Cameras painted at Bartram’s

  • August 29, 2023 1:37 am

Submission

Last week a work party painted over all the new cameras at the entrance to Bartram’s North. (A)

Flier for Fall skill share

  • August 26, 2023 1:44 am

Submission

This flier is a call to comrades from the surrounding area in so called Philadelphia to not only get hyped but also to submit ideas for an upcoming Anarchist Fall Skillshare. Can contact the comrades helping to make this possible via the email on the flier!

Fall Skill Share 2023

  • August 25, 2023 1:56 am

from Mastodon

Another crew has picked up the torch! There’s a new Philly skilly coming up, hit them up to contribute a workshop, to table, host a discussion, etc.

Fall Skill Share 2023 When - November 11 at 12pm *Nov 18 Raindate* Location - TBA Do you or a group of friends have a project you'd like to share? Contact us if you're interested in tabling, sharing a skill, presenting, or starting a discussion! Email us at - fallskillshare1312@proton.me
from Instagram


Time to share the things you know! Herbalists! Keepers of sacred wisdom! Hackers! Medics! Harm Reductors! Lawyers! Crafters! Foragers! Fighters! Therapists! Come to learn and stay to teach!Share this call wisely and widely!

Monday, August 28th: Black August Letter-writing

  • August 25, 2023 1:50 am
from Philly ABC
black-august-card-writing.jpg

In August 1979, the first official Black August took place when incarcerated people came together to commemorate the deaths of brothers Jonathan and George Jackson, who were killed after the Marin County Courthouse Rebellion (Jonathan in August 1970 and George in August 1971). Prisoners in San Quentin started this tradition of daily exercises to sharpen their minds, bodies, and spirits in honor of the collective principles of self-sacrifice, inner fortitude and revolutionary discipline needed to advance the New Afrikan struggle for self-determination and freedom.

Black August now takes place all month as an invitation to reflect on the history of the Black freedom struggle, to celebrate those who have come before, and to commit to continuing this fight for justice and liberation. We invite you to remember, reflect, learn, and unlearn, by connecting with Black freedom fighters still behind bars and/or donating to the post-release fund of Ruchell Magee –the sole survivor of the Courthouse Rebellion who was just released earlier this month after 67 years of imprisonment.

Join us and Malcolm X Grassroots Movement Philly chapter this coming Monday, August 28th at 6:30pm online as we share a compilation of audio commemorations and inspiration from Black August and take time to send out letters and cards to political prisoners from Black liberation movements.

Download a PDF of the Black August illustration by Kevin Rashid Johnson laid out as a card to print. Check prisonersolidarity.com for Black Liberation prisoners to send cards to.

To get more information on the history of Black August, see an in-depth article on Ruchell, “Slave Rebel or Citizen?” by Joy James and Kalonji Jama Changa. Kiilu Nyasha, one of Ruchell’s strongest supporters for decades, wrote this classic: Ruchell Cinque Magee, sole survivor of the Aug. 7, 1970, Courthouse Slave Rebellion.

We’ll also encourage sending birthday cards for U.S.-held political prisoners with birthdays in August and September: Bill Dunne (August 2nd), Eric King (August 2nd), Hanif Shabazz Bey (August 15th), Ronald Reed (August 31st), and Leonard Peltier (September 11th).

Anathema Volume 9 Issue 2

  • August 25, 2023 1:34 am

from Anathema

Volume 9 Issue 2 (PDF for reading 8.5×11)

Volume 9 Issue 2 (PDF for printing 11×17)

In this issue:

  • What Went Down
  • Conservation As Abolition
  • Dance Parties Won’t Stop Fascism
  • Eternal War Against Golf
  • Call To Struggle Around Bartram’s & Against The Proposal For Cellicon Valley
  • Making Anti-Repression A Collective Problem
  • Community Defense
  • Retrospective On Ted Kaczynski
  • Who Is Paul Minton?
  • Running Down The Walls

Running Down the Walls Events To Take Place Across US

  • August 25, 2023 1:30 am

from It’s Going Down

[This post only contains information relevant to Philadelphia and the surrounding area, to read the entire article follow the above link.]

Announcing annual Running Down the Walls events happening across the US to benefit political prisoners.

Since 1999, prisoners and supporters throughout North America have participated in the annual event known as Running Down the Walls (RDTW) often running or walking simultaneously in many cities and prisons at once.

This is a non-competitive 5K run/jog/walk/roll in order to raise awareness and funds for political prisoners. Over the years, we have raised thousands of dollars and lots of awareness around the struggle to free political prisoners. Many places will be hosting RDTW 2023 on or around Sunday, September 17th – see participating cities below.

An important component of Running Down the Walls is the solidarity runs that take place throughout numerous cities. Solidarity runs that are held in our communities are designed to illustrate, through several small collective actions, that we have not forgotten our comrades locked up behind prison walls. Runs that are held in prisons are designed to both politicize other prisoners and to illustrate that the acts of solidarity have been heard.

This annual event is also one of the primary fundraisers for the ABCF Warchest Program – a fund designed to assist political prisoners who normally received little or no financial support with monthly checks. Other funds raised should be used to support local groups of your choosing, whether that is your own organization or another group you’d like to support. The choice is yours.

Planned runs for 2023

Philadelphia
September 17, 2023
11 am sharp (Yoga warm-up at 10am) at FDR Park
Registration deadline is September 3rd.

Report Back: S14 Leaders Mark Kauffman and Sara Sheaffer’s Neighborhood Hit

  • August 23, 2023 1:58 am

from Jersey Counter-Info

Back in early July 2023, a Philadelphia couple Mark Kauffman and Sara Sheaffer, were revealed to be the leaders of the Tri-state area neo-nazi crew S14. Since then several other S14 members have been unmasked such as Mathew Bair, Paul Minton, and Daisy McGowan. Antifascists have been continuing to turn up the heat on S14 members, exposing their cross over membership with other fascist groups and extensively doxxing them.

Since his July doxxing, Kauffman has been publicly attempting to hide his own fear by trolling antifascists and doubling down on his fascist activity. With he and Sheaffter feeling the pressure, area antifascists got together a few days ago to apply even more, by flyering Mark Kauffman and Sara Sheaffer’s neighborhood.

Kauffman and Sheaffer live in North Phialdelphia on E Wishart Street.

Kauffman and Sheaffer live in North Philly, specifically in the larger Kensington area. The E Wishart Street and surrounding community are predominantly Latino, further making Kauffman and Sheaffer’s very public neo nazi status and activities particularly dangerous for those around them.

Antifascists posted up English and Spanish language fliers on Kauffman and Sheaffer’s street, all over the adjacent side streets, and in the wider Kensington community. They were also able to pass out fliers to community members and discuss Kauffman and Sheaffer’s presence in the neighborhood. All community members that antifascists spoke to were rightfully shocked, angered, and pissed off that nazis were living next door to them. Antifascists gave interested community members stacks of fliers for further dissemination.

If you are interested in using and downloading either flier they are listed below.

S14 members: You were warned that if you did not dissolve your organization and cease activities that there would be real world repercussions. Five of your members have now been doxxed and Kauffman and Sheaffer’s entire community knows exactly who they are. If you refuse to comply there will be further consequences.

Antifascists in Lenapehoking Confront Fascist Activity

  • August 23, 2023 1:57 am

from Jersey Counter-Info

Antifascists in so-called Delaware County Pennsylvania, have been addressing an uptick in fascist activity over the past few weeks.

Popular long standing antifascist stickering spots have become targeted by fascists who have been throwing up their own racist nationalist trash over it. An example of this can be seen in the pictures below.

 

Antifascists have been combing over the area and covering up and taking down the fascists garbage.

Community members in the area asked to keep an eye out for fascist propaganda in the area and to take down any fascist content they see.

A Philadelphia Parking Authority employee was shot with a BB gun – Philadelphia PA

  • August 20, 2023 1:34 am

from Unravel

August 14, 2023,

A Philadelphia Parking Authority employee was shot with a BB gun in Center City on Monday, officials said.

The employee, a female parking enforcement officer, was struck with BB pellets in the face and back on the 100 block of North 11th Street around 11 a.m., according to police.

No arrest was made.

It was unclear what prompted the assailant to shoot the enforcement officer, who was on duty.

A spokesperson for PPA said the shooting appeared to be a “drive by,” and that the employee was not in the process of issuing a ticket when she was attacked. The incident is still under investigation.

Found On Mainstream Media

When the Hood Comes Off: Racism and Resistance in the Digital Age

  • August 13, 2023 1:02 am

from Making Worlds Books

Advanced registration is encouraged. Please click here to RSVP.

Join us as we dive into the profound insights of “When the Hood Comes Off” by Rob Eschmann, in conversation with Desmond Patton. “When the Hood Comes Off” examines the alarming manifestations of online racism and the innovative antiracist tactics rising to combat it. Through rigorous research and captivating personal narratives, Eschmann explores the impact of online racism on communities of color and society at large. Don’t miss this timely opportunity to explore the unexpected power of digital technologies, engage in thought-provoking discussions, and discover how we can respond to the wake-up call of online racism.

About the Speakers:

Rob Eschmann is a writer, scholar, filmmaker, and educator from Chicago. He is Associate Professor of Social Work and a member of the Data Science Institute at Columbia University, as well as Faculty Associate at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society.

Desmond Upton Patton, a pioneer in the interdisciplinary fusion of social work, communications, and data science, is the Brian and Randi Schwartz University Professor, with joint appointments in the School of Social Policy & Practice and the Annenberg School for Communication along with a secondary appointment in the department of psychiatry in the Perelman School of Medicine.

About the Book:

From cell phone footage of police killing unarmed Black people to leaked racist messages and even comments from friends and family on social media, online communication exposes how racism operates in a world that pretends to be colorblind. In When the Hood Comes Off, Rob Eschmann blends rigorous research and engaging personal narrative to examine the effects of online racism on communities of color and society, and the unexpected ways that digital technologies enable innovative everyday tools of antiracist resistance.

Drawing on a wealth of data, including interviews with students of Color around the country and analyses of millions of social media posts over the past decade, Eschmann investigates the influence of online communication on face-to-face interactions. When the Hood Comes Off highlights the power of the internet as an organizing tool, and shows that online racism can be a profound wake-up call. How will we respond?

  • Sunday, August 20, 2023
  • 4:00 PM 5:30 PM
  • Making Worlds Bookstore & Social Center 210 South 45th Street Philadelphia, PA, 19104 United States (map)

🎥 Videos from the Trash Dimension

  • August 11, 2023 1:50 am

from Iffy Books

August 18 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Join us on Friday, August 18th for a screening of Videos from the Trash Dimension Episode 1:  Episode 1: Black Skin, Black Masks / It’s Still Today Here.

Stay tuned for more details!

 

Call to Struggle Around Bartram’s and Against the Proposal for “Cellicon Valley”

  • August 10, 2023 1:21 am

Submission

Development is officially moving forward – though very slowly – in destroying the alluring wastelands of Bartram’s North, the wooded riverside area just north of Bartram’s Gardens in Southwest Philly. For years, this area has been a favorite hangout spot for anarchists, ravers, feminist nude sunbathers, and other companions in being up to no good. Within the past eight months, a fence has gone up – twice – around the fields adjacent to the bike path that runs through the area, and a nearby building is slated to be demolished at the end of July. Earlier that month, three surveillance cameras were installed high up along Botanic Ave, the street that leads up to Bartram’s North. An unpermitted rave at Bartram’s in mid-July was reportedly broken up by police, which was to our knowledge the first time cops had kicked a party out of that location.

Resistance to the project has also been moving along, but slowly. According to websites like Philly Anti-Cap, over this calendar year so far the following events and actions have taken place:

– January: A zine is released entitled “Fuck a ‘Cellicon Valley’: Against the Proposed Development of Bartram’s North and South.”
– February: “Fuck Cellicon Valley” graffiti goes up along with “No Cop City” slogans.
– February: A Valentine’s Day-themed communique entitled “ISO Fence4Fence” notes that the fence around Bartram’s North has been broken down and is accompanied by anti-Cellicon Valley graffiti nearby.
– February: Iffy Books hosts a zine launch and social to publicize “Fuck a ‘Cellicon Valley.'”
– March: A communique claims the sabotage of a machine at Bartram’s North that was in the process of destroying “one of our favorite post-industrial wildernesses.” Bleach was poured into the tanks and tools were stolen.
– March: An anarchist assembly meets to discuss the various ecological and place-based struggles across the city, connecting the proposed struggle at Bartram’s with other campaigns like Save the Meadows, Save the UC Townhomes, No Arena in Chinatown, and the fight against the Cobbs Creek golf course.
– March/April: Anti-development and other anarchist graffiti goes up in Bartram’s North, including “Land Back” and Developers GTFO (A).”
– April: A communique posts photos of graffiti at Bartram’s North (with slogans including “fuck in the forest (A)” and “developers GTFO”) “for those Sexy Elves and Fairies out there in the Sex Forest. Let’s make the space more fun and cute while we defend the land. ;-)”
– May: A “work party” takes down most of the fence around the Bartram’s North fields for a second time and puts up more graffiti.
– June: “Feral gnomes” write a claim taking responsibility for pouring grit into the lubricating system of an earth-destroying machine at Bartram’s.

The proposal for “Cellicon Valley,” part of the Lower Schuylkill Master Plan, threatens to build a biotech campus at the sites of Bartram’s North and Bartram’s South. As well as demolishing the green spaces in those areas, the proposal also likely involves razing Bartram’s Village (the project housing nearby), and displacing its residents to build a new road to the Bartram’s South site.

This proposal is part of an ongoing effort by Philadelphia’s city planners to attract tech investment and brand the city as a new tech hot spot in competition with innovation hubs like Boston, the Bay and Silicon Valley itself. The city has been trying to do this kind of thing for a while, with mixed results, for example with Philadelphia’s failed attempt around 2018 to win the bid to house Amazon’s second national headquarters.

It is critical that we help them continue to fail in this goal. The effects of gentrification have already been devastating, and taking it to this level would make the city unlivable for everyone except a newly arrived generation of yuppie tech gentry.

The city is still looking for a partner to actually carry out the development process at Bartram’s. The PIDC (Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation) is reportedly in conversation with three development firms: Quaker Lane Capital, Gattuso Development Partners/AR Spruce, and Lincoln Property Company. The latest information we have, from February 2023, says they expected to select a partner and negotiate a development agreement by the second quarter of 2023.

It is much easier to intimidate potential developers, discouraging them from committing to the project in the first place, than it is to dissuade companies that have already signed a contract. Waiting until a developer is actually chosen might galvanize resistance by helping publicize the project and showing people it’s a real threat, but do we really want to wait til the deal is done, mainstream media has decided to start talking about (i.e. advertising) it, and everyone else on the opposition has been put on point to promote the project and squash resistance?

At this time, it’s not certain that any of the above development firms will even decide to commit to the project. If we act now, we can make this potential failure a reality. If we wait til later, we can still make construction a problem for the developers, but we’ll be at more of a disadvantage.

We don’t need to rely on our opposition’s timeline or their media; we can create our own. At this moment, we have the chance to widely publicize the project *ourselves*, spreading the information we want to see spread and finding potential accomplices, while the city waits around for their side of things to get finalized. It might not feel like it, but the time in which it’ll be most effective to act is now.

Who’s Responsible:
– PIDC (Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation), a non-profit founded by the city of Philadelphia and the Chamber of Commerce that funds development, is the main vehicle of this project
– Anne Bovaird Nevins, President of PIDC
– Angie Fredrickson, Vice President of Real Estate Services of PIDC (oversees the group’s marketing efforts in the Lower Schuylkill)
– Tom Dalfo, Senior Vice President of Real Estate Services for PIDC (oversaw the implementation of the Lower Schuylkill Master Plan)
– Colliers Life Sciences, “elite” real estate advisors leading the effort to solicit developers for the biotech campus
– Joseph Fetterman, Executive Vice President
– Clifford Brechner, Vice President
– Matthew Barkann, Associate
– William Penn Foundation, funders of the Lower Schuylkill Master Plan, along with the City of Philadelphia
– PennPraxis, local advisors and facilitators for the Lower Schuylkill Master Plan
– PHA (Philadelphia Housing Authority)
– Urban Land Institute (ULI) Philadelphia – assembled the panel of experts in 2021 (sponsored by PIDC) that recommended and specified suggestions for the development of Bartram’s
– All development firms that have shown interest in the project

Some ideas:
– Counter-information about the project (on site and in general)
– Actions against people responsible for development
– Work parties
– Dare to dream >:)

Orgs VS. Liberty

  • August 9, 2023 1:42 am

Submission

On the weekend of June 29 through July 2nd, some folx had organized to do what would turn out to be more of a block party then a protest. The weeks ahead saw numerous virtual zoom meetings between members of various organizations which included ‘Act Up’ and ‘Young Communist League,’ and almost seemingly endless group chat conversations on signal. The event discussed was because folx had gotten wind that a right wing neofascist christian group called “Moms 4 Liberty were coming to town at the end of the month. Amongst those conversations there seemed to have been talks of a “diversity of tactics” with the basic goal to run these fuckers out of Philly.
The next coming weeks  saw a few actions at various locations. We should also mention that separate from all the orgs bullshit, local and non-local anarchists and anti-fascists also began to plot various actions for the last couple of weeks before the event.
Fast forward to the last meeting before the mums got here. Basically, more talks of a variety of tactics. The vibes that left that conversation was one of an acceptance of more autonomous actions. The event itself had been scheduled for every day and every time slot. Actually, kinda fucking crazy how scheduled shit was. It’s almost as though they were really afraid that any unscheduled time slot would like, deter their plans to ultimately just fucking yell at people. We remember at one point, folks had discussed not “peace policing” anyone. Would you believe that there basically wasn’t a day that some MC on a microphone didn’t peace police in a way?
Basically, the whole weekend went like this from what we saw: Big crowds gathered in the middle of 12th and Filbert street for roughly 12 hours to put on various events, but mostly set up a place for folx to just dance and “make noise” next to the Marriott where the mums for liberty (also referred to jokingly as the “mums 4 hate”) were staying and hosting their big event.
Round the evening of the first rally, anarchists and antifascists took to the streets to spread art and agit-prop throughout old towne. The rally goers and the art march briefly met, with art marchers ultimately turning down an alleyway and going their own way. Seems both groups had different ideas. There were no clashes for either side.
However, the same could not be said about the so called “peaceful protestors.” Since the first night, interactions with the police happened more than once. Protesters were detained practically at each event. They seemed to also be released hours later so, we can at least all be happy about that. Unfortunately, some interactions left scars. A comrade had alerted us to one time that a brave soul dared to throw a easily breakable object into the crowd of people supporting the mums for liberty. The next thing, and we couldn’t believe we heard it, that brave soul was essentially brought attention by the mc on the mic saying “Get your boi!” (exact words may differ) and then chased off… Oh, in case it wasn’t understood, by the people supposedly protesting the mums for liberty… Not the cops. And before that, being confronted by what people call “march marshals.” Fucked up right? We’ll say again that this is what we heard so, check up about it if ya feel (stories and recollections may vary). The other “clashes” if you even wanna fucking call it that, just us but like, clashes usually mean that both individuals involved equally try to inflict harm, but we digress… There was also another brave soul that ran to wave goodbye to the mums in their own special way and they tackled by security. They suffered injuries and had to be taken to hospital. For such a “peaceful” event, sure was some fuckery that went down. We guess we could also mention “struggles” for space.
Which, ultimately, were won by the cops. The cops were granted EVERY SINGLE FUCKING METER they wanted. The protesters lost, you know what, fuck it, GAVE space away at both locations. Once at the local “revolutionary” museum, and again outside the hotel. It seemed that these communists and other socialist types couldn’t defend or hold the space like their precious daddies back in the day. (Shocker.) To be fair to all involved, they were basically, well wait no, not basically, DEFINITELY fucking kettled the whole time. It just seemed like the whole event was just meant to be a place where there wasn’t much room to move.
Ultimately, not a fun time if you wanted to actually accomplish scaring those bigots away. They laughed at everyone multiple days. That one pragur u dude even came out to see the spectacle.  Comrades, we have got to start taking shit in our own hands if we wanna accomplish shit. Ours enemies get stronger and chose violence at every single turn, we can BARELY keep comrades from getting caught up. The protesters liberal agenda is going to more people killed. It’s not funny, and dancing round instead of showing these fuckers what is actually up, is just a bad look and not doing us any favours. Bleh… fuck it. We need to show people that there is a different way. A more autonomous way, a more direct way. You know that direct actions yields more results rather than waiting for some authority or these phantom “masses” they fucking go on about. Yeah, we need numbers, but we can attract those numbers when people see we’re fucking serious. We’re a force to be reckoned with when we all find our self determination. The orgs have become so big in this fucking city. These orgs will organize our way into the system. It’s just the fucking truth from what we’re seeing. It’s called a ‘DIVERSITY OF TACTICS’ not Only ‘organization of tactics’ 🙄
And like, definitely fuck the mums for liberty and all these conservative and transphobic cunts, but part of that is showing them why their wrong in a more conflictual way.

In Contempt #31: New Support Campaigns Rally Across the US Against Repression

  • August 2, 2023 1:28 am

from It’s Going Down

[This post only contains information relevant to Philadelphia and the surrounding area, to read the entire article follow the above link.]

In this column, we present our monthly roundup of political prisoner, prison rebel, and repression news, happenings, announcements, action and analysis. Packed in as always are updates, fundraisers, and birthdays.

There’s a lot happening, so let’s dive right in!

Political Prisoner News

Upcoming dates in the political prisoner support calendar include the international week of solidarity with anarchist prisoners from August 23-30th, and Running/Pushing Down the Walls events that will be taking place in several locations, including Philadelphia on September 17th and Los Angeles on October 21st.

General Prison News and Abolitionist Media

Anarchist prisoner Sean Swain is being profiled by a new youtube channel, and Rebellious Hearts, a new collective founded by Dwayne “BIM” Staats and Jarreau “Ruk” Ayers from the Vaughn uprising, now has an instagram page.

Uprising Defendants

See Uprising Support for more info, and check out the Antirepression PDX site for updates from Portland cases. To the best of our knowledge they currently include:

David Elmakayes 77782-066
FCI McKean
Federal Correctional Institution
P.O. Box 8000
Bradford, PA 16701

Upcoming Birthdays

Lawrence Michaels

A former Vaughn 17 defendant, and contributor to the Vaughn zines, “Live from the Trenches” and “United We Stood.” While the state has now dropped its attempts to criminalize Lawrence in relation to the uprising, he, like all of the Vaughn 17, deserves respect and support for making it through the entire process while staying in solidarity with his co-defendants and refusing to co-operate with the prosecution.

Pennsylvania uses Connect Network/GTL, so you can contact him online by going to connectnetwork.com, selecting “Add a facility”, choosing “State: Pennsylvania, Facility: Pennsylvania Department of Corrections”, going into the “messaging” service, and then adding him as a contact by searching his name or “NW2894”.

Birthday: August 14

Address:

Smart Communications / PA DOC
Lawrence Michaels – NW2894
SCI Frackville
P.O. Box 33028
St. Petersburg, FL 33733