The Hotwire #10: Anti-fascism in Gainesville, J20 trials, anarchist Kurds against capitalist wars

The Ex-Worker

In this Hotwire we have three different interviews about the alt-right’s defeat in Gainesville. As democratic confederalist Kurdish forces in Rojava are beating back ISIS, the nationalist, capitalist Kurdish Regional Government in Iraq is threatening civil war with the Iraqi military. In response, Kurdish anarchists speak out against war and the state. The discovery of Santiago Maldonado’s body in Argentina has sparked the fiercest clashes with police that the South American country has seen in years. Some good news: the first J20 political prisoner is about to be released; but hundreds more are awaiting trial and facing years in prison. Listen until the end for announcements of anarchist bookfairs, anti-fascist action, and east coast CrimethInc. speaking events this week. {October 25, 2017}

-------SHOW NOTES------

• Table of Contents:
  • Introduction {0:00}
  • Headlines {2:10}
  • Anarchists in Kurdistan {7:10}
  • Catalonia {10:05}
  • Anti-fascists win the day in Gainesville {11:55}
  • Jingles {24:55}
  • Repression Roundup {25:55}
  • Next Week’s News {28:30}
• Alerta! This Saturday, October 28, anti-fascists are mobilizing against white supremacists in Murfreesboro, TN.
• Upcoming anarchist book fairs:
  • The Los Angeles Anarchist Book Fair takes place October 28 and 29 at Leimert Park Plaza.
  • The London Anarchist Book Fair also takes place on Saturday, October 28 at Park View School.
• Support the folks arrested protesting the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in Philly this weekend by donating here or here.
• Go here to support the Makwa Frontline Camp.. They’re in need of towtrucks, carpenters, firewood, and people experienced in direct action training.
• This damning leak from Atlanta Anti-Fascists shows how the involvement of the would-be murderers arrested after Richard Spencer’s talk in Gainesville was planned and sanctioned by Spencer’s National Police Institute.
• Ongoing grassroots disaster relief efforts:
  • Florida: Mutual Aid Disaster Relief
  • Texas: Bayou Action Street Health, Greater Houston Grassroots Relief, World on My Shoulders, Austin Common Ground, the Black Women’s Defense League, Redneck Revolt Houston, West Street Response Team, Houston Food Not Bombs
  • California: Sonoma County IWW wildfire rebuilding fund
  • Puerto Rico: Submedia’s grassroots disaster relief support, Hurricane Maria Community Recovery Fund, Mutual Aid Disaster Relief: here and here. Also, check out Mutual Aid Disaster Relief’s website for on-the-ground reports from Puerto Rico.
  • Mexico: Oaxaca Earthquake Autonomous Solidarity Campaign
• Support the Cascadia Forest Defenders website who are fighting against the Goose Timber Sale of 2,500 acres of the Willamette National Forest.
• Go here to donate to J20 political prisoner Dane Powell’s release fund. You can find the DropJ20 drop-the-charges call-in campaign here. The Nation published a really good article on the importance of supporting the J20 inauguration day defendants.
• For current information on how to support folks still facing charges from No Dakota Access Pipeline actions at Standing Rock, visit FreshetCollective.org.
• CrimethInc. “From Democracy to Freedom” presentations this week:
  • Friday, October 27, 7 PM Wooden Shoe Books 704 South Street Philadelphia, PA
  • Monday, October 30, 7 PM Lamplighter Coffee Roasters 26 N. Morris Street Richmond, VA 23220

  To bring a CrimethInc. speaking event to your town, just email [e-mail].

• Other anarchist podcast episodes mentioned in this Hotwire:
  • Episodes 36 and 39 of The Ex-Worker delve deep into the revolution in Rojava.
  • Episodes 47 and 48 introduce the anarchist critique of democracy. The latest IGD Cast from ItsGoingDown.org has an interview with members of the CNT on the question of Catalan independence.
  • Resonance audio-distro have an audiozine version of This Is Not A Dialogue. Not Just Free Speech but Freedom Itself.
• CrimethInc. essays mentioned in this Hotwire:
  • Catalunya: Facing Two Bad Options, Choose the Third. On the Showdown between Spain and Catalunya.
  • This Is Not A Dialogue. Not Just Free Speech but Freedom Itself.
  • To Change Everything
• The 2018 Certain Days: Freedom for Political Prisoners calendar is now available! Your group can buy 10 or more at the rate of $10 each. Single issues are available from LeftWingBooks.net and AK Press. This year’s theme is “Awakening Resistance,” and features art and writings by Jesus Barraza, Fight Toxic Prisons, Serena Tang, Andrea Ritchie, Roger Peet, Sophia Dawson, Rasmea Support Committee, EE Vera, Herman Bell, Fernando Marti, Alexandra Valiente, Billie Belo, Arlene Gallone Support Committee, Marius Mason, David Gilbert, UB Topia, April Rosenblum, Design Action Collective, Sundiata Acoli, CrimethInc, Annie Banks, Mutope Duguma, Xinachtli, Zola and more. You can sponsor copies for prisoners for only $8, postage included! Just be sure to specify their full legal name and prisoner number. Any questions can be sent to [e-mail].
• Here is the October 2017 Political Prisoner Birthday Poster, which you can use to organize a letter writing night. For a good introduction to writing prisoners, check out this guide from New York City Anarchist Black Cross.
• Political prisoner birthdays:
  • Edward Goodman Africa #AM–4974 SCI Mahonoy 301 Morea Road Frackville, Pennsylvania 17932 {October 31}