“The best way to respond to fear and intimidation tactics is to just show we're not afraid. We're going to keep showing up. We're going to keep speaking out,” says musician Jocelyn Walsh, who is facing federal charges for protesting ICE activity in Chicagoland. In this episode of “Movement Memos,” Walsh and Chicago organizers Gabe Gonzalez and Rey Wences talk with host Kelly Hayes about what activists have learned from months of raids, repression, and escalating authoritarian violence. 

Music: Son Monarcas & Songs for Liberation

You can find a transcript and show notes (including links to resources) here: truthout.org/series/movement-memos/

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“We’re very aware that things are awful … That means that we’re alive, and that we want something different. That’s a really important starting point, is just to even have that kind of repulsion and to have that awful feeling about things,” says Tamara Nopper. “So, I want more of that energy, but I want more of that energy to be connected to some more skills.” In this episode, Tamara and Kelly discuss the urgency of political education in our current fascist climate, what people are learning in the streets, and the importance of counter-recruiting for movements against policing and deportations.

Music: Son Monarcas & Daniel Fridell

You can find a transcript and show notes (including links to resources) here: truthout.org/series/movement-memos/

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What happens when our movements start to run on empty? In this episode, Kelly talks with organizer and WildSeed Society strategist Aaron Goggans about trauma, dysregulation, burnout, and the myth that we can just push through. They discuss why nervous system regulation is a crucial part of political strategy, how neurodivergent organizers hold essential wisdom for this moment, and why rest, ritual, and mutual care must be built into our fight against fascism. Whether you’re feeling frozen, overwhelmed, or simply exhausted, this conversation offers clarity, compassion, and a reminder that we’re not alone — and we don’t have to earn rest to deserve it.

Music: Son Monarcas, Ballpoint, and David Celeste

You can find a transcript and show notes (including links to resources) here: truthout.org/series/movement-memos/

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“It's all hands on deck and we have to fight. This is the only way,” says Leanne Betasamosake Simpson. In this episode, Leanne and Kelly discuss lessons from Leanne’s book Theory of Water: Nishnaabe Maps to the Times Ahead and the ongoing struggle against ICE in Chicago, where Kelly is involved in rapid response efforts.

Music: Son Monarcas and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson

You can find a transcript and show notes (including links to resources) here: truthout.org/series/movement-memos/

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“We can only be brave together,” says Mariame Kaba. In this episode, Kelly talks with Maraime and writer and organizer Red Schulte about political education, collective courage, and the mistakes we’ll make along the way.

Music: Son Monarcas & Sarah, the Illstrumentalist

You can find a transcript and show notes (including links to resources) here: truthout.org/series/movement-memos/

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"You're either on the side that is singing and showing up and holding other people, or you're on the side of the helicopters and the gas canisters and the guns,” says Eman Abdelhadi. In this episode, Eman, Maya Schenwar, and Kelly discuss immigration raids and the violent repression of protesters in Chicago, the administration’s war on free speech and the organized left, and lessons from the upcoming book, Read This When Things Fall Apart: Letters to Activists in Crisis.

You can find a transcript and show notes (including links to resources) here: truthout.org/series/movement-memos/

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“History shows us that repression always breeds resistance. Fear can never kill solidarity," says Chicago organizer Miguel Alvelo Rivera. In this episode, Kelly uplifts the voices of activists and organizers across Chicago as the Trump administration's "Operation Midway Blitz" terrorizes communities across the Chicagoland area. Benji Hart, Stacy Davis Gates, Arti Walker-Peddakotla, Ric Wilson, and others discuss Trump's threats to send in the National Guard, ongoing ICE raids, and the solidarity we need to survive these times.

You can find a transcript and show notes (including links to resources) here: truthout.org/series/movement-memos/

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Music: Son Monarcas, Scene, Nyck Caution, Katori Walker, Apollo, Curved Mirror, Daniel Fridell, Scientific, DonVayei, Ballpoint & Sarah the Illstrumentalist

“There's no rule of law that's going to get us out of where we are,” says author and organizer Andrea Ritchie. In this episode, Andrea and Kelly discuss the role of criminalization in authoritarian and fascist regimes, and why “we need more outlaws” and less fetishization of “law and order.”

You can find a transcript and show notes (including links to resources) here: truthout.org/series/movement-memos/

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What does gentrification have to do with authoritarianism? In this episode, Kelly talks with organizer and author Andrew Lee about how displacement, surveillance, and “quality of life” policing function as tools of social control—and why housing struggles are class struggles. “Anti-displacement fights are interesting,” Lee says, “because of the revolutionary implications of what’s really an incredibly modest demand.”

You can find a transcript and show notes (including links to resources) here: truthout.org/series/movement-memos/

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“The People's Movement Assembly process provides a unique opportunity for people to build a democracy that has yet to be born,” says Denzel Caldwell. In this episode, Kelly and Denzel discuss the power and potential of People’s Movement Assemblies, and how the practice of direct democracy can help us fight fascism.

Music: Son Monarcas and David Celeste

You can find a transcript and show notes (including links to resources) here: truthout.org/series/movement-memos/

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