1:38:12

Dec 27, 2015

#44: To Change Everything - International Panel Discussion

In our 44th episode of the Ex-worker, and our final episode of 2015, we bring you a live audio recording from the last stop of the recently wrapped-up To Change Everything tour, an international panel discussion featuring stories and lessons from participants in some of the better and lesser known uprisings of the last few years. In two months and just over 50 stops, the featured speakers—hailing from Slovenia, Brazil, the Czech Republic and the U.S.—presented their perspectives on topics ranging from the common pitfalls of making demands, the rise of nationalism and fascism, and the importance of solidarity in the face of state repression. Stay tuned to the end of the episode where we propose some ideas for maintaining some of these valuable, face-to-face connections that have been made while on the tour. In addition, we’re releasing this episode in conjunction with the full tour report-back, so make sure you check that out as well.

2:04:48

Dec 7, 2015

#43: Borders and Migration, Part I: Europe's "Refugee Crisis"

One of the major news stories of 2015 has been the flow of hundreds of thousands of migrants from Syria and beyond into Europe, and the social and political crises this has precipitated. In this episode, we'll take a look at Europe's so-called refugee crisis from an anarchist perspective. To do that, we adopt a "mix tape" format, pasting together excerpts from a variety of sources to offer an impressionistic look at how and why people move across the world, the barriers thrown up by states to impede and control them, and popular resistance against the system of national borders. We begin with reflections on borders from the CrimethInc. Contradictionary, To Change Everything, and past Ex-Worker episodes, and continue with excerpts from interviews with No One Is Illegal activist Harsha Walia, author Vijay Prashad, and a Swiss anarchist active in migrant solidarity struggles in Europe, as well as essays from an activist convergence against climate change, Calais Migrant Solidarity, and Mask Magazine; and conclude with reflections on the Islamic State attacks in Paris from the CrimethInc. blog. You'll also hear updates on anti-anarchist repression in Spain and anti-government demonstrations in South Korea, a report-back from the Rebel! Rebuild! Rewild! action camp in eastern Canada, and an announcement for a new prisoner publication, plus news, upcoming events, and more.

58:09

Nov 16, 2015

#42: Anarchism in Finland, Global Updates

In this episode of the Ex-worker, we take another spin around the world, bringing you several short features focusing on various aspects of the global struggle against domination. We'll share an interview with a Finnish anarchist, who tells us about an anti-nuclear struggle, a university occupation in Helsinki, and the response to refugees in Finland, and how anarchists have taken part in all of these. We'll also hear statements from two Turkish anarchist collectives about the recent massacre of peace demonstrators in Ankara, Turkey. There's also an update on repression from the Hambacher Forest occupation, a text from the streets of Santiago analyzing last month's demonstrations against the anniversary of the coup by dictator Augusto Pinochet, and a report on the hunger strike of anarchist prisoner Evi Statiri in Greece—along with plenty of news, upcoming events, and more.

1:22:15

Sep 15, 2015

#41: Anarchism in Belarus, Czech Republic, Korea, and Beyond

In this episode, the Ex-Worker explores connections between anarchism, repression and resistance across the world in countries that rarely appear in the radical limelight. We share an interview with an Anarchist Black Cross chapter in Belarus, discussing the president's recent release of anarchist political prisoners; interview a Czech anarchist about "Operation Fenix" and recent entrapment cases and terrorism charges leveled at anarchists there; and provide more context to last episode's call to flag-burning action from South Korean anarchists by examining the historical and political contexts of the flag for Korean radicals. We also discuss the Suruc massacre and developments among Kurdish struggles in Turkey and Syria, and expand our ongoing discussion of the concept of "terrorism" through the lens of a court ruling about gangs in El Salvador. Listener thoughts on Zeitgeist, conspiracy theories, and small-town anarchism, debunking the myth of "cops under attack" since the emergence of Black Lives Matter, and an announcement of the CrimethInc. "To Change Everything" US tour top off our usual collection of global news updates, prisoner birthdays, event announcements, and more. {September 15, 2015}

1:10:52

Sep 3, 2015

#40: Struggles Against White Supremacy and Police Since Ferguson

It's been a year since rage over Michael Brown's murder catalyzed an anti-racist and anti-police rebellion that spread from Ferguson around the country. How can anarchists interpret the trajectory of the struggles against white supremacy that have unfolded over the last year? In Episode 40, we discuss the current state of police violence and both institutional and autonomous white supremacy, alongside an analysis of how anti-racist and anti-police resistance developed from Ferguson to Baltimore to South Carolina. A listener weighs in on the risks of militarism, from the Iron Column in the Spanish Civil War to the militias in Rojava today. Comrades from Korea share updates on state repression and issue an exciting call for international solidarity, and Clara and Alanis discuss the politics of the term ''terrorism'' and how to undertake assertive resistance to state repression without resorting to sports metaphors. {September 3, 2015}

1:15:44

Jul 29, 2015

#39: The Rojava Revolution, Part II

In the latest episode of the Ex-Worker, we continue our discussion of the unfolding social revolution in the autonomous Kurdish territories of Rojava. Building on our coverage in Episode 36, we share two interviews themed around international solidarity with the struggle for autonomy and the fight against ISIS. In the first, a member of Rojava Solidarity NYC, the group of American anarchists that produced the book "A Small Key Can Open a Large Door", discusses democratic confederalism and the council system in the cantons, compares and contrasts the Zapatista uprising with the Rojava revolution, and describes the solidarity projects they've undertaken and what's at stake for anarchists in our response to the events in Kurdistan. In the second, a member of the Turkish anarchist group Social Insurrection discusses his experience fighting with the United Freedom Forces militia. We address some critiques of the revolutionary structures in Rojava as well as our coverage of them and trace the emergence of international solidarity brigades. A member of Antifa International announces the formation of an International Anti-fascist Defense Fund, and we share info about several recently released anarchist publications. Our discussion of the news takes on Obama's sudden transformation into a prison reform advocate, indigenous resistance to profiteering off alcoholism, and the outing of a corporate infiltrator into the animal rights movement, while our indignant coverage of Syriza's entirely predictable betrayal of Greek social movements in their EU bailout austerity proposal concludes with a helpful diagnosis of "The Five Stages of Leftism". {July 27, 2015}

1:47:04

Jul 1, 2015

#38: Anarchism in Lake Worth, Florida

How do anarchists organize outside of major cities? In Episode 38 of the Ex-Worker, we offer a profile of anarchism in Lake Worth, a small coastal town in southern Florida with a surprisingly active and vibrant culture of resistance. Participants in the Everglades Earth First!, the Earth First! Journal, the South Florida Prison Books Project, the former Night Heron Infoshop, and Prison Legal News discuss the many radical projects that operate out of Lake Worth. We even hear from a former anarchist elected official discussing the contradictions and possibilities of that position! The episode also includes a CrimethInc. tour announcement, feedback from listeners about online crypto-anarchism, appeals for solidarity, plenty of news from all over the world, and more.

1:37:00

Jun 15, 2015

#37: The Hambacher Forest Occupation

In this episode, the Ex-Worker offers an in-depth profile of the struggle to defend the Hambacher Forest. In the Rhineland coal country of western Germany, a group of angry locals, environmentalists, anarchists and squatters have converged to challenge the destruction of one of the region's oldest forests by the energy giant RWE's brown coal mining. In these moving interviews recorded live in the Hambacher Forest in spring 2014, Clara gets a tour of the occupation and discusses the recent history of actions and broader political context. Through insightful and often hilarious informal conversations, the occupiers point out distinctive features of the forest, show the gritty and frequently comical day to day realities of squatter life, discuss their personal motivations for resisting the destruction of the forest, and offer poignant insight into the logic of resistance as a way of life. The episode concludes with recent updates from the occupation, ways to participate and show solidarity, and reflections on its significance for radicals across the world.

1:31:03

May 18, 2015

#36: The Rojava Revolution

The Ex-Worker is back! We may have taken a break, but social struggles and resistance across the world have not. In this episode, we focus on the unfolding social revolution in Rojava or western Kurdistan, where an ambitious set of political, economic, and military experiments are transforming the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. In the borderlands of Turkey and Syria, self-organized militias have successfully opposed the Islamic State while challenging gender oppression and securing autonomy for an emerging stateless society. Interviews with supporters from the Turkish group "Revolutionary Anarchist Action" (DAF) set the stage, complemented by a Kurdish refugee and activist's reflections on the role of women's resistance to patriarchy. We also review "A Small Key Can Unlock a Large Door," a recently released anthology of texts describing the Rojava revolution, and continue our yearly tradition of a lively report of May Day actions across the globe. We also respond to a variety of listener feedback, with discussions of the Ross Ulbricht case, anarchist parenting, and how even spambots are impacted by recent revolutionary struggles!

40:16

May 4, 2015

#35: To Change Everything Audio Zine

Welcome back to the Ex-Worker! In celebration of the second anniversary of the podcast, and the resistance unfolding around the world from Baltimore to Milan and beyond, we’re releasing our first audio zine! CrimethInc.’s ambitious new anarchist outreach project To Change Everything is “a primer for the curious, a polemic for the entrenched, a point of departure for everyone who longs for another world.” So we at the Ex-Worker podcast are contributing an audio version to support the print and video versions circulating across the world. We’ll be back soon with our next regular episode, exploring the unfolding social revolution in Rojava, so stay tuned!

1:55:39

Feb 12, 2015

#34: Staying Safe So We Can Be Dangerous Together

In our 34th episode, we follow themes of repression, security, and resistance through several different short features. In celebration of former Green Scare prisoner Eric McDavid's release after nine years inside, we reflect on the lessons of his case for our efforts to resist today. We share part of a recent CrimethInc. essay that assesses the possibilities and limits of whistleblowing, as well as an inspiring statement by Jason Hammond (sibling of incarcerated hacktivist Jeremy Hammond) as he heads to prison for his role in an anti-fascist action. Ramona Africa speaks to us about the MOVE 9 case and the life and death of Phil Africa, and an anarchist from Barcelona gives a report about the recent wave of repression by the Spanish state in Operation Pandora. Listeners weigh in on cable access TV, iTunes, and an insider view on security and entrapment strategies. We conclude with reflections on the lessons to be learned from these various cases and recent events on staying safe in order to be truly dangerous to authority. Plus as usual there are a lot of global news reports, event announcements, prisoner birthdays, and plenty more.

1:59:40

Jan 20, 2015

#33: The Ex-Worker's 2014 Year in Review

From the Ukrainian revolution and war with Russia to the Bosnian uprisings, ISIS/Rojava/Kobane conflicts, the Brazilian World Cup protests, anti-police riots in Ferguson and beyond … 2014 was one hell of a depressing, inspiring, roller coaster of a year! For our year in review, we wrote to anarchists around the world to ask them what they thought were the most significant events of the last year and what they anticipate in 2015. Responses came in from correspondents as far off as Brazil, Russia, Columbia, Slovenia, Finland, and Germany, as well as across North America, with reports about 2014 and analysis of the possibilities for resistance in the upcoming year. We also stop to take stock of the last year of the Ex-Worker, and reveal some schemes and dreams for our next year of anarchist podcasting. And as if that wasn't enough, we share an exclusive report on squatting, eviction, and resistance in Prague, an analysis of recent anti-police rioting in Oakland, and discussions on listener feedback about Agency's Ebola article and the police in relation to the state, along with plenty of news, prisoner birthdays, and more. {January 20th, 2015}