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Jan 30, 19

This Is America #55: The “Smart” Wall and Counter-Insurgency

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Welcome, to This Is America, January 30th, 2018.

In this episode we have several interviews. The first is with someone from Oakland IWOC, who discusses the recent successful hunger strike and call-in campaigns at Corcoran Prison, located in the Central Valley of California. In a recent update, IWOC on Twitter wrote:

On Monday 1/28, Day 20 of the hungerstrike in Corcoran 3C, the warden came to the negotiating table. As a result, two of the demands have been met and the hungerstrike has been suspended. Strikers are now getting packages, full canteen privileges and are negotiating a yard schedule. Negotiations to end the lockdown and restore visitation are yet to come. Stay tuned! DIRECT ACTION GETS THE GOODS!

Next up, we talk to members of the Richmond IWW about the recent actions by teachers in Virginia that are part of a growing wave of education strikes across the US.

For our last interview, we talk with some folks from Red and Black Women’s Self-Defense Front VD, who were on the ground in Boston when people come together to kick out neo-Nazi from disrupting the Women’s March.

Lastly, we conclude with a discussion that touches on the recent back and forth debate on workplace organizing as well as critically analyze the differences in Trump’s proposal “wall” along the border and Democrats so-called “smart wall.”

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

Living and Fighting

  • The strike in Matamoros, Mexico continues, as workers in Detroit are planning a solidarity rally with them, thus linking the struggle together. As the Anarchist Communism Group wrote:

In the USA, workers are organising to support the strike in Mexico and against the shutdown of their own plants, with plans for a demonstration in Detroit on February 9th. This shows that workers can realise that they have the same class interests, despite borders and despite talk of a Wall. Whilst union leaders spout about forfeiting wage rises and bonuses to “save jobs”, Matamoros workers marched to the border crossing between their city and Brownsville, just over the border in Texas, in a bid to win the solidarity of US workers.

  • In the face of drastic cold, in Chicago, groups like Little Village Solidarity Network, GDC and the Libertarian Socialist Caucus are gathering warming supplies and distributing them throughout the city. They have already raised over $4K, but every dollar donated will go to help people most impact by the drastic cold front. Pay pal them here.

  • A West Virginia teacher strike may be back on, as teachers in Mingo county have just cast a strike vote, which is expected to pass.
  • In Columbus, Ohio, people vandalized new parking meters in the downtown, allowing essentially free parking until they are fixed.

  • Proud Boys and “Warriors for Christ” were run off from a Detroit area library. The far-Right goons showed up to protest drag queens reading stories to kids.

  • In Portland, people held an anti-ICE rally.

  • Antifascist music festivals in Portland, Oregon and Brooklyn, New York went off without a hitch, and despite threats from Patriot Prayer in Portland, did not see any uninvited guests.

  • The Inland Empire chapter of the Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement participated in a drop of fresh water and supplies at the border for crossing migrants.

  • In Chicago, people made quick work of neo-Nazi flyers.

  • Members of TANC in Oakland are out in force organizing around public housing. If you are a power hungry proletarian and want to get involved, check them out and the work that they do.

  • Anti-ICE demonstration took place at the Bristol County Jail.

  • In Los Angeles, people with the LA Tenants Union are occupying an apartment in order to stop the sheriff from evicting a family.

  • In Gainesville, Florida, the local IWOC chapter is celebrating after more contracts with prison slave labor are going up in smoke.

  • Tensions remain high at the Unist’ot’en camp, with Native people denoucing the actions of the RCMP and resource extraction companies. Check out recent updates and statements from the Unist’ot’en camp as well as video dispatches from Sub.Media.

That’s gonna do it for us today, enjoy the interviews and we will see you next time.

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