Over the past week and a half, a crew of swastika-wearing, anti-vaccine literature distributing nazis have caroused around Austin with hardly a care in the…
Nazis Out of Austin Banner Drop
Posted in Austin, Creative Commons, and Journalism
Tag: Activism
A friend that lives in Portland posted on his Facebook about the latest spasm of white supremacist violence that took place there.
Someone that I’ve a bunch of mutuals in common with responded. A sort-of-smug comment to the effect of “thank goodness we ran those people out of Austin, Texas!” And I’ll be honest, that comment shocked me: we did what?
The comment reminded me that this attitude is probably widespread in my city and across the country.
I asked myself, are there people in this country that go days without thinking about the rise of fascism and the collapse of the climate? What must that be like?
Why Create An Antifascist Cookbook? (Soup For Our Families Intro)
Posted in Creative Commons, Journalism, and Zines
Originally published on my Patreon. This is the first draft of what I hope will become the introduction to “Soup For Our Families: An Antifascist…
Coming Soon: Soup For Our Families zine
Posted in Creative Commons, Food, Other Writing, and Zines
Let me start by saying thank you for supporting me. The last couple of months have been challenging, and the next few probably won’t be a whole lot easier. I’m looking for work, dealing with the slow collapse of the hemp industry, and coping with some significant health problems in my family.
So that’s why I’m assembling a cookbook zine. It’s called Soup For Our Families: An Antifascist Cookbook, and I’ll be collecting recipes over the next month. That’s right, actual food recipes — and not just soup, I’m collecting food and drink from every category from apps to desserts. I want to showcase the wide range of who we are, using food as a window. The only rule is the recipes should come from antifascist/antiracist people or groups.
Anyone Can Adopt Any Activist Tactics: A Spencer Sunshine Interview
Posted in Creative Commons, and Journalism
Activists sometimes forget that anyone can use tactics like banner drops, including the fascist far right.
Late in 2020 and in the first days of 2021, I spoke twice to Spencer Sunshine, a researcher of the far right and ways to oppose them. I included “40 Ways To Fight Fascists,” the zine he co-wrote with PopMob, in my Virtual Gonzo Zine Library.
Since Trump’s election, I’ve noticed more American fascists using tactics traditionally associated with leftist activism, like banner drops or wheatpasting. Patriot Front is one of several groups that frequently drops banners, with messages in support of white supremacy, from buildings and overpasses.
‘We Must Act & Care For Each Other’: An Interview With Mutual Aid Disaster Relief
Posted in Creative Commons, Journalism, and Occupy Wall Street
Inspired by Common Ground in New Orleans and Occupy Sandy and numerous other community-led relief efforts, Mutual Aid Disaster Relief cultivate “autonomous, decentralized, and liberatory disaster relief.”
I’ve featured multiple Mutual Aid Disaster Relief publications in my Virtual Gonzo Zine Library. Most recently, I put “Lessons Learned” in the “Winter 2020” edition of the VGZL. I reached out to MADR by email, and they answered collectively. I found their answers so eloquent, I wanted to present them here in Q&A format rather than editing them into a formal interview-style article. I’ve only lightly edited the responses for clarity and brevity.
Kit O’Connell: Any advice for handling armed fascists or right wingers that show up in disaster areas trying to “patrol” “prevent looting” guard against “antifa” etc?