Resources

Lysistrata has been operating a fund for sex workers (SWs) since the shutdown of Backpage’s Adult Services Section (2016/2017), through SESTA/FOSTA (2018) and despite a major funding gap over the past 6 months. Now we are facing another crisis as the Covid-19 pandemic spreads. Lysistrata takes requests nationally but wants to support a new flurry of local SWs organizing emergency funds/resource distribution and be able to point folks who seek assistance to as many resources available to them as possible (a process hopefully aided by the creation of this doc).

In this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, as Black people we fight to prepare and save ourselves and our communities. We know, like in all other crisis, that Black people will be hit hardest. We often suffer the worst because of the state’s failure to protect us and oftentimes the states targeting of us—like during Hurricane Katrina and many other atrocities. Everyday, we are still recovering from the tragic and unnecessary theft and loss of Black life. These demands are a product of collective work and reflect demands made by numerous other groups.

Many jurisdictions across the United States have issued COVID-19-related stay-at-home directives that include a variety of enforcement measures, from warnings to civil enforcement to criminal punishment. This list provides examples of how various jurisdictions are enforcing these social distancing orders. Please note that this list is not meant to be comprehensive, but rather to provide an overview of the variety of approaches to enforcement taking place across the country.

The National Security Police State always uses crisis like this to expand oppression, to expand surveillance, accumulate new weapons, push boundaries and justify its violence. This video includes discussion with Celine Qussiny from Palestinian Youth Movement, Anthony Robles from Youth Justice Coalition, Ezak Perez from Gender Justice LA, and Nadia Khan from Stop LAPD Spying Coalition.

The National Security Police State always uses crisis like this to expand oppression, to expand surveillance, accumulate new weapons, push boundaries and justify its violence. This webinar features discussion by Miche from Trans Latina Coalition and Chella Coleman, Coordinating Team Member for Stop LAPD Spying Coalition.

The National Security Police State always uses crisis like this to expand oppression, to expand surveillance, accumulate new weapons, push boundaries and justify its violence. Part 1 will address questions around public health and movement solidarity. Part 2 will examine the historic and current expansion of police powers in times of crisis.

This document outlines six broad areas of current political need and opportunity as the US government ramps up the militarization of its response to the coronavirus epidemic. This statement aims to generate further conversation on these points both within and beyond the author organization, as well as to enter the national media conversation on coronavirus response.

Longtime abolitionists, thinkers, writers, activists, militants: Ruth Wilson Gilmore, Kim Wilson, and Amanda Alexander discuss revolutionary survival amidst pandemia and how abolitionist struggle is making the ‘impossible’ become possible.

This episode details recent reports that the National Guard or US military may be used in a law enforcement capacity and what this says about the failures of the liberal state. With unemployment potentially reaching 30 percent and an urgent, robust social democratic response from the federal government unlikely, a debate about safeguarding against martial order––especially from an administration with a well documented inclination towards abuse of power–-is urgently needed.