Category Archives: Police

activism, Antifa, Bristol, CopWatch, Palestine, Police, Prisons, Protest, repression, SpyCops, Transcribed, UK, Uncategorized, zine

Anti-Repression Updates from the UK (with NetPol)

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a photo of a line of riot police with their backs to right wing demostrators, defending them and facing possible counter-protestors in Manchester, plus "TFSR 9-13-26 | Anti-Repression Updates from the UK with Network for Police Monitoring"
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This week, we’re sharing a conversation with two anti-repression organizers in the UK who are both associated with NetPol, or the Network for Police Monitoring as well as other defendant support projects. For the chat we speak about the sort of work their orgs are involved in, changes in sentencing amongst protestors, increasingly violent police suppression of antifascists counter-demonstrating (and greatly outnumbering) anti-immigrant crowds, the Filton Palestine Action cases and more. We hope you enjoy and you can find some links in the show notes on where to find more of Maya and Andy’s work.

We recorded this interview several weeks ago, before Palestine Action was proscribed by the US as a Specially Designated Terrorist Entity and has had sanctions applied to it by the US State Department, so it’s notable that we can legally not suggest anyone offer material support to Palestine Action thanks to the Anti-Antifascist US government as they could be punished under US law.

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Police, Surveillance, Technology, Transcribed, U.S. South, United States, zine

Discussion on Organizing Against Surveillance in the US South

a photo of Will Smith looking up through a car window from the film "Enemy Of The State" viewed from a surveillance satellite, plus “TFSR 8-9-26 | Discussion on Organizing Against Surveillance in the US South”
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This week, you’ll hear a discussion with Ed from Southerners Against Surveillance Systems and Infrastructure / DeFlock, Ben of Communities Against Mass Surveillance in Asheville and Kelly from Nashville Community Safety Network others who share more about their local organizing to counter the nationwide push for interconnected surveillance networks. The push for increasingly more data on the public and the funneling of that information into police fusion centers has been most visible recently in struggles against Flock. We speak about spy cameras, the connections between private companies and the state surveillance apparatus, local organizing tactics and more.

Interesting links

Announcements

Gianis Michailidis supporters firefund

Supporters of anarchist Gianis Michailidis (imprisoned by the Greek state) took solidarity actions to escalate knowledge of his hunger and thirst strike demanding his release after completing his sentence. These supporters have an appeal coming to Lamia Court of Appeals, September 29, 2026, against rulings by conservative judges threatening 30 months of prison and thousands of Euros each in damages. You can learn more about the case and how to support it at Firefund: https://www.firefund.net/amfissaintervention . Further info at https://athens.indymedia.org/post/1641475/

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activism, Author, Chicago, Haymarket Books, History, Police, Transcribed, zine

Flint Taylor of the Peoples Law Office on Challenging Chicago PD Violence and Government Corruption In Courts

book cover of "The Conviction Machine" featuring a black and white image of a justice scale tilted to one side
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This week, Ian spoke with G. Flint Taylor of People’s Law Office in Chicago and his new book, The Conviction Machine: Prosecutors, Politicians, and Police Violence in Chicago, out now from Haymarket Books.

The conversation vacillates between the past and the present as Taylor talks about the misconduct and cover-up by the FBI and Chicago PD in the assassination of Chicago Black Panther’s Leader Fred Hampton, the forty year effort to free Jackie Wilson, the tradition of movement lawyering, and the legacy of the People’s Law Office.

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activism, Asheville, G20, Gentrification, Homelessness, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Police, Protest, repression, Sports, Transcribed, United States, zine

National Special Security Events, Homeless Sweeps and Police Militarization

photo of police leading a baton charge with the words "TFSR 5-24-26 | National Special Security Events, Homeless Sweeps and Police Militarization"
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This year has felt like there’ve been a series of large sports mega events and summits planned and taking place in cities across the USA. For instance, starting in June the FIFA World Cup will be hosted in cities across the country (as well as a few in Mexico and Canada). Also a few cities are hosting meetings and an eventual summit related to the G20, or group of 20 economies, a gathering between large capitalist industries, banks, para-governmental neoliberal international institutions, government ministries and heads of state that share policy decisions effecting immigration, wars, trade policy and the climate. In 2028 Los Angeles will host the Olympics.

This episode will feature two discussions about some of the security impacts of hosting large sports or political events and the ways that the state and capital work to change the landscape and norms of the locations they take place. First up, Kristian Williams speaks about National Special Security Events like the G20 or World Cup, how they change local police and surveillance landscapes and work to turbocharge gentrification and displace working and poor people, making our cities more hostile to anything but commerce and control. Then, you’ll hear from Sam Schmidt at Our Streets Collective to speak about homeless sweeps in Pittsburgh, PA in the run-up to and aftermath of the 2026 NFL Draft taking place in that city.

Announcement

Marius Mason

Longtime listeners to The Final Straw Radio will be familiar with the yearly June 11th Day of Solidarity with Marius Mason and other Longterm Anarchist Prisoners. Well, stay tuned for an announcement from the June 11 crew in coming weeks with a recording of this year’s call. We are happy to announce here that Marius Mason, a long standing ecological, animal rights and trans prisoner rights activist will is on his way out of prison, currently in a halfway house having served out his sentence,

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abolition, Author, Capitalism, Colonialism, General, History, NYU Press, Philosophy, Police, Prisons, Race, Racism, Religion, Sexism, Transcribed, United States, zine

The Religious Function of Whiteness and Mass Criminalization in the US (with Andrew Krinks)

the book cover for "White Property, Black Trespass" with a blue police offier head, plus "TFSR 5-10-26 | The Religious Function of Whiteness and Mass Criminalization in the US (with Andrew Krinks)"
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This week, we’re sharing an interview with Andrew Krinks, author of White Property, Black Trespass: Racial Capitalism and the Religious Function of Mass Criminalization from NYU Press, 2024. For the chat, we speak about taking a theological lens to the question of what ties exclusive private property, white masculinity, police impunity and mass incarceration in the US. We discuss aspects of Christian thought, employ concepts borrowed from the Black Radical tradition and try to get closer to the root of the sickness in our culture that flourishes from others pain.

To check out a Firestorm book event with the author and others about the book and related topics, check out this video!

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Author, General, History, Law, Police, Prisons, Racism, Transcribed, United States, zine

Dr. Terence Keel on U.S. Deaths in Custody and Public Accountability

book cover of The Coroner's Silence: Death Records and the Hidden Victims of Police Violence, plus "TFSR 4-26-26 | Dr. terrence Keel on U.S. Deaths in Custody and Public Accountability"
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This week, we’re sharing this interview with Dr. Terence Keel, author of The Coroner’s Silence: Death Records and the Hidden Victims of Police Violence (Beacon Press, 2025). We speak about the book, the BioCritical Studies Lab that Dr. Keel founded, what public records exist of deaths at the hands of police, jails and prisons and some efforts to record names and circumstances in hopes of accountability and closure. You can find Dr. Keel at TerenceKeel.com

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activism, Anarchist, Antifa, Antifa Ost, fascism, Germany, Law, Police, repression, Transcribed, United States, zine

ABC Dresden on deBanking and US Anti-Antifascist Pressure

pic of a giant worker swinging a hammer down prison guard tower, smashing it with the words "Til All Are Free", then below the words "ABC Dresden on deBanking, US Declaration of 'Antifa Ost' as FTO, and Far Right Swing in Germany”
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This week, we’re sharing a conversation with Nina at Anarchist Black Cross Dresden to speak about the political landscape in Germany, the Antifa Ost and Budapest Komplex cases and the impacts on anti-repression work in Germany since the Trump administration’s declaration that a group they’re calling Antifa Ost be added to the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations that is kept by the US State Department.

This sits alongside the US government prosecuting the Prairieland case in Texas that was the subject of our prior episode, and could be one step further toward an official declaration of war on Antifa in the US, whatever that means exactly. We really feel that these cases are important to keep up on as the administration telegraphs it’s bizarre but frightening counterinsurgency strategies.

Some German Context:

US Implications:

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abolition, activism, Asheville, Bail Funds, Law, North Carolina, Police, Prisons, Racism, Transcribed, United States, zine

Why Is Asheville’s Buncombe County Jail Full of People?

"TFSR 3-8-26 | Why Is Asheville's Buncombe County Jail Full of People?" featuring a photo from the New Years Eve 2021 Noise Demonstration at the jail with the words "Empty The Cages Free The People" projected on the outer walls of one wing
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This week, we’re sharing an interview with Julie and Jeremy, two anarchists and participants in the Asheville Community Bail Fund. We speak about the US system of pre-trial incarceration aka bail and bond, the work of the bail fund locally, the overcrowding of the Buncombe County Jail here in Asheville, the ICE holds happening in the local jail, and how local policy choices regarding criminalization are being compounded by recent and new North Carolina legislation. Even if you aren’t in Asheville or North Carolina, it’s likely that much of this conversation will be pertinent to goings-ons in your neck of the woods (though hopefully not).

If you’re a regular listener to The Final Straw Radio, have a passion for enriching the anarchist media environment, feel like your values align with what you’ve heard on the show and want a chance to help out and hone your skills, we’re always looking for help. If you’ve thought of getting a podcast or other media project going but aren’t sure how to start, we can be a good jumping off point. Feel free to reach out via our emails

Links

North Carolina Laws discussed

Iryna’s Law (HB-307)

Related Past interviews

Asheville politics and police repression

Public surveillance by ALPR systems like Flock

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Anarchist, Autonomy, community, CounterInsurgency, Immigration, Police, Prisons, repression, Transcribed, United States, zine

Immigration Detention, Low Intensity Warfare and Popular Resistance to the Ubiquitous Border

“TFSR 3-1-26 | Immigration Detention, Low Intensity Warfare and Popular Resistance to the Ubiquitous Border” plus a photo from the El Paso / Juarez border showing walles, fences, barbed wire, border agents, a passing rainshower and rainbow
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This week, you’ll hear from Juan and Fatima, two people who’ve been organizing and thinking about the southern US border for a long time to speak about the escalations in border force violence and kidnappings by ICE and CBP around the US (including Minneapolis where Fatima resides), an explosion in proposed immigration detention (including near El Paso where Juan resides), the expansion of low intensity conflict and counter-insurgency in the southwest since the mixing in of language of the War on Crime, War on Drugs and the Global War on Terror and how autonomous mutual aid provides opportunities for scaling up community defense and prefiguring the world we want to see.

Links

El Paso Groups

Related Past Interviews

Articles Of Note

Announcements

Peppy Moved to Halfway House

We are happy to announce that Peppy has entered a halfway house where he will finish out his remaining incarceration. You can learn more about writing to him and what he likes to talk about at his support website. His crew is still fundraising for a post-release fund there as well found at FreePeppyAndKrystal.NoBlogs.Org

Casey Goonan Moved

Palestine solidarist Casey Goonan has been transferred from Mendota in California to what is likely to be their home for the foreseeable future, FCI Allenwood – Medium. You can learn more about getting into contact, updates on their case and how to support their commissary at FreeCaseyNow.NoBlogs.Org

Hrdindu Roychowdhrury Moved

Alleged Janes Revenge prisoner and Grand Jury Resister Hrdindu Roychowdhrury has been moved to FCI Thomson in Illinois. He just had a birthday and could use some sweet words. More on the move and how to write him at ABCF.Net

Prairieland Case Updates

The Prairieland Case was declared a mistrial and has been restructured in an audacious move by the Trump appointed judge Pitman. Restrictions applied to the case will could greatly limit the ability of the 9 defendants to make their cases where decades of their lives behind bars are at stake. You can learn more, including detailed notes from each day of trial, by visiting PrairielandDefendants.Com, find the defendants new updated Tarrant County mailing addresses and followcalls for support by finding their social media.

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activism, Anarchist, General, Iran, Nonviolence, Police, Protest, Religion, repression, Transcribed, zine

Death To The Dictator: Uprising and Repression in Iran (with Anarchism Perspective)

"Death To The Dictator: Uprising & Repression in Iran (with Anarchism Perspective" and a small picture of masked people posing with a torn-down poster of Khamenei
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This week, an interview with Aryanum, a member of the Persian-language anarchist group Anarchism Perspective, based in Iran and Afghanistan. Anarchism Perspective is a synthesist anarchist group based mostly in the region that organizes solidarity and resistance as well as publishing writings at Anarshism.com . For this episode, we speak about the recent uprising in Iran that was met with bloody repression by the regime, with internet blackouts and low-ball estimates of 30,000 dead at government hands from January 8th and 9th 2026 alone. Aryanum speaks about the posturing by monarchists supporting the return and enthroning of Reza Pahlavi II, the son of the last Shah, and the weaponization of Islam by the Mullahs of the regime and other topics.

Anarchism Perspective links

Other Links

Another Farsi Group, Anarchist Front:

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