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Jan 10, 20

This Is America #102: Abolitionist Organizing in Mississippi, Anarchist Analysis of Trump’s Push Toward War

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Welcome, to This Is America, January 10th, 2020.

In this episode, we speak with two people on the ground in Mississippi, who talk on the unfolding crisis within local prisons, where multiple people have died as a result of horrific conditions and discuss local abolitionist organizing efforts.

We then switch to a discussion on the unfolding conflict between the United States and Iran, following the missile strike which killed Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani and several others on January 3rd. We talk about the prospects of yet another imperial conflict in the Middle East and what a new anti-war movement might look like.

If you’re looking for more analysis on what is going on, check out these following texts:

All this and more but first, let’s get to the news!

Living and Fighting

  • A devastating earth quake has hit Puerto Rico, so stay up to date with autonomous disaster relief efforts and ways to donate by check out Mutual Aid Disaster Relief on social media.
  • In Oakland, California, courts have ruled against Moms 4 Housing, a collective of formally houseless mothers in West Oakland who have occupied a vacant home owned by real estate giants, Wedgewood. At a press conference on Friday, the moms stated that they are not going anywhere. According to people on the ground, the police have given the Moms 5 days to vacate the property. Supporters are encouraged to come out and help defend their home, which is threatened with eviction starting early Monday, January 13th.

  • An anarchist whose father happens to be a late-Republican big-wig made headlines this week by releasing a treasure trove of documents detailing his extensive project of making it easier for the GOP to win elections by stripping voting rights from people of color. As VICE wrote:

He drew up tons of maps that the party used to make districts easier for them to win — sometimes at the expense of minorities’ voting rights. In an effort to defend their state’s political map in a lawsuit, Republicans had tried to keep Hofeller’s files secret.

His daughter, Stephanie, who identifies as an anarchist, tweeted them out. She’d announced her plans to release the files last month and has now made them public on a website: thehofellerfiles.com.

Among men ages 25 to 29, police killings are the sixth-leading cause of death, according to a study led by Frank Edwards of Rutgers University, with a total annual mortality risk of 1.8 deaths per 100,000 people.

For a black man, the risk of being killed by a police officer is about 2.5 times higher than that of a white man. “Our models predict that about 1 in 1,000 black men and boys will be killed by police over the life course,” the authors write.

Police killings account for 1.6 percent of all deaths of black men age 20 to 24, the study found. Among white men, police are responsible for 0.5 percent of all deaths in that age group. A 40-year-old black man has about the same risk of being killed by a police officer as a 20-year-old white man.

  • A speaking event featuring far-Right grifter Andy Ngo at the University of British Columbia was cancelled after student and community members mobilized.
  • In Palm Beach, Florida, tenant organizers won a victory against the eviction of Justin Savage, “an elderly man and resident of Stonybrook for roughly 13 years.” Tenant groups have been fighting to stop evictions and also against horrific conditions such as black mold, leaking pipes, and open raw sewage. Check out recent interview with the Palm Beach Tenants Union here.

  • In response to US missile attacks in Iraq, people have been hitting the streets against a possible new war in the Middle East. Some rowdy highlights have been a large demonstration outside of Chuck Schumer’s residence and breakaway marches in Chicago, Sacramento, and Bloomington. Neo-Nazis and Trump supporters attempting to infiltrate or disrupt rallies were also kicked out in Pittsburgh and Denver.

  • In New York, a rally was held against rising anti-Semitism as well as against calls for more police as a vehicle to stop future attacks.

  • In Brooklyn, over 250 people mobilized in response to the neo-Nazi group Patriot Front dropping a banner. Comrades at One People’s Project were also able to record the faces of two of the neo-Nazis along with the truck license plate, which was broadcast on mainstream media.

  • In Los Angeles, taxi drivers held a mass picket demanding access once again to curb side pickup at the airport.
  • In Mansfield, Massachusetts, members of the FANG Collective converged against a sheriff that supports 287g, which allows local police to act as de-facto ICE agents. Members of FANG have been targeting with protests and marches those who have supported the head Sheriff. Follow them on Facebook for updates.

  • Actions by wildcat striking Santa Cruz UC student workers remain ongoing, with strikers organizing large pickets and opening up the dining halls for communal free meals.

  • In Portland, Oregon, a new autonomous space has opened to the public. Check out Symbiosis PDX for more info. Speaking of Portland, people are currently collecting warm and waterproof gear resources to share this winter. For more info, go here.

  • In Colorado Springs, a coalition of anti-racist and anti-capitalist groups converged and demonstrated outside the home of Oscar Valdez, CEO of the Centurion Group, which has $18 million in ICE contracts, according to local organizers.

  • A communique posted to Philly Anti-Capitalist took credit for an act of anti-gentrification sabotage against construction site.
  • In a huge blow to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, The Hill reports that “A federal appeals court rejected a needed permit for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline on Tuesday, the latest legal blow to the controversial pipeline as it heads to the Supreme Court through another case.” However, not to be outdone, the Trump administration is now also pushing to throw out huge cornerstones of environmental law that would make it easier for pipelines and other extractive projects to ram their way. According to The Verge:

Trump’s proposed changes would exempt projects that aren’t primarily federally funded. It would also place a tight two-year time limit on performing environmental reviews that typically take years longer, and even puts a cap on the number of pages allowed in the Environmental Impact Statements required by the law.

  • Not to be outdone, the UN has ordered a halt to construction of the Trans Mountain Pipeline, which Native land defenders with the Tiny House Warriors have been fighting. As Sparrow Media reported:

A new United Nations report orders Canada to cease construction on the Trans Mountain Pipeline until informed consent is obtained from the Secwepemc people.

“Now it is clear to the whole world every minute that Canada continues construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline is a violation of the basic human rights of Indigenous people.”

That was how land and water defender Kanahus Manuel responded to the newly released United Nations report that has denounced Canada’s major resource projects on Indigenous lands saying they could “cause irreparable harm to indigenous peoples rights, culture, lands, territories and way of life.”

  • Finally, in Wet’suwet’en territory, solidarity actions are going strong with more to being planned throughout the weekend. Also, another support camp has been started in order to keep out Coastal GasLink. As Globe and Mail reported:

[The] support camp will help ensure an eviction notice issued by the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs to Coastal GasLink, a company that has provincial permits to build the pipeline, is respected.

Solidarity

  • Anarchist prisoner Eric King is in need of support. Go here to see how you can help.
  • Antifascist prisoner David Campbell has been moved to a different facility. Please send him letters!

Upcoming Events

  • January 9th – 11th: Actions in Solidarity with Wet’suwet’en. More info.
  • January 10th: Metropolitian Anarchist Coordinating Council general assembly. More info.
  • January 10th: Film showing of ‘Touch the Sky,’ on Ferguson Insurrection. More info.
  • January 11th: NYC Anarchist Assembly. More info.
  • January 11th: Shut Down the NW Detention Center Forum. More info.
  • January 17th: Day of Action Against Line 3. More info.
  • January 18th: WobFest 2020. IWW Benefit in NYC. More info.
  • January 19th: Rally Against CAA, NRC, NPR in India. Artesia, CA. More info.
  • January 31st: FTP Mobilization and City Wide Day of Transit Action. NYC, NY. More info.
  • April 9th – 12th: Conference on Jewish Anarchism. Chicago, IL. More info.
  • April 25th: Bay Area Anarchist Bookfair. Oakland, CA. More info.

It’s Going Down

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Music: Anti-Flag and M-1 & Bonnot

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In search of new forms of life. It's Going Down is a digital community center and media platform featuring news, opinion, podcasts, and reporting on autonomous social movements and revolt across so-called North America from an anarchist perspective.

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