Communique 009: It’s Gonna Be May Day

HAPPY MAY DAY! Elias and Athena bring you a brief history of May Day in Massachusetts and beyond, and discuss state efforts to subvert the holiday, the Janarchists of Fyre Festival, prank calling ICE, gay frog week, another awful beverage ad, and more!

Stream or download on SoundCloud or iTunes.

Talking points: Untouched by an angel; that little guy? I wouldn’t worry about that little guy; a-Maying grace; moderation is involved; open yr fresh can; Athena doesn’t like it; the Duke of Fuck-You vs Lord I-Do-What-I-Want; feedin’ the cedar meter; Puritans HATE him–click to see why!; the storied Malorkus’s of Braintree; the “Haymarket thing;” 1919: Boston PD become Hot Cops; kill Mayor Whitey; gargling foie gras; the Albert Parsons Project (oy); Loyalty Day, Law Day, and Labor Day; it’s okay if you keep laboring thaaanks; live every week like it’s #gayfrogweek; Rise of the Janarchists, climb in a megafauna and sautee a mouse in yr pee; spam on ICE; somebody’s Heiney is crowding my nice talks; Family Double Dare in a warehouse with alcohol and racists; literally “hold my beer;” painting Chase Bank on fire is not a crime; elaborate heist maps; Dali the chrono-terrorist; M’aidez Rhonda.

Relevant Links:
The incomplete, true, authentic and wonderful history of May Day (Peter Linebaugh, LibCom.org)
May Day 2017: Nothing is Over, Forward We Continue (It’s Going Down)
The Next 100 Days: May Day and Worker Resistance Under Trump / Los Próximos 100 Días: El Primero De Mayo Y La Resistencia Obrera Bajo Trump (Black Rose Federation/Federación Anarquista Rosa Negra)
Not to be a downer, but here’s a reality check on ‘Loyalty Day’ (The Los Angeles Times)
Activists stage sit-in to protest detention of immigrants (Lisa Wangsness, The Boston Globe)
Lizard People of NY and TruthBang.net
I Worked at Fyre Festival. It Was Always Going to Be a Disaster. (Chloe Gordon, New York Magazine)
$12,000 luxury Fyre Festival is basically a disaster zone (Alex Young, Consequence of Sound)
The Heineken Ad Is Worse Than The Pepsi Ad, You’re Just Too Stupid To Know It (DiDi Delgado, Medium)
Of Mead And Molotov (Rhyd Wildermuth, Gods and Radicals)
Alex Schaefer’s Paintings Of Burning Banks From His ‘Disaster Capitalism’ Series (Mutant Space)
Paganism, Anarchism and May Day (The Final Straw Radio)
The History of May Day (Resonance: An Anarchist Audio Distro)

GUESS WHAT?

Communique 009 airs tomorrow, MAY DAY, at 5 p.m. ET on Boston Free Radio. Tune in to hear about recent events, May Day celebrations in and around Boston, and a little bit about the history of May Day. Below are some happenings to consider:

Un Dia Sin Inmigrantes – ALL DAY
Everywhere
“Unéte al Dia Sin Inmigrantes/Join the Day Without An Immigrant: www.lahuelga.com

El primero de mayo, Cosecha invita a los trabajadores que dejen los campos, la maquilas, los restaurantes y los hoteles para paralizar la economía y demostrar los millones de dólares que los inmigrantes contribuyen a este país cada día.

No vamos a trabajar. No vamos a la escuela. No vamos a comprar. Te uniras?
——————————————–
On May 1st, Cosecha invites workers to leave the fields, the factories, the restaurants, and hotels to paralyze the economy and demonstrate the millions of dollars that immigrants contribute daily.
We will not go to work. We will not go to school. We will not buy.

Will you join us? http://www.lahuelga.com/home

People’s School – 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Arlington Street Church, Boston, MA 02117
Led by the Boston Educators Circle in coordination with Dia Sin Inmigrantes, for youth ages 5-18 and their families. Click
HERE for the program.

Festival de Cosecha – Harvest Festival – 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Maverick Sq, Boston, MA 02128
“Join us May 1st to commemorate International Workers Day and participate in the 1st Cosecha/Harvest Festival! We need to continue to demonstrate our power with “A Day Without Immigrants” – by NOT going to work, NOT going to school, and NOT buying anything. INSTEAD come and learn about Cosecha, and participate as a community with music, dance, art and many other fun activities. We have to show this country that it cannot function without immigrants. This is just the beginning of our fight for permanent protection, dignity, and respect!

——————————–lahuelga.com——————————

¡Únete al 1ro de mayo para conmemorar el Día Internacional de los Trabajadores y participar en el Primer Festival de Cosecha Boston! Vamos a seguir demonstrando nuestro poder con “Un Día Sin Inmigrantes” NO iyendo a trabajar, NO iyendo a la escuela y NO comprando nada. PERO vengan y participen en el FESTIVAL para conocer más sobre Movimiento Cosecha y compartir en comunidad con musica, baile, arte, y muchas mas actividades divertidas. Tenemos que demostrarle a este país que no puede funcionar sin inmigrantes. ¡Esto es sólo el comienzo de la lucha para obtener protección permanente, dignidad, y respeto!”

#HereToStay Rally in Support of the Safe Communities Act – 11:45 a.m.
Steps of the MA State House, Downtown Boston, MA 02117

Workers and Students United for Sanctuary – Harvard Rally – 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Widener Library, Harvard Yard, Cambridge, MA

On May 1st, International Workers’ Day, we will stand together to call for clear commitments from Harvard to protect marginalized members of our community. This rally brings together labor organizations and student groups from across campus in Harvard Yard at 4 pm. The list of speakers is TBA. We will then head over together to the 5 pm city-wide rally at Boston Common to show our solidarity with the broader Boston labor, immigrant, and people of color community in our fight to protect those vulnerable among us and to protect our ability to organize. We have a long fight ahead to continue to build solidarity around these issues, and we will have a follow-up meeting in early May to discuss goals for the summer and for the next year.

Boston May Day Mass Mobilization – Resist the Racist Deportations! – 5:00-8:00 p.m.
Boston Common, Boston, MA 02108

Followed by March to Copley Square…

The government in Washington has launched a generalized assault on our lives, rights, and living conditions. From the racist attacks on Muslims, Migrants, and African Americans to attacks on our healthcare, women, and LBGTQ folks, to our environment and education — working and oppressed people are under fire. The inauguration of the Trump presidency has sharpened the already deplorable situation for undocumented people and migrants of color.

On International Workers Day, “May Day” we call on all progressives, defenders and extenders of democratic rights, anti-racists, anti-fascists, and everyone willing and able to take this struggle to the centers of power. Our oppressions and exploitations are connected, so too must be our liberation! An injury to one is an injury to all!

Seguido por Desfile a Copley Square…

El gobierno de Washington ha lanzado un asalto generalizado contra nuestras vidas, derechos y condiciones de vida. Desde los ataques racistas contra los musulmanes, los migrantes y los afroamericanos, hasta los ataques contra nuestra salud, las mujeres y la gente LBGTQ, e incluyendo nuestro medio ambiente y nuestra educación — los trabajadores y los oprimidos están bajo fuego. La inauguración de la presidencia de Trump ha agudizado la ya deplorable situación para los indocumentados y los migrantes de color.

En el Día Internacional de los Trabajadores, “Día de Mayo” hacemos un llamamiento a todos los progresistas, defensores y extensionistas de los derechos democráticos, a los anti-racistas, a los anti-fascistas, y a todos los que quieran y puedan llevar esta lucha a los centros de poder. ¡Nuestras opresiones y explotaciones están conectadas, así también debe ser nuestra liberación! ¡Una herida para uno es una herida para todos!

Many, many more Massachusetts May Day events are listed here, as well. Happy May Day!