Anarchy in Portugal w/ Sylvia and Mário
May 15, 2017
Due to concerns of the ability of the interviewees to speak on behalf of BOESG & Disgraça Collective, we're pulling this audio to remove the portions speaking on behalf of those projects. We may repost an edited version in the near future and we hope to have a discussion with members of the collective soon to hear their side of things. Thanks -Bursts
Interview
In this episode of The Final Straw, we're playing a conversation
recorded at the Paris Anarchist Book Faire about a month ago.
I spoke with Sylvia and Mario, two anarchists from Lisbon,
Portugal. Sylvia and Mario give a history of anarchism since
the fascist dictatorship in 1926 under Antonio Salazar through
1974, when the government fell, and since. Sylvia and Mario are
involved in a workers library founded during the dictatorship that
was taken over by anarchists in the 1990's and has continued,
called B.O.E.S.G., or the Library and Obstacle Course Of the Global
Society. B.O.E.S.G. also shares space with a bookstore and
social center called Tortuga and sits atop a D.I.Y. music
venue.
For the hour, Sylvie and Mario talk about their experience of the
social anarchist scene in Portugal, history, other spaces and
movements around right now, publishing projects, gentrification of
the city, the continuing economic crisis, institutional left
political parties.
The portions we cut from this broadcast conversation touch on Mario
and Sylvias perspectives on sexism in the anarchist scene in
Portugal, gender pronouns and on feminist organizing. The
discussion shows a difference of cultural perspective and
experience between languages as well as the personalities of those
involved, but also the mental wrangling people do when methods of
resistance are transplanted to new soil. Hopefully at some point in
the future we can have a more in depth conversation on this
topic. The reason we cut them from broadcast was constraints
mostly on length of the time we have on the airwaves, but we've
included it in the podcast version. I believe it's through
conversations like this that we can come to better understandings
of where other peeps are coming from.
Here's a link for Map Journal that Sylvia talks about.
Announcements
A Few Upcoming Things in
Asheville
May 17th in Asheville, peeps are organizing a People's Council to
propose alternative usage for the $1million dollars per year that
Asheville Police Chief Tammy Hooper is proposing from the city
budget. 5-7pm @ Pack Memorial Library .
On May 19th, Firestorm will be presenting back to back showings of
documentaries about anarchist urban guerrilla groups in the UK in
the 60's and 70's. Starting at 6:30pm with "The Angry
Brigade" and followed by "Persons Unknown" and narrated by Stuart
Christie.
Sunday May 24th at Firestorm, the Queer Linux Users Group, or QLUG,
will host a discussion on device security at 3:30pm. Bring
your device along.
June 11th
Annually on June 11th, people get together and offer solidarity to
long term anarchist and ecological prisoners. I'd like to
take a moment to mention a few. Marius Mason is scheduled to be in
prison until 2030 for involvement in activities of the Earth
Liberation Front and the Animal Liberation Front which hurt no
animals or people but did $4 million dollars in damage through
sabotage and arson. Marius is a trans man who came out inside
of prison and uses his voice and renown to shed light on the
plights of prisoners, including queer and trans prisoners.
Other prisoners being organized around include Jeremy Hammond, the
hacker who brought to light right wing spying on unions and back
room deals around Dupont worming its way out of responsibility for
the Bhopal Tragedy that still gives cancer to thousands in
India. Also, Sean Swain, who's segments you hear on this
show. Then there's the comrades suppressed in the Italian
government's Operation Scripta Manent, Alfredo, Nicola, Danilo,
Valentina, Anna, Marco and Sandrone still being held in high
security and with much mail censorship. Or Pola Roupa and
Konstantina Athanasopoulou, members of Revolutionary Struggle in
Greece, who have themselves and their families faced repression
from the state and still staged solidarity with others in the
fight.
Solidarity can take many forms, from continuing the struggles
comrades are ostensibly behind bars for, or sharing the information
about the prisoners cases and organizing inside. It can be
organizing your own discussions or groups to push against the
carceral state or to send books to prisoners.
On Sunday, June 11 at 6pm here in Asheville, the Odditorium at 1045
Haywood Rd, will be hosting an afternoon cookout sponsored by
Blue Ridge
Anarchist Black Cross, Smokey Mountain Eco Defense and Tranzmission Prison Project. Vegan and
Gluten-Free options will be present, but bring food to share!
There'll be discussions on trans and queer prisoner realities, tons
of free lit on political prisoners, chats about the upcoming
national prisoner work strike on August 19th, info on ecological
organizing against the prison industrial complex and more!
Starting at 9pm, there'll be a benefit concert, bands to be
announced. Check out Blue Ridge ABC's website soon for details as
they come.
If you're not in Asheville, keep an eye on June11.Org
for things in your area to plug into. Don't see anything near
you, set something up and let the good folks at june11 organizing
committee about it!
IWW call-out to push back
against Neo-Confederates
An announcement from the Triangle IWW here in North Carolina:
Alamance County Taking Back Alamance County, a neo-confederate hate
group, is holding a rally at noon at the Alamance County Courthouse
in Graham, NC. IWW has been working with Alamance County locals
since November 2016 to keep this group out of the streets and
public squares of *all* our communities. Thanks to the efforts of
some of these amazing Alamance community members, ACTBAC has now
been declared a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law
Center." The Triangle IWW is calling for people to join them on Saturday, May 20,
as we rally to shut ACTBAC's event down at 102 N. Maple St in
Graham, NC at 11am.
Certain Days Calendar
submissions
There is also a call for art and article submissions on Awakening
Resistance for the 2018 Certain Days: Freedom for Political
Prisoners Calendar.
Deadline extended to May 21, 2017
The Certain Days: Freedom for Political Prisoners Calendar
collective is releasing its 17th calendar this coming fall. The
theme for 2018 is 'Awakening Resistance,' reflecting on organizing
in the current political climate.
They are looking for 12 works of art and 12 short articles to
feature in the calendar, which hangs in more than 2,500 homes,
workplaces, prison cells, and community spaces around the
world.
Contributors are encouraged to submit both new and existing
artwork. They are also seeking submissions from prisoners – so
please forward this suggestion on to any prison-based artists and
writers. More info can be found at www.certaindays.org
Jaan Laman in the
hole
Jaan Laman is currently serving a 53 year prison sentence for his
role in the bombings of United States government buildings while a
member of the United Freedom Front, an American leftist group which
robbed banks, bombed buildings, and attacked law enforcement
officers in the 1980s.
Jaan K. Laaman is currently solitary confinement (“the hole”). Jaan
has been in solitary confinement since his birthday on March 21,
2017 simply for issuing two political statements, a clear violation
of free speech and human rights. The first statement was in
support of the March 8th 2017 International Women's Day and was in
support of the Day Without A Woman Strike and was published by
NYC Anarchist Black Cross. The second statement was his
"Farewell Thoughts to My Friend, Lynn Stewart", thoughts on the
radical activist American leftist lawyer who died this year.
The farewell thoughts were recorded by Jaan and broadcast via the Prison
Radio project with Noelle Hanrahan.
Jaan has no access to news and almost no access to phone calls.
It’s important we send him some letters right now. Send him
articles, so that he gets some world news.
Jaan Karl Laaman #10372-016
USP Tucson
P.O. Box 24550
Tucson, AZ 85734
Write and call the Warden and ask him to end the repression against
Jaan.
Please write and call the Warden at USP Tucson and ask that Jaan be
released from solitary confinement and that he not be punished for
expressing his support for women’s rights and for writing a
statement mourning the passing of his friend, Lynne Stewart. Remind
the Warden that Jaan is an elder prisoner, and you’re concerned
about his health in solitary confinement and you would be concerned
about his safety if he is moved to another prison.
Warden
United States Penitentiary – Tucson
9300 South Wilmot Road
Tucson, AZ 85756
Email: TCP/ExecAssistant@bop.gov
Phone: 520-663-5000
Fax: 520-663-5024
You can also contact:
Mary M. Mitchell, Regional Director
BOP Regional Office
7338 Shoreline Dr
Stockton, CA 95219
Regional email: wxro/execassistant@bop.gov
Thomas R. Kane, Director
Federal Bureau of Prisons
Central Office HQ
320 First Street, NW
Washington, DC 20534