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May 28, 21

This Is America #140: Kentucky Mobile Home Park Resists Eviction; Looking Forward Post-Rebellion

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Welcome, to This Is America, May 28th, 2021.

On today’s episode, first we speak with a resident of the North Fork mobile home park in Kentucky, about how residents there have been fighting the mass eviction of a trailer park to make way for a strip mall, a move that will displace dozens of families and individuals and enrich “one of the most successful businessmen in Kentucky,” who will rake in a massive amount of corporate welfare, to complete development of the project.

We then switch to a recording from a recent May Day event, featuring speakers from It’s Going Down, Sima Lee and Klee Benally, who discuss the past year since the start of the George Floyd rebellion and the path ahead in the changing terrain.

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

Living and Fighting

One Year Since the Start of the George Floyd Uprising

  • Marches, rallies, and letter-writing events to prisoners marked one year since the start of the George Floyd uprising in so-called Minneapolis. 300 marched in Downtown Portland, clashing with police and setting off fireworks, while in Minneapolis, a large gathering was held at George Floyd Square.

Solidarity with Palestine

  • Over the last several weeks, mass demonstrations have continued in solidarity with Palestinians in the occupied territories, resulting in pressuring Israel to end bombardments which have led to the deaths of over 200 Palestinians in an aggressive campaign of ethnic cleansing. Protests in New York and Montreal have led to clashes with police and pro-Zionists forces in the streets. Also in Chicago, the international headquarters of Boeing was blockade for their role in selling Israel weapons.

Fight for Abolition

  • Under the banner of Abolition May, abolitionist groups across so-called US have been organizing actions and events throughout the month of May to demand police off college campuses. Actions have ranged from from banner drops, marches through campus, teach-ins and educational events, and Coffee Not Cops outreach tables.

  • Protests continue in Elizabeth City, North Carolina against the police murder Andrew Brown, Jr. Officials recently ruled that the shooting was “justified,” while Brown’s family and community members contend he was ambushed and riddled with bullets by the police. This week, a white driver was arrested for driving into a crowd of protesters, hitting two African-American women with her car. Protests and marches continue daily. For a more in-depth look at the demonstrations, check out this recent IGD podcast.

  • In Philadelphia, hundreds took the the streets to mark the anniversary of the police bombing of the eco-radical group, MOVE in 1985. From one report:

Surviving members of the MOVE family walked with hundreds of supporters through West Philadelphia Thursday night to commemorate the 36th anniversary of the day city leaders dropped explosives on their…compound.

The subsequent fire, allowed to burn to the point where it turned more than 60 houses to rubble, killed 11 people, including five children.

Just hours before Pam Africa and Mike Africa Jr. began their remembrance of lost comrades by describing the two-day assault, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney announced the resignation of the city’s top health official for mishandling remains of victims of the bombing.

Indigenous Resistance

Source: Rising Tide North America

  • A trial has begun for several of the Tiny House Warriors in so-called Canada who are fighting the Trans Mountain Pipeline.

  • The Six Nations land reclamation at 1492 Land Back Lane continues. From a report on social media:

Members of the Six Nations of the Grand River have built cabins and other structures on the site…which is right beside the Six Nations territory, and have been living there for the past 10 months. The purpose of the occupation is to halt construction of a housing project by Foxgate Developments.

While blockades have come down, people are preparing for “a summer of get-togethers, concerts and lacrosse games” on the land.

  • In Mohawk territory in so-called Quebec, in the same area where the Oka crisis in 1990 kicked off in fierce resistance, Native people continue to resist the development of land for the tourism industry. Recently, a car caravan was organized to support ongoing land defense efforts.

Class War

Members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) have been busy, working to unionize Moe’s Books in Berkeley, CA, Charter school workers in Richmond, CA, and also the staff of the Socialist Rifle Association (SRA), the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (OVEC), and Voodoo Doughnut workers in Portland, OR.

Also in Berkeley, marches and protests have been ongoing, fighting back against proposed evictions by UC Berkeley of housing and the autonomous People’s Park.

Upcoming Events

June 5th: Beaverton City Library, 2pm. Zinefest and Mutual Aid Fair. Beaverton, Oregon.

June 5th: Abolition Assembly and BBQ, Richmond, VA. More info here.

June 11th: International Day of Solidarity with Marius Mason and Long-Term Anarchist Prisoners

  • Philadelphia, PA: BBQ and movie fundraiser.
  • Detroit, MI: Noise demo.

June 12 – 13th: Philly Skillshare Convergence featuring workshops, discussions, and tabling. For more information and updates, check here.

June 26th – July 1st: Earth First! Summer Gathering in so-called Minnesota. More info here.

August 21st – September 9th: Call for abolitionist actions in support of prisoner struggles. More info here.

It’s Going Down

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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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