Jun 25, 2017
This week, Bursts spoke with Ben Turk about the August 19th call
out for solidarity with prisoners. The Incarcerated Workers
Organizing Committee, a project of the Industrial Workers of the
World (or IWW) syndicalist labor union is one body organizing the
inside and outside actions, and Ben is a member. Ben's also
affiliated with Lucasville Amnesty
Last year was a huge time for radical organizing around the
U.S. Prisoners from around the country participated in the
September 9th national prisoner strike, the first of it's size and
scope that we've seen. This event mobilized individual
prisoners and also sprang from groups like the Free Alabama Movement and it's sister pushes in
other carceral states, Anarchist Black Cross chapters, the
Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee, or IWOC, of the
Industrial Workers of the World labor union and also by just lots
of unaffiliated prisoners. Now, we have what could be called
a hard Law and Disorder administration in the White House talking
about increasing funding and support for cops, further militarizing
the border and terrorizing residents, reviving the 1980's style war
on drugs and other repressive actions. In this context, it
feels necessary for those who have a different vision of the world
to push back and keep pushing as we were under Obama, under Bush
& before.
More on IWOC can be found at https://incarceratedworkers.org and more about
public call for the strike can be found at IAmWeUbuntu.com
Soooooo many
Announcements
But first, we have a bunch of announcements we wanted to share with
you. If you have things you want announced on the show, send
us an email and we may include it!
Firstly, if you follow the show on twitter, we're shifting the
show's account over to @StrawFinal. If you're on that or
other, despicable forms of social media, consider checking us out
for announcements about the show, about related projects and for
the occasional anti-social, cat memes.
Kevin "Rashid" Johnson in
transit
An update on the case of Kevin "Rashid" Johnson from
http://rashidmod.com :
"Supporters have received word that Kevin “Rashid” Johnson
was picked up by Virginia officials and removed from Clements Unit
on Thursday, June 23rd. He is no longer being held by Texas
Department of Criminal Justice.
Thanks to so many people phoning Virginia Interstate Compact
Supervisor Terry Glenn, we have found out that Rashid is now in
Florida at a “reception facility”. However, we do not know where
that is, if he can receive mail there, or where he will end up. We
will keep you informed as we find out more, and in the meantime
will be asking people to phone Glenn back on Monday.
Rashid is Minister of Defense of the New Afrikan Black Panther
Party (Prison Chapter); he is a Virginia prisoner organizer and
revolutionary communist. As a result of his organizing he has been
repeatedly transferred out of state, under a setup called the
“Interstate Compact” which is used to remove rebellious prisoners
and exile them to locations where they have no friends, support,
etc. For the past four years Rashid has been held in Texas, where
he has been beaten, threatened, had his property confiscated,
been set up on bogus infractions, and more — nonetheless, he used
his time there to forge connections with other prisoners and to
write a series of powerful exposés about violence, medical neglect,
abuse, and murder in the Texas prison system.
Transfers can be opportunities for prison officials to arrange
for violence and abuse. Rashid was beaten when he was first brought
to Texas, and lost much of his property at the time. Outside
supporters and people concerned about prisoners’ rights and basic
human dignity need to make sure this does not happen
again!"
Kevin "Rashid" Johnson's support site suggests people call the
following prison employee to support Rashid, and there's a simple
script for calls available at http://rashidmod.com:
Mr. Terry Glenn, Interstate Compact Supervisor
Virginia Department of Corrections
P.O. Box 26963
Richmond, VA 23261-6963
Phone: (804) 887-7866
Fax: (804) 674-3595
QTLUG &
VPNs
When this show is over, consider bringing your linux or soon-to-be
linux laptop, tablet, phone or whatever device over to Firestorm
for the QTLUG. A linux and open source software enthusiasts'
meetup. Asheville Queer & Trans Linux User Group (QTLUG,
pronounced "Cutie Lug") aims to provide a welcoming environment for
queers, trans folks, women and others who want to explore
technology and receive support from peers. QTLUG meets monthly and can be
contacted at qtlug@tuta.io . Today, June 25th at 3:30pm EST
there'll be a VPN clinic, where attendees will be helped to set up
Virtual Private Networks, or VPNs, on their devices. Little
to no experience necessary!
Self-Protection
Class
Today at 4 to 6pm, and every Sunday, in Haw Creek Park at 40 Avon
Rd in Asheville there will be a self-protection class taught by
folks at Mountain Forge. This class
is informed by Combat Systema and other tendencies.
J20 benefit with
Thou
Tonight, on June 25th at 7pm at the Pinhook in Durham, NC, there'll
be a benefit concert to raise funds for J20 defendants, those swept
up in the kettle on January 20th in D.C. during the protests
against the inauguration. Bands playing include the New Orleans,
anarcho-doom band THOU as well as Bad Friends and Slime.
Info Session on
Stonewall
On Tuesday June 27th, the other Tranzmission in Asheville will be
hosting An Information Session
downstairs at the Pack Library in Downtown AVL from 6-8pm.
"Learn about the Miss Major, Marsha P Johnson and Sylvia Rivera.
Myka Johnson from TQPOC, Charlotte (Queer Trans People of Color,
Charlotte) will teach us about the leaders who kicked off the
modern day LGBTQ movement, trans people of color!"
DIY Screen Printing
workshop
On Wednesday, June 28th, you can attend a DIY Screenprinting workshop// Taller de
serigrafía from 7-8:30pm at the Kairos West community center,
behind Firestorm at 610 Haywood Rd in West Asheville. Bring a
blank, light colored tshirt to print on!
Trouble #4: There Is No
Justice... Just Us
On Friday, June 30th at 7:30pm, there'll be a showing of the 30
minute, 4th installment of TROUBLE, the new serial documentary
series from sub.Media. This episode has a focus on
Repression and Movement Defense with examples around support for
Fernando Barcenas in Mexico, defense of water defenders from the
#NoDAPL struggle, support for #J20 defendants, La Fuga
anti-carceral organizing across Chile, Incarcerated Workers
Organizing Committee about U.S. prison strikes and more. This'll be
followed by a conversation based on prompts from the film
makers.
Prison Books
packaging
On Saturday July 1st and every following Saturday, Asheville Prison
Books Project will be hosting a weekly book packaging and letter
writing event in the back of Downtown Books & News, 67 N
Lexington Ave, Asheville. APBP sends free books and letters
to prisoners around the South Eastern U.S.
Stonewall Folk Punk
concert
Also on July 1st in Asheville, the other Tranzmission will be
hosting Folk Punk Transtravaganza at the
members-only bar, Broadways from 7-10pm. Performances by
Gullible Boys, Bless Your Heart, Brynn Estelle and ATL's
wWaylon.
NVDA training against Coal
Ash & Pipelines
On Sunday July 2nd, there'll be a Non Violent Direct Action
training camp from 9am to 5pm hosted by Claire and Coleman in
preparation for a protest on July 4th against the Duke Energy
coal-ash pit and Atlantic Coast Pipeline that Duke is investing
in. The action is entitled "Lake Julian Action: Independence From Fossil
Fuels". The action camp will take place at 406 Overlook
Rd Extension in Arden. There's also a request on that fedbook page
for fundraising for the direct
action.
Blue Ridge ABC letter
wriitng
Letters save lives! Join Blue Ridge ABC each month for an evening
of solidarity with incarcerated comrades. Celebrate their birthdays
by sending words of encouragement and support. From 5-7:30pm at
Firestorm Books & Coffee, more info on the group at
BRABC.Blackblogs.Org
Needle
Exchange
July 4th falls on a Tuesday and every Tuesday at 1:30pm, the
Steady Collective, a harm reduction project in
Asheville, does it's Needle Exchange at Firestorm, 610 Haywood
Rd. Show up if you need clean needles, information on Narcan,
or wanna start helping out! They'll also be at the Haywood
Street Congregation, 297 Haywood St in downtown from 10am to 3pm
every Wednesday.
July 4th Critical Mass Bike
Parade
Also on July 4th, from 5:30pm to 9pm, there will be an Anti-Nationalist Critical Mass Bike
Ride and bike parade in Asheville. Leaving from Montford
Park Place, near between Panola and Cumberland, the ride will be a
reasonable distance at a reasonable pace to allow more
participation and will return to the park for cool-down, vegan
popsicles, or vice lollies as they may be called in the U.K., plus
speakers, info and maybe music. From the announcement:
"Gather with us on July 4th to demonstrate
resistance to nationalism and the american empire's history of
genocide, slavery and ecological devastation. Especially in the
present climate of rising white nationalism, attacks on indigenous
sovereignty, and disregard for impending climate disaster, we
reject this holiday and its gratuitous flag-waving propaganda.
Instead, we'll celebrate collective resistance by taking the
streets in a critical mass bike ride through downtown. Show your
opposition to war and eco-devastation in this pedal-powered
parade!"
More on this event and other local events to WNC, check out
http://avlcommunityaction.com
Anarchist Summer Camp,
Register by July 5th!
The Institute for Advanced Troublemaking, which is "a small
collective
of long time anarchist organizers seeking to create a lasting
movement
education hub in the Northeast of the so-called US", is hosting
an
anarchist summer camp which will be held August 11th – 18th in
Worcester, MA this year.
Some information about the group from their website "The I.A.T.
aims to raise collective capacity to target our enemies at
the systemic level with effective direct action and
campaign work. As Trump’s presidency spurs a swell of
anarchist organizing and renewed interest in anti-state
anti capitalist perspectives, we want to escalate by building
skills in direct action, creating movement infrastructure,
and community organizing for new anarchists. We also want
to bring experienced organizers together to innovate
strategies and tactics for our contemporary context.
Rather than an activism 101, our intention is to cultivate
deeper understanding and praxis of anarchist organizing among
people who are already doing some of that work."
The main idea is to build on the social and political potential of
events like conferences and bookfairs to expand what is possible in
this upcoming era in which it feels increasingly vital to have a
vibrant and adaptive anarchist praxis.
You can see more information about this event at https://advancedtroublemaking.wordpress.com/ which
will include a three part presentation by some past interviewees
about Burn Down The American Plantation! Registration ends on July
5th, and will prioritize "people of marginalized identities
including POC, working class, trans or gender nonconforming, those
with dis/abilities, LGBTQI, and women, but recognize that many of
these may not be visibly apparent".
When There Is No
911
On Thursday, July 6th to 9th from 9am to 5pm each day in
Knoxville, TN, there will be a workshop entitled "When There Is No 911: Emergency Care".
This will be hosted by Mountain Forge
"Learn the skills for the Right Now emergencies. There is no
time to google for the answer, you can't consult your mentors, the
stars, or your power animal, you need to act NOW ! Now
what?
Skills that will help us to take care of ourselves and each
other.
This class will start you off in the fundamental skill of
emergency care in urban, suburban, rural, wilderness, and disaster
(short, long, and very long ) emergency situations."
More info, including the location and the requisite
pre-registration, can be found at their fedbook page.
BK Punk Rock
Karaoke
If you're in Brooklyn on July 14, consider the Punk Rock Karaoke benefit for Certain Days
political prisoner calendar. The karaoke will take place from
9:30pm til 12:30am at the Pine Box Rock Shop at 12 Gratton st in
Brooklyn.
Meet Your Local
Redneck
Back in Asheville, Carolina Mountain Redneck Revolt will be having
a public event in Carrier Park (220 Amboy Rd) on July 16th from 12
noon to 4pm. This'll be a meet and greet with the local chapter in
the hopes of networking, discussion of community engagements,
Redneck Revolt praxis and more. This is a potluck with veg
options, and it's suggested you bring sides to share.
Playlist