The Hotwire #31: Repression in Indonesia—Hamilton rent strike—J20 on May 14—events all summer

Our last episode of the season! This episode is chocked full of May Day repression updates—from FBI visits in Washington state to the dozens of anarchists rounded up in Indonesia. The New School in New York City is occupied once again, and we have an audio report! The next J20 trial begins in less than a week. Teachers, tenants, and fast food workers are getting organized and striking back against their bosses and landlords. We close the episode with a long list of summertime anarchist fun that you can get into before we’re back in the fall with more Hotwires. Make sure to check out our listeners survey and e-mail it to us! {May 9, 2018}

-------SHOW NOTES------

• Table of Contents:
  • Introduction {0:00}
  • Headlines: {1:22}
  • Repression Roundup {15:40}
  • Next Week’s News {24:20}
• Download 29:30 minutes long version
• LISTENER SURVEY (please e-mail to podcast@crimethinc.com)
  • 1) How often do you listen to the Hotwire?
    - More than once a week
    - Weekly
    - Once a month
    - Once a month or more, but I binge multiple episodes at once
• 2) How often, if ever, do you use…
  - The shownotes?
  - The phone numbers for call-in campaigns?
  - Next Week’s News announcements?
  - References to past episodes and other podcasts
• 3) What are the Hotwire’s greatest strengths? Biggest weaknesses?
• 4) Our shows have progressively increased from 30 minutes to up to 45 minutes. Is keeping the show to strictly 30 minutes important? How long is too long for an episode?
• 5) What topics are most useful/interesting when we cover them? What kind of coverage is lacking?
• Dozens of anarchists have been rounded up in Indonesia, and legal defense funds are needed. Go here to find out how to help.
• J20 support:
  • Countering State Repression With Daniel McGowan
    Thursday, May 10 at 7 PM
    St. Stephen & the Incarnation Episcopal Church
    1525 Newton St NW, Washington DC, 20010
    Free
  • Rally to Drop J20 with Chelsea Manning and former defendants
    Friday, May 11 at 12:30 PM
    Franklin Square, Washington DC
  • Call-in campaign May 10–11. Please be aware that your calls are likely recorded and we do not advise answering any questions about your identity. Please use your best discretion if referencing anything that occured on January 20th so as to not negatively impact the ongoing case.
    • Jennifer Kerkhoff – Lead Prosectuor on the case, Deputy Chief of the Felony Major Crimes Trial Section (202) 252–7380
    • Lisa Greene – The Deputy Chief of the Superior Court Division, Kerkhoff’s direct supervisor (202) 252–7485
    • Richard Tischner – The Chief of the Superior Court Division, Kerkhoff’s direct supervisor (202) 252–7274
    • US Attorney for DC Jessie Liu – The person in charge of the US Attorney’s office, a Trump appointee (202) 252–7566
    • Rizwan Qureshi - Assistant J20 prosecutor (general line - use directory/operator) (202) 252–7679
    • John Gidez – The Chief of the Felony Major Crimes Trial Section, Kerkhoff’s colleague (202) 252–6752
    • John Borchert - Assistant J20 prosecutor (esp. Dreamhost and Facebook warrants) (202) 252–7679
  • Here’s a sample script to get you started!
    “Hello. My name is __________. (first name is fine)
    I am calling about the inauguration day protesters still facing trumped up criminal charges. Your office needs to drop these remaining charges. There is no good reason your office should be pursuing these charges when six people have already been found NOT GUILTY on all counts in the first trial. Again, your office should drop the remaining charges. Over the last year these prosecutions have pushed all limits: Intimidation to coerce plea deals by making inflated charges. Shielding law enforcement from public accountability by issuing gag orders. Disrupting people’s lives by making overblown charges and using those to justify intrusive, extensive investigations meant to build those cases. overall strategy to intimidate activists, disrupt social movements and silence dissent by weaponizing the use of trumped up charges is not going unnoticed. Your office has the power to end the repression and intimidation. Drop the charges now.”
• Sub.Media’s Spring 2018 Media Mash-up Tour:
  • May 11, Portland State University Workshop 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Public screening 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Smith Memorial Union 026 Hosted by Radical Education PSU
  • May 12, The University of Oregon 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Hosted by Radical Organizing and Activism Resource Center & the Civil Liberties Defense Center
  • May 13, Seattle University
  • May 14, Olympia, Washington Chop Chop Video Making workshop Multimedia Lab 1404 in the Library Building Monday, May 14th 2018 * Workshop from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. *Ten participant limit! Email info@naaame.org. Public Screening at Traditions Fair Trade 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. 300 5th Ave SW, Olympia, WA
    Hosted by The Black Cottonwood Collective
• Mutual Aid Disaster Relief tour
  • May 11 at 6 PM at Bad River Dept of Social & Family Services 72772 Elm Street, Odanah, WI 54861
  • May 12 at 10 AM at Bad River Dept of Social & Family Services 72772 Elm Street, Odanah, WI 54861
  • May 14 at 4 PM at YWCA Wausau 613 5th St, Wausau, WI 54403
  • May 16 at 7 PM at The Train Station 302 S Story St., Appleton, WI 54914
  • May 17 at 7 PM at The Train Station 302 S Story St., Appleton, WI 54914
  • May 18 at 7 PM at Breakaway Social Center 2424 S. Western Ave (rear) Chicago, IL 60608
  • May 19 at 9 PM at Breakaway Social Center 2424 S. Western Ave (rear) Chicago, IL 60608
  • May 20 at 10 AM at Art In 1444 E. Washington Ave Madison, WI 53703
• May/June: a month of anarchy in Quebec
  • The anarchist film festival (May 17–20 in Montreal)
  • The Montreal International Anarchist Theatre Festival (May 22–23 in Montreal)
  • The Montreal Anarchist Bookfair (May 26–27 in Montreal)
  • The North American Anarchist Studies Network Conference (June 1–3 in Montreal)
  • Anti-G7 mobilization (June 7–9 in Quebec City)
• June 11, the international day of solidarity with long-term anarchist prisoners, is coming up soon. Start planning a letter writing night, a solidarity action, or some other way to let our comrades on the inside know that they are in our hearts and minds.
• Check out The second annual Institute for Advanced Troublemaking July 21–29 in Worcester, Massachusetts.
• Use this straightforward guide to writing prisoners from New York City Anarchist Black Cross to write to a birthday letter to Xinachtli, formerly Alvaro Luna Hernandez:

  Xinachtli* #255735
  James V Allred Unit
  2101 FM 369 North
  Iowa Park, Texas 76367
  *Address envelope to Alvaro Luna Hernandez.
  (Birthday: May 12, 2018)

• Anarchist prisoner Sean Swain has called for a campaign to get his communication turned back on. Please call:
  • Kevin O’Donnell Stanek, Asst. Chief Counsel to Governor Kasich: (614) 466- 3555;
  • State Representative Doug Green (614) 644–6034;
  • State Representative Hearcel F. Craig (614) 466–8010;
  • State Representative Greta Johnson (614) 466–6037.

  Sample script: “I’m calling to bring to your attention an illegal effort by prison officials to terrorize an Ohio prisoner. The prisoner, Sean Swain, is a model prisoner, a published writer and a radio personality on a globally-syndicated radio show. Because Sean exposed how prison employees who were directed by ODRC Counsel Trevor Clark intercepted and stole Sean’s mail from courts to hide their crimes, prison officials have shut down all of Sean’s communication to the outside world…to his family, his friends, and even to the courts. Prison officials are blocking Sean’s phone, email, and even regular mail. Their goal is not just to silence him, but to cut him off from everyone who loves him and drive him to suicide.

  “I want you to know that I’m signing an online petition that has 50,000 signatures already, demanding that the director of prisons resign, and I’m urging your office to make arrangements to speak with Sean. You can contact him by phone at the prison by calling his Case Manager K. Baessler at: (513) 932–3388, ext. 84405 or ext. 84410. Please know that if anything happens to Sean while he’s being illegally silenced, I know a lot of registered voters, including me, who will hold your office responsible. The eyes of the world are watching.“

CORRECTIONS & CLARIFICATIONS:

• For last Hotwire’s May Day roundup we reported that a Wells Fargo in Seattle had been smashed up and graffitied, but it in fact was in Olympia, Washington. Also, the US Bank that was smashed in Olympia was on May 2, not May 1.