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Dec 5, 18

This Is America #44: Solidarity Takes Many Forms

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Welcome, to This Is America, December 5nd, 2018.

In this episode, we cover the mass layoffs at GM, what this says about Trumpism, the economy, globalization and neoliberalism, and also talk about the recent attack on the border against the migrant caravan.

But first, let’s get to the news!

Killing The Black Snake

The pipeline company TransCanada has issued an injunction against the Unist’ot’en Camp, which according to camp leaders:

“aims to criminalize the Unist’ot’en Camp and forcibly facilitate pipeline construction across unceded Unist’ot’en territory. TransCanada is seeking an “interim…or permanent injunction,” police enforcement, and financial damages for those “occupying, obstructing, blocking, physically impeding or delaying access” to our own unceded homelands.”

The Unist’ot’en Camp in so-called British Columbia has put out a call for supporters to aid in defense of the territory. Meanwhile, the Canadian state has declared that building the pipeline is of “national interest” and declared one of the Unist’ot’en leaders to be an “aboriginal extremist.” If you are interested in standing in solidarity with the Unist’ot’en Camp, check out their website and Facebook for more info.

Also in so-called British Columbia, resistance continues at the Kinder Morgan pipeline site where the Camp Cloud encampment remains ongoing, as does the Tiny House Warrior Camp, and continuing actions against fish farms.

Appalachians Against Pipelines recently marked three months in the trees of the Hellbender Autonomous Zone in their latest tree sit which is fighting the Mountain Valley Pipeline. In so-called Minnesota, actions continue against the Line 3 Pipeline. On November 27th:

Water protectors shut down rail yard west of Leech Lake, Minnesota (Gaa-zagaskwaajimekaag) where Line 3 pipes are currently being brought in by train. Meanwhile in Atkinson, Minnesota, 3 water protectors were arrested after erecting a tripod in a illegal Enbridge Line 3 pipe yard.

In so-called Duluth, MN, Anti-Colonial Land Defense also organized an event to remember Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, a march against police brutality, and has been supporting those living outside with warm winter items. Lastly, a judge has ruled that the Keystone XL pipeline can begin some pre-construction work, despite a former ruling against the project.

ACAB

In Alabama last week, people took to the streets and blocked freeways after the police murder of Emantic “EJ” Bradford, an African-American. Police, responding to a shooting at a mall, shot and killed Emantic, a active member of the military who’s father is also a police officer, and who happened to be armed and was attempting to stop the shooter and help those in the vicinity, according to witnesses. Seeing only a black man with a gun, police opened fire on Emantic, and afterwards released a statement congratulating themselves that they had got the shooter only to later backtrack on their statement after the truth came out. As in the shooting of Philando Castile, the NRA has been silent on the shooting, showing once again that the gun lobby will not stand for the rights of black people to own and use firearms.

Break the Borders

A 40 year old man that joined the #PrisonStrike by going on hunger strike at the North West Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington and was moved after health complications has now died. Northwest Detention Center Resistance wrote:

The Northwest Detention Center Resistance (NWDC Resistance) mourns the loss of Amar Mergansana, who died on November 24, 2018 at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington. Mr. Mergensana never regained consciousness after being brought from the NWDC to the Tacoma-area hospital. In death, Mr. Mergensana joins the 177 people who have died in ICE custody since 2003. His death follows a pattern of abuse, violence, callousness and murder of detainees in their custody. 

Across North America, people have been rallying in solidarity with the migrant caravan while also mobilizing to take supplies down to the border.

View this post on Instagram

Protesters in Tucson today took to the streets and shut down an entrance to the Davis-Monthan air force base to protest border militarization and show their support for asylum seekers. Troops off the border! #nooneisillegal #refugeeswelcome #demilitarize

A post shared by No More Deaths//No Mas Muertes (@nomoredeaths_nomasmuertes) on

Montreal Solidarity Demonstration

Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement (RAM) Gathering Supplies

Redneck Revolt truck full of supplies, headed to border.

Hunger strike at the border, supporting Migrants' Caravan

由 Hugo Castro 发布于 2018年11月29日周四

A camp at the the border on the US side has launched a hunger strike to bring attention to the conditions being faced by refugees in Mexico. Meanwhile in Tijuana, more and more migrants have arrived, and conditions continue to be strained. Unicorn Riot has been out on the border covering the situation and we encourage people to follow them to see their reports. Currently, migrants remained locked in a horrific limbo, unwanted by Mexico but still waiting to see if they can apply (and how long it will take) for asylum in the US.

Caravan Moved To New Shelter in Tijuana

Many asylum seekers have been moved to a new shelter 11 miles from the US/Mexico border as rainy weather turned living conditions at Benito Juarez to a muddy mess. Read our latest article about this:https://unicornriot.ninja/2018/migrants-moved-to-new-center-as-hunger-strike-continues/

由 Unicorn Riot 发布于 2018年12月3日周一

The autonomous space based in Tijuana, Enclave Caracol wrote in a recent update:

Volunteers from everywhere (together with members of the caravan) have been working all day every day to feed, dress and provide a safe space to those refugees, Asylum seekers and migrants who continue to arrive in Tijuana. This has been possible thanks to the support of volunteers and organizations that have contributed with their resources and time to alleviate the humanitarian crisis facing tijuana.

Fire to the Prisons

Gainesville IWOC continues their movie nights outside of a local prison. Check out their awesome video.

our first movie night tonight was a hit, folx watching from all windows! join us next month! #prisonmovienight #endprisonslavery

由 Gainesville IWOC 发布于 2018年11月28日周三

South Chicago Anarchist Black Cross is having a fundraiser. Please help them keep going into the coming decades.

Speaking of decades, congratulations to LA-Anarchist Black Cross who recently celebrated 20 years!

Class War

The third Burgerville store in the Portland area is now set to vote on affiliating with the IWW and the union has successfully beat attempts by corporate to stop them from wearing political buttons, congratulations!

Speaking of the IWW, wobblies, anarchists, and other anti-capitalists continue to hold militant pickets and street blockades to continue the postal strike in the face of the State ruling that the postal workers had to return to work or face massive fines. Be sure to watch This Is America in the coming days for upcoming interviews on the strike.

Here’s a statement from IWW K’jipuktuk – Halifax about recent arrests:

Six people, including some of our members, were arrested by Halifax Regional Police while picketing in support of postal workers denied their to right to strike. We stand in unwavering solidarity with all those arrested at the picket, and offer our full resources in their support.

We also reiterate our full-throated support for the fundamental right to strike, and for striking postal workers legislated back to work. They cannot legislate our solidarity away. This is not the end, and your fellow workers will continue to act in defence of your rights.

In the Bay Area of California, a hotel strike by workers has ended, with 99% of workers voting in agreement with a newly decided contract that raises wages for hotel staff. The recent strike by hotel workers involved thousands and saw strikers’ pickets attempting to stop scabs from coming into the hotels.

Also in the bay area:

Bay Area activists just shut down a hearing on PG&E…to demand that the privately-owned utility take complete financial responsibility for all fires caused by its negligence and contributions to climate change.

People across northern California were forced to endure the smoke from PG&E fire for two weeks. Particularly vulnerable were Black, Brown and low-income communities, who face the brunt of the Bay Area’s pollution every day. Toxic air smothered us, but only volunteers like Mask Oakland came to help, [by distributing free gas maks]. Left unchallenged, this pattern of institutional and regulatory neglect ensures climate change hits marginalized groups first and worst.

In Seattle, the Seattle Solidarity Network has a brand new fight against wage theft and unjust firing. Check out the brand new campaign website and see how you can get involved.

Bash the Fash

The James Alex Field’s trial has started in Charlottesville. Molly aka “Socialist Dog Mom” (who we talked to on this show right before the second Unite the Right) is doing daily podcasts from the trial. Also, one of the Rise Above Movement (RAM) members, Cole White, is in court now and has seemingly turned on his so-called comrades in return for a lesser sentence.

And as white nationalists attempt to distance themselves from Trump, the Proud Boys watched over the last two weeks as both its founder Gavin McInness stepped down from leadership, Milo Yiannopoulos (who is also reportedly very much in debt) backed away from supporting the group, and after a day, a council of Proud Boy elders announced that it was firing and expelling Jason Van Dyke, who had proclaimed himself leader of the group for one day. This is all simply after an FBI report referred to the Proud Boys as extremist and “connected with white supremacists.” Hilariously, the Proud Boys also released a set of documents that included an attempted “redaction” of their entire “ruling council.” Only problem – all the names were simply high-lighted!

Not to be out done, Matthew Heimbach, who fell from grace after beating his wife in front of his child, was also booted from the National Socialist Movement (NSM) after a pitiful rally in Little Rock, Arkansas presented Heimbach as the new “community outreach” director of the organization. Attempting to save face like always, Heimbach wrote a long screed against the NSM, claiming that it has been going downhill for over 5 years, which begs the question why he joined it to begin with.

https://twitter.com/_eugeneantifa/status/1068695053609111553

Eugene Antifa has beat their case against the “Weed Nazi” in Eugene, Oregon. The neo-Nazi attempted to sue the group and force them to reveal their private information after the group exposed their neo-Nazi beliefs. Also, Eugene Antifa recently released a doxx of the neo-Nazis behind “the Base,” a paramilitary fascist encampment hoping to train the Alt-Right in military tactics.

A Louisville Confederate monument was vandalized, while in Southern California, people quickly fixed and clean up a Black Panther mural that was defaced with swastikas. In Tacoma, WA, the campaign continues against a Nazi owned tattoo parlor continues, while the John Brown Gun Club was out in force against Joey Gibson at a Seattle protest in early December.

Lastly, after a night of rowdy protest on December 2nd against the Silent Sam Confederate statue that was toppled months ago, the university is now charging Maya Little with a felony for her “leadership role” in the protests. Stay tuned for how you can support.

Mutual Aid Disaster Relief

December 5th, the City of Oakland had stated that they would evict The Village houseless encampment, however strong community defense kept the city from doing so. Meanwhile in Chico, CA, we have reports from locals that the Wallywood encampment is completely run off by Walmart hired security an police who threatened people with arrest of eviction.

Meanwhile in Florida:

Hundreds of people are still living in a tent city near Panama City nearly seven weeks after Hurricane Michael ravaged the Florida Panhandle; like many of them, Tammy Nichols was evicted from her affordable-income duplex rental in the nearby city of Lynn Haven after it was damaged by the hurricane.

Updates

  • The New York Libertarian Socialist Caucus and the Black Socialists of America put on a panel discussion on COINTELPRO, which you can watch here.

Looking Ahead

  • There is a call for noise demonstrations on New Year’s Eve! Check it out here and is you are having one, let us know!
  • Along with CrimethInc., the Final Straw, Mutual Aid Disaster Relief and many others, we are calling for a week or so of action centered around mutual, building community resilience and capacity, and also organizing to meet the crisis of capitalism head on. We’ll be compiling upcoming events on here soon, but as for now, read the call out here and think about what you and those close to you can organize.

It’s Going Down

  • If you haven’t donated as part of our winter fundraiser or signed up to be a monthly supporter no mater how small, please do so!
  • If you haven’t already, sign up for our newsletter. See the bottom of site on the desktop version to add your email.
  • We’re going to be doing a series of interviews on some of the biggest stories this year. This includes the #PrisonStrike, Abolish ICE, teacher’s wildcat strikes, pipeline battles, autonomous disaster relief work, etc. If you were in the thick of it, get at us! We’re looking to do a series of long form podcast interviews to mark the end of 2018.

That’s gonna do it for us today, we will see you soon!

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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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