New Year Insurrections: January Actions, Assemblies, and Workshops in Durham

From Workers Assemble 

Across the country, we’re seeing massive demonstrations of resistance against the threat of Trump’s looming regime in the form of grassroots municipal anarchism: community members and neighbors across Portland have organized for reading groups, anarchist assemblies and the city-wide Portland Assembly throughout the month of January; every district within Seattle is forming a Neighborhood Action Council and anarchists in the city have called for a day of city-wide autonomous direct actions in resistance and protest against Trump’s inauguration and his agenda; chapters of the Democratic Confederalist Union of America have formed in Austin and Dallas TX, Huntsville AL, and in Wisconsin.

Durham is no different. Multiple affinity-groups, organizations and movements are coordinating with each other and building programs, workshops, actions, and assemblies to develop a culture and tool-set for community self-sufficiency and self-defense. Events to plug-in and join the resistance are happening throughout the month:

• Really Really Free Market ~ 01.07, 2:00PM – While this is happening in Carrboro, there was discussion at the last #DurhamAssembly of getting a Really Really Free Market started in Durham as well, so this would be a wonderful opportunity for those who were interested to see how they work. “A gathering of those in need and those with something to give.” Simply bring anything and everything you’d like to offer free-of-charge to share with members of your community, and take what you need freely from those who join in.
• Triangle IWW Chapter Meeting ~ 01.07, 4:00PM – There were ~2 dozen people at the last Wobbly open community meeting, and we discussed a range of really critical topics: starting alternative community media, doing grassroots building in communities across the state, forming a Durham General Defense Committee – among others. We’ve found these meetings to be solid spaces of encounter for meeting other revolutionaries whom you may share an affinity with.
• “Know Your Rights” Workshop ~ 01.11, 6:30PM – In preparation for #J20 and in anticipation of future involvement with the cops as active participants in the resistance, we’re holding a #survivalworkshop with a member of the North Carolina National Lawyers Guild to teach members of the community about their nascent legal rights when dealing with the police, with federal agents, and with the State legal system.
• Mobilize to D.C. for #J20 ~ 01.20, 10:00AM – #WorkersAssemble has put the call out with various other organizations in Durham for every revolutionary, affinity-group and collective to mobilize for participation in the shut-down of Trump’s inauguration event. #DisruptJ20 is organizing a mass assembly/spokescouncil on 01.08 for folks who can make it to DC – RSVP only. We are not going to create a Fedbook event for this one – if you’re planning to attend the disruption, do not do any organizing over social media. Meet with local comrades and affinity-groups in person, in safe spaces that have been checked for bugs. Do not bring your snitch-phones to logistics meetings like this. Be sure to organize with local street medics and legal observers for the action, and do as much scouting and street-mapping of D.C. as you can before the action. For the action, dress head-to-foot in black with regular street clothes underneath – and mask up.
• “Organizing Direct Actions” Workshop ~ 01.25, 6:30PM – In order to built a city-wide culture of autonomy and self-reliance, we’re holding another #survivalworkshop this month to teach new members of the resistance how to organize their own direct actions. We’ll take you through the entire process of researching previous historical examples of direct actions, planning the logistics of an action, spreading the word, measuring the success of an action, what forms of organization best suit your needs, etc. Everything you need to know about personal acts of insurrection and how to pull them off.
• Clothing Sale for Trans* & GNC Closet ~ 01.28, 2:00PM – Another program mentioned at our previous #DurhamAssembly, the LGBTQ Center of Durham is organizing a ‘Fill-A-Bag’ clothing sale to raise funds for their Trans* & GNC Free Closet and Clothing-Share program, where transgender, intersex, agender, gender variant and non-conforming people of all ages are invited to attend, grab free clothes, and hang out at the center.
• Durham Assembly ~ 02.05, 2:00PM – #WorkersAssemble is hosting our regularly-meeting #DurhamAssembly, to create a city-wide point of encounter for all individual revolutionaries, affinity-groups, collectives, and organizations to meet up with one another, debate community issues, share report-backs on previous direct actions/moments of insurection, plan and propose direct actions with one another, build survival programs together, and federate with each other for larger coordination.

Come out to one of our events or actions and join #TheResistance! #FightBack for Durham built on self-defense and self-reliance!

If you’re organizing an action/workshop/program/assembly in Durham, and you’d like to be added to our list (or you would like to coordinate with us in getting it organized), please email us at [email protected] with the subject line “New Durham Action.”