Episode 7: “Empty Every Cage, Break Every Chain”

by Coffee with ComradesAugust 7, 2018

Hosted by

Coffee with Comrades

TW: Be advised, this episode includes a sound-byte from Richard Nixon’s chief of staff, Lee Atwater, spewing racial slurs from 22:02–22:22.

In this week’s episode of Coffee with Comrades, Bree and Pearson discuss the #August21 Prison Strike and dissect the prison-industrial complex, the abolition movement, and transformative justice. But, first, a look at this week in current events:

A migrant child died shortly after being released from detention by ICE
Detained migrant fathers and sons stage a strike in Texas
Facebook censors antifascists organizing to demonstrate in DC
DC Metro union refuses to transport fascists

Bree and Pearson then provide a historical context for the prison-industrial complex before diving into the legacy and goals of the abolition movement. Ultimately, the hosts of Coffee with Comrades advocate for a system of transformative justice to truly address the root causes of “crime” and create a more humane and egalitarian society.

Get Involved:

Educate others about the August 21st Prison Strike, the prison-industrial complex, abolition, and transformative justice
Follow and promote the strike on social media using the #August21 and #prisonstrike hash-tags on social media and amplify the voices of incarcerated workers
Endorse the strike by emailing your organization’s statement to [email protected]
Spread word of the strike both inside and outside–go to www.incarceratedworkers.org to print out stickers, flyers and posters
Organize a phone tree in preparation for phone zaps
Start an Anarchist Black Cross chapter
Write to political prisoners
Support the upcoming strike directly by promoting, attending, and/or creating a solidarity demonstration at a prison near you!