The Ex-Worker
by CrimethInc. Ex-Workers' Collective
Welcome to the Ex-Worker: an audio strike against a monotone world! This twice-monthly podcast explores a wide range of anarchist ideas and action. In each episode, we take an in-depth look at a different topic, introducing various manifestations of the struggle for liberation, and round it off with news, reviews, profiles of current anarchist projects, upcoming events, and more. If you're curious about anarchist visions of freedom—or if you dream of a world off the clock—tune in!
Episodes
-
#115: Iran: An Uprising Besieged from Within and Without—Three Perspectives
This episode offers an audio version of "Iran: An Uprising Besieged from Within and Without," discussing the uprising that broke out across Iran on December 28, 2025, triggered by economic distress and escalating to call for the toppling of the government. It includes three analyses exploring the...
-
#114: Safeguarding Our Movements against Repression—How to Respond to the Criminalization of "Antifa"
This episode offers an audio version of "Make Ready: Safeguarding Our Movements against Repression," exploring the implications of Donald Trump's executive order designating "Antifa" as "a major terrorist organization" and how we can prepare our communities to endure whatever comes next. It also...
-
#113: Mutual Aid and Revolutionary Anti-Capitalism: Revisiting the Difference Between Mutual Aid and Charity
This episode offers an audio version of "Mutual Aid, the Commons, and the Revolutionary Abolition of Capitalism," exploring why the best way to understand mutual aid as an effort to create participatory commons in which everyone can contribute and there is no fundamental division between…
more -
#112: From Minneapolis to Los Angeles: The Origins of the Wave of Resistance to ICE
This episode offers audio versions of "Minneapolis to Feds: 'Get the Fuck Out'" and "Los Angeles Stands up to ICE: A Firsthand Report on the Clashes of June 6," which trace the origins of the angry response to federal raids that spread across the United States in early June 2025. -------SHOW...
-
#111: Become an Anarchist or Forever Hold Your Peace
This episode offers an audio version of "Become an Anarchist or Forever Hold Your Peace," arguing that neither courts nor laws will halt the descent into autocracy. Massive numbers of people will have to take it upon themselves to organize concrete acts of resistance, to take direct action on a...
-
#110: It's Safer in the Front
This episode offers an audio version of "It's Safer in the Front," making the case that seeking safety by avoiding confrontation is not likely to be an effective strategy in a time of escalating political conflict. {February 25, 2025} -------SHOW NOTES------ Table of Contents Introduction {0:30}…
more -
#109: Sacrificial Violence and Retribution
This episode offers an audio version of "Sacrificial Violence and Retribution," exploring the responses to two different extrajudicial killings as a way to understand the different forms of violence that are contending in our society today. {November 22, 2024} -------SHOW NOTES------ Table of...
-
#108: The Case for Resistance
This episode offers an audio version of "The Case for Resistance," laying out an analysis of what we can expect from Donald Trump's second term and how we can prepare to confront it. "This is a pivotal moment, and everyone who isn't cynically detached is sounding the alarm. Those of us who...
-
#107: The Eye of Every Storm
At a time when misinformation, rising authoritarianism, and disasters exacerbated by industrially-produced climate change are creating a feedback loop of escalating crisis, it's crucial to understand disaster response as an integral part of community defense and strategize about how this can play…
more -
#106: First as Farce, Then as Tragedy
Donald Trump has won the 2024 election. In order to understand what we're up against, let's look at how we got here. In many ways, the Democrats are responsible for Donald Trump's return to power. Over the past four years, the Democrats have beefed up the institutions through which the fascists...
-
#105: Don't Stop: Continuing the Fight Against Cop City
This episode offers an audio version of "Don't Stop: Continuing the Fight Against Cop City", published on December 12th. It traces the activities of the movement to Stop Cop City and defend the Weelaunee Forest from June through December 2023, including accounts of the campaign for an Atlanta...
-
#104: Living in an Earthquake—The Fight against Cop City Confronts Unprecedented Repression
At first, it appeared to be an ordinary forest defense campaign aimed at discouraging Atlanta city government from pouring money into an unpopular police training facility. But over the past two years, the fight against Cop City has escalated into one of the fiercest struggles of the Biden era,...
-
#103: The Return of the Ultraliberal Right in Argentina
A so-called "anarcho-capitalist" has just been elected president in Argentina. What does this mean for anarchists and the prospects for revolutionary change in South America? Spoiler alert: it's not looking good. In this episode, we share an account from an Argentinian anarchist analyzing the...
-
#102: How They Stopped Work at Raytheon
On November 13, 2023, demonstrators in southern California blockaded a facility of Raytheon, a defense contractor, in solidarity with the Palestinians on the receiving end of the bombs that it produces. They managed to block the facility for more than seven hours, supported by waves of hundreds…
more -
#101: Shutting Down the Port of Tacoma
On November 6, 2023, several hundred people showed up at the Port of Tacoma in Washington State to block access to a shipping vessel that was scheduled to deliver equipment to the Israeli military. This episode shares an account and analysis of the action published on November 10th as "Shutting...
-
#100: In Memory of Dmitry Petrov
On April 19, 2023, a Russian anarchist named Dmitry Petrov was killed in battle near Bakhmut, Ukraine. In this episode, we offer a eulogy remembering Dmitry as an uncompromising anarchist fighter who participated in an unbelievable amount of radical activity around the region. His extraordinary...
-
#99: Strategizing for Palestinian Solidarity
As the Israeli bombardment of Gaza intensifies, with over 10,000 deaths recorded to date, it is more urgent than ever for people everywhere to take decisive action to stop the war machine. In this episode, we share the strategic reflections of a collective of Jewish anarchists based in the US on...
-
#98: From the Galilee to Gaza—A Voice From Palestine
As the Israeli military escalates its slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza and societies around the world fracture and clash over the conflict, we want to amplify anti-authoritarian voices from within the territory to share their experiences and analysis. In this short but moving account, we present...
-
#97: Understanding the RICO Charges in Atlanta
Prosecutors in Georgia have charged activists protesting against a planned police militarization facility known as "Cop City" with violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has indicted 61 people on RICO charges. In this episode…
more -
#96: The Forest In The City: Two Years Of Forest Defense In Atlanta, Georgia
This episode continues the Ex-Worker Podcast's coverage of the movement to Stop Cop City and defend the Weelaunee Forest in Atlanta, Georgia. In this episode, we present an audio version of The Forest In The City: Two Years Of Forest Defense In Atlanta, Georgia, originally published February 22,...
-
#95: Disasters of State: On the Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria
On February 6, 2023, two powerful earthquakes hit southern Turkey and Northern and Western Syria, inflicting tremendous damage and killing tens of thousands of people. But there was nothing "natural" about this disaster: the lethal combination of negligence and repression imposed on the people of...
-
#94: The Uprising in Peru
In December 2022, a wave of popular protests led by campesino and Indigenous movements swept across Peru, including a nationwide mobilization in the capital. In response, the government has decreed a state of emergency, and the police have killed more than 60 people and injured thousands. For a...
-
#93: France in Flames: The Movement Against Macron's Pension Reform
In France, a powerful protest movement has erupted against the government in response to an attempt to raise the retirement age. Millions have gone on strike and poured into the streets in the most substantial unrest in France since the Yellow Vest movement. President Emmanuel Macron and his...
-
#92: The Bitter Harvest of Colonialism in Israel
In this episode, the Ex-Worker presents an audio version of A Coup D'Etat In Israel? The Bitter Harvest Of Colonialism, originally published on March 27th. The article assesses the recent attempts by Israeli President Benjamin Netanhayu to strip power away from the judiciary, a power grab that…
more -
#91: Elections, Fascism, and Popular Resistance in Brazil
In Brazil, a three-way contest is unfolding between the far right in the streets, the institutional electoral left in the halls of power, and autonomous radical movements caught between them. When authoritarian president Jair Bolsonaro was narrowly defeated at the polls in October, a popular...
-
#90: Solidarity with Alfredo Cospito, Italian Anarchist Prisoner on Hunger Strike
Italian anarchist prisoner Alfredo Cospito has been on hunger strike for over 100 days, demanding his release from the brutal regime of solitary confinement and severe restrictions known as "41bis." Despite the mobilization of anarchist and radical networks across Italy in solidarity, as well as...
-
#89: The Battle of York, January 2002—Anti-Fascism, Then and Now
In this episode, we share an audio version of a recently published account from the history of anarchist struggles against fascism. On January 12, 2002, hundreds of neo-Nazis gathered in York, Pennsylvania to promote white supremacy. Anarchists and other opponents of fascism throughout the region...
-
#88: 2022 in Review—A Year to Endure
We've survived 2022—and with it, the ebb tide following the upheavals of 2019 and 2020. Both in the United States and around the world, this has been a year of challenges and reversals. In this episode, we offer an audio version of 2022 in Review: A Year to Endure, in which we revisit how we got...
-
#87: The Twitter Ban and the End of Social Media
In November, CrimethInc. was banned from Twitter by Elon Musk, part of a concerted campaign by right wing trolls and the world's richest man to shift global political discourse to the right. Why is this happening now, and what should we do about it? This episode collects three months of our...
-
#86: Stop Cop City / Defend Weelaunee Forest, Part II: Accounts and Solidarity
In this episode, we continue our coverage of the struggle to Stop Cop City and defend the Weelaunee Forest in Atlanta, Georgia. While Episode 85 offered a history and analysis of the first phases of the movement, today we present a series of anonymous first person narratives from participants who...
-
#85: Stop Cop City / Defend Weelaunee Forest, Part I: History and Analysis
The Ex-Worker is back! Episode 85 introduces the history behind the struggle to Stop Cop City and defend the Weelaunee Forest in Atlanta, Georgia. For nearly two years, a coalition of anarchists, abolitionists, environmental activists, indigenous communities, local residents, and supporters from...
-
#84: Steal Something From Work Day 2022
April 15th is Steal Something From Work Day! For over a decade, we've celebrated the everyday resistance that workers undertake to challenge their exploitation when the boss isn't watching. Whether in factories or coffee shops, under capitalism or socialism, workers have always pilfered from…
more -
#83: Anti-War Resistance in Russia
Even as Russian forces continue their brutal assault on Ukraine, a growing domestic uprising is challenging the empire from within. This episode of the Ex-Worker focuses on the anti-war movement in Russia, analyzing it from an anarchist perspective and assessing the regime's power and...
-
#82: Invasion and Resistance in Ukraine, Part II
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine proceeds, anarchists on both sides of the border are mobilizing to resist. This episode collects a variety of statements and accounts from anti-authoritarians explaining their opposition to Putin's bloodthirsty imperialism while rejecting nationalism and the...
-
#81– Invasion and Resistance in Ukraine, Part I
As Russian tanks encircle Kyiv and hundreds of thousands of refugees flee, our hearts go out to our comrades in Ukraine resisting the Russian invasion—and to the Russian anti-war movement bringing the resistance home. In this episode, we explore the history and background context to the current...
-
#80 – Ill Winds From Ottawa
Opponents of vaccine mandates have established protest encampments in Ottawa and elsewhere around Canada, blockading several routes crossing the United States border. Far-right organizers and former police officers have prominent positions in this movement, and police have taken a relatively...
-
#79 – The *Real* Truth About Today's Anarchists: The Ex-Worker Responds to the New York Times
Anarchists and anti-fascists in general, and CrimethInc. in particular, have been the focus of intense hostile government and right-wing attention and censorship efforts in recent weeks. The latest salvo comes from the New York Times, which on June 30th published "The Truth About Today's...
-
#78: June 11th—Prisoner Solidarity, COVID-19, and Anti-Police Rebellion
Today we celebrate June 11th, an international day of solidarity with long-term anarchist prisoners. While this is the sixteenth year this date has been observed, 2020 presents an unprecedented context: both the COVID–19 pandemic and the massive uprising sparked by the police murder of George…
more -
#77: Minneapolis Uprising, Part 1—How to Abolish the Police
The killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police has sparked a nationwide rebellion against the police and global solidarity efforts. One of the most striking developments is the announcement on Sunday, June 7 by a majority of Minneapolis City Council members that they intend to dismantle the...
-
#76: Anarchist Nurses Speak Out on Survival and Resistance
Here at the Ex-Worker, we continue to navigate the COVID–19 crisis by seeking guidance and insight from three anarchist nurses who are working on the frontlines of the pandemic. First, we hear from an anarchist ER nurse from the southwest US who offers reflections on individual and community...
-
#75: Rent Strike!
This April 1st, people around the world will go on strike and refuse to pay rent. In the midst of the pandemic, we are confronted not only with a virus, but with the murderous logic of the market. Before COVID–19 hit, millions already struggled to afford rent, mortgage, or loan payments; today…
more -
#74: Surviving the Virus—An Anarchist Introduction to Pandemic Life
The COVID–19 crisis presents both extreme dangers and opportunities. As our lives are threatened by a new virus, our freedom is menaced by authoritarians intent on using this opportunity to set new precedents for state intervention and control. On the other hand, the collapse of the global...
-
#73: Radio Evasión—Dispatches from Chile Part 4
DESCARGAR AQUÍ LAS ENTREVISTAS EN ESPAÑOL Just days into the new year, masked encapuchados circle-pitted while burning the church of the Carabineros. That's how fierce the Friday protests continue to be. Action has somewhat (not entirely!) slowed down on the other days of the week, but anarchists...
-
#72: Radio Evasión—Dispatches from Chile Part 3
DESCARGAR AQUÍ EL EPISODIO EN ESPAÑOL Has normality returned to Chile? NO! Social peace? Neither! The people don't want peace without dignity. To borrow a phrase from the situationists, the people don't want the peace of the graveyard. The revolt has been going on for over a month now. In this...
-
#71: Radio Evasión—Dispatches from Chile Part 2
Two weeks of revolt in Chile and there are no signs of it slowing down! In this Radio Evasión dispatch, we bring you up to speed on all the developments in the past week: the president's attempts to quell the protests with reforms, the lifting of Martial Law, and the cancellation of the upcoming...
-
The Ex-Worker #70: Radio Evasión—dispatches from Chile Part 1
Beginning last Monday, October 14, high school students in Santiago, Chile kicked off a campaign of mass fare-dodging, or evasiones, in response to a 30 peso fare hike. The movement grew quickly and, before anyone knew it, revolt spread all across Chile. On the one hand, the government declared a...
-
#69: Defend Rojava! Part 4, More Interviews on Revolution and Solidarity
As the news breaks of a Russian-Turkish alliance determined to stamp out Kurdish autonomy, what's at stake in the international fight to defend Rojava? This episode continues our exploration of the embattled revolution in northeastern Syria through interviews with a variety of anarchists who have...
-
#68: Defend Rojava! Part 3, The So-Called "Ceasefire" and What's at Stake
The revolutionary social experiments in the Kurdish territories of northeastern Syria remain under attack. As SDF forces mount fierce resistance in Sêre Kaniyê and waves of outraged protest sweep the world, the news in recent days has been full of the "ceasefire" negotiated by Turkey and US Vice...
-
#67: Defend Rojava! Part 2, Understanding the Kurdish Resistance
As the crisis in Rojava deepens and political turmoil spreads across the world, it's critical for us to understand how we got here. Who exactly are the Kurds, and why have so many thousands of them been willing to risk their lives fighting against ISIS and to defend their autonomy? What can we...
-
#66: Defend Rojava! Part 1, The Turkish Invasion
An urgent crisis is unfolding in northern Syria, with implications for global geopolitics and revolutionary possibilities for years to come. In response to US troop withdrawal and a green light from President Trump, the Turkish military has invaded Rojava, an autonomous Kurdish region within the...
About this show
Welcome to the Ex-Worker: an audio strike against a monotone world! This twice-monthly podcast explores a wide range of anarchist ideas and action. In each episode, we take an in-depth look at a different topic, introducing various manifestations of the struggle for liberation, and round it off with news, reviews, profiles of current anarchist projects, upcoming events, and more. If you're curious about anarchist visions of freedom—or if you dream of a world off the clock—tune in!
Hosted by
CrimethInc. Ex-Workers' Collective
Categories