Monthly Archives: August 2018

Anti-Racist Action, History, Ohio 7, Political Prisoner, Prison Strike, Prisons, Ray Luc Levasseur, UFF, United Freedom Front

Anti-Prison, Anti-Imperialist, Anti-Racist: Ray Luc Levasseur, PT2

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Ray Luc Levasseur, PT2

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This week, we share some more perspectives on prison, stretching back decades. You’re about to hear the second half of our conversation from earlier this year with Ray Luc Levasseur. Mr. Levasseur is a longtime activist, Vietnam War vet, revolutionary and former political prisoner in the U.S. Ray was a reputed founder of the Sam Melville / Jonathan Jackson Unit, later known as the United Freedom Front which conducted sabotage, expropriations and attacks against profiteers and symbols of American Imperialism and oppression abroad. After 9 years of activity in the group and living underground, members of the group were apprehended and became known as the Ohio 7. Ray was paroled in 2004, about 20 years after his arrest. We aired the first half of my conversation with Ray back in March where he talked about his time underground, his relationship with Tom Manning and the resistance Tom has given and repression Tom has faced as an aging prisoner in the Federal System for the death of a cop he claims to be innocent of.

This hour, Ray talks about his introduction into political organizing in 1968 after returning from the Vietnam War. Ray joined an anti-racist, anti-Vietnam War and pro-Labor organization called Southern Student Organizing Committee in Clarksville, TN. He was incarcerated in 1969 for a drug charge (he was selling weed to supplement his G.I. Bill), and repressed as an anti-racist prisoner and organizer, and began to put the pieces together about criminalization, capitalism and white supremacy. He talks about his time at Brushy Mountain, where Convict-Lease (the transition of forced labor after slavery) prisoners had been forced to mine coal, and where Ray was held on death row. Ray later talks about the activities of the Marxist guerrilla group, the Sam Melville / Jonathan Jackson Unit, 1975-1978. From 1982 to1984, the United Freedom Front (UFF) began bombing and bank robbery activities for which members were convicted and served time in Prison, again with Tom Manning and Jan Laaman still inside. Ray then responds to our question about his views as a long-term anti-racist organizer about the resurgence of street-level fascist and racist organizing in recent history, and inform us about engaging as anti-racists in support of the Indigenous Penobscot nation’s resistance to the Penobscot river being commercialized. Finally, Ray mentions Sacco and Vanzetti being brought up in his trial statements, so I’ll link to those statements here.

We apologize for the quality of audio during this interview, we were having technical difficulties with our new audio setup when this was recorded.

Announcements

Prison Strike

The #August21 – September 9th #PrisonStrike is in full bloom with participation around the U.S. among immigrant detainees, folks in County, State and Federal facilities as well as prisoners in Halifax, Nova Scotia putting out a solidarity statement. Rather than list out all of the inside and outside solidarity, again we’ll point y’all to https://prisonstrike.com, where you’ll find links to IWOC, IGD, Jailhouse Lawyers Speak, SuwariMi and other resources and clearinghouses where press releases, images, posters, interviews, updates and call outs are being collected, tools for you to use to amplify and spread this prison strike. And check out this audio postcard that someone produced for the ears of prisoners. Share it with someone inside if you can!

And if you’re looking for things to listen to, check out recent and upcoming episodes from the IGDcast, Kiteline, Rustbelt Abolition Radio, the newly added From Embers and the recently re-started crimethInc HotWire, all members of the Channel Zero Network of Anarchist Podcasts.

NWDC ICE Phonezap

There’s also a request for a phonezap for Monday the 27th in support of Hunger Striking prisoners at the North West Detention Center in Tacoma, WA. In solidarity with the #August21 Nationwide Prison Strike and in their own struggle, undocumented prisoners at NWDC began this hunger strike on Tuesday the 21st. You can call Acting ICE Field Director, Bryan S. Wilcox at 206 835 0650 ext. 2 and Assistant Field Director for ICE Detentino William Penaloza at 253 779 6000 ext. 1, wait for the message and then dial 4 to get through. It’s requested that you tell them to meet the hunger strikers demands and that GEO cease and desist in retaliating against the hunger strikers. More at incarceratedworkers.org/

Confederate Monuments

Last Monday, August 20th , the Silent Sam statue to confederate soldiers from UNC Chapel Hill was removed by anti-racist students and community members and now Neo-Confederate goons are rattled. Saturday, August 25th there was a rally with racists waving Stars and Bars in Chapel Hill and scuffled with anti-racists. A number of anti-racists were arrested and released at the Monday event, then 3 warrants were set for people in the Triangle and more arrests occurred at the rally today. When fundraising sites are up, we’ll be sure to pass on that information. In response to the monument coming down, one in a line of monuments in New Orleans, Memphis, Charlottesville, Richmond and even little old Asheville, Neo-Confederates are up in arms. There is a call up for a counter to the League of the South demo in Elizabethton, TN, on September 29th. More info on that can also be found in future episodes of this show.

And here’re a few announcements we stole from crimethInc’s latest Hotwire!

Sean Swain

Anarchist prisoner Sean Swain is being held in solitary. Call Director Gary Mohr at 614–387–0588 or e-mail drc.publicinfo@odrc.state.oh.us or melissa.adkins@odrc.state.oh.us (Administrative Assistant for Mohr). You can use this script:

“I am calling on behalf of Sean Swain, inmate #243–205. I am a friend of Sean. I am calling to request the ODRC grant Mr. Swain’s appeal regarding his most recent disciplinary record, drop the charges, and lower his security level from 5b to 2. Mr. Swain is not a physical security risk, and there is no reason to keep him at such a high security rating where he will be unable to get the programming he needs to be eligible for rehabilitation and parole. Thank you for your consideration.”

Joseph Dibee

Also of note, we’re sorry to share with you that alleged Earth Liberation Front activist Joseph Dibee, was captured by the Cuban state and handed over to the FBI. Joseph is being charges with arson and conspiracy charges related to ELF actions taken almost 20 years ago. Here’s a crimethInc article about his case. You can send letters of care and encouragement to Joseph. DO NOT write about his case or reference anything illegal. Write him here:

Joseph Dibee #812133
Multnomah County Detention Center
11540 NE Inverness Drive
Portland, Oregon 97220

Zurich Tattoo Circus

Anarchists in Zurich, Switzerland will be hosting a Tattoo Circus there from august 31 to September 2, to raise money for political prisoners and the Anarchist Black Cross. Find out more at TattooCircusZurich.noblogs.org.

Playlist Pending

Anarchist, Author, Race, Racism

William C. Anderson: On Blackness and Anarchy

William C. Anderson

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This week on The Final Straw, we are super pleased to present a talk given at the most recent Asheville Anarchist Bookfair by William C. Anderson, who co authored the book As Black As Resistance with Zoe Samudzi. The talk he is giving here is based heavily on the first chapter of the book called Black in Anarchy, and in addition to laying the groundwork of how he and Samudzi wrote the book, he speaks about the truly conditional nature of so called “citizenship” that many people living in the US face, the continuing evolution of race and the reliance of white supremacy to Black subjugation, and he places Blackness in proximity to Anarchy, and much more.

From the back cover: “As Black As Resistance makes the case for a new program of self-defense and transformative politics for Black Americans, one rooted in an anarchistic framework that the authors liken to the Black experience itself. This is not a book of compromise, nor does it negotiate with intolerance. It is a manifesto for everyone who is ready to continue progressing towards liberation for all people.”

We hope you will enjoy this talk, and if you are curious about the book As Black As Resistance by Zoe Samudzi and William C. Anderson, you can head over to AK Press to learn more!

Announcements

Phone Zap for Prisoners at McCormick CI

IWOC announces that prisoners at McCormick CI in South Carolina are being forced to march around the square in only their boxer shorts, including in front of female staff.  Among these prisoners are the Muslim prisoners whose religion demands that they cover their bodies.

Check out the above link for a number and call script.

Charlottesville Solidarity

There has been a request for legal support for an anti-racist comrade who was arrested on August 12th, the year anniversary of the resistance to the United The Right rally on A12 in Cville in 2017.  This trans comrade was arrested with the help of active doxxing efforts of a far-right troll this month, he was “genital checked” (read fondled and assaulted) by police without any non-police witnesses, and arrested and could use funds to help in court-support.  You can donate to the legal support via a friend at https://paypal.me/lara757 , request that the police and city remove the comrades dead name and photo from their website and follow @SolidCville for future court support in September for this person.

There is also a call up to support Toby & Veronica, two anti-racist organizers from Cville in court on August 23rd at 9:45 AM at the Charlottesville General District Court at 606 E. Market St, Charlottesville, VA.

If you want to see analysis on antifascist events that have occurred thusfar, in DC and Cville, you can head to crimethinc.com and read interviews done with folks who were on the ground there, as well as listen to the most recent Hotwire episode which deals with these topics.

Maya Little Solidarity in Chapel Hill

On Monday, August 20th at 7pm at Peace & Justice Plaza at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, there will be a demonstration in support of Maya Little, an anti-racist activist who faces charges for allegedly throwing paint and her own blood on a confederate statue on UNC campus known as “Silent Sam.”

#August21

AAAnd DO NOT FORGET that in just a few days will kick off the 2018 Prison Strike, scheduled for August 21st thru September 9th. Coming just two years after the largest prison strike in US history, this one has the potential to be even bigger. If you would like more resources and ideas on how to get engaged with this strike and to learn about the striker’s demands, go to prisonstrike.com, and additionally you can listen to the Rustbelt Abolition Radio episode entitled Prelude to the 2018 Prisoner Strike done with two members of IWOC Oakland.

#August21 meetup in Asheville

On Tuesday, August 21st from 5pm to 7 or so at Firestorm Books & Coffee, join Blue Ridge Anarchist Black Cross for a series of updates and discussions concerning the Nationwide Prison Strike from August 21 – September 9th, 2018.  BRABC will talk about the repressions that have already occurred as prisons around the country ramp up in fear of prisoners flexing their collective muscles by putting down their tools, educating each other, organizing and refusing meals.  They’ll provide you with some tools and knowledge to help you amplify the voices of those on the inside.  For a list of events around the country to support #August21, check out igd or PrisonStrike.Com.

Hunger Strike at Sterling Correctional in Colorado

Denver ABC passed on information about a hunger strike that’s started at Sterling CI in Colorado.  The demands of the prisoners and updates can be found at the DABC website.

NAABC Conference Fundraiser in AVL

Also, on August 29th at The Odditorium in Asheville, BRABC will be hosting a benefit concert to raise funds for travel costs for formerly incarcerated folks and former Political Prisoners attending the North American Anarchist Black Cross conference in Colorado this fall.  The show will feature performances by Too Bad (from Florida) and the local talents of Autarch, Good Grief & Harsh Mike.

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Playlist pending

A-Radio Berlin, Anarchist, Anti-Racist Action, Antifa, Charlottesville, Virginia

A-Radio Berlin: Hace un año (Charlottesville (EEUU) y el asesinato de Heather Heyer)

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Hace un año: Charlottesville (EEUU) y el asesinato de Heather Heyer

Para Descargar Este Entrevista

El 11 y 12 de agosto de 2017 fascistas de diferentos tipos organizaron una manifestación en Charlottesville, Virginia, que llamaron Unite the Right, unificar la derecha. Antifascistas y otra gente organizaron una contraprotesta y lograron parar ese evento tan horrible. Sin embargo un fascista entró con su vehículo a la contraprotesta, lesionando más de una docena de personas y matando a Heather Heyer en el proceso. Ahora es el primer aniversario.

Hace un año tuvimos la oportunidad de hablar con un compa de los Estados Unidos (de The Final Straw) que participó en la protesta antifascista. Hablamos del evento Unite the Right como tal, pero también de los diferentes tipos de fascistas allí, de la contraprotesta antifascista, del trágico asesinato de Heather Heyer así como de la infraestructura médica y de apoyo de trauma en pie por activistas antifascistas. También tocamos el tema del debate en los Estados Unidos sobre el autoarmamiento así como las perspectivas desde aquí.

Duración: 30 min

Aquí el audio: archive.org (mp3 | ogg).

Asheville, California, Da Bay, General, harm reduction, Health, media, Prison Strike, Prisons, Racism

Asheville threatening Harm Reduction; SFBay View with Mary Ratcliff

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Steady Collective + SF Bay View Newspaper

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This week on the show we feature two interviews. The first is with a volunteer at the Steady Collective, a group that self-describes as “ dedicated to promoting the wellness of people who use drugs through empowerment and respectful collaboration. Our goal is to improve overall community health by reducing the rate of drug overdose and the spread of infectious disease with education, advocacy, and direct services. “ Their ability to operate a harm reduction program around needle exchange and narcan distribution to stop overdoses in the midst of the #opiodCrisis in Appalachia is being threatened by the city of Asheville. Here’s the website for 12 Baskets, the food distribution program out of Kairos West.

Then I spoke with Mary Ratcliff, the editor of 27 years of the San Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper, with a print distribution of 20,000 copies around the U.S., including thousands behind bars. For the hour, Mary talks about the history of the paper, it’s relationship with prisoners and prison struggles and the difficulties faced by the poor and populations of color in white supremacist capitalism in the so-called U.S.

Announcements

A12 in D.C., Cville & Boston

Last weekend witnessed far right, nazi-affiliated, sexist, homophobe rallies in Portland and Berkeley, which I’m sure folks are aware of. Patriot Prayer and Proud Boy goons schlepped their way out from under rocks in their goofy-ass larping costumes to spit their deranged and hateful screeds and threaten and attack counter-demonstrators where they could. And the police helped by holding back and assaulting the anti-racists at both events with pepper spray, batons, tear gas and rubber bullets, as well as legal charges. Big ups to the brave folks who came out to stem the tide of hate on the West coast, and also a big a thanks to the comrades who came out in Providence, R.I. where they were able to shut that crap down real fast.

This weekend the year anniversary of the August 11th Torch Rally and August 12th Unite The Right Rally in Charlottesville approaches. On Sunday, August 12th in Cville there’s a day of events of remembrance and mourning starting at 9am in Washington Park. The police presence has been shown to be huge in the runup to this weekend with Martial Law and States of Emergency declared by local and state officials, leave for police being suspended, and swaths of the city shut down and blockaded. Follow #AllOutCville for updates. In Washington, D.C., haters are trying to put on a second UTR to draw their morons in swastika and Pinochet shirts and confederate bafoons into the streets. Information about what’s happening and how to congregate against it can be found at https://shutitdowndc.org/ . And check out the ItsGoingDown’s “This Is America #24” for voices from the ground in DC & Cville.

On August 15th in Boston there is planned a Town Hall Meeting at the Arlington St Church in preparation for the counter-demonstration on August 18th at the MA State House to shut down the far-right hate front group, “Resist Marxism”. More info at http://bit.ly/fight-right-boston

Be safe out there, cops and klan go hand in hand. Bring water, watch out for your friends, don’t leave alone.

Worker’s Assembly Asheville

On Monday, August 20th at 6pm and every 3rd Monday of the month, the Asheville IWW is hosting a service industry workers assembly at Kairos West. If you work in food serice, retail, hospitality, breweries, or other service industries and don’t have the right to hire or fire, come by and join the discussion on issues facing your ilk including wages and hours, but also issues such as racism and gendered violence that workers face in and outside of their workplaces. The discussions are aimed at creating direct action solutions and creating class solidarity. To hear about their first Assembly, check out our interview on the topic.

Reminder on upcoming #August21

A few CZN member projects have been producing content specific to supporting and understanding the Nationwide Prison Strike. You can find great, related content to enjoy and share by ItsGoingDown podcast, Kiteline Radio & Rustbelt Abolition Radio. Links are in our notes to those recent episodes. Also, visit incarceratedworkers.org for the new and very shareable video breaking down IWOC’s role in the strike and reasons to support #August21.

If you appreciate this podcast and the voices that we bring to you each and every week (at least once), please consider a one-time or recurring donation via paypal or liberapay. You can also subscribe to recurring donations to us at patreon.com/tfsr and get some pretty sweet swag. If you want one of the shirts or mixtapes or sticker and button packs we offer to patreon supporters but can’t afford a monthly donation, drop us an email and we’ll work something out.

Environment, Fracking, Ohio, Pipeline

Student/Community Organizing and Fighting Hopelessness with NoNEXUS Oberlin

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This week we had the opportunity to interview Isabel and Christopher, who are active in differing ways in the No NEXUS Oberlin campaign, one in a long series of anti pipeline pushes in Oberlin Ohio. This campaign is based in part around the college which exists there, but is also in strong coalition with non college attending community members in the area who have been battling  the extraction industry for years, from fighting pipelines to injection wells to fracking in this area.

We talk about what it’s like to organize as the part of a student body which seeks to break down the barriers between student and non student populations, about the NEXUS Pipeline (owned by that ever present destructive, capitalist monster Enbridge), and about the ties that direct action can have in battling political and personal hopelessness. To get in touch with this project you can write them at nonexusoberlin@protonmail.com or search their name on Facebook. The music we close the episode with is Lobo Marino, a track which is typically heard at the end of each End of the Line episode, an ongoing podcast out of Richmond on fighting the Mountain Valley Pipeline. You can find them at http://pipelinepodcast.org/ for more stories and experiences from the world of fighting extraction industries.

#AllOutAugust

Much love to those who are fighting fascism in Portland, the Bay, Charlottesville, DC, and Boston this month. The police have again shown that they are firmly on the side of white nationalists, as they have countless times before, where in Portland only a few centimeters of helmet saved the life of an antifascist from a so called “non lethal” police weapon. Stay safe out there, love and care from us in Asheville, and as always, FUCK THE POLICE!

#August21

This week we also feature the voice of New Afrikan Black Panther Party (Prison Chapter) Defense Minister, Kevin “Rashid” Johnson.  Rashid is a writer, a fantastic artist, and a political prisoner currently held in Virginia but who keeps getting repressed for his organizing with prisoners around human rights issues.  He’s faced repression since 2016 directly in relation to prison strike writings.  Thanks to comrades in the south east for sharing his voice with us. You can check out Rashid’s work at his website or write him at: Kevin Johnson #1007485 Red Onion State Prison P.O. Box 1900 Pound, VA 24279 Support Anarchist Prisoner Eric King From Eric King’s support page:

The past few weeks have been rough for Eric and his family. We learned that Eric’s partner has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. On top of the solidarity EP we are promoting, we decided to also start a gofundme page for his partner. As we mentioned in the previous post, incarceration affects the whole family. Eric’s partner will now have extra medical expenses and appointments that will require time off of work, and extra childcare. The severity and treatment of the cancer is still being determined. We’re hoping for the best, and will keep people posted. Please help us to support Eric and his family – donate if you can and/or share the fundraiser. Thanks so much for everyone’s kind words and continued support.

Please donate here! . … . .. Playlist here.