Aug 6, 2017
INTERVIEW
This week, we're airing the formerly only podcast conversation I
had with organizers of the Haymaker Gym project in Chicago,
IL. Haymaker is an explicitly anti-fascist and feminist
self-defense initiative.
If you want to help out the Haymaker project, until August 14th
they have a fund raising page up at launchgood.com. If you want to encounter
the folks from the gym and get involved in some of the startup
events, you can run into them at the Breakaway Autonomous Social
Center at 2424 S Western Ave Chicago, IL and more info on that
project can be found here.
ANNOUNCES
NC Resists the Grand Jury,
Donate to Katie Yow!
In July of 2017, long-time activist Katie Yow received a subpoena
to testify before a grand jury in North Carolina. The subject of
this grand jury has been revealed to be what the government has
described as a bombing at the GOP headquarters in Hillsborough, NC
this past fall. Katie has expressed no knowledge of any relevant
information to this alleged event, yet is continuing to resist the
inquiries of this proceeding.
Grand juries are not regular trials, but rather operate in secrecy
where normal rules of evidence do not apply. The prosecutor runs
the proceedings and no judge is present. This type of proceeding
has been used as tools of the State to isolate, divide, and destroy
social movements since the 1960’s. They have been used to sow
distrust and coerce information from the Chicano, Puerto Rican, and
Black liberation movements, the anti-war movement, and more
recently the environmental, animal rights, and anarchist movements.
They are currently especially being wielded against anarchists,
anti-fascists, and indigenous water protectors who struggled at
Standing Rock.
But we have powerful tools as well, those of resolute silence,
courageous refusal, and fierce solidarity. In honor of her
principles and the different world we struggle for together, Katie
is refusing to cooperate with this witchhunt.
In addition to legal support, navigating the possibility of an
unknown amount of jail time, away from work, can be expensive.
Please consider making a donation to support Katie’s refusal to
participate in the grand jury by going to the support page.
You can learn more about this case and keep abreast of updates by
going to NC Resists the Grand Jury.
Getting Ready for Cville
with It's Going Down
Regular listeners to The Final Straw Radio, and anyone who's clued
in to southern antifascism, will be aware that there is opposition
planned to a Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville Virginia next
Saturday, August 12th. For any folks still feeling uncertain of
what is going on and who will be there, there is an excellent
article on It's Going Down about the specifics of all the
Neo Nazi, white nationalist, and all around bonehead alt righters
who may be showing their miserable faces in Cville on the 12th,
plus some context for why these fashies are dragging themselves out
from behind their computer screens in the first place.
You'll get to read about such charmers as the Traditionalist Worker
Party, Identity Europa, plus Neo Nazi Jason Kessler, local to
Cville, who is one of the brains behind this march in the first
place, plus many others.
PANSY
FEST
If you can't make Charlottesville but will be in the Asheville
area, consider Pansy Fest. Pansy Fest is a new queer and trans DIY
music and arts fest in Asheville, NC, August 11-12th. Proceeds will
go towards two beneficiaries: Beloved
House and Southerners on New Ground. If you are local and you
would like to help with support functions (set-up, tear-down, stage
management, local housing, etc) you can contact the organizers at
pansyfestavl@gmail.com.
On August 11th, at Static Age Records in downtown Asheville at 7pm
there'll be a show who's lineup includes Bryan Estelle, Crooked
Ghost, Sister Mantos and many more.
On August 12th, from 12-3pm at Firestorm Books & Coffee in West
Asheville, there'll be workshops and a band panel. At 7pm at
the Odditorium another show will ensue with bands including Brief
Awakening, Laser Beams, Ghastly & Cloudgayzer. More
info at http://pansyfestavl.com/
Dearest Asheville (and
surrounding area) Queers!
"Glitter and Bone is a radical queer collective hosting what is,
basically, a big party. We have no official status as an event or
an organization, nobody makes a profit or gets paid. We ask
for donations only to cover our expenses. The dis-organizers are
queer/trans folx who are concerned about emotional, psychological
and physical safety of queer and trans people at skills events, and
want to create a safe space for our queer/trans community to learn
skills, be in the wilderness, and thrive.
Registration begins at noon on Friday, August 18. Event begins
Friday evening, 7pm, and ends Sunday afternoon, 6pm. Glitter
and Bone provides rustic camping, composting outhouses, and
water/soap for handwashing and meal clean up. We do not have
showers. Meals are not provided, but a large, rustic communal
kitchen area will be maintained, with both open fire and camp stove
cooking. Pack for a typical weekend of camping, bring whatever food
and supplies you would bring for that. Please see the specific list
of what to bring below. For folx unfamiliar with rustic
camping, we provide support in finding a good camp spot, pitching a
tent, understanding the bathroom situation, learning how to cook
over an open fire, etc. No judgement here, we want more queers in
the wilderness!
We need everyone's help to make this happen! All Glitter and Bone
participants will be asked to volunteer a few hours to help out at
the
event. Here is a list of jobs to help you think in advance
about what you would like to do. If you feel drawn to providing
some leadership in a particular area, email us at
glitterrrandbones@gmail.com"
You can get in touch with G&B at that email, keep in touch
with them on tumblr at their
tumblr, and link up w them on the Fedbook by searching their
name!
Asheville Solidarity Rally
with Millions for Prisoners Human Rights March on Washington
DC
The 13th Amendment of the US Constitution still allows slavery,
creating an increasing population of caged people who provide free
or near-free labor to stockholders of the Prison Industrial Complex
and profiteers of mass incarceration. As a result, American jobs
are lost and job-seekers are victimized because private industry
cannot compete with involuntary servitude.
Therefore, citizens of Asheville North Carolina invite you to a
Solidarity Rally with Millions for Prisoners Human Rights March on
Washington DC. There, we will peacefully assemble to let Congress
know, it is time to end slavery once and for all, delete the
exception clause in the 13th Amendment authorizing prison slavery,
and stop profiteering in its tracks - because all workers deserve
living wages.
All Asheville and Buncombe County residents are invited--especially
our elected representatives and those running for office this
election season. Voters, your constituents, want to know where you
stand on this matter.
When: August 19th at 11:30 AM
Where: Pack Square Park (In front of City
Hall)
This event is organized by Asheville Black Lives Matter, Blue Ridge
Anarchist Black Cross (BRABC), and Zamani Refuge African
Cultural
Center, with more endorsements forthcoming.
For more information, please check out this Fedbook event.
Playlist