Shows
The Ex-Worker#114: Safeguarding Our Movements against Repression—How to Respond to the Criminalization of "Antifa"This episode offers an audio version of "Make Ready: Safeguarding Our Movements against Repression," exploring the implications of Donald Trump's executive order designating "Antifa" as "a major terrorist organization" and how we can prepare our communities to endure whatever comes next. It also includes an audio version of "When the Police Knock on Your Door: Your Rights and Options." -------SHOW NOTES------ Table of Contents Introduction {0:40} Don't be intimidated {5:53} Make the most of your strengths {7:42} Prepare for federal visits and raids {9:12} Be transparent about repression {10:33} Redundancy means resilience {11:18} Coordinate to support each other {12:26} Discredit the police and courts {13:28} Fracture...
2025-09-2325 min
The Ex-Worker#113: Mutual Aid and Revolutionary Anti-Capitalism: Revisiting the Difference Between Mutual Aid and CharityThis episode offers an audio version of "Mutual Aid, the Commons, and the Revolutionary Abolition of Capitalism," exploring why the best way to understand mutual aid as an effort to create participatory commons in which everyone can contribute and there is no fundamental division between organizers and beneficiaries. -------SHOW NOTES------ Table of Contents Introduction {0:30} Is It Mutual Enough? {1:34} Beyond Individualism {5:13} The Ones with the Problem Are Themselves the Solution {9:18} The Social Is the Material {13:14} Change from Below {15:17} Mutual Aid Means Resistance {19:33} This episode offers an audio version of "Mutual Aid, the Commons, and...
2025-06-2023 min
The Ex-Worker#112: From Minneapolis to Los Angeles: The Origins of the Wave of Resistance to ICEThis episode offers audio versions of "Minneapolis to Feds: 'Get the Fuck Out'" and "Los Angeles Stands up to ICE: A Firsthand Report on the Clashes of June 6," which trace the origins of the angry response to federal raids that spread across the United States in early June 2025. -------SHOW NOTES------ Table of Contents Introduction {0:34} Minneapolis to Feds: "Get the Fuck Out" {0:41} Account I: The Raid {8:11} Account II: The Response {11:51} Los Angeles Stands up to ICE {17:58} First Action, High Noon {19:48} Second Action, 4 pm {22:59} Third Action, 10 pm {24:35} This episode offers audio versions of "Minneapolis to Feds: 'Get...
2025-06-1726 min
The Ex-Worker#111: Become an Anarchist or Forever Hold Your PeaceThis episode offers an audio version of "Become an Anarchist or Forever Hold Your Peace," arguing that neither courts nor laws will halt the descent into autocracy. Massive numbers of people will have to take it upon themselves to organize concrete acts of resistance, to take direct action on a horizontal and participatory basis—in other words, to become anarchists. -------SHOW NOTES------ Table of Contents Introduction {0:36} Tyranny Is the Opposite of Anarchism {1:12} A Three-Sided Conflict {3:45} No Law Will Give You Freedom {8:32} Remember How We Got Here {12:02} Become an Anarchist or Forever Hold Your Peace {15:50} ...
2025-03-1821 min
The Ex-Worker#110: It's Safer in the FrontThis episode offers an audio version of "It's Safer in the Front," making the case that seeking safety by avoiding confrontation is not likely to be an effective strategy in a time of escalating political conflict. {February 25, 2025} -------SHOW NOTES------ Table of Contents Introduction {0:30} My Friend's Grandfather {1:11} "Summit of the Americas," Québec City, April 20, 2001 {3:41} George W. Bush's Second Inauguration, Washington, DC, January 20, 2005 {5:10} Democratic National Convention, Denver, August 25, 2008 {6:34} Donald Trump's First Inauguration, Washington, DC, January 20, 2017 {8:59} Block Cop City, Atlanta, November 13, 2023 {13:11} Conclusion {18:33} This episode offers an audio version of "It's Safer in the Front," published b...
2025-02-2622 min
The Ex-Worker#109: Sacrificial Violence and RetributionThis episode offers an audio version of "Sacrificial Violence and Retribution," exploring the responses to two different extrajudicial killings as a way to understand the different forms of violence that are contending in our society today. {November 22, 2024} -------SHOW NOTES------ Table of Contents Introduction {0:30} Sacrificial Violence {3:18} Retribution? {8:35} Beyond Martyrdom {14:11} This episode offers an audio version of "Sacrificial Violence and Retribution," published by CrimethInc. on December 23, 2024. The article version includes a variety of hyperlinks providing citations for the claims made herein. To get deeper into René Girard's analysis of sacrificial violence, you can re...
2025-01-0917 min
The Ex-Worker#108: The Case for ResistanceThis episode offers an audio version of "The Case for Resistance," laying out an analysis of what we can expect from Donald Trump's second term and how we can prepare to confront it. "This is a pivotal moment, and everyone who isn't cynically detached is sounding the alarm. Those of us who recognize the necessity of fighting had better find each other, identify the strengths and weaknesses of all the parties involved, recall the lessons of the past eight years, and strategize." {November 22, 2024} -------SHOW NOTES------ Table of Contents Introduction {0:30} The Balance of Forces {2:44} How P...
2024-11-2341 min
The Ex-Worker#107: The Eye of Every StormAt a time when misinformation, rising authoritarianism, and disasters exacerbated by industrially-produced climate change are creating a feedback loop of escalating crisis, it's crucial to understand disaster response as an integral part of community defense and strategize about how this can play a part in movements for liberation. In this reflection, a local anarchist involved in longstanding disaster response efforts in Appalachia recounts the lessons that they have learned in the course of dealing with the consequences of Hurricane Helene over the past six weeks and offers advice about how to prepare for the disasters to come. {November 18, 2024}
2024-11-1924 min
The Ex-Worker#106: First as Farce, Then as TragedyDonald Trump has won the 2024 election. In order to understand what we're up against, let's look at how we got here. In many ways, the Democrats are responsible for Donald Trump's return to power. Over the past four years, the Democrats have beefed up the institutions through which the fascists will enact their policies, normalized violence against the people that the fascists intend to target, turned over the communications platforms via which people share information, and discouraged people from the kind of tactics one needs to fight against a fascist regime is complicity. {November 6, 2024} -------SHOW NOTES------
2024-11-0718 min
Blueprints of DisruptionAn Anarchist Collective: CrimeThInc.Our discussion with anarchist collective CrimethInc. participant 'B' was full of lessons for how we can better organize our movements. How to form true collectives that value each and every voice, not just symbolically, but in how they make decisions. B describes how there is a way to find harmony without requiring complete unity.This episode helps to better define anarchism as it is in these times; a collective project for self-determination. It is completely compatible with the work we are already doing, and may hold key answers to the questions that hive stagnated many movements.
2024-03-211h 00
The Ex-Worker#105: Don't Stop: Continuing the Fight Against Cop CityThis episode offers an audio version of "Don't Stop: Continuing the Fight Against Cop City", published on December 12th. It traces the activities of the movement to Stop Cop City and defend the Weelaunee Forest from June through December 2023, including accounts of the campaign for an Atlanta voter's referendum on Cop City, the Sixth Week of Action, the relationship between clandestine direct action and public organizing, local Black organizing against the project, the Block Cop City march in November, and potential strategic pathways forward. Tune in for an in-depth evaluation of the latest phase in one of the most...
2024-02-051h 39
The Ex-Worker#104: Living in an Earthquake—The Fight against Cop City Confronts Unprecedented RepressionAt first, it appeared to be an ordinary forest defense campaign aimed at discouraging Atlanta city government from pouring money into an unpopular police training facility. But over the past two years, the fight against Cop City has escalated into one of the fiercest struggles of the Biden era, pitting a wide range of courageous people against a united front of politicians, prosecutors, and police. In their desperate efforts to deflect popular resistance and force through the project, police and prosecutors have pressed trumped-up domestic terrorism charges against almost every defendant arrested since last December; they have killed one...
2023-12-281h 47
The Ex-Worker#103: The Return of the Ultraliberal Right in ArgentinaA so-called "anarcho-capitalist" has just been elected president in Argentina. What does this mean for anarchists and the prospects for revolutionary change in South America? Spoiler alert: it's not looking good. In this episode, we share an account from an Argentinian anarchist analyzing the recent rise to power of Javier Milei, an extreme neoliberal economist, in the context of the global turn towards fascist and reactionary populist leaders like Trump and Bolsonaro. You'll get an in-depth look at the history of center-left rule, military dictatorship, and neoliberal austerity that resulting in the powerful popular uprising of 2001, along with an...
2023-12-1042 min
The Ex-Worker#100: In Memory of Dmitry PetrovOn April 19, 2023, a Russian anarchist named Dmitry Petrov was killed in battle near Bakhmut, Ukraine. In this episode, we offer a eulogy remembering Dmitry as an uncompromising anarchist fighter who participated in an unbelievable amount of radical activity around the region. His extraordinary life spanned anarchist organizing as a teenager in Moscow; environmental defense, radical unionism, and refugee solidarity activism; years of underground direct action against police, military, and profiteers from gentrification; participating in the Maidan protests in Ukraine, uprising against dictatorship in Belarus, and the struggle against the Islamic State in Rojava; co-founding the Anarcho-Communist Combat Organization; and...
2023-11-241h 15
The Ex-Worker#96: The Forest In The City: Two Years Of Forest Defense In Atlanta, GeorgiaThis episode continues the Ex-Worker Podcast's coverage of the movement to Stop Cop City and defend the Weelaunee Forest in Atlanta, Georgia. In this episode, we present an audio version of The Forest In The City: Two Years Of Forest Defense In Atlanta, Georgia, originally published February 22, 2023, which continues the chronology of the movement whose origins we reported in episodes 85 and 86. In this eloquent and nuanced narrative, you'll hear a detailed account of the movement's second year, from the frenzy of activity in spring 2022 through the third and fourth weeks of action, waves of backlash and repression, and the...
2023-05-261h 52
The Ex-Worker#95: Disasters of State: On the Earthquakes in Turkey and SyriaOn February 6, 2023, two powerful earthquakes hit southern Turkey and Northern and Western Syria, inflicting tremendous damage and killing tens of thousands of people. But there was nothing "natural" about this disaster: the lethal combination of negligence and repression imposed on the people of the region by the authoritarian regimes of the Turkish and Syrian states is directly responsible for the misery. This episode offers an audio version of the article "Disasters of State: The Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria", originally published on March 16, 2023. It includes two texts, the first from supporters of the movements for liberation in the regions...
2023-05-2428 min
The Ex-Worker#91: Elections, Fascism, and Popular Resistance in BrazilIn Brazil, a three-way contest is unfolding between the far right in the streets, the institutional electoral left in the halls of power, and autonomous radical movements caught between them. When authoritarian president Jair Bolsonaro was narrowly defeated at the polls in October, a popular right-wing movement emerged to contest the election results, culminating in a protest in which Bolsonaro supporters stormed government buildings in the capital of Brasilia. In this episode, we share two articles in which Brazilian anarchists analyze these developments: the first, published in October shortly after the election, assesses the limits of electoral strategies...
2023-03-0342 min
The Ex-Worker#89: The Battle of York, January 2002—Anti-Fascism, Then and NowIn this episode, we share an audio version of a recently published account from the history of anarchist struggles against fascism. On January 12, 2002, hundreds of neo-Nazis gathered in York, Pennsylvania to promote white supremacy. Anarchists and other opponents of fascism throughout the region mobilized to oppose them, making common cause with locals and sending the fascists packing in a clash that came to be known as "the Battle of York." Twenty-one years later, a participant in the day's events recounts the clashes and reflects on what has changed since then, comparing the events in York with those in Charlottesville...
2023-02-0645 min
The Ex-Worker#87: The Twitter Ban and the End of Social MediaIn November, CrimethInc. was banned from Twitter by Elon Musk, part of a concerted campaign by right wing trolls and the world's richest man to shift global political discourse to the right. Why is this happening now, and what should we do about it? This episode collects three months of our writings and coverage of developments with social media as it enters a new phase of consolidation and cooptation. We open with an article published in October—before our ban—tracing the evolution of Twitter from a protest tool developed by anarchists for use at mass mobilizations into a corp...
2023-01-3143 min
The Ex-Worker#80 – Ill Winds From OttawaOpponents of vaccine mandates have established protest encampments in Ottawa and elsewhere around Canada, blockading several routes crossing the United States border. Far-right organizers and former police officers have prominent positions in this movement, and police have taken a relatively hands-off approach thus far; it appears likely that the model currently being tested in Canada will appear elsewhere around the world shortly. In this episode, we present an audio version of the article Ill Winds From Ottawa: Thinking Through the Threats and Opportunities as a Far-Right Initiative Gains Momentum, in which our correspondent in Montréal explores the sequence o...
2022-02-1853 min
Black MojitoAfter the Crest - Crimethinc. talking about the current situation in the US @ IncitoA comrade from the USA gave a livestream talk for Incito (March, 2021) about the current situation of anarchists, about the repression of the last months, about violence and guns in the USA, Trump, the election and generally what anarchy means.Thx to Incito and solidarity to all Anarchists in the USA and worldwide!Pictures and more informations: cwc.im/TrumpYearshttps://de.crimethinc.com/Unsere aktuelle Textsammlung auf deutsch: https://black-mosquito.org/de/crimethinc-writings-on-the-wall.htmlIncito Telegram Kanal: https://t.me/anarchistischerRaumIncito---
2021-11-191h 06
The Empire Never Ended13: CrimethInc. Interview part 2 - Civil War Rhetoric, the 2020 Uprising, and AntifaThe second and final part of our interview with our comrade from CrimethInc. Rhetoric of civil war on the right and left, the police and the uprising against them, and the spotlight on antifascism are all covered with our comrade's characteristic insightfulness. CrimethInc. Ex-Workers Collective is a publishing and activist organization based primarily in the US that has been a key figure in the contemporary anarchist scene since the mid-90's. This is The Empire Never Ended, the Antifascist Amerikanski-Balkan podcast about (neo) fascist terror, the (deep) state and the alienation, nihilism and desperation produced...
2021-04-191h 13
The Empire Never Ended11: CrimethInc. Interview part 1 - Hot Potato Trump, Charlottesville, and GunsThe Empire Never Ended does a cross-over episode with CrimethInc. in the form of an in-depth interview! Our discussion went down some deep holes and in the end, we decided to chop it up into two episodes. In part one, our CrimethInc.er takes us from anarchist adults through that whole Trump era thing to Charlottesville and the question of firearms in the movement. CrimethInc. Ex-Workers Collective is a publishing and activist organization based primarily in the US that has been a key figure in the contemporary anarchist scene since the mid-90's. This is T...
2021-04-121h 00
hierlinksaf_mainHet Internet als Nieuw Machtsveld - CrimethInc (2013)Het internet is niet meer weg te denken, en beinvloed onze levens steeds meer. Onze ideeen over politiek, economie, dieren, en mensen worden steeds meer gemedieerd door social media, en een handvol bedrijven heeft daardoor ontzettend veel macht vergaard. Deze tekst uit 2013 van CrimethInc stelt een paar lastige vragen over het internet.
Deze tekst is hier te vinden: https://a-bieb.nl/library/crimethinc-het-internet-als-nieuw-machtsveld
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hierlinksaf/
Andere podcasts:
• https://onderstroom.red/
• https://delockdown.nl/
• https://soundcloud.com/bloed-aan-de-muur
Links nieuws:
• https://globalinfo.nl/
• https://www.krapuul.nl/
Meer...
2021-04-0100 min
hierlinksaf_mainHet Internet als Nieuw Machtsveld - CrimethInc (2013)Het internet is niet meer weg te denken, en beinvloed onze levens steeds meer. Onze ideeen over politiek, economie, dieren, en mensen worden steeds meer gemedieerd door social media, en een handvol bedrijven heeft daardoor ontzettend veel macht vergaard. Deze tekst uit 2013 van CrimethInc stelt een paar lastige vragen over het internet.
Deze tekst is hier te vinden: https://a-bieb.nl/library/crimethinc-het-internet-als-nieuw-machtsveld
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hierlinksaf/
Andere podcasts:
• https://onderstroom.red/
• https://delockdown.nl/
• https://soundcloud.com/bloed-aan-de-muur
Links nieuws:
• https://globalinfo.nl/
• https://www.krapuul.nl/
Meer...
2021-04-0100 min
The Ex-Worker#79 – The *Real* Truth About Today's Anarchists: The Ex-Worker Responds to the New York TimesAnarchists and anti-fascists in general, and CrimethInc. in particular, have been the focus of intense hostile government and right-wing attention and censorship efforts in recent weeks. The latest salvo comes from the New York Times, which on June 30th published "The Truth About Today's Anarchists," drawing on conspiracy theorists and right-wing talking points to argue that violent anarchists are somehow controlling the ongoing countrywide protests, but don't actually care about Black lives. The article actually calls out The Ex-Worker Podcast by name! While we're flattered for the attention—who knew we were such a threat?—the article is both inac...
2020-10-051h 05
The SolecastRevolutionary Horizons of the Pandemic w a Crimethinc ParticipantIn this episode of the solecast I sit down with a crimethinc participant. I view crimethinc as some of my favorite philosophers of "anarchy," with no adjectives. Throughout the pandemic their instincts have been spot on so I'm excited to share this conversation. We start off by discussing how we, along with hundreds of other anarchists and anti-fascists were banned from facebook, what the broader implications of it are and what can be done about it. We talk about the the importance of building up new anti-capitalist digital infrastructure, and how we can think about restructuring an anti-capitalist society...
2020-09-101h 26
Audible AnarchismWhat's Worth Dying For? By CrimethInc.Text can be read here https://crimethinc.com/2020/04/21/whats-worth-dying-for-confronting-the-return-to-business-as-usual
Text by the CrimethInc collective on the protests against lockdown measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19
2020-06-2011 min
A-ryhmäAnti-Police Struggles In The U.S. — CrimethInc. Ex-Workers' CollectiveIn October 2015, CrimethInc. visited A-ryhmä's lecture series with anti-police topic. Five years later, the talk is as actual as ever.
In 2014-2015, U.S. saw a dramatic wave of resistance to racialized policing. In some cases the protests expressed themselves within a reformist framework of police accountability, but quite often they extended to a rejection of police as such. Our talk will chart anarchist involvement in U.S. anti-police struggles from 2009 to the present, with special attention to race, the left, and the current non-state backlash.
For us, struggles against policing are central to anti-capitalist struggle in the 21st c...
2020-06-141h 51
The Ex-Worker#78: June 11th—Prisoner Solidarity, COVID-19, and Anti-Police RebellionToday we celebrate June 11th, an international day of solidarity with long-term anarchist prisoners. While this is the sixteenth year this date has been observed, 2020 presents an unprecedented context: both the COVID–19 pandemic and the massive uprising sparked by the police murder of George Floyd have shifted our focus and sense of what's possible. In solidarity with all prisoners, with particular care for anarchists in long-term confinement, we begin by sharing an excerpt from a history of June 11th as a day of prisoner solidarity along with the June 11th call issued for 2020. To these we add a short in...
2020-06-112h 02
The Ex-Worker#77: Minneapolis Uprising, Part 1—How to Abolish the PoliceThe killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police has sparked a nationwide rebellion against the police and global solidarity efforts. One of the most striking developments is the announcement on Sunday, June 7 by a majority of Minneapolis City Council members that they intend to dismantle the city's police department. In Episode 77 of the Ex-Worker—the first in a series covering the Minneapolis uprising and its national and global implications—we return to the question of abolishing the police. The episode kicks off with our reflections from these unprecedented first two weeks of rebellion, then shares an essay exploring the ques...
2020-06-111h 20
The Ex-Worker#76: Anarchist Nurses Speak Out on Survival and ResistanceHere at the Ex-Worker, we continue to navigate the COVID–19 crisis by seeking guidance and insight from three anarchist nurses who are working on the frontlines of the pandemic. First, we hear from an anarchist ER nurse from the southwest US who offers reflections on individual and community health, mutual aid projects, and how to stay safe through the epidemic. You'll hear a brief discussion of the promise and peril of antibody testing and the concept of an immunity passport. After that, we share a long conversation with two anarchist nurses from New Orleans, Louisiana on a wide range of...
2020-04-081h 56
The Ex-Worker#75: Rent Strike!This April 1st, people around the world will go on strike and refuse to pay rent. In the midst of the pandemic, we are confronted not only with a virus, but with the murderous logic of the market. Before COVID–19 hit, millions already struggled to afford rent, mortgage, or loan payments; today, all but the wealthiest face ruin, caught between either sickness or poverty. It's inevitable that most of us will not be able to pay the bills next month—but what we do about it is up to us. This episode offers tools, examples, and history to support you...
2020-03-311h 24
The Ex-Worker#74: Surviving the Virus—An Anarchist Introduction to Pandemic LifeThe COVID–19 crisis presents both extreme dangers and opportunities. As our lives are threatened by a new virus, our freedom is menaced by authoritarians intent on using this opportunity to set new precedents for state intervention and control. On the other hand, the collapse of the global capitalist economy and unprecedented social crisis are opening possibilities for refusal and resistance that we could not have imagined even a month ago. How can we keep ourselves healthy while resisting the intensification of control and pressing our advantage to undo capitalist relations? To open our discussion of life and resistance in th...
2020-03-3154 min
The Fire These Times4/ Why the Paris Commune Burned the Guillotine—and We Should Too w/ with CrimethincIn this episode, I spoke with one of the authors of the Crimethinc piece of the same name about the ‘logic of the guillotine’, how it is used in online left-wing meme culture, why it is problematic and why we need to have a better logic than that of the guillotine if we truly believe in liberatory politics. Here are some extracts from the introduction to the piece.“On April 6, 1871, armed participants in the revolutionary Paris Commune seized the guillotine that was stored near the prison in Paris. They brought it to the foot of the statue...
2020-03-2542 min
The Ex-Worker#73: Radio Evasión—Dispatches from Chile Part 4DESCARGAR AQUÍ LAS ENTREVISTAS EN ESPAÑOL Just days into the new year, masked encapuchados circle-pitted while burning the church of the Carabineros. That's how fierce the Friday protests continue to be. Action has somewhat (not entirely!) slowed down on the other days of the week, but anarchists have taken advantage of the extra time to pour energy into organizing: neighborhood assemblies, prisoner defense, and anarchist congresses. Students are burning their university entrance exams—a preview of what's to come when the school year begins anew in February. We have interviews from the streets, from the anarchist cong...
2020-01-172h 20
The Ex-Worker#72: Radio Evasión—Dispatches from Chile Part 3DESCARGAR AQUÍ EL EPISODIO EN ESPAÑOL Has normality returned to Chile? NO! Social peace? Neither! The people don't want peace without dignity. To borrow a phrase from the situationists, the people don't want the peace of the graveyard. The revolt has been going on for over a month now. In this episode we have two reports about the day-to-day reality of the demonstrations in downtown Santiago, two interview with anarchists in Santiago and Valparaiso, an analysis on the April 2020 constitutional plebiscite, and a couple of strange, surprise interviews too. If you can help us with Spanish tr...
2019-11-292h 22
The Ex-Worker#71: Radio Evasión—Dispatches from Chile Part 2Two weeks of revolt in Chile and there are no signs of it slowing down! In this Radio Evasión dispatch, we bring you up to speed on all the developments in the past week: the president's attempts to quell the protests with reforms, the lifting of Martial Law, and the cancellation of the upcoming APEC trade summit. We have two communiqués translated into English from Chile, and eight interviews! This episode we tried to focus on not just the combative protests at Plaza Italia downtown, but also represent a little bit of how the neighborhoods on the pe...
2019-11-012h 43
The Ex-WorkerThe Ex-Worker #70: Radio Evasión—dispatches from Chile Part 1Beginning last Monday, October 14, high school students in Santiago, Chile kicked off a campaign of mass fare-dodging, or evasiones, in response to a 30 peso fare hike. The movement grew quickly and, before anyone knew it, revolt spread all across Chile. On the one hand, the government declared a State of Exception, including a military-imposed curfew. On the other hand, the president and congress have been working hard to offer trablescrap reforms to satisfy the angry and exploited. However, neither the repression nor the reforms have been able to quell the resistance, which today celebrates its anniversary of one week...
2019-10-251h 02
The Ex-Worker#69: Defend Rojava! Part 4, More Interviews on Revolution and SolidarityAs the news breaks of a Russian-Turkish alliance determined to stamp out Kurdish autonomy, what's at stake in the international fight to defend Rojava? This episode continues our exploration of the embattled revolution in northeastern Syria through interviews with a variety of anarchists who have engaged in international solidarity work there. One recounts the women's movement and the impact on gender roles of the autonomous social experiments in Rojava, while another provides an inside look at the armed forces and the struggle against ISIS. Participants in the Internationalist Commune describe their educational and ecological projects, and two anarchist combat...
2019-10-231h 06
The Ex-Worker#68: Defend Rojava! Part 3, The So-Called "Ceasefire" and What's at StakeThe revolutionary social experiments in the Kurdish territories of northeastern Syria remain under attack. As SDF forces mount fierce resistance in Sêre Kaniyê and waves of outraged protest sweep the world, the news in recent days has been full of the "ceasefire" negotiated by Turkey and US Vice President Pence. But what is really going on? And why is it so important to aspiring revolutionaries around the world? In Episode 68 of The Ex-Worker, we begin by deconstructing this so-called ceasefire, drawing on an account and analysis shared by anarchist volunteer currently in the war zone. But the bulk of...
2019-10-221h 28
The Ex-Worker#67: Defend Rojava! Part 2, Understanding the Kurdish ResistanceAs the crisis in Rojava deepens and political turmoil spreads across the world, it's critical for us to understand how we got here. Who exactly are the Kurds, and why have so many thousands of them been willing to risk their lives fighting against ISIS and to defend their autonomy? What can we learn from their struggle? In this episode, we examine the historical background to today's conflict by looking at the decades of militant Kurdish resistance that led up to the formation of the autonomous cantons of Rojava. You'll hear an audio version of CrimethInc.'s detailed 2015 essay "...
2019-10-161h 10
The Ex-Worker#66: Defend Rojava! Part 1, The Turkish InvasionAn urgent crisis is unfolding in northern Syria, with implications for global geopolitics and revolutionary possibilities for years to come. In response to US troop withdrawal and a green light from President Trump, the Turkish military has invaded Rojava, an autonomous Kurdish region within the borders of Syria, killing hundreds and displacing over 100,000 so far. Activists around the world have condemned the invasion as a boon to ISIS, a prelude to ethnic cleansing of the Kurdish population, and an effort to destroy an important experiment in self-organization by an increasingly fascist regime. The Kurdish-led Syrian Defense Forces have just...
2019-10-141h 09
The Ex-Worker#65: Greek Anarchists Fight Back in ExarchiaOn August 26th, riot police under orders from the newly elected right-wing government stormed and evicted four squatted social centers in the Exarchia neighborhood of Athens, Greece, in a serious attack on both precarious migrants and the anarchist and anti-authoritarian movements. In response, Greek anarchists have organized assemblies and demonstrations, while solidarity efforts have poured out from across the world. Both shaken and inspired by these events, the Ex-Worker podcast has emerged from hibernation to ask anarchists in Exarchia what's going on and what needs to be done. This episode explores the situation in Exarchia through three interviews with...
2019-09-181h 38
The Ex-WorkerNo Wall They Can Build, Episode 11: From East to West, Part II: Solidarity, and HomeWelcome to Episode 11, the final installment of No Wall They Can Build, the Ex-Worker Podcast's serialized audiobook exploring borders and migration across North America. This episode concludes the book with personal reflections about the author's own journey in and out of the desert and the unavoidable links that bind all of us across all borders. To become a real force for change, those who would act in solidarity must overcome the limits of privilege politics and guilt, understanding our activities as fighting for our own lives and dismantling the illusion of separation between ourselves and others. What links migrants...
2019-06-1323 min
The Ex-WorkerNo Wall They Can Build, Episode 10: From East to West, Part I - Chaos and Order, and TransformationWelcome to Episode 10 of No Wall They Can Build, the Ex-Worker Podcast's serialized audiobook exploring borders and migration across North America. Over the past two months, we've explored the ins and outs of irregular migration across the US/Mexico border. Where does it leave us? As the crises produced by climate change and economic exploitations intensify across the world, revolutions turn in to wars, which beget tyranny, which in turn provoke revolutions. In this climate of escalating chaos, what can we do? This episode explores the meaning of revolution in the twenty-first century, looking at the forms it has...
2019-06-0641 min
The Ex-WorkerNo Wall They Can Build, Episode 9: The NorthWelcome to Episode 9 of No Wall They Can Build, the Ex-Worker Podcast's serialized audiobook exploring borders and migration across North America. The border doesn't end at the border: the violent regime of citizenship constrains and ruins lives throughout the north, as a chilling story of a narrow escape from death makes clear. Yet this ongoing migration constitutes, against all odds, a powerful form of resistance that is changing the United States in unpredictable ways. This installment begins to explore what it might take to actually end death in the desert—which would also mean dismantling the global systems of ex...
2019-05-2940 min
The Ex-WorkerNo Wall They Can Build, Episode 8: Designed to Kill, Part II – The Border Patrol, The Game, and The DesertWelcome to Episode 8 of No Wall They Can Build, the Ex-Worker Podcast's serialized audiobook exploring borders and migration across North America. This installment continues to explore the reality of border policy by taking a closer look at the agency that enforces it, describing the atrocities that its agents perpetrate and their mindsets to justify it. The Border Patrol is merely one of the largest and most vicious players in a game that brings lucrative profits to a host of players on both sides of the border, at the expense of the vulnerable migrants who are driven into the desert...
2019-05-2220 min
The Ex-WorkerNo Wall They Can Build, Episode 7: Designed to Kill, Part I – Who Benefits?Welcome to Episode 7 of No Wall They Can Build, the Ex-Worker Podcast's serialized audiobook exploring borders and migration across North America. The Border Patrol, with its swollen budget and lavish technologies, clearly has the technical capacity to stop most, if not all, traffic across the border, yet their behavior seems to be at odds with their stated objective. This installment investigates the actual goal of border policy—which is not to end "illegal immigration," but to control and manage it. While preventing this migration altogether would have catastrophic effects on the US economy, using selective enforcement to funnel traffic in...
2019-05-1543 min
The Ex-WorkerNo Wall They Can Build, Episode 6: The BorderWelcome to Episode 6 of No Wall They Can Build, the Ex-Worker Podcast's serialized audiobook exploring borders and migration across North America. This installment investigates the three-tiered border and the process of crossing it, focusing on the places where the most deaths occur—southern Arizona and South Texas. The story of Arivaca, a small community of ranchers and hippies, shows how state arrogance and vigilante brutality turned the population towards solidarity with migrants. The complex politics of the Tohono O'odham reservation at Komkch'ed e Wah 'osithk (Sells) reflect the fraught relationship between migration, colonialism, and the challenges facing indigenous communities to...
2019-05-0841 min
The Ex-WorkerNo Wall They Can Build, Episode 5: The Trip and The ProductHappy May Day, everyone! Welcome to Episode 5 of No Wall They Can Build, the Ex-Worker Podcast's serialized audiobook exploring borders and migration across North America. Having discussed the political and economic forces that drive migration north, this week's installment examines how people get from Central America to the US/Mexico border. The routes vary in risk and cost, and are stratified depending on a traveler's wealth and nationality, from navigating the expensive and infuriating process of attempting to secure a visa to braving La Bestia, the notoriously dangerous freight trains heading north. Some hazard the northeastern route to Reynosa...
2019-05-0131 min
The Ex-Worker#64: Announcing Our First Audiobook! No Wall They Can BuildThe Ex-Worker is back! Over the next three months, we will be releasing an audio version of CrimethInc.'s 2018 book, No Wall They Can Build: A Guide to Borders and Migration in North America, divided into eleven episodes released every week. In this short episode, we reflect on the evolution of the Ex-Worker podcast as a project, and set the scene for the forthcoming audiobook. In the year and a half since the book was released, much attention has focused on the US/Mexico border, and Trump's anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric have prompted widespread resistance. However, the crisis of...
2019-04-0129 min
This Wreckage*PREVIEW* BONUS: Real Crimethinc/Jamie Peck GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN HoursThe government: we all hate it. But what happens if it just decides to go away? Recently Jamie joked on the Majority Report that it would be cool. Others, like the anarchist collective Crimethinc, have argued this point in earnest. We read their article and point out some flaws in their reasoning. While we agree with their vision of a self-organized, stateless society, we have a long way to go.
Access the full episode, our Discord commune, and get DR. ANTIFADA'S PROPAGANDA PACK by supporting our show at https://www.patreon.com/theantifada
Read the...
2019-01-0701 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #45: The empire's centrism strikes back—Anti-fascism 80 years after KristallnachtOn the 80th anniversary of Kristallnacht, liberals and centrists are once more playing right into fascists' hands. Our feature this episode is a reading of the recent CrimethInc. op-ed "Take Your Pick: Law or Freedom; How 'Nobody Is above the Law' Abets the Rise of Tyranny," about the outrageously liberal demonstrations over Trump firing Jeff Sessions. We also interview an anarchist who was at the protest outside Tucker Carlson's home in Washington D.C. about what really happened there, Twitter's banning of anti-fascists, and why it's important to take the offensive in the struggle against fascism. Friday, November 9 was...
2018-11-1444 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #44: Troops at the border—Anarchism vs voting—Remembering comrades who died recentlyWe kick off the episode with a discussion about anarchism and voting. After a roundup of resistance to capitalism and the state, our feature this episode is about Trump's deployment of thousands of troops to "defend the border" and how it is in most people's interest to push back on this latest precedent of using the military against civilian populations. We remember recently deceased anarchists Zhlobitsky Mikhail Vasilyevich and Kevin Garrido. There are calls for mobilizations on the border in the coming weeks, updates from the Vaughn 17 trial, and announcements of anti-fascist actions for the 80th anniversary of Kristallnacht...
2018-11-0736 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #43: Interviews with Anarchist Jews on Tree of Life massacre—Bolsonaro wins in BrazilNo news is good news. 60% of wildlife has been wiped off the planet since 1970. Mexican police kill a man in the migrant caravan on the border with Guatemala. Ever since Trump openly declared himself a nationalist last week, there has been an escalation of far-right violence. We interview an anarchist who works at the Tree of Life synagogue where an anti-Semite massacred 11 people on Saturday, as well as two people in the Outlive Them network about the upcoming International Days of Action against Fascism and Anti-Semitism. We also draw connections between the election of Bolsonaro in Brazil and anarchist...
2018-10-3147 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #42: Migrant Caravan—Antifascist Assembly in Carbondale—NOLA Proud Boy Alert HotlineWe have a flurry of headlines from around the globe, with the migrant caravan from Honduras breaking through the Mexico-Guatemala border, indigenous comrades and their allies building prayer lodges in the path of the line 3 pipeline, London antifascists successfully blocking an anti-Muslim march, anarchists rioting in Barcelona after being evicted from their squat, and accounts of Chilean police attacking student protestors. Water protectors have been hard at work opposing the Mountain Valley Pipeline, and Panama City landlords have begun evicting devastated residents from their homes. You'll hear from Carbondale anarchists mobilizing against Trump and right-wing reaction, and a hotline...
2018-10-2538 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #41: Proud Boys assaults—Hurricane Michael autonomous relief—squats and rent strikesOur features for this Hotwire are interviews about the Proud Boys attacks in New York City and Portland, Oregon, and we have an interview about autonomous relief after Hurricane Michael, which is also seeing organizing from neo-confederate fascists. We have a whirlwind of headlines from around the world, with breast-baring feminists burning barricades in Argentina, squatters from Ireland to Germany, and indigenous resistance in Canada. Connor Stevens of the Cleveland 4 is getting out soon, Jalil Muntaqim could use letters of support for his parole hearing, and we have calls to action from the L'eau Est La Vie anti-pipeline camp...
2018-10-1744 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #40: Van Dyke verdict—Banksy—Gritty—Bolsonaro—anti-Columbus roundupAn anarchist from Brazil fills us in on Bolsonaro, where he came from, and the dangers his presidency poses to social movements. We talk about how it's not just killer cop Van Dyke in Chicago, or sexual assaulter Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court—it's the system, and we propose full on ungovernability to render law and order irrelevant. We have roundups on anti-Columbus Day actions, anti-pipeline struggles, and the recent temporary victory at the Hambach Forest. Don't miss our very special interview with one of the demonstrators at the anti-Trump march in Philadelphia, which debuted Gritty as the ho...
2018-10-1040 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #39: Brett Kavanaugh—Killer cops in PDX—words from arrested Hambach forest defendersAlanis is back! And she reads our feature this episode, an audio version of the recent CrimethInc. text Kavanaugh Shouldn't Be on the Supreme Court. Neither Should Anyone Else. We also interview an anarchist in Portland, Oregon about the #PatrickKimmons actions at the intersection where police killed him. Winter, one of the anarchists in jail defending Germany's Hambach Forest in the last couple of weeks, is refusing to surrender their legal identity to the government. However, they did submit a beautiful letter to Rhineland Anarchist Black Cross, which we also read in this episode. Send us news, events, or...
2018-10-0342 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #38: An anarchist in #OperationAirDrop—Portland anti-cop occupations—IRPGF dissolvesOur feature this episode is an interview with an anarchist involved in one of the more spectacular autonomous relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Florence—Operation Airdrop. We follow it up with some discussion about the role of anarchist politics in doing autonomous, mutual aid relief work. We also interview someone involved in the new occupation outside campus security on Portland State University's campus after a grand jury did not indict two killer cops for the murder of Jason Washington. The International Revolutionary People's Guerrilla Forces is dissolving their organization, but we share their final communiqué in which the...
2018-09-2635 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #37: Evictions in Hambach—Aid & Disaster Relief after Florence—Strikes!The world is a dangerous place in 2018-Botham Jean is murdered in his own home by a Dallas cop and police are actively raiding the rebel encampment in the Hambach Forest. There's inspiring strike resistance in Central and South America where striking dockworkers in Chile caused thousands of dollars in damage and a general strike in taking place in Costa Rica. Hurricane Florence took Wilmington by storm and we interview anarchists on the ground doing disaster relief. There are quite a few prisoners who need support and we read excerpts from a heartfelt statement issued by prisoners at the...
2018-09-1941 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #36: #PrisonStrike ends—bring back anti-nationalism—economic crisis in ArgentinaIt's 17 years and a day after 9/11 and Iraq is still in shambles, so we rip apart liberals for thinking George W. Bush is somehow "cute". 2001 pops up again when we compare the current economic crisis in Argentina to the wave of worker-led factory takeovers and anarchist media that resisted the last economic meltdown there. We call for anarchists to incorporate a critique of nationalism itself into our anti-fascist strategy and analysis, we include preliminary information for autonomous relief efforts based in mutual aid for #HurricaneFlorence, and we wrap up the National #PrisonStrike with an action report and a bunch...
2018-09-1232 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #35: Trans Mountain pipeline paused—Chemnitz: antifa block Nazis—fuck a school boardIn this Hotwire we bring you two interviews: one from an anarchist organizer involved in indigenous-led anti-pipeline struggles in Canada about the recent announcement that construction will be halted on the Trans Mountain Pipeline; and we speak with an anti-fascist who was on the streets of Chemnitz, Germany on Saturday when anti-fascists blocked the latest Nazi mobilization there. We also ruminate on common sense anti-racism, whether political campaigns figure into anarchist strategy, and an anarchist approach to school dress code policies. There are plenty of updates from the [#PrisonStrike](https://itsgoingdown.org/prisonstrike/) and LOTS of announcements for action...
2018-09-0542 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #34: #PrisonStrike update—Nazis mobilize in Germany—Riotization of protest interviewThis week, you will hear about an anti-Nazi picnic in Avalon, PA, some brief analysis about the Nazi mob in Chemnitz, Germany and about some folks pushing back against the Pope's visit in Ireland]. We interview Michael Loadenthal, a social movement academic and former J20 defendant, about the riotization of protest and new strategies the state is using to criminalize dissent. We also continue to highlight the ways police and fascists are aligned. We give an extensive update about what we know so far about the 2018 Prison Strike and we interview two supporters who are championing the strike inside...
2018-08-2936 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #33: #PrisonStrike kicks off—racist statue toppled in NC—alt-right get self-doxxedThis week, you will hear updates from the Stony Creek tenant strike in Canada, some creative anti-ICE actions, and about some humorous and some of the alt-right's recent losses. We interview Maya Little about the recent toppling of a confederate statue in North Carolina on Monday. Maya shares information about the impact of the statue on campus, some history, and some initial feelings after the fall of Silent Sam. We kick off the nationwide prison strike with an interview with an outside supporter of the strike, and a reportback from an attendee of a noise demonstration outside a prison...
2018-08-2345 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #32: Summer in Review—Antifascists in Charlottesville & DC—2018 Prison StrikeOur first episode of the new season! This week, we look back at the long, hot summer and give an update on antifascist clashes, pipeline resistance, and ICE occupations. Hundreds gathered in Charlottesville on the anniversary of the defeat of Unite the Right, drawing attention to the increasing cozy relationship between white supremacists and the police. We interview someone from Washington, DC about opposition to the Unite the Right 2 Rally held there this past weekend. Accused ELF and ALF member, Josephy Dibee was extradited to the US from Cuba and is being held in jail in Oregon...
2018-08-1547 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #31: Repression in Indonesia—Hamilton rent strike—J20 on May 14—events all summerOur 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 mo...
2018-05-0939 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #29: MAY DAY Special—The best of anarchist news reporting from the vaults (uncensored!)Happy May Day! Find an action near you HERE. To celebrate the anniversary of the strike that led to Haymarket, and the 8 anarchists executed for it (two of whom were anarchist media producers themselves!) we bring you our favorite anarchist news reporting from throughout history. As an anarchist news show ourselves, we wanted to pay homage to all the anarchist newspapers, zines, and other media projects that have inspired us. You'll hear reports from as far back as the Paris Commune, the punny and irreverent 1980s British organization Class War, a 1977 article in Fifth Estate about this newfangled thing...
2018-05-011h 32
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #28: Anti-government revolt in Nicaragua—more treesits in WV—Bakunin beats SatanismThis Hotwire we bring you an interview with an anarchist in Managua about the past few weeks of anti-government revolt in Nicaragua. We also report on the arrests of anti-fascists in Georgia, a school bus drivers' strike also in Georgia, a hunger strike in San Diego's jails, and community resistance to ICE raids in North Carolina. Next week we'll bring you our regular episode a day late, but look out for a May Day special we're releasing to tide you over—and don't forget to e-mail us your May Day action reports at podcast@crimethinc.com! {April 25, 2018} ...
2018-04-2540 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #24: Sacramento against killer cops—#DefendAfrin actions—Anti-G7 mobilizing in QuebecAs we go to press, protests in Sacramento and beyond are ongoing over the police murder of Stephon Clark. We interview an anarchist sex worker about the new FOSTA-SESTA bill and its impact on sex workers' safety and organizing. We also feature an interview with a comrade from Quebec about the anti-capitalist mobilization against the G7 summit in Quebec in June. Don't miss our roundup of #DefendAfrin actions that took place on March 24, or our reflections on the political moment we're in after the March For Our Lives. {March 28, 2018} -------SHOW NOTES------ Table...
2018-03-2839 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #21: Lansing protests fascists—teachers' strike grows & spreads—3 cheers for anarchyThis episode we bring you two interviews. The first is an on-the-ground report from the days of anti-fascist action against Richard Spencer's visit to Detroit and Lansing, with a plea for bail funds to help arrested anti-fascists. Next, we interview a West Virginian anarchist about what makes the teachers' strike there so unique and important. We plug a call from the West Virginia IWW for how to support and spread the strike. Throughout the episode we make the case for an international, revolutionary movement that can do away with all forms of hierarchy and kyriarchy! {February 28, 2018}
2018-03-0737 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #19: Florida School Shooting & Gun Control—Koreatown Against ICE Raids—TN AntifascismThis episode is packed to the gills with news! There is antifa activity in Tennessee and folks in the Northwest continue to hold it down against the fascist creep. Solidarity for Afrin spreads and an inspiring model to fight ICE raids emerges out of Koreatown, Los Angeles. We offer some analysis about the school shooting in Parkland, FL and interview both an anarchist attending the student led rallies there and an anarchist author who's written about gun control. There is a short update on the repression Florida prisoners are enduring due to Operation Push. Walter Bond is in need...
2018-02-2236 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #18: Toxic Waste in STL—Labor Struggles in the Techno Age—A Rant on LoveThe second episode of our second season! There is antifa activity in Olympia, Athens, and Seattle. Vaneesa Hopson died while in the custody of Olympia police and we report on the death and the subsequent protests.. There are strikes by delivery drivers across Hong Kong and Europe, by prisoners detained at an immigrant detention center in Washington, and walkouts across the country as part of the Fight for 15 campaign. We interview an anarchist active in the resistance to the Westlake Landfill. In honor of Valentine's Day there's a rant against conventional love. Stay tuned until the Repression Roundup to...
2018-02-1434 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #17: ZAD interview—anarcho-syndicalism isn't for losers—anti-pope actions in ChileThe first episode of our new season! This week we run down the list of antifascist confrontations from San Diego to Olympia, Washington. We also share a call for opposing Richard Spencer in Lansing, Michigan on March 5. Fast food workers in Portland, sex workers in New Orleans, and Uber drivers in Indonesia are all getting organized. Camille, Camille, and Camille from the ZAD explain their complicated victory over the planned airport at Notre-Dame-des-Landes, and Flint Arthur from Stand With Afrin phones in with an update on the Turkish assault on Rojava. Stay tuned until the Repression Roundup to hear...
2018-02-0736 min
The Ex-Worker#63: Anarchists in the Trump Era, Year One: 2017 in Review, Part IIIIn Episode 63 of the Ex-Worker, we conclude our series of reflections on 2017 with an audio version of the recently published essay "Anarchists in the Trump Era: Scorecard, Year One." It analyzes five key turning points in 2017, assessing how anarchists took part and what lessons we can learn for the battles ahead. While recognizing all we've accomplished under incredible stress, it argues for the importance of broadening our efforts to challenge authority and dismantle hierarchy in every area of our lives and our societies in 2018. Afterwards, Clara and Alanis debate themes from the essay and our year in review episodes...
2018-02-071h 00
The Ex-Worker#62: Support, Healing, and Redefining Resistance—2017 in Review, Part IIAs we reconnect to plan a new year of resistance this January 20th, what lessons can we take from the inspiring but traumatic year that was 2017? In Episode 61 of the Ex-Worker, we interview three anarchists who reflect on their role on the front lines of struggles against the state and fascism over the past year. Hex, who survived a shooting attack by a fascist at a Seattle anti-fascist demonstration last January 20th, offers perspective on questions of justice, violence, patriarchy, and compassion, the critical importance of healing, and redefining resistance. An anarchist of color from Charlottesville discusses how the...
2018-01-201h 47
The Ex-Worker#60: 2017 in Review, Part I: Anti-Fascism in the Bay Area and BeyondIn the first of two episodes looking back over 2017, we present an audio version of the recently published CrimethInc. feature "How Anti-Fascists Won the Battles of Berkeley: 2017 in the Bay and Beyond: A Play-by-play Analysis." The article charts the rise and fall of the alt-right through the lens of the conflicts that erupted in the San Francisco Bay Area, and how anarchists and anti-fascists successfully built coalitions to stop them. We also review the last year's worth of articles, books, posters, and podcasts from the CrimethInc. Ex-Worker's Collective. {January 8, 2018} -------SHOW NOTES------ Table of...
2018-01-101h 26
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #16: Repression from #J20 to #G20—New Year's noise demos—antifascist student actionsOur final episode for the season! But we'll be back in February. This week, antifascist students were active with a #StopSpencer week of action at the University of Michigan and shutting down Lucian Wintrich at the University of Connecticut. Racist remarks keep coming up during police testimony at the [#J20 trials](https://itsgoingdown.org/drop-j20-podcast-update–3-police-take-stand/). We have updates on the massive, sweeping raids against anti-capitalists in Germany over the successful protests against the G20 in Germany in July. New York City Anarchist Black Cross call for international New Year's Eve noise demonstrations outside prisons, jails, and detention ce...
2017-12-0637 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #14: Olympia blockade—J20 opening statements—Build the Base call to actionThis week's episode is packed with resistance news from across Turtle Island and beyond. Struggles led by water protectors against gas and oil infrastructure are happening, seemingly, everywhere. This past week, students have been busy, while prisoners have not. We have a brief update on the work stoppage and Holman Prison. We also have interviews with a comrade at the anti-fracking blockade in Olympia, WA, and with a J20 supporter about the trials that have just begun. Stay tuned until the end for CrimethInc.'s call for January 20, 2018: "Build the Base, Take the Initiative. A Call to Expand Our...
2017-11-2229 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #13: J20 trials begin, worldwide anti-fascism, squatting for the win in ChicagoToday is the beginning of the J20 inauguration protester trials in DC. There are some important developments in the case, so we interview Sam from DC Legal Posse about what's going on and how to support the defendants. We also interview a Polish anti-fascist from Warsaw about this weekend's 60,000 person far-right march that was littered with Nazi slogans. The folks at the IRL squat in Chicago called us to talk about resisting their eviction and squatting as a window to a world outside of capitalism. Stay tuned until the end for exciting calls for upcoming action camps and decentralized...
2017-11-1536 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #10: Anti-fascism in Gainesville, J20 trials, anarchist Kurds against capitalist warsIn this Hotwire we have three different interviews about the alt-right's defeat in Gainesville. As democratic confederalist Kurdish forces in Rojava are beating back ISIS, the nationalist, capitalist Kurdish Regional Government in Iraq is threatening civil war with the Iraqi military. In response, Kurdish anarchists speak out against war and the state. The discovery of Santiago Maldonado's body in Argentina has sparked the fiercest clashes with police that the South American country has seen in years. Some good news: the first J20 political prisoner is about to be released; but hundreds more are awaiting trial and facing years in...
2017-10-2534 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #6: St. Louis stays rebel, mutual aid relief continues, 'free speech' has no meaningThis week we have a ton of headlines about rebellion and cooperation, resistance and mutual aid, from all over the world. Protests in St. Louis continue into their second week after the not guilty verdict for a white cop who viciously murdered Anthony Lamar Smith, a young black father. We weigh in on the chatter about whether the NFL #TakeAKnee protests are about white supremacy or the first amendment. Meanwhile, the so-called "free speech week" hosted by far-right students in Berkeley has utterly failed. The mutual aid relief efforts we've covered in Texas and Florida still need support, as...
2017-09-2734 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #5: St. Louis against the cops, Struggalos, & cops kill queer student Scout SchultzThis week we speak with two folks who've been active on the street of St. Louis since white ex-cop Jason Stockley was let off for the murder of black father Anthony Lamar Smith. We also remember Scout Schultz, a 21-year-old queer student organizer killed on Saturday by Georgia Tech police. There's lots of reports from anti-fascist actions, with a particularly woop-worthy one from the Juggalo March this past weekend in Washington, D.C. At the end we announce some anarchist book fairs and upcoming actions against the alt-right in Berkeley and neo-nazis in Sweden. {September 20, 2017} ...
2017-09-2033 min
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #4: Autonomous Hurricane Irma relief, DREAMer resistance, prisoners need our supportThis week we speak with Dezeray, an anarchist involved in Mutual Aid Disaster Relief organizing in the wake of Hurricane Irma. Next, we interview Sam, an anarchist DACA recipient, about undocumented youth resistance. A number of political prisoners are in urgent need of support. Victorious striking workers show that direct action gets the goods. We remember Attica, the September 11 military coup in Chile, and Charlottesville. At the end we announce some anarchist book fairs and the Juggalo March on Washington. {September 13, 2017} -------SHOW NOTES------ Table of Contents: Introduction {0:00} Headlines {1:25} Feature: Autonomous relief after...
2017-09-1333 min
The Ex-Worker#58: Not Your Grandparents' AntifascismIn episode #56, we covered the repercussions of the violent showdown that took place between fascists and counter-demonstrators in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 12. The month since then has seen massive anti-fascist demonstrations around the US and a backlash in which liberal "centrists" have joined the far right in attempting to portray those who resist fascism as being no better than the fascists who murdered Heather Heyer in Charlottesville in the course attempting to bring about another Holocaust. In this episode, we back up a bit to offer some background on contemporary fascism and the struggle against it, refute hostile propaganda...
2017-09-121h 33
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #3: Hurricane Harvey responses, Labor Day vs. May Day, and DACAThis episode we bring you an overview, and an interview, about the anarchist and autonomously organized relief efforts in response to Hurricane Harvey. -------SHOW NOTES------ Table of Contents: Introduction {0:00} Headlines {1:14} Feature: Autonomous relief after Hurricane Harvey {14:15} Repression Roundup {23:29} Prisoner Birthdays {24:50} Next Week's News {25:50} Hurricane Harvey grassroots relief efforts: You can donate to Bayou Action Street Health here or consult their resource wishlist. You can also contact them directly via houstonstreetmediccollective@gmail.com. Greater Houston Grassroots Relief, Austin Common Ground, the Black Women's Defense League, Redneck Revolt Houston, West...
2017-09-0631 min
The Ex-Worker#56: Charlottesville - Triumph & Tragedy in the Struggle Against FascismOn August 12th, 2017, a massive alt-right and neo-Nazi rally took place in Charlottesville, Virginia. While a large counter-demonstration successfully confronted the fascists, one drove a car into a crowd of protestors, killing at least one and injuring many more. In this special report from the Ex-Worker, we hear the story of the Charlottesville demonstrations from anarchists who put their bodies on the line to stop fascism. This episode includes context and background to understand how the organizing took place, narratives from the streets, and reflections on lessons learned and the state of our struggles moving forward. We also share...
2017-08-141h 40
The Ex-WorkerThe Hotwire #1: A Preview of Our New Weekly Anarchist News ShowSo, this isn't quite the Ex-Worker, and I'm not Clara or Alanis. I'm here to tell you about the Ex-Worker's new anarchist news show, the Hotwire, with me, the Rebel Girl. We'll have new episodes coming out every Wednesday this fall. The last year has been one of the craziest years for anarchist struggle in our lifetime. Black blocs, prison uprisings, warrior camps and anti-pipeline sabotage, antifascist clashes with nationalists and the alt-right—we've been doxxed, shot, stabbed, raided, arrested and imprisoned, we've been put on blast by the president himself, but resistance is still catching on li...
2017-08-1102 min
The Ex-Worker#54: Anarchist Resistance in the Trump EraWhat will resistance look like in the Trump era? What role can anarchists play? In Episode 54 of The Ex-Worker podcast we grapple with these questions as they will unfold on January 20 and beyond. It's true, we incorrectly predicted a Clinton victory—reaction has advanced faster than we'd realized, but this apocalyptic scenario has catalyzed a flurry of rebellion and defiance. We begin the episode by recounting our analysis of the risks and possibilities of this political moment produced in the immediate aftermath of the election, as well as the "No Peaceful Transition" call that dozens of anarchist and antifascist gr...
2017-01-181h 30
The Final Straw RadioWhere To Now?: A CrimethInc. participant on significance of election and moving forwardThis week we spoke with an autonomous participant in CrimethInc. about the work of that collective around elections, about their views on the recent election of Donald J. Trump as president of the U.S.A., voter turnout, anarchist perspectives on elections, democracy, and about building on-the-ground resistance to not only this new administration but the autonomous far right that's attempting to emerge more and more these days. More from CrimethInc., including their recent audio-zines and the ex-worker podcast can be found at http://crimethinc.com The call-out to resist the 2017 Presidential inauguration of Donald J. Trump...
2016-11-1359 min
The Ex-Worker#52: An Ex-Voter's Guide to the 2016 Presidential ElectionWe know you've been on the edge of your seat, waiting for see which candidate will receive the Ex-Worker's endorsement for president this year. In Episode 52, we offer an Ex-Voter's guide to the 2016 election, including an analysis of the risks we anticipate in its aftermath titled After the Election, the Reaction. There's lots of listener feedback to discuss, including advice for a young anarchist on less illegal or risky forms of anarchist action, updates about conflict between the Turkish state and the forces of Rojava, and a nuanced discussion of what "solidarity" really means, or should mean, in concrete...
2016-11-071h 14
The Ex-Worker#51: Anarchism, Voting, and Direct Action: An Audio ZineDo anarchists vote? If not, how do we express our voice and participate in changing society? What's the problem with elections and representative democracy? In this special Election Day audio zine,we describe why electing representatives robs us of our power, refute common arguments made to convince us of the value of voting, explain direct action as an alternative approach for making change without politicians and parties, and lay out our vision for a free world beyond electoral politics. We begin by surveying anarchist responses to elections from the 19th century to the present day, and include excerpts from...
2016-11-0747 min
The Ex-Worker#48: From Democracy to Freedom Audio ZineWelcome back to the Ex-worker! We're eschewing our typical
format once again to bring you our second audio zine, a production
of Crimethinc.'s new text From Democracy to
Freedom. This release coincides with the announcement of
an online platform for participating in decentralized
reading groups and online discussions on this text as well as
the others in
the series exploring questions around democracy, and how we
relate to it as anarchists. {April 26th, 2016}
-------SHOW NOTES------
The full
text is available here for reading online or
here for printing.
Original music and sounds courtesy of Counterfeit.
2016-04-261h 38
The Ex-Worker#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...
2015-12-072h 04
The Ex-Worker#41: Anarchism in Belarus, Czech Republic, Korea, and BeyondIn 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...
2015-09-151h 22
The Ex-Worker#38: Anarchism in Lake Worth, FloridaHow 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...
2015-07-011h 47
The Ex-Worker#35: To Change Everything Audio ZineWelcome 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 unfold...
2015-05-0440 min
The Ex-Worker#34: Staying Safe So We Can Be Dangerous TogetherIn 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...
2015-02-121h 55