Julie from Asheville Community Bail Fund talking about ICE holds at the Buncombe County jail in western NC from this week's episode
thefinalstrawradio.noblogs.org/post/2026/03...
Text that reads: Disability & young adult fiction. Saturday, April 18 at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST with Maya Ameyaw, Natalia Sylvester, Nicole Zelniker, Sonido Reyes, and Sydney Langford. Moderated by Lauren T. Davila; hosted (virtually) by Firestorm Books. Sign up at the link in my bio; we will be fundraising for Siembra NC.
Text that reads: On 2/27, BookCon sent me an acceptance email for a panel I pitched on disability literature as part of their Pride Lounge. Though I was initially excited when I sent the pitch, I had to decline because ReedPop, the organization putting on the con, is tied to LexisNexis, a company that has a multi-million dollar contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement that allows ICE to track user data. I contacted Sonido Reyes, Maya Ameyaw, Sydney Langford, and Natalia Sylvester, all of whom agreed with this decision, but were still up for doing a panel. We chose April 18, which is the Saturday of BookCon, and Maya suggested fundraising for an organization doing anti-ICE work.
Text that reads: I want to make it so clear, at least one more time, that I don’t blame the authors who are locked into going due to contracts, and that the folks from ReedPop were very understanding. I hope that they will be able to hold successful cons in the future without these circumstances. This panel will be virtual (link in my bio to sign up), with a donation of $5 to Siembra, NC. Their link is also in my bio if you’d like to learn more.
One of the books to be discussed in the conversation, ALL I KNOW SO FAR by Nicole Zelniker.
So excited to raise money for @siembranc.bsky.social & chat about disabled, young adult fiction! Thank you SO much to @firestorm.coop for being so game to host, and to all the panelists and best moderator @ltdavila.bsky.social for being so flexible with everything.
Spread the word: volunteers needed to attend trial and take notes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area! 📣
I know people are very sensitive about the use of the word “genocide” but the attempts to medically eliminate trans children is very clearly meets the standard because they are trying to eliminate a population and also they know some of those kids are going to kill themselves
How the podcast started: "isn't it kinda sus that these protesters owned guns and wore all black?"
How it ended: "this case demonstrates that it's no longer safe to go to a protest without concealing your identity—you should cover your face and tattoos, wear all black and carry ppe"
A newspaper headline from over a century ago, reading: WOMEN ANARCHISTS HAVE BECOME THE TERROR OF WORLDS POLICE Their Daring Crimes Are Said to Have Out- stripped the Deeds of Brothers of the Red Search for the Woman is Becoming a Safe Rule in Crimes Proceeding From Anarchistic Violence—The Guardians of the World Nearly Always Finda Woman Implicated When a Ruler is Stricken Down—Emotional Women Lose Sense of Fear.
Happy International Women's Day. 🏴
March 6 Trial Update The prosecution has done everything in their power to terrorize these cooperators into compliance. Multiple have broken down on the stand, distraught over betraying their friends and over the threats thrown at them by investigators and jailers. Despite all this, the prosecution has not managed to present any evidence to support the wild claims foundational to the case. This was never an ambush by an antifa cell. This was an act of solidarity with our kidnapped neighbors, and a rogue cop's aggressive behavior escalated the situation. Yesterday, Susan Kent took the stand. Early in the process of identifying other people in the Socialist Rifle Association (SRA), she began crying. Her testimony, like Sikes and Sharp before her, contradicts other cooperators and other parts of the state's story.
March 6 Trial Update She confirmed that not everything discussed at the meeting before the noise demo was taken seriously or followed through on. She also confirmed that Song's comments about not getting arrested were about fleeing a potential arrest, not some ominous threat of planned violence. Even the state's key witnesses cannot back their absurd "ambush" claims. When John Thomas, Song's roommate, took the stand, he left out crucial details about the night of July 4 from his testimony until being cross-examined. In at least three prior interviews with law enforcement, Thomas stated that Song said they pulled the trigger because the officer raised his weapon first. Thomas incriminated others that he claimed helped to transport Song. As local SRA chapter secretary, he gave a list of hundreds of members which included personal details like home addresses.
March 6 Trial Update When the prosecution asked Thomas who were members of antifa, he hesitated and said he couldn't remember. They had to provide him written and verbal reminders of the list in his plea agreement, which came pre-written by the state. On cross, Thomas admitted that no one on the list ever self identified as antifa, and that he had never used the word to describe any of them prior to being arrested. We hope the defendants who have refused to turn on each other know we see them for who they are: loving people steadfast in their commitment to a better world. When the defense laid the groundwork for a self defense argument, the prosecution begged the judge to bar it. When their own witnesses discussed open carry as a deterrent to violence, suppressive fire as a means of defense, or indicated that Song may have shot at the ground, the state panicked, striking some testimony from the record.
Outside, Fort Worth cops returned to hassle the court support rally. They even threatened to detain one of the supporters. Neither the stormy weather nor the intimidation will keep us from continuing to support the people fighting for truth and freedom in this courtroom. COURT SUPPORT CONTINUES ON MONDAY! Your support is incredibly valuable! Please continue to spread the news and come to the courthouse! Monday 3/9 - Friday 3/13 8AM - 5 PM 501 W. 10th St., Fort Worth
The prosecution has done everything in their power to terrorize these cooperators into compliance. Multiple have broken down on the stand, distraught over betraying their friends and over the threats thrown at them by investigators and jailers.
A woman who couldn't afford $1k bond was forced to give birth unattended in NC's deadliest jail. Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office attorney: no disciplinary action, this was “not an incident that needed reprimand.” No paywall: archive.ph/iLF9w
Left wing political prisoners be like: "I had some zines."
Right wing "political" prisoners: I stormed the capital with zip ties and a rope to lynch Michael Pence and also I am not a prisoner anymore I have been released
Anyway support the Prairieland defendants
@dfwsupportcommitt.bsky.social
As testimony unfolds in the Prairieland case, it appears that authorities used horrific jail conditions to pressure defendants to "cooperate."
In 2018, when Russian secret police tortured political arrestees into signing false confessions, we warned that this tactic would eventually reach the US.
It's not an excuse for cooperation, but the federal government has clearly extracted bullshit confessions under conditions that meet the definition of torture—incl extreme isolation, sexual violence, physical and emotional abuse, and the withholding of appropriate food and medical care.
Read more about this case in @theintercept.com's article by Jeremy Busby, @joinjeremy.org, in partnership with FPF:
Prison-style free speech censorship is coming for the rest of us: The government wants to make it illegal to possess literature it deems dangerous
Read more about what this case means for press freedom in this op-ed by @seth-stern.bsky.social in @theintercept.com, published in Nov.
A long table covered in open brown paper bags being filled with HRT harm reduction kits. 2 people stand at the far end of the table, looking over the bags.
A man wearing jeans and a pink tshirt sits on a table holding a small bag of supplies. Next to him are an assortment of small boxes containing different supplies for the kits.
A line of filled HRT harm reduction kits - sealed brown paper bags with customised labels
Another 200 HRT harm reduction kits ready to be distributed to trans people in Asheville, NC 🏳️⚧️
Each pack contains syringes, injection needles, alcohol wipes, bandaids, and a sharps disposal container, ensuring that people have safe and reliable access to gender affirming healthcare.
War is peace, freedom is slavery, reading is a left-wing conspiracy.
"The prosecutor displayed photos on a courtroom television of evidence seized from the garage of defendants on trial for alleged involvement in a radical left-wing conspiracy: photocopiers, a bookbinding machine and leaflets called zines."
No paywall: archive.ph/whWm0
A screenshot of an article titled "Asheville employs more municipal workers than similar-sized cities. Is it necessary for a busy tourist town or a sign of bloat?" with a photo of Asheville city hall. The first paragraph of the story reads "David Moritz’s campaign for Asheville City Council ended with a loss in Tuesday’s primary, but he hopes his message about the root cause of the city’s yawning budget gap – bloated staffing – will linger."
Asheville Watchdog continues front-page simping for fascist developer David Mortiz whose vision of austerity for Asheville won him a shabby 3% of primary votes.
Assaults, child abuse, DWI, perjury... here's a rundown of how local law enforcement are spending their free time. (But they're probably angels on the clock.) No paywall: archive.ph/OggJF
“Zines are really like this little atomic unit of freedom of the press with simple pamphlets that you just pass around. It begs the question of whether the prosecution believes that we should have a First Amendment in the first place” #ZinesAreNotACrime
—Lydia Koza, wife of defendant Autumn Hill
📢📢📢 The zines have entered the court 📢📢📢
Know your local fascists
This would be fantastic!
We're hosting TWO bookclubs, a fundraiser for Gaza Soup Kitchen, and an author talk today! 😅
📚 firestorm.coop/events/3551-...
🥯 firestorm.coop/events/3557-...
🎓 firestorm.coop/events/3537-...
🐿️ firestorm.coop/events/3548-...
"People just don’t have the luxury to wait for the 'right conditions.' Instead, movements must interrupt historical processes leading to catastrophe, by any means necessary. It is not enough to 'hope,' we must be determined."
The Prairieland Defenders trial - accused of crimes related to a protest at a TX ICE prison - is off to a crazy start, as reported by @thisamericanlife.org this week.
Story: www.thisamericanlife.org/i-want-what-...
#antifa, #fuckICE, #prairielanddefenders
Probably this hilarious puppet 🙃
Updates from court this morning:
FBI Agent Wiethorn on the stand this morning repeatedly described fireworks as “artillery shells.” Quick google search finds many companies using this tongue and cheek branding: flashingfireworks.com/products/cra...
We're having troubling liking some of your posts today as well. Hit the heart icon, it lights up for a few seconds, then goes back to the unliked state 🤔
Image description: white text on green background with illustrations of yellow, orange, and blue flowers
Image description: white text on green background with illustrations of yellow, orange, and blue flowers
JURY SELECTION UPDATES
~ FEBRUARY 23 ~
The jury has been selected and opening statements are set to begin!
