A weekly guide to action.
The times may be dark, but they’re not hopeless. We have the power to join together and fight back. Now more than ever, we need to shore up our bonds of community, activate our networks, and make our voices heard. To this end, Blunderbuss is compiling a weekly roundup of events in our hometown of New York City that offer a chance to push back against the rising tide of hate and authoritarianism. Don’t expect this list to be exhaustive – this city is too full of energy and activism for us to stay on top of everything. But if you’ve got an event you’d like to see listed, feel free to hit up Travis at tmushett@gmail.com. All descriptions are authored by event organizers, and occasionally trimmed for length.
Sunday, December 25
Fight Training
Time: Sun. 12/25, 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Location: The Base, 1302 Myrtle Ave., Brooklyn
[link]
Martial arts training focusing on mind, body, and antifascism.
In the constant rise of right wing chaos, one who considers him or herself to be an anarchist, or just one searching for a better life, should have the proper means mentally and physically to hold guard against anyone or anything halting that process. Come and learn the ways, with many styles to absorb, we shall be equipped with what we need to overthrow those who do so.
Learn and Teach
Teach and Learn
Monday, December 26
#PeoplesMonday for #DarnishaHarris #BlackLivesMatter
Time: Mon. 12/26, 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Location: Grand Central Terminal, 87 E. 42nd St., Manhattan
[link]
Every Monday since January 2015, NYC Shut It Down has taken to the streets of NYC, forcing attention to the ever-growing Black Lives Matter movement and the struggle for Black liberation. Through our weekly #PeoplesMonday actions, NYC Shut It Down highlights different cases of police brutality against people of color. Some stories, like those of Sean Bell, Eric Garner, and Tamir Rice are highly publicized. Other stories receive little to no media attention. It is our duty to amplify these stories and we need your help to do that!
Darnisha Harris was 16 when Breaux Bridge Police Officer Travis Guillot fired two shots into the car she was driving. Guillot and two other officers were responding to a 911 call about an outdoor fight.
Guillot was previously accused of misconduct while working at three different law enforcement agencies, according to KATC of Lafayette, Louisiana. The incidents include shooting a dog while on patrol, allegedly fondling female inmates and alleged improper treatment of an inmate who died of cocaine intoxication while in custody. A lawsuit regarding the latter allegation was settled out of court.
A grand jury declined to indict Guillot.
Tuesday, December 27
Revolutionary Hunger Relief
Time: Tues. 12/27, 5:00pm – 9:00pm
Location: The Base, 1302 Myrtle Ave., Brooklyn
[link]
This program will feed hungry people directly after Christmas. Other free food service programs usually see a steep drop in volunteers after Christmas Day, but people need food all year round. This program will be a recurring event at the Base and we intend to expand. This event is open to all, volunteers and donations are appreciated. We will also have other items on hand at the Base — political info, clothes, feminine hygiene products.
Women’s / Trans’ Poetry Jam & Open Mike
Time: Tues. 12/27, 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Location: Bluestockings Bookstore, Café, & Activist Center, 172 Allen St., Manhattan
[link]
Hosted by Vittoria Repetto—the hardest working guinea butch dyke poet on the Lower East Side—the jam has showcased the famous, the infamous, the unknown for over a decade. Come out and deliver (up to) 8 minutes of your poetry, prose, songs and spoken word. Visit vittoriarepetto.wordpress.com for more information.
Open mike ( for women & trans only) – sign-up at 7 pm
Bring your poetry, your prose, your songs, and your spoken word.
Feature Writers: Hilary Lustick & Roxanne Hoffman
Hilary Lustick’s poems cover themes of love, loss, and selfhood in the digital age.
Roxanne Hoffman will be reading from a new sequence of poems riffing classic fairy tales and some other new works
Wednesday, December 28
From the Frontlines of Sacramento: Anti-Racist Action
Time: Wed. 12/28, 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Location: The Base, 1302 Myrtle Ave., Brooklyn
[link]
On June 26th, 2016, antifascists successfully prevented a Neo-Nazi rally that was set to take place at the Sacramento Capitol. The Traditionalist Worker Party (TWP) and the Golden State Skinheads (GSS) came together to plan the rally as a show of force and a platform for their racist ideology.
Well, they never got that far and were instead denied such a platform due to 400 brave individuals taking the capitol grounds and making such a rally in fact impossible. Unfortunately this came at a cost, and once the dust settled 9 antifascists were on their way to the hospital; 3 who had suffered blunt force trauma , and 6 who had suffered serious stab wounds.
The 3-4 weeks that followed the antifascist action at the Sacramento capitol were filled with uncertainty, high intensity, and moments where smart decisions really needed to be made fast. There was also incredible amounts of comradery, inspiring situations, and periods of real joy. There is so much to share and yet so much to reflect on and learn from while looking back. Looking forward to a good amount of time for a discussion at the end too.
Thursday, December 29
Oakland Benefit with PHARMAKON, Drew McDowall, DJ Richard + More
Time: Thurs. 12/29, 8:00pm
Location: Saint Vitus, 1120 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn
[link]
A night of remembrance for the lives lost at Ghost Ship and to raise funds for the Trans Assistance Project (TAP) Oakland. In addition to providing direct relief at this time, TAP donations will go directly to fund funeral services and end of life costs for the trans women who lost their lives in the Oakland Ghost Ship Fire: Feral Pines, Cash Askew, and Em Bohlka, and to fund medical care for another trans woman who survived the fire. Additional funds will be donated to TAP in Feral’s name. Feral had applied for TAP’s services: funding name and gender markers changes, medical costs, and legal fees for trans people in the United States, so that trans people may survive and thrive.
There will be space provided to offer physical objects in remembrance of all the departed. The names of the victims at Ghost Ship will also be read aloud. Organizers can be contacted for additional suggestions to honor those effected by Ghost Ship.
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Illustration by Yvonne Martinez.