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Feb 23, 20

This Is America #107: Reach for the Sky

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Cover Photo: @dhunnasim

Welcome, to This Is America, February 22nd, 2020.

On this episode, first we speak with Dinize Ste ohn tsiy, a front line Native land defender on Wet’suwet’en territory about the unfolding situation, the threats made by the State, the media push back, and the terrain ahead. You can also donate to Gidimt’en Yintah Access here.

We then switch gears and move into a discussion about Trump’s recent pardoning of various elite cronies as well as a continuation of our critique of Sanders and social democracy.

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

Living and Fighting

  • The wildcat strike which kicked off last December at the University of California in Santa Cruz has now bloomed into a full on, two week long wildcat strike. On Friday, in the face of the threats of mass firing and the deportation of striking international students, actions spread across the UC system. Mass marches and rallies were organized on most campuses across the state, while some schools organized building occupations, and in Berkeley, people occupied the dining hall and food inside became free. Meanwhile in Santa Cruz, upwards of 1,000 students took to the streets outside of the university, shutting down traffic and both entrances into the school. While at the time of this writing it remains unclear as to what UC bureaucrats will do in the face of such massive resistance, University of California President Janet Napolitano issued a statement on Friday asking to speak with student government leaders (who have nothing to do with the strike) to “discuss issues.” Student workers across the UC system have vowed to continue and expand the strike while also refusing to turn in grades, if the administration makes good on its promise of firing strikers.

  • Meanwhile in so-called Canada, things are also coming to a head as police continue push for the eviction of rail blockades and the government calls for an end to disruptive solidarity actions. Despite the ramping up of rhetoric from pro-industry media, far-Right groups and various politicians, opposition remains unwavering. As one report wrote:

A day after the Prime Minister called for an immediate end to weeks-long rail blockades that are bruising the Canadian economy, protesters in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory said they have no plans to move and a new demonstration sprung up along railway tracks in Saskatoon.

  • Over the weekend, the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs met with Mohawk leaders and agreed to keep the blockades up and ongoing, as long as RCMP troops remain on the territory. This weekend also saw ongoing and continued actions, with over 5,000 marching in solidarity in Toronto, and blockades and disruptions being organized in various territories, however one encampment blocking trains outside of Montreal was recently evicted.

DÉCLARATION DU BLOCAGE DE SAINT-LAMBERT – DECLARATION FROM THE SAINT-LAMBERT BLOCADE

DÉCLARATION DU BLOCAGE DE SAINT-LAMBERT – DECLARATION FROM THE SAINT-LAMBERT BLOCADE(english follows)Déclaration des participant-es au blocage de Saint-Lambert. Une voie ferrée du CN traversant la ville de St-Lambert, connectant Montréal à l'Est du Canada et aux États-Unis, a été bloquée pendant trois jours. Les participant-es agissaient en solidarité avec les Wet'suwet'en qui luttent contre le projet de corridor énergétique de CGL et dont le territoire est envahi par la GRC. Lisez le texte de cette déclaration: https://contrepoints.media/posts/declaration-du-blocage-de-saint-lambert-declaration-from-the-saint-lambert-blocade_______Declaration from participants to the St-Lambert blockade. A CN rail crossing in Saint-Lambert, Quebec have been blocked for three days. The track connects Montreal to Eastern Canada as well as to the United States. Participants acted in solidarity with the Wet'suwet'en who are fighting against Coastal Gas Link's proposed energy corridor through their territory and whose land was invaded by the RCMP in January.Read the text of this declaration: https://contrepoints.media/posts/declaration-du-blocage-de-saint-lambert-declaration-from-the-saint-lambert-blocade

Posted by Contrepoints.media on Saturday, February 22, 2020

  • A neo-fascist rally in Boston organized by a re-brand of “Resist Marxism,” a pan-far-Right organization which has been linked to white nationalists and neo-Nazis was drowned out by a much larger crowd, after the small group attempt to rally in support of local police and ICE.

  • In Chicago, people rallied against cuts to food stamps and also gave away free food, as part of the #ReadytoSnap campaign. The recent cuts of over $4 billion to the program are expected to impact at least 700,000 people.

  • According to Appalachians Against Pipelines, police dressed as pipeline workers violently arrested someone at the Yellow Finch tree sit which has been actively fighting the Mountain Valley Pipeline for over a year. Currently the water protector is being held without bail and has sustain injuries.
  • Finally in Colorado Springs, people blocked streets and faced several arrests as they demonstrated outside of a recent Trump rally.

https://twitter.com/IGD_News/status/1230696609161383936?s=20

Solidarity

Upcoming Events

  • February 23rd: Call for March Against Police Brutality. Long Beach, CA. More info.
  • March 6th – March 15th: Appalachian Climate Action Camp. More info.
  • March 22nd: Anarchist Assembly. Caguas, Puerto Rico. More info.
  • April 9th – 12th: Conference on Jewish Anarchism. Chicago, IL. More info.
  • April 25th: Bay Area Anarchist Bookfair. Oakland, CA. More info.
  • May 16-18th: Montreal Anarchist Bookfair. More info.
  • July 3rd – 5th: Dan and Spit Antifascist Music Festival. Asheville, NC. More info.

Music

This song, Heroes of Cascadia, by the Doug Fury’s, memorializes two people, Taliesin Namkai-Meche, Ricky Best, and a third, Micah Fletcher who was seriously injured, after they attempted to stop a white nationalist on Portland train from harassing two young women of color, one black and one wearing a hijab. The killer was recently found guilty on all counts despite attempts by the far-Right to paint him as acting in self-defense.

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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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