The Hotwire #9: Puerto Rico—breaking with the state, J20 trials approach, ducks of the east

In this Hotwire we share the anti-fascist call from Florida to oppose Richard Spencer in Gainesville on October 19. We discuss the upcoming J20 trials in which nearly 200 protesters are charged with conspiracy for protesting the inauguration, as well as the outcome of the burning cop car case that just concluded in Paris. Considering the bullshit repression and liberal lawsuits in the wake of #Charlottesville, we make the case about why anti-fascism must mean anti-statism. We also borrow part of a great interview with Puerto Rican anarchist Frank Lopez on mutual relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Maria. Stay tuned until the end because we have some important calls to support political prisoners, calls to support forest defenders in Oregon, political prisoner birthdays, announcements for upcoming anarchist book fairs, and the repression roundup. {October 18, 2017}

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

• Table of Contents:
  • Introduction {0:00}
  • Headlines {1:42}
  • Puerto Rico: Mutual Aid vs. the State {11:35}
  • Anti-Fascism means Anti-Statism {18:40}
  • J20 Trials Start Soon {23:32}
  • Next Week’s News {27:30}
• TOMORROW: Anti-fascists in Florida are calling for anti-racists to oppose Richard Spencer, who will speak at the University of Florida in Gainesville on Thursday, October 19.
• Check out this call to mobilize against white supremacists in Shelbyville, TN on October 28.
• If you’re in the Pacific Northwest, check out this tour of pipeline saboteurs coming to a city near you:
  • October 18th – Phoenix, OR
    Phoenix Branch Library
    510 W 1st St, Phoenix, OR 97535
    6:30 – 9:30 pm
  • October 20th – Portland, OR
    First Congregational Church
    1126 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR 97205
    7:00 – 9:00 pm
  • Olympia, WA
    Date and Location TBD
  • October 25th – Seattle, WA
    Pipsqueak Gallery
    173 16th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122
    6:30 – 8:30 PM
• Upcoming anarchist book fairs:
  • The Los Angeles Anarchist Book Fair takes place October 28 and 29 at Leimert Park Plaza.
  • The London Anarchist Book Fair also takes place on Saturday, October 28 at Park View School.
• Ongoing grassroots disaster relief efforts:
  • Florida: Mutual Aid Disaster Relief
  • Texas: Bayou Action Street Health, Greater Houston Grassroots Relief, World on My Shoulders, Austin Common Ground, the Black Women’s Defense League, Redneck Revolt Houston, West Street Response Team, Houston Food Not Bombs
  • California: Sonoma County IWW wildfire rebuilding fund
  • Puerto Rico: Submedia’s grassroots disaster relief support, Hurricane Maria Community Recovery Fund, Mutual Aid Disaster Relief: here and here. Also, check out Mutual Aid Disaster Relief’s website for on-the-ground reports from Puerto Rico.
  • Mexico: Oaxaca Earthquake Autonomous Solidarity Campaign
• There’s a call to disrupt the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in Philadelphia from October 21 to 24, including a march starting at Thomas Paine Plaza at 10 AM on October 21. Read the call to action here.. They also have set up a bail fund that you can donate to for anyone who gets arrested protesting the IACP.
• The Unist’ot’en camp in so-called British Columbia could use your help building houses in the path of planned pipelines.
• Support the Cascadia Forest Defenders website who are fighting against the logging of 2,500 acres of the Willamette National Forest.
• Fund an internationalist anti-fascist’s return from fighting in Rojava.
• You can find the DropJ20 drop-the-charges call-in campaign here.
• Other anarchist podcast episodes mentioned in this Hotwire:
  • Episodes 36 and 39 of The Ex-Worker delve deep into the revolution in Rojava.
  • Hotwire #8 describes the police-facilitated photo-op that fascists enjoyed in Charlottesville last week.
  • IGDcast’s interview with Frank Lopez about Mutual Aid Disaster Relief and Puerto Rico.
  • While not anarchist by any stretch of the imagination, The Gun Show episode of More Perfect has some good history on the origins of gun control as a tool for controlling black rebellion.
• CrimethInc. essays mentioned in this Hotwire:
  • The Poetry of Flames: French Tales of Arson
• The 2018 Certain Days: Freedom for Political Prisoners calendar is now available! Your group can buy 10 or more at the rate of $10 each. Single issues are available from LeftWingBooks.net and AK Press. This year’s theme is “Awakening Resistance,” and features art and writings by Jesus Barraza, Fight Toxic Prisons, Serena Tang, Andrea Ritchie, Roger Peet, Sophia Dawson, Rasmea Support Committee, EE Vera, Herman Bell, Fernando Marti, Alexandra Valiente, Billie Belo, Arlene Gallone Support Committee, Marius Mason, David Gilbert, UB Topia, April Rosenblum, Design Action Collective, Sundiata Acoli, CrimethInc, Annie Banks, Mutope Duguma, Xinachtli, Zola and more. You can sponsor copies for prisoners for only $8, postage included! Just be sure to specify their full legal name and prisoner number. Any questions can be sent to info@certaindays.org.
• Corrections & clarifications: In Hotwire #7 we stated that the Las Vegas shooting was the deadliest mass-shooting since the Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890. However, we discovered at least one other in the time since then. In 1898, white supremacists seized the city of Wilmington, North Carolina and massacred at least 60 black folks.
• Political prisoner support:
  • Supporters of the anti-police brutality activist Reverend Joy Powell have organized a phone blast in support.
  • Political Prisoner Seth Hayes is in urgent need of medical attention. His supporters are asking people to call the supervisor at Sullivan Correctional to demand that he be taken to Albany Medical Center as soon as possible.
  • You can write Reverend Joy Powell at…

    Reverend Joy Powell 07G0632
    Bedford Hills Correctional Facility
    P.O. Box 1000
    Bedford Hills, NY 10507–2499

• Here is the October 2017 Political Prisoner Birthday Poster, which you can use to organize a letter writing night. For a good introduction to writing prisoners, check out this guide from New York City Anarchist Black Cross.
• Political prisoner birthdays:

  Jalil Muntaqim (Anthony Jalil Bottom) #77-A–4283
  Sullivan Correctional Facility
  Post Office Box 116
  Fallsburg, New York 12733–0116
  Address envelope to Anthony Bottom, address card to Jalil
  {October 18}