The Ex-Worker
This episode offers an audio version of “”, published on December 12th. It traces the activities of the movement to Stop Cop City and defend the Weelaunee Forest from June through December 2023, including accounts of the campaign for an Atlanta voter’s referendum on Cop City, the Sixth Week of Action, the relationship between clandestine direct action and public organizing, local Black organizing against the project, the Block Cop City march in November, and potential strategic pathways forward. Tune in for an in-depth evaluation of the latest phase in one of the most critical social...
info_outline #104: Living in an Earthquake—The Fight against Cop City Confronts Unprecedented RepressionThe Ex-Worker
At first, it appeared to be an ordinary forest defense campaign aimed at discouraging Atlanta city government from pouring money into an unpopular police training facility. But over the past two years, the fight against Cop City has escalated into one of the fiercest struggles of the Biden era, pitting a wide range of courageous people against a united front of politicians, prosecutors, and police. In their desperate efforts to deflect popular resistance and force through the project, police and prosecutors have pressed trumped-up domestic terrorism charges against almost every defendant...
info_outline #103: The Return of the Ultraliberal Right in ArgentinaThe Ex-Worker
A so-called “” has just been elected president in Argentina. What does this mean for anarchists and the prospects for revolutionary change in South America? Spoiler alert: it’s not looking good. In this episode, we share an account from analyzing the recent rise to power of Javier Milei, an extreme neoliberal economist, in the context of the global turn towards fascist and reactionary populist leaders like Trump and Bolsonaro. You’ll get an in-depth look at the history of center-left rule, military dictatorship, and neoliberal austerity that resulting in the powerful popular uprising...
info_outline #102: How They Stopped Work at RaytheonThe Ex-Worker
On November 13, 2023, demonstrators in southern California blockaded a facility of Raytheon, a defense contractor, in solidarity with the Palestinians on the receiving end of the bombs that it produces. They managed to block the facility for more than seven hours, supported by waves of hundreds of activists joining the action, and succeeded in shutting down operations for the day. This episode offers an audio version of , published on November 15th. Participants summarize how the action was organized and unfolded, police responses, the background of direct actions against the war machine and...
info_outline #101: Shutting Down the Port of TacomaThe Ex-Worker
On November 6, 2023, several hundred people showed up at the Port of Tacoma in Washington State to block access to a shipping vessel that was scheduled to deliver equipment to the Israeli military. This episode shares an account and analysis of the action published on November 10th as “.” Participants review the history of port blockades in the Puget Sound, share their experience at the protest, and seek to offer inspiration for continued transoceanic solidarity. {November 23, 2023} -------SHOW NOTES------ Table of Contents: Introduction {0:36} Escalating Resistance {1:41} Drawing...
info_outline #100: In Memory of Dmitry PetrovThe Ex-Worker
On April 19, 2023, a Russian anarchist named Dmitry Petrov was killed in battle near Bakhmut, Ukraine. In this episode, we offer as an uncompromising anarchist fighter who participated in an unbelievable amount of radical activity around the region. His extraordinary life spanned anarchist organizing as a teenager in Moscow; environmental defense, radical unionism, and refugee solidarity activism; years of underground direct action against police, military, and profiteers from gentrification; participating in the Maidan protests in Ukraine, uprising against dictatorship in Belarus, and the...
info_outline #99: Strategizing for Palestinian SolidarityThe Ex-Worker
As the Israeli bombardment of Gaza intensifies, with over 10,000 deaths recorded to date, it is more urgent than ever for people everywhere to take decisive action to stop the war machine. In this episode, we share the strategic reflections of based in the US on Palestinian solidarity. The authors propose a shift from making demands to taking direct action, relying not on appealing to the consciences of politicians but on concretely interrupting the functioning of the businesses and agencies that are enabling the slaughter. After offering historical context to Israeli settler colonialism and...
info_outline #98: From the Galilee to Gaza—A Voice From PalestineThe Ex-Worker
As the Israeli military escalates its slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza and societies around the world fracture and clash over the conflict, we want to amplify anti-authoritarian voices from within the territory to share their experiences and analysis. In this short but moving account, we present the perspective of a Palestinian living in the north of Palestine, who speaks about different aspects of life under colonization and about the struggle for liberation through grassroots organizing and solidarity. {November 1, 2023} -------SHOW NOTES------ Table of Contents: Introduction...
info_outline #97: Understanding the RICO Charges in AtlantaThe Ex-Worker
Prosecutors in Georgia have charged activists protesting against a planned police militarization facility known as "Cop City" with violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has indicted 61 people on RICO charges. In this episode, we explore the ramifications of this more or less unprecedented stage of repression. {Oct 6, 2023} -------SHOW NOTES------ This episode is an audio version of the September 5th article “.” For more information, check out this video recording of an online seminar organized by the National...
info_outline #96: The Forest In The City: Two Years Of Forest Defense In Atlanta, GeorgiaThe Ex-Worker
This episode continues the Ex-Worker Podcast’s coverage of the movement to Stop Cop City and defend the Weelaunee Forest in Atlanta, Georgia. In this episode, we present an audio version of , originally published February 22, 2023, which continues the chronology of the movement whose origins we reported in episodes and . In this eloquent and nuanced narrative, you’ll hear a detailed account of the movement’s second year, from the frenzy of activity in spring 2022 through the third and fourth weeks of action, waves of backlash and repression, and the , up to the eve of the March 2023...
info_outlineOn April 19, 2023, a Russian anarchist named Dmitry Petrov was killed in battle near Bakhmut, Ukraine. In this episode, we offer a eulogy remembering Dmitry as an uncompromising anarchist fighter who participated in an unbelievable amount of radical activity around the region. His extraordinary life spanned anarchist organizing as a teenager in Moscow; environmental defense, radical unionism, and refugee solidarity activism; years of underground direct action against police, military, and profiteers from gentrification; participating in the Maidan protests in Ukraine, uprising against dictatorship in Belarus, and the struggle against the Islamic State in Rojava; co-founding the Anarcho-Communist Combat Organization; and finally taking up arms against Russian imperialism in Ukraine. This episode combines an incomplete biography of his life in combat against all forms of hierarchy and domination, along with a translation of his text “The Mission of Anarchism in the Modern World,” a remembrance published by the Anarcho-Communist Combat Organization titled “Dima Ecolog’s Partisan Path”, and a song inspired by his direct action. Join us in commemorating the life of a powerful anarchist comrade who will be dearly missed. {November 7, 2023}
-------SHOW NOTES------
- Table of Contents:
- Introduction {0:36}
- A Life in Combat {5:26}
- Appendix I: The Mission of Anarchism in the Modern World {38:28}
- Appendix II: “Dima Ecolog’s Partisan Path” {57:15}
- Appendix III: “Black Blog Fighter” by Electric Partisans {1:09:55}
- Outro {1:14:23}
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This episode offers an audio version of In Memory of Dmitry Petrov: An Incomplete Biography and Translation of His Work, published on May 3rd, 2023. It includes an account of his life and anarchist activity assembled by CrimethInc. operatives (be sure to check out the original article for all the links to the source material), along with Dmitry’s text, “The Mission of Anarchism in the Modern World,” a tribute from his fellow fighters from the Anarcho-Communist Combat Organization titled “Dima Ecolog’s Partisan Path” (here in the original Russian), and a song based in part on his activities called “Black Blog Fighter” by the Russian punk band Electric Partisans.
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A print version of this text in the form of a small book is available from Active Distribution in Europe. We hope to announce soon that copies will be available for purchase in the US via PM Press; we’ll update this link when that comes to pass.
- Here is a partial archive of Dmitry’s writings, public statements, and publishing projects:
- A Collection of Dmitry’s Writings in English—courtesy of the Anarchist Library
- Dmitry speaking at May Day 2009 in Moscow (starting at 5:23)
- Dmitry speaking at the Ukrainian House (UkrDom) during the Maidan, in February 2014. (At this meeting, Dima spoke about the experiences of Russian protesters, drew parallels between the liberation struggle in both countries, and proposed the idea of people’s power as an alternative to vertically organized power represented by professional politicians.)
- You can read Dmitry’s reports from the 2014 uprising in Ukraine in full here: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII, Part VIII, Part IX, Part X
- “Social revolution in Kurdistan”—A lecture with N.L. Gadaeva on March 30, 2017
- Red and Black Devils—A news article about anarchist arsons in Ukraine
- Life without a State: Revolution in Rojava—A book Dmitry participated in, published in 2017
- Kurdistan: Real Democracy in Conditions of War and Blockade—Another book Dmitry participated in
- Sarah: My Whole Life Has Been a Struggle—Another book Dmitry helped with
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For a discussion of the complexities of formulating an anarchist anti-war strategy that does not effectively cede the field to state militarism, you could begin with this article from the Russian-language anarchist website Autonomous Action, “In the Spirit of Sholem Schwarzbard - Addressing Confusion about the War in Ukraine”
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Dmitry Petrov was killed alongside two other anarchist fighters, Cooper Andrews and Finbar Cafferkey. You can read about Cooper’s motivations in his own words here and consult a eulogy from his comrades here. You can learn about Finbar’s lifelong activism here, read an interview with him here, and listen to a song of his here.