#63: Anarchists in the Trump Era, Year One: 2017 in Review, Part III
Release Date: 02/07/2018
#105: Don't Stop: Continuing the Fight Against Cop City
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...
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#104: Living in an Earthquake—The Fight against Cop City Confronts Unprecedented Repression
The 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...
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#103: The Return of the Ultraliberal Right in Argentina
The 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...
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#102: How They Stopped Work at Raytheon
The 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...
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#101: Shutting Down the Port of Tacoma
The 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...
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#100: In Memory of Dmitry Petrov
The 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...
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#99: Strategizing for Palestinian Solidarity
The 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...
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#98: From the Galilee to Gaza—A Voice From Palestine
The 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...
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#97: Understanding the RICO Charges in Atlanta
The 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...
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#96: The Forest In The City: Two Years Of Forest Defense In Atlanta, Georgia
The 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_outlineIn Episode 63 of the Ex-Worker, we conclude our series of reflections on 2017 with an audio version of the recently published essay “Anarchists in the Trump Era: Scorecard, Year One.” It analyzes five key turning points in 2017, assessing how anarchists took part and what lessons we can learn for the battles ahead. While recognizing all we’ve accomplished under incredible stress, it argues for the importance of broadening our efforts to challenge authority and dismantle hierarchy in every area of our lives and our societies in 2018. Afterwards, Clara and Alanis debate themes from the essay and our year in review episodes, around relating to non-anarchists on the left, organizational formats, resiliency and care, and more. {Feb 7, 2017}
-------SHOW NOTES------
- Table of Contents:
- Introduction {0:01}
- Anarchists in the Trump Era: Scorecard, Year One {2:02}
- Dawn of a New Apocalypse {3:43}
- J20: A Call to Revolt {6:20}
- The Airport Blockades: A Message to the Center {13:02}
- Shutting Down Milo in Berkeley: A Risky Escalation {16:16}
- Charlottesville: Moment of Truth {19:58}
- The First J20 Trial: Pushing Back the Reaction {26:25}
- What We Lost Along the Way {31:25}
- The Challenges Ahead {33:22}
- The Centrists {33:53}
- The Authoritarian Left {38:52}
- In Conclusion: Expanding the Anarchist Palette {43:09}
- Reflections {45:58}
- Prisoner Birthdays and Conclusion {58:45}
- This episode is based on the recently published CrimethInc. essay “Anarchists in the Trump Era: Scorecard, Year One.”
- The analysis we share in this episode is by no means comprehensive; for a detailed timeline of anarchist activity throughout 2017, check out the this report by It’s Going Down.
- Prisoner birthdays this month:
- Veronza Bowers, Jr. 35316–136
FMC Butner
Post Office Box 1600
Butner, North Carolina 27509
{February 4th} - Kamau Sadiki (Freddie Hilton) #0001150688
Augusta State Medical Prison, Building 13A–2 E7
3001 Gordon Highway
Grovetown, Georgia 30813
Address envelope to Freddie Hilton, address card to Kamau
{February 19th} - Oso Blanco (Byron Chubbuck) #07909–051
USP Victorville
Post Office Box 3900
Adelanto, California 92301
Address envelope to Byron Chubbuck, address card to Oso Blanco {February 26th}
- Veronza Bowers, Jr. 35316–136