TIA #64: Opposing “Gladiator Fights” in California Prisons

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Welcome, to This Is America, March 15th, 2018.

In this episode, we speak to a network of families who have come together to fight ongoing staged “gladiator” fights being facilitated by prison staff in Central California prisons.

"The last thing CDCR wants is inmates collectively organizing and challenging their conditions, like the Pelican Bay hunger strike.”
– "Frank", survivor of CDCr gladiator fightshttps://t.co/Ow29HdIAxX via @shadowproofcom

— IWOC (@IWW_IWOC) February 26, 2019

We then turn to addressing first feedback to a past episode, and then discuss how political parties, activist groups, and the media have created a culture of never ending campaigning, which has also engendered the growth of far-Right grifters. We then discuss the recent CPAC conference and what it means for the both the future of the Right as well as its impliactions for autonomous social movements.

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

Living and Fighting

Sadly Thursday, March 14th, as thousands of young people were walking out of class in Australia and New Zealand, a shooter walked into a New Zealand mosque and opened fire. There are reports of a second shooting at another mosque and also of bombs being found in a car. At the time of this recording, authorities say they have apprehended three men and one woman in connection to the massacre.

How many people like this are posting helicopter memes, white nationalist slogans, and pictures of their weapons on social media right now? How many of them are going to make good on their promises? https://t.co/omq8Xezi8A

— It's Going Down (@IGD_News) March 15, 2019

At this time, many journalists on social media are reporting information that has been found on a series online profiles. So far, it has been reported that at least one of the killers posted on the far-Right message board 8chan before the shooting and uploaded a manifesto. The manifesto praises Trump for bringing about a sense of white identity, calls non-whites and Muslims invaders, and claims that the Alt-Right needs to get off the internet and start fighting back.

Photos of one of the suspected killers tactical vests in #NewZealand bare the "black sun" logo, an image popular among white nationalists and the Alt-Right. Identity Evropa (now American Identity Movement) leader, William Clark, has the same image tattooed on his chest. pic.twitter.com/805DeNHfEj

— It's Going Down (@IGD_News) March 15, 2019

A Facebook and Twitter page under the name Brenton Tarrant also uploaded a horrific livestream video that showed a shooter with multiple guns pull up to and walk inside a Mosque, and then opened fire on dozens of people inside. These images match others that were posted to Twitter that show similar writing on the bullet clips, including white nationalist phrases like, “14 words.” The suspected shooter also posted a picture of his vest, which included a “black sun” patch, an image popular with the Alt-Right and white nationalists.

In his manifesto, Tarrant praises Candance Ownes of Turning Point USA for radicalizing him and during his video, encourages people to subscribe to “PewPewDieDie,” a YouTube video game streamer that has helped popularize the Alt-Right. In many ways, this is a mass shooting made by the Alt-Right and for the Alt-Right.

The 8chan post being linked to New Zealand murders talks about going from “shit posting” (posting words online) to making a “real life effort post.” (IE, killing people just to create content.)

Truly psychotic and evil beyond description. pic.twitter.com/C8ojz8m5o4

— Michael Edison Hayden (@MichaelEHayden) March 15, 2019

What the ramifications of this mass killing will be is anyone’s guess. Hopefully, this horrific act will show more people, as the Pittsburgh attack did, the Alt-Right is not just keen to sit back and glorify violence from the safety of the internet – that some of them will carry out these acts of terror. Moreover, those that peddle conspiracy theories of the impending “genocide” of whites need to be help accountable for the growing belief in many that violence is the only way to stop it.

?BREAKING: Burgerville is retaliating against workers after they file for election!?

Full info on facebook: https://t.co/rwcv0cUH72 pic.twitter.com/1g8Qw8xz3f

— Burgerville Workers Union (@BVWkrUnion) March 14, 2019

In Portland, the Burgerville Workers Union of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) announced that two more stores were going public with the union and would soon be filing to have the union legally represent workers in two stores. This move is happening while Burgerville corporate continues to fight with the union in contract negotiations and the Burgerville Workers Union continues to call for a boycott of Burgerville stores.
In response to more workers joining the growing fast-food insurgency, Burgerville has also pushed back.

As BWU reported on Facebook:

Yesterday, while Convention Center workers were filing for a union election with the NLRB, managers began their union busting campaign by retaliating against and discipling EIGHT pro-union workers. We are deeply saddened but unsurprised by Burgerville’s continued commitment to union busting.

One worker, Mor’Risha, who was due to go on maternity leave today, was suspended for forgetting her name tag – even after a manager gave her a new one. Furthermore, Mor’Risha reports that her general manager told her that he would be treating union members differently now – a blatant violation of labor law.

“I honestly feel like Matthew is targeting the people in the union,” Mor’Risha says. “Ever since we filled out the petition, he’s been treating us very differently.”

Other disciplinary action includes suspensions and write-ups for arbitrary actions by pro-union workers. These actions are alarming, but are just another event in an unbroken chain of union-busting that has gone on for years. Burgerville workers live under a culture of fear. This is especially true at the Convention Center Burgerville, which has a massive turnover rate as the result of brutal working conditions and hateful management. Stay tuned for more updates as workers get ready for their union election.

#BoycottBurgerville

There’s been a series of prison uprisings since the start of March, reports Perilous Chronicle. On May 11th, it was reported that an uprising took place at the Maui Correction Center on Hawaii:

At least 42 prisoners refused to return to their cells at the end of recreation time and instead caused “significant damage” to prison infrastructure. The uprising occurred in two pods of the housing unit. Prisoners broke sprinklers, leading to flooding in the pod. The prisoners also started a fire which caused smoke damage in a neighboring pod. The head of the Public Safety Department linked the uprising to the effects of overcrowding. “I’m sure that, generally speaking, overcrowding in the institution was a major contributor.”

On March 8th, it was reported that there was an uprising at Crawford County Detention Center in Arkansas:

“When a sergeant and a deputy attempted to remove a prisoner from a pod containing 40 prisoners, the other 39 prisoners interfered. When the prisoner was removed, the rest of the prisoners attacked prison infrastructure, destroying televisions, lights, ceiling tiles, phones and the sprinkler system, which caused significant flooding.”

Finally, on March 4th, brawls and clashes between youth inmates and guards also broke out at the Hills Youth and Family Services facility in Minnesota.

Lastly, along the border, resistance to construction for Trump’s proposed border wall is heating up:

The Carrizo/Comecrudo tribe of Texas is leading the opposition to Mr. Trump’s border wall. Their mission is to witness the construction of the wall and report the damage it is causing. As the tribe protects sacred sites from destruction they also educate people on the impact the wall has on the people and animals living in its shadow.

To meet the mission the tribe established a series of village encampments along the walls path. And your help is now essential. You are being asked to donate supplies for their ongoing effort.

The Carrizo/Comecrudo established their second front line encampment along the southern border. This one is located within the National Butterfly Center. The encampment, Mariposa is requesting some specific items of need. Please consider helping us meet these.

Amazon Wish List Here

PayPal Donation Link Here

Get Involved and More Updates Here

That’s gonna do it for us this week, we will see you soon, and as always, enjoy the interview.