Washington Blade, “Baltimore neighborhood’s gentrification sparks tension”
The bookstore and coffeehouse, which is named after Emma Goldman, a Lithuanian anarchist and political organizer who emigrated to the U.S. in 1885, on its website describes itself as a “worker cooperative behind the restaurant, coffee roaster, bookstore and community events space.” Red Emma’s has also become an institution of sorts in an increasingly gentrified […]
Vice, “How Hardcore Punk Will Save Italy from Gentrification”
In the early aughts, a bunch of punks, queer people, freaks, and anarchists squatted here, and Atlantide was born. It became a place of activism, of street politics, based on a shared belief in the value of unalienable rights. For me, Atlantide was that kind of place where you could end up on a Sunday […]
The Guardian, “Hipster-bashing in California: angry residents fight back against gentrification”
Gay Shame, a San Francisco-based group, is a fan. “Many anti-displacement activists concede too soon, or dream too small, and we love Defend Boyle Heights because they are saying ‘get the fuck out’ and really that’s the only answer we should have,” a member said via email. But Kevin Keating, an anarchist who used threats […]
Philadelphia Weekly, “Sparing some change: A deeply personal look at the panhandling situation in Philadelphia”
Baltimore Avenue is home to a socialist bookstore, an anarchist community center, an alternative media non-profit, and a member-owned food co-op. Black Lives Matter signs hang in a number of storefronts. On this street, kicking a panhandler to the curb or calling the cops isn’t always a popular move. Continue Reading
The Philadelphia Inquirer, “2 alleged anarchists to stand trial for N. Philly vandalism spree”
The pair entered the courtroom looking anything but the disheveled alleged anarchists shown in their police mugshots. Monahan wore a black dress complemented by bracelets and a pink beaded necklace and stylish eyeglasses, and her blond hair was freshly cut. Suchocki, his hair shorter than when he was arrested, wore a black-and-white shirt buttoned to […]
Washingtonian, “Meet the Guy Looking for a Roommate Who Wants to ‘Make Petworth Great Again'”
Would you under any circumstances live with “a damn commie”? T: I actually have a fair number of Marxist, Anarchist, and Maoist friends. (See: American University). They’re smart, well-meaning, decent and fun people with whom I share a number of salient disagreements. I would live with any of them in a heartbeat. They are Marxists, Anarchists, […]
99% Invisible, “Squatters of the Lower East Side”
These evictions provoked the biggest showdown yet between the city and the squatters. On May 30, 1995, the city sent a small battalion of police in riot gear to the Lower East Side. They had a tank repurposed from the Korean War. Officers took up positions on the rooftops of neighboring buildings. Meanwhile, the squatters […]
New Republic, “Urban Squatting’s History is More Radical Than You Imagined”
While crackdowns have always taken place, the possibility of squatting as a means to usher in a better world seems to have dimmed. By the middle of the ’80s, the anarchist historian x-Chris wrote that “the Left had dumped squatting as both a political project and as a practical solution to aspects of the housing crisis.” Continue […]
The Philadelphia Inquirer, “N. Philly resident: We helped cops nab 2 after dozens of anarchists hit area”
Philadelphia police said Tuesday it was unclear whether the vandalism was connected to anarchists who protested Monday in Center City as part of May Day demonstrations. May 1 is traditionally a rallying day for anti-capitalist and anarchist groups, dating to the 19th century. Continue Reading
Metro, “So-called Summer of Rage anarchists arrested for allegedly trashing developing block”
May Day was marked by peaceful protests in Center City and South Philly, but hours later, a group of 30 to 50 individuals claiming to be anarchists allegedly caused more than $100,000 worth of damage while vandalizing developing blocks near Northern Liberties, police said. The group, made up of individuals wearing all black, is “believed […]