 episode #103 of B(A)D News: Angry Voices from Around The World by the A-Radio Network. In this audio, members of Crna Luknja from Ljubljana, Slovenia, speak with participants in the autonomous, squatted neighborhood of Athens, Prosfygika, a name which translates to Refugee. The audio was recorded on May 28th , so likely the situation has shifted and you can find more information and updates at SaveProsfygika.GR/index.php/en/ for English. According to a statement from June 24th found on that website, the hunger strikes of Aristotelis Chantzis and Suzon Doppagne were suspended following municipal statements in line with movement demands. Check the Materials page for statements, photos, audios and documentaries from and about the community.

Announcements

Mutual Aid in Spokane in the wake of massive fires

A comrade sent some fundraising links for mutual aid, particularly for undocumented community members and folks at the Colville Tribal Rez north of town where fire damage has been extensive. Check our show notes for links.

Asheville Anti-Surveillance Week of Action August 16-22

CAMS (Community Against Mass Surveillance) is doing a week of action against mass surveillance alongside the nationwide DeFlock week of action. Check our show notes for the local schedule of events in Asheville.

SCHEDULE FOR WEEK OF ACTION:

Aug 16-22:

Sunday 8/16 – Week of Action kickoff & potluck: coalition building, info and resource sharing, and organizing for week of action and beyond, 1 to 3 pm, Home Hub Pavilion, 27 Balm Grove Ave., W AVL, rain or shine (covered outdoor space and access to indoor spaces).

**Tuesday evening 8/18 – online panel and Q&A with local and national experts, 7 – 8:30 pm.**

Friday evening 8/21 – Infoshare, Q&A, Speak Out + dance party, 6 to 10 pm, location TBD.

. … . ..

Featured Track:

Police, Surveillance, Technology, Transcribed, U.S. South, United States, zine

Discussion on Organizing Against Surveillance in the US South

a photo of Will Smith looking up through a car window from the film "Enemy Of The State" viewed from a surveillance satellite, plus “TFSR 8-9-26 | Discussion on Organizing Against Surveillance in the US South”
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This week, you’ll hear a discussion with Ed from Southerners Against Surveillance Systems and Infrastructure / DeFlock, Ben of Communities Against Mass Surveillance in Asheville and Kelly from Nashville Community Safety Network others who share more about their local organizing to counter the nationwide push for interconnected surveillance networks. The push for increasingly more data on the public and the funneling of that information into police fusion centers has been most visible recently in struggles against Flock. We speak about spy cameras, the connections between private companies and the state surveillance apparatus, local organizing tactics and more.

Interesting links

Announcements

Gianis Michailidis supporters firefund

Supporters of anarchist Gianis Michailidis (imprisoned by the Greek state) took solidarity actions to escalate knowledge of his hunger and thirst strike demanding his release after completing his sentence. These supporters have an appeal coming to Lamia Court of Appeals, September 29, 2026, against rulings by conservative judges threatening 30 months of prison and thousands of Euros each in damages. You can learn more about the case and how to support it at Firefund: https://www.firefund.net/amfissaintervention . Further info at https://athens.indymedia.org/post/1641475/

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Featured Track:

Continue reading Discussion on Organizing Against Surveillance in the US South →

activism, Asheville, G20, Gentrification, Homelessness, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Police, Protest, repression, Sports, Transcribed, United States, zine

National Special Security Events, Homeless Sweeps and Police Militarization

photo of police leading a baton charge with the words "TFSR 5-24-26 | National Special Security Events, Homeless Sweeps and Police Militarization"
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This year has felt like there’ve been a series of large sports mega events and summits planned and taking place in cities across the USA. For instance, starting in June the FIFA World Cup will be hosted in cities across the country (as well as a few in Mexico and Canada). Also a few cities are hosting meetings and an eventual summit related to the G20, or group of 20 economies, a gathering between large capitalist industries, banks, para-governmental neoliberal international institutions, government ministries and heads of state that share policy decisions effecting immigration, wars, trade policy and the climate. In 2028 Los Angeles will host the Olympics.

This episode will feature two discussions about some of the security impacts of hosting large sports or political events and the ways that the state and capital work to change the landscape and norms of the locations they take place. First up, Kristian Williams speaks about National Special Security Events like the G20 or World Cup, how they change local police and surveillance landscapes and work to turbocharge gentrification and displace working and poor people, making our cities more hostile to anything but commerce and control. Then, you’ll hear from Sam Schmidt at Our Streets Collective to speak about homeless sweeps in Pittsburgh, PA in the run-up to and aftermath of the 2026 NFL Draft taking place in that city.

Announcement

Marius Mason

Longtime listeners to The Final Straw Radio will be familiar with the yearly June 11th Day of Solidarity with Marius Mason and other Longterm Anarchist Prisoners. Well, stay tuned for an announcement from the June 11 crew in coming weeks with a recording of this year’s call. We are happy to announce here that Marius Mason, a long standing ecological, animal rights and trans prisoner rights activist will is on his way out of prison, currently in a halfway house having served out his sentence,

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Featured Track:

Continue reading National Special Security Events, Homeless Sweeps and Police Militarization →

abolition, activism, Asheville, Bail Funds, Law, North Carolina, Police, Prisons, Racism, Transcribed, United States, zine

Why Is Asheville’s Buncombe County Jail Full of People?

"TFSR 3-8-26 | Why Is Asheville's Buncombe County Jail Full of People?" featuring a photo from the New Years Eve 2021 Noise Demonstration at the jail with the words "Empty The Cages Free The People" projected on the outer walls of one wing
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This week, we’re sharing an interview with Julie and Jeremy, two anarchists and participants in the Asheville Community Bail Fund. We speak about the US system of pre-trial incarceration aka bail and bond, the work of the bail fund locally, the overcrowding of the Buncombe County Jail here in Asheville, the ICE holds happening in the local jail, and how local policy choices regarding criminalization are being compounded by recent and new North Carolina legislation. Even if you aren’t in Asheville or North Carolina, it’s likely that much of this conversation will be pertinent to goings-ons in your neck of the woods (though hopefully not).

If you’re a regular listener to The Final Straw Radio, have a passion for enriching the anarchist media environment, feel like your values align with what you’ve heard on the show and want a chance to help out and hone your skills, we’re always looking for help. If you’ve thought of getting a podcast or other media project going but aren’t sure how to start, we can be a good jumping off point. Feel free to reach out via our emails

Links

North Carolina Laws discussed

Iryna’s Law (HB-307)

Related Past interviews

Asheville politics and police repression

Public surveillance by ALPR systems like Flock

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Featured Track:

Continue reading Why Is Asheville’s Buncombe County Jail Full of People? →

Anarchist, Asheville, Bookfair, General, Immigration, Prairieland Case, repression, Texas, Transcribed, United States, Virginia, zine

DFW Support Committee, A Better World Bookfair + Save The UNCA Woods

montage of a flyer for A Better World Book Fair with line drawings of simple items and a circle A, alongside a picture of a mockingbird on a mesquite branch in front of a blue sky, a graphic for Save The Woods featuring a number of animals
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This week on the podcast, we’re featuring three segments. First up, A member of DFW Support Committee, then organizers of the A Better World Bookfair in Waynesboro, VA and finally, organizers working to save the UNCA woods

DFW Support Committee

First up, you’ll hear a member of the DFW Support Committee supporting the defendants arrested on and around July 4th in relation to a solidarity noise demonstration outside the Prairieland ICE Detention Facility in Alvarado, Texas, in which a local police officer was injured. We speak about the case, the expanding web of repression against leftists in the area, what’s at stake in the case and how to support the 11 defendants.

You can reach them at dfwsupportcommittee@hacari.com and you can donate at https://www.givesendgo.com/supportdfwprotestors  and here’s a zine of info put out thus far by DFW Support Committee [00:01:40 – 00:35:19]

MAILING INSTRUCTIONS

Guidelines for writing (important!)
All mail is monitored by state and federal law enforcement. Be extremely mindful of what you are writing. Do not under any circumstance discuss the facts of the case, and do not include overtly political commentary. Consider writing about fun things you’ve done, telling stories, or sending poetry!
All addresses must be formatted as follows and should include a return address if possible.
Full name
Johnson County Detention Center 1800 Ridgemar Drive
Cleburne, TX 76031

NAMES AND BOOKING NUMBERS

  • Savanna Batten 202502020
  • Ines Soto 202502008
  • Elizabeth Soto 202502014
  • Seth Sikes 202502010
  • Maricela Rueda 202502018
  • Meagan Morris 202502011
  • Joy Gibson 202502016
  • Nathan Baumann 202502009
  • Autumn Hill 202502023
  • Zachary Evetts 202502013
  • Daniel Sanchez Estrada 202502039

A Better World Book Fair

Next, you’ll hear Beet and Mad Dog, two anarchists organizing the upcoming A Better World Bookfair in Waynesboro, VA on Saturday, July 26th. We talk about the bookfair and taking space in rural locales as leftists and strengthening our bonds amidst the rise of the right under Trump 2.0. [00:35:56 – 01:02:11]

Links

Save The UNCA Woods

Then, you’ll hear Callie and Heather of Friends of the Woods talking about their campaign to save the UNCA woods, 45 acres in Asheville’s Five Points neighborhood from destruction by the university in a scheme to build a 5,000 seat soccer stadium, market rate housing and retail spaces. You can learn more at www.SaveUNCAWoods.org. [ 01:02:58 – 01:42:44 ]

Finally, Sean Swain speaks about the ODRC’s war on art… his art… [ 01:42:44 – 01:51:10 ]

. … . ..

Featured Track:

  • Mercy, Mercy, Mercy by Cannonball Adderly from The Best of Cannonball Adderly The Capitol Years

Continue reading DFW Support Committee, A Better World Bookfair + Save The UNCA Woods →

Appalachia, Asheville, community, Disaster Relief, Hurricane Helene, Mutual Aid, North Carolina, Transcribed, United States, zine

5 Months After Hurricane Helene in Barnardsville, NC

Photo of mutual aid in early October, 2024 in Barnardsville, NC
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This week we’re sharing recent chat with Jazz and Badger, two residents of Barnardsville, a small village just outside of Asheville, NC. We spoke about the community, the impact of Hurricane Helene, some lessons learned from coordinating among the neighbors and how people are faring now, nearly 5 months out from the storm. You can find their website at MutualAidBarnardsville.com

To hear similar stories from after the storm you can find links to past interviews here. Also mentioned were interviews recorded by Blue Ridge Public Radio: Voices of Helene.

Articles on recovery referenced:

If you’d like to help out after recent flooding in Eastern Kentucky, there are a few links in our show notes to Hillbillies Helping Hillbillies aka EKY Mutual Aid

Recent Storm Support for EKY, ETN, SWVA + WV

Recent floods in middle Appalachia in the middle of an intense winter cold snap have left many without potable water or other basic needs. ATV donation / loan / operation request to help check on people in hollers, help clear roads, drive supplies: reach out to theferalraccoon (a t) proton (d ot) me OR MutualAidDisasterRelief ( at) gmail (do t) com.

EKY

One place you can look for where to send resources is Eastern KY Mutual Aid, found on Instagram or Facebook under the name Hillbillies Helping Hillbillies. And you can find out more by visiting the website or checking social media for Mutual Aid Disaster Relief. Some of the useful links are here for those unable to use the platforms:

  • EKY Mutual Aid Patreon
  • Volunteer form if in the region
  • EKY Mutual Aid Cashapp: $SoupBeansFriedTaters
  • EKY Mutual Aid Paypal: @EKYMutualAid

In Pikeville, KY, there’s a request for food grade 5 gallon for water filtration where municipal water isn’t running or wells are contaminated there’s a request for restaurants to save buckets for water filtration. People interested can contact Cara at 859_533_0349

DROP OFF LOCATION:
Pike Central HS
100 Winners Circle Drive Pikeville, KY 41501

Other EKY sites:

  • Appalachian Crisis Aid Fund
  • The Y’all Squad TheYallSquad.org/donate

SWVA

  • SAMS Lonesome Pine Mutual Aid Paypal: @SAMSVA
  • The Care Collective of SW VA Venmo: @carecollectiveofswva
  • Cumberland Mountain Mutual Aid
    • Paypal: cumberlandmountainmutualaid (a t) gmail (d o t) com
    • Venmo: @CMMAID
    • CashApp: $CMMUTUALAID

WV

  • WVUMC Disaster Response Ministries WVUMC.org/donate
  • Bluejay Rising BluejayRising.org/donate
  • Spark of Love Foundation
    • CashApp: $sparkoflove4thekids
    • PayPal: The Spark of Love Foundation

ETN

Continue reading 5 Months After Hurricane Helene in Barnardsville, NC →

Anarchist, Anarchist Media, Art, Author, Comics, General, Immigration, Kristian Williams, North Carolina, Racism, repression, Transcribed, United States, zine

CIMA on Community Defense Against ICE + Kristian Williams on the Comics of Alan Moore

This week on the show, we’re sharing two interviews.

<a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/forcedn/thefinalstrawradio/tfsr-podcast-20250209-CIMAKristianWilliams.mp3">Download This Episode</a>First up, Dulce, a member of Companeros Inmigrantes en las Montanas en Accion, or CIMA, a local organizing and advocacy group by and for immigrants in western NC about her experience working for dignity and solidarity in light of the current and past administrations. More on CIMA can be found at CIMAWNC.Org

Then, Ian speaks with Kristian Williams, author of Gang Politics, Resist Everything Except Temptation, and Our Enemies in Blue, among others, about his recent book, The Illuminist: Philosophical Explanations in the work of Alan Moore. The chat touches upon Moore’s work and its anarchist underpinnings, his legacy in and out of comics, the necessity of imagination, and the possibilities that arise from death and disaster. The book is available from emergencyhearts.com, emergencyhearts.bandcamp.com, and kristianwilliams.com. You can find past interviews we’ve done with Kristian here.

Continue reading CIMA on Community Defense Against ICE + Kristian Williams on the Comics of Alan Moore →

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.

. … . ..

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:

. … . ..

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 →