Breaking and Entering a New World: Video, Photos, and a New Article on the Chrysler Building Occupation

A new report from Crimethinc tells the story of the occupation of a derelict building in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on November 12-13, 2011, drawing on accounts from a wide range of participants. While anarchists and corporate media have circulated news of this action far and wide, the experiences shared inside the building have remained a sort of black box. This report opens up that box, just as the occupiers opened up the building, to reveal a world of possibility. You can read more and see a related video here.

Police Raid Occupied Building with Guns Drawn

At aproximately 430 pm, one of the largest coordinated police actions in recent Chapel Hill/Carrboro history took place in downtown. After shutting off both ends of Franklin St. and establishing a perimeter around the building, a several dozen police with guns drawn raided the 10,000 square foot Chrysler building at 419 W. Franklin St. Both Chapel Hill and Carrboro Police participated, as well as the fire department.

THIS BUILDING IS OURS! Chapel Hill Anarchists Occupy Downtown Building

In the midst of the first general strike to hit the US since 1946, a group of comrades occupied a vacant building in downtown Oakland, CA. Before being brutally evicted and attacked by cops, they taped up in the window a large banner declaring, “Occupy Everything…”

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Last night, at about 8pm, a group of about 50 – 75 people occupied the 10,000 square foot Chrysler Building on the main street of downtown Chapel Hill. Notorious for having an owner who hates the city and has bad relations with the City Council, the giant building has sat empty for ten years. It is empty no longer.

Raleigh, NC: Anarchists, Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation Join up to Protest NC Prisons

Due to the harassment and recent segregation of these members, as well as the constant targeting of politically active NC prisoners and the recent hunger strike in CA, the demo particularly focused on solitary confinement. Folks carried banners like, “Against Solitary – Love for All Prison Rebels,” “Solitary is Torture,” and “Against Prisons,” and shouted ALKQN chants and slogans against cops and prisons.

New Zine Available: On Women and Violence

Hey y’all, just made a new zine available — On Women and Violence. It contains two essays on the subjects of feminist struggle and self defense: the second wave classic “Justice is a Woman with a Sword,” and a recently published article by author Vikki Law titled “Where Abolition Meets Action.” Please feel free to print and copy and distribute to your heart’s content! A pdf can be found here.

Announcing the 2nd Annual Carrboro Anarchist Bookfair

The second annual anarchist book fair in Carrboro, North Carolina will take place on Saturday, November 12. The book fair will run all at day; other events geared towards both organizing and entertainment will take place throughout the weekend. Book lovers, firebrands, and the simply curious are all invited! Anarchists have been in the news a lot this past year, and this is a good opportunity to find out what all the hubbub is really about.

Are you involved with a radical bookshop, organizing group, or publishing project? Don’t delay–email carrborobookfair@gmail.com to reserve a table, volunteer to help, or suggest activities. The deadline for reserving tables is November 1. We’ll also be hosting workshops, presentations, and discussions–feel free to propose to offer one.

You can learn more and get promotional materials at www.carrboroanarchistbookfair.wordpress.com. The venue is the same as last year: the Nightlight at 405 1/2 West Rosemary Street, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Just like last year, we are asking groups to pay a small tabling fee, but it’s important to us that tabling be accessible to groups that do not expect to make any money.

Where Abolition Meets Action: Women Organizing Against Gender Violence

by Victoria Law

During the last decade, the growing movement toward prison abolition, coupled with mounting recognition of the need for community responses to gender violence, has led to increased interest in developing alternatives to government policing. Moving away from the notion of women as victims in need of police protection, grassroots groups, and activists are organizing community alternatives to calling 911. Such initiatives, however, are not new. Throughout the twentieth century, women have organized alter- native models of self-protection. This piece examines past and present models of women’s community self-defense practices against violence. By exploring the wide-ranging methods women across the globe have employed to protect themselves, their loved ones, and communities, this piece seeks to contribute to current conversations on promoting safety and account- ability without resorting to state-based policing and prisons.

NC Prisoner’s Hunger Strike Ends Successfully

On July 15^th, North Carolina prisoner and anarchist James Graham began a hunger strike at Lanesboro CI in solidarity with the thousands of striking prisoners across California. For over a year Graham has been isolated in solitary conditions similar to those being protested by the prisoners of Pelican Bay, where California’s hunger strike began.

In addition to acting in solidarity with California’s prison rebels, Graham also used his strike to address a number of immediate issues surrounding living conditions on lock-up at Lanesboro. Less than a week after submitting his demands along with an announcement of his strike, most of his requests were addressed. We recently received word of this by mail. Below is a list of the demands accompanied by the results of the strike.

Durham Represents! Noise Demo in Solidarity with California Prisoners and the Seattle 26

At 5:30 pm on Sunday August 7^th, about 35 folks gathered in front of the jail in downtown Durham to spread awareness of and show our solidarity with hunger striking prisoners in California. We also wanted to draw attention to recent attacks on anarchist comrades in the Northwest. This demo followed up a similar protest two weeks ago in Greensboro.

Our presence was purposely timed with visitor’s hours at the jail, and for the hour and half we were there there was a constant stream of family and friends coming in and out of the large, modern, Orwellian structure. Handbills in English and Spanish explaining the various anti-prison struggles around the country (see text below) and business cards with information on how prisoners can get material support from local anarchists on the outside were given to folks visiting loved ones. Others banged on pots and pans, played drums, blew on kazoos, held banners, and chanted (“Cops, Pigs, Murderers!”, and “Abajo las Presiones, la Policia son Cabrones” were two favorites). One person just waved a large stick in the air with word “against” written on the end of it. 

Raleigh: Death Row Prisoners Stage Cafeteria Protest

On July 14^th, 2011, a group of ten to fifteen death row inmates at Central Prison in Raleigh staged a peaceful group protest in reaction to the brutal beating of another death row inmate, William Bowie. Bowie was handcuffed, with his hands behind his back, and then beaten by one Sergeant Soucier in front of 25-30 inmates.

During the protest, in a rare sign of unity, prisoners stood up in the cafeteria and gave speeches against the abuse. The following day, officials placed the men on administrative segregation (solitary confinement) as punishment for the protest.