The Brief Podcast

Les Bélangers, Montreal's first Haitian street gang, wasn't the criminal enterprise it was painted as by Quebec police and a willing media in Canada in the 1980s. At first, it wasn't even a gang; it was a group of friends who fought back against the racist violence that their community was routinely subjected to in city parks and schools, on the metro and in downtown bars. We are joined by the leader of Les Bélangers, Maxime Aurélien, and by Ted Rutland, professor at Concordia University in Montreal; they are together the authors of Out to Defend Ourselves: A History of Montreal’s First Haitian Street Gang. Visit The Brief Podcast online: http://thebriefpodcast.com/

The Mohawk Warrior Society is one of the most successful militant organizations in North America. Their predecessors were key to the defeat of the French in Quebec and the United States in the War of 1812. Today, the Warriors are best known for their role in the 1990 Oka standoff against the Canadian army. In the new book, The Mohawk Warrior Society: A Handbook on Sovereignty and Survival, the movement for the first time tells its own history. We are joined by the editors of this unique anthology of resistance, Philippe Blouin, Matt Peterson, Malek Rasamny and Kahentinetha Rotiskarewake and also by Kwetiio and Karennatha who, along with Kahentinetha, are members of the group Kanien’kehà:ka Kanistansera, the Mohawk Mothers. Visit The Brief Podcast online: http://thebriefpodcast.com/

Israel attacks the al Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem and rocket-fire from Lebanon, Syria and Gaza points to the potential for a multi-front regional response to future Israeli violence. Nora Barrows-Friedman and Jon Elmer discuss the latest events in Palestine. Visit The Brief Podcast online: http://thebriefpodcast.com/

Israel steps up its military attacks targeting a new generation of Palestinian fighters in the West Bank. Nora Barrows-Friedman and Jon Elmer are joined by Justin Podur to discuss the implications of the internal crisis in Israel and the ramping up of violence against Palestinians. Visit The Brief Podcast online: http://thebriefpodcast.com/

Anti-Racist Action was unified behind a basic principle: "We go where they go. Whenever fascists are organizing or active in public, we’re there." What began as street fighting in the punk scene soon developed into a militant direct action network with chapters across the US and Canada. Authors, KRISTIN SCHWARTZ and MICHAEL STAUDENMAIER, join us to talk about the newly released movement history, We Go Where They Go: The Story of Anti-Racist Action. Visit The Brief Podcast online: http://thebriefpodcast.com/

The US Constitution (1787) was written in the face of three significant insurrections: Indigenous resistance to colonization; revolts of the enslaved; and an armed uprising of farmers. It was drafted to protect property against the threat of political and economic justice. In part three of our trilogy on rebellions of the enslaved and the origins of the United States we are joined by ROBERT OVETZ to discuss his new book, We the Elites: How the US Constitution Serves the Few (Pluto 2022). Visit The Brief Podcast online: http://thebriefpodcast.com/

Resistance by enslaved Africans before and after the Declaration of Independence played a critical role in the origins of the US. Historian Gerald Horne joins us to discuss the fierce and persistent fight for abolition in the mainland slave colonies of the US. We will look at three of Professor Horne's books on the topic. The Apocalypse of Settler-Colonialism: The roots of slavery, white supremacy, and capitalism in 17th-century North America and the Caribbean; The Counter-Revolution of 1776: Slave resistance and the origins of the United States of America; and Negro Comrades of the Crown: African Americans and the British Empire fight the US before emancipation. This episode builds on our previous show 028 with Marcus Rediker on the slave ship and the story of resistance across the Middle Passage. Visit The Brief Podcast online: http://thebriefpodcast.com/

The trans-Atlantic slave ship was part factory, part prison, part war machine and it was a critical component in the establishment of race, class and capitalism in the Americas. MARCUS REDIKER is back on the show to discuss his book, The Slave Ship: A Human History, the first dedicated account of the vessel and the remarkable story of resistance that marked every aspect of its journey. Visit The Brief Podcast online: http://thebriefpodcast.com/

Colombia has voted Leftist ex-rebel Gustavo Petro to the presidency in an historic election. We are joined by Colombian doctor and political activist, MANUEL ROZENTAL. Justin Podur is with us for the hour as well, for this roundtable on the impact of the elections in Colombia. This is a joint operation with The Anti-Empire Project and The Brief Podcast. There is a video recording of the show and bonus content about FARC and Plan Colombia on our Patreon.com/Colombia page. Visit The Brief Podcast online: http://thebriefpodcast.com/

On this episode we discuss the war in Yemen and the role of the West in arming and supporting the US-Saudi-Gulf coalition, with Isa Blumi, author of Destroying Yemen: What chaos in Arabia tells us about the world. Visit The Brief Podcast online: http://thebriefpodcast.com/

Veteran al Jazeera journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, was shot and killed by the Israeli army during an IDF raid in Jenin earlier this month. Asa Winstanley and Nora Barrows-Friedman are joined by Jon Elmer to discuss Shireen’s murder and the armed struggle in Jenin. This episode is a joint effort with the Electronic Intifada podcast. Visit The Brief Podcast online: http://thebriefpodcast.com/

Thomas Sankara's assassination in October 1987 abruptly ended the life of a revolutionary Pan-Africanist who transformed Burkina Faso in four years of remarkable revolution. We are joined by AMBER MURREY and AZIZ FALL to discuss Thomas Sankara, his political project in Burkina Faso and his anti-imperialism abroad. Visit The Brief Podcast online: http://thebriefpodcast.com/

Gord Hill joins us to discuss colonization and resistance in the Americas on the occasion of the release of his revised and expanded The 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance Comic Book. Visit The Brief Podcast online: http://thebriefpodcast.com/

Kabul’s US-backed government collapses as its soldiers surrender en masse to the Taliban. We are joined by Max Blumenthal, author of The Management of Savagery, to discuss the end of the US occupation of Afghanistan. Visit The Brief Podcast online: http://thebriefpodcast.com/

Historic prison escape by Palestinian militants from Jenin. Fighters from Islamic Jihad and al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades tunneled out of Israel's maximum security Gilboa prison and spirited into the night. Tarek Loubani joins Jon Elmer and Nora Barrows-Friedman to discuss the great escape and their experiences of life in Jenin during the intifada. Visit The Brief Podcast online: http://thebriefpodcast.com/

Geo Maher joins us to reflect on the summer of rebellion that followed the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis and how we build toward 'A World Without Police.' On the Bookend, it's Peter Collins' posthumous collection of artwork 'Free Inside: The Life and Work of Peter Collins'. We hear an archival interview of ours with Peter from prison in 2004. Visit The Brief Podcast online: http://thebriefpodcast.com/

A Canada Day reckoning as Indian Residential School properties become crime scenes with the (re)-discovery of unmarked graves of Indigenous children. We are joined by Tyler Shipley to discuss Canada’s first foreign policy – its genocide of the Indigenous nations in the path of capitalist settlement. This broadcast is a co-production of The Brief Podcast and The Anti-Empire Project. Visit The Brief Podcast online: http://thebriefpodcast.com/

We discuss early US labour militancy and the birth of modern policing with Robert Ovetz, author of When Workers Shot Back. Visit The Brief Podcast online: http://thebriefpodcast.com/

Palestine roundtable reconvenes to reflect on the Gaza attack and take stock of the ceasefire. Nora Barrows-Friedman is an editor at the Electronic Intifada, Jon Elmer is a journalist who lived for years in Gaza, Justin Podur is the author of Siegebreakers, and Tarek Loubani is an emergency room doctor, often at Shifa, Gaza’s main hospital. Visit The Brief Podcast online: http://thebriefpodcast.com/

Recorded on Day 7 of the war in Palestine, this roundtable brings together decades of experience working in Palestine. Nora Barrows-Friedman is an editor at the Electronic Intifada, Jon Elmer is a journalist who lived for years in Gaza, Justin Podur is the author of Siegebreakers, and Tarek Loubani is an emergency room doctor, often at Shifa, Gaza's main hospital. Visit The Brief Podcast online: http://thebriefpodcast.com/