0:00:03.250,0:00:05.760 Greetings troublemakers... welcome to Trouble. 0:00:05.760,0:00:08.020 My name is not important. 0:00:08.020,0:00:12.620 These days, it has become nearly impossible[br]to ignore the destructive impacts on our oceans, 0:00:12.620,0:00:16.980 rivers, land and atmosphere wrought by two[br]centuries of industrial capitalism. 0:00:16.980,0:00:22.420 The consequences have been devastating for[br]all forms of life on earth. 0:00:22.420,0:00:27.520 Around the globe, forests are disappearing[br]at a frantic rate, giving rise to the fastest 0:00:27.529,0:00:31.779 rate of species extinction in the past [br]65 million years. 0:00:31.780,0:00:37.620 Meanwhile, more than 10 kilometres below the[br]surface of the Pacific Ocean, the rocky depths 0:00:37.620,0:00:42.100 of the Mariana Trench have become a graveyard[br]of discarded plastic and other forms of packaging 0:00:42.100,0:00:44.360 for mass-produced commodities. 0:00:44.360,0:00:47.160 Human societies have also been hit hard. 0:00:47.160,0:00:51.900 Just this year alone, historic droughts have[br]ravaged numerous East and Southern African 0:00:51.900,0:00:57.360 states, putting tens of millions at risk of[br]famine... even as torrential flooding has 0:00:57.360,0:01:01.440 laid waste to parts of West Africa and the[br]South Asian subcontinent, washing away 0:01:01.440,0:01:02.800 entire villages. 0:01:02.800,0:01:08.140 Record-setting wildfires have ravaged California[br]and the Pacific Northwest, producing apocalyptic 0:01:08.150,0:01:13.430 scenes of destruction that look like something[br]out of a Hollywood disaster flick. 0:01:13.430,0:01:18.050 And then, of course, there was this year's[br]unprecedented hurricane season, which saw 0:01:18.050,0:01:23.750 multiple category five storms smash into the[br]Caribbean and Gulf Coast, and the first ever 0:01:23.750,0:01:27.619 reported hurricane off the coast of [br]the UK and Ireland. 0:01:27.620,0:01:32.420 But while these natural disasters have produced[br]terrible scenes of human suffering and death, 0:01:32.420,0:01:37.320 they have also provided opportunities for[br]some truly inspiring acts of solidarity 0:01:37.320,0:01:39.080 and mutual aid. 0:01:39.090,0:01:43.659 In areas where people have been abandoned[br]by state and NGO relief efforts, decentralized 0:01:43.659,0:01:48.950 networks of volunteers have popped up to coordinate[br]food and supply distribution, arrange for 0:01:48.950,0:01:52.979 temporary housing and help communities [br]rebuild local infrastructure. 0:01:52.979,0:01:57.250 Over the next thirty minutes, we'll highlight[br]the voices of several individuals as they 0:01:57.250,0:01:57.740 share their experiences working with decentralized[br]mutual aid disaster relief networks, circumventing 0:01:57.740,0:02:06.700 bureaucratic non-profits like the Red Cross,[br]and making a whole lot of trouble. 0:02:32.900,0:02:36.040 I was working with Common Ground in New Orleans[br]in the Lower 9th. 0:02:36.040,0:02:40.540 I got there two years after Katrina, and when I[br]got there I was really shocked to see 0:02:40.540,0:02:43.900 cement blocks where the houses had [br]been washed off the foundations. 0:02:43.900,0:02:47.650 And the government was fining people for not[br]cutting their grass when their houses were 0:02:47.650,0:02:49.640 totally washed away. 0:02:49.640,0:02:51.690 I was out in Queens when Sandy came in. 0:02:51.690,0:02:56.880 And we thought “surely this can’t be that[br]big of a deal, right? It’s not even a hurricane.” 0:02:56.880,0:03:01.280 What amazed me was how powerful the storm was, and how it just flattened Staten Island. 0:03:01.280,0:03:03.040 I mean there was just nothing. 0:03:03.040,0:03:06.620 To see the subway close down for the first time in over a hundred years, 0:03:06.620,0:03:08.300 because this catastrophic storm 0:03:08.300,0:03:11.320 had hit New York City, was truly terrifying. 0:03:11.320,0:03:14.200 And I thought, man, if this just starts happening everywhere... 0:03:14.200,0:03:16.440 what is our world going to be like? 0:03:16.440,0:03:17.700 Not good. 0:03:17.700,0:03:18.740 Believe me, not good. 0:03:18.740,0:03:20.360 The Carribbean has just been getting hammered. 0:03:20.360,0:03:23.480 The strongest hurricane in history to make[br]landfall. 0:03:23.480,0:03:25.620 Prayers are needed for this area. 0:03:25.620,0:03:28.980 Anytime it rains, people are re-traumatized.[br]They’re afraid. 0:03:28.980,0:03:33.440 The flooding was severe and they’re having[br]to adjust to the fact that their lives are 0:03:33.440,0:03:34.680 very different now. 0:03:34.680,0:03:38.160 Their lives are not ever going to be the same[br]again, because of this storm in some very 0:03:38.160,0:03:40.440 negative and long lasting ways. 0:03:40.440,0:03:44.860 The west side and the central area in Puerto[br]Rico have been really heavily affected. 0:03:44.870,0:03:49.500 There’s like 400 miles out of 5000 miles[br]of traversable roads. 0:03:49.500,0:03:51.010 There’s bridges that have collapsed. 0:03:51.010,0:03:54.940 The death toll that’s being reported is,[br]like, grossly underestimated. 0:03:54.940,0:03:59.980 It came in through the southeast and it created[br]a lot of damage in the area, and a lot of 0:03:59.980,0:04:05.480 damage in the mountains, and then it exited towards the northwest, so basically 0:04:05.480,0:04:07.100 the whole island was hit. 0:04:07.110,0:04:10.470 Communities you know, vary in different degrees[br]of damage. 0:04:10.470,0:04:12.160 But it’s been immense. 0:04:12.160,0:04:15.940 When you’re unable to go about your day[br]to day life and people are unable to go to 0:04:15.950,0:04:21.108 their jobs, when children are unable to go[br]to school, when folks are unable to get medical 0:04:21.108,0:04:24.680 care, when people literally die of infections...[br]that’s catastrophe. 0:04:34.040,0:04:36.260 There’s a great deal of damage. 0:04:36.260,0:04:41.690 Homes are in disrepair, there’s trash in[br]the streets, there are dogs roaming the streets 0:04:41.690,0:04:45.830 that are hungry because the people that they[br]were previously relying on to take care of 0:04:45.830,0:04:47.900 them are no longer able to feed or [br]care for them. 0:04:47.900,0:04:50.150 There’s a lot of displaced folks. 0:04:50.150,0:04:53.780 People who were homeless prior to the storm[br]are still living in shelter environments, where 0:04:53.780,0:04:59.310 they are revictimized and retraumatized on[br]a regular basis by these large international 0:04:59.310,0:05:02.380 disaster relief organizations who come into[br]the city and often times do 0:05:02.380,0:05:03.560 more harm than good. 0:05:03.560,0:05:07.280 My name is Debra. I am one of the co-founders [br]of Bayou Action Street Health, 0:05:07.280,0:05:09.180 which is a street medic collective in Houston. 0:05:09.180,0:05:13.400 BASH formed right before Hurricane Harvey and has been doing disaster relief 0:05:13.400,0:05:15.200 and mutual aid work since the storm. 0:05:15.200,0:05:20.640 It’s a loose collective of people from around[br]the city and around the country who come and 0:05:20.640,0:05:23.140 help out for whatever predetermined amount[br]of time 0:05:23.140,0:05:25.180 that they want to come and be here. 0:05:25.190,0:05:29.940 We advocate for people who have been locked[br]out of the Red Cross shelter, we help with 0:05:29.940,0:05:32.580 mucking and guttering of the [br]homes that were flooded. 0:05:32.580,0:05:38.480 We are doing mold remediation, clothing distribution,[br]food distribution, supply distribution, 0:05:38.480,0:05:43.880 along with street medic training, mental health[br]training, peer-to-peer counselling training, 0:05:43.880,0:05:46.700 and regular old street medic-ing. 0:05:46.700,0:05:51.920 In times of crisis I think it’s natural[br]for people to look around and see 0:05:51.920,0:05:53.040 how they can help. 0:05:53.040,0:05:56.020 We saw a lot of it in Houston, and we saw[br]it happen very quickly. 0:05:56.020,0:05:59.720 We saw Mutual Aid groups come together in[br]the blink of an eye. 0:05:59.720,0:06:05.140 Communities that we’re working in, the lower[br]socio-economic status, the homeless, the poor, 0:06:05.150,0:06:09.930 the working poor- sometimes they need other[br]people to come in and give them a hand. 0:06:09.930,0:06:11.729 They know what needs to be done. 0:06:11.729,0:06:17.300 They don’t need to be infantilized or objectified[br]or tokenized, but they just need access to 0:06:17.300,0:06:21.260 resources, and if you have access to resources,[br]then it’s your duty to provide those resources 0:06:21.260,0:06:22.790 to those who don’t have them. 0:06:22.790,0:06:28.380 The water was not water, it was sewage, and[br]it was overflow from the superfund sites, 0:06:28.380,0:06:31.320 from the chemical clean-up sites, and it was toxic. 0:06:31.330,0:06:34.380 Houston is one of the petrochemical centres[br]of the Gulf Coast. 0:06:34.380,0:06:41.090 So when the storm came, we had fuel spills,[br]we had sites that were flooded that were already 0:06:41.090,0:06:44.160 contaminated, so that water flowed through[br]the city. 0:06:44.160,0:06:50.160 What we already know happens in those areas[br]are large concentrations of upper respiratory 0:06:50.160,0:06:55.760 and lung diseases, cancer clusters, fetal[br]death, premature birth, deformities 0:06:55.760,0:07:00.640 - not only in the short term, but the effects of the[br]Petro-Chemical industry 0:07:00.640,0:07:02.400 - that’s a a long term problem. 0:07:02.400,0:07:05.860 We may not see those effects for five, [br]ten, fifteen years from now. 0:07:05.860,0:07:07.800 But eventually we’re gonna see them. 0:07:08.260,0:07:11.200 There’s looting in Houston in the wake of[br]Hurricane Harvey. 0:07:11.200,0:07:13.160 That’s according to local police officials. 0:07:13.160,0:07:15.600 There’s been numerous reports of looting[br]by storm survivors. 0:07:15.600,0:07:18.000 Neighbours here... they’re not messing around. 0:07:18.000,0:07:22.400 I know of one grocery store in Houston after[br]the storm that was broken into 0:07:22.400,0:07:23.920 because people were hungry. 0:07:23.930,0:07:26.440 They took eggs, they took milk and [br]they took bread. 0:07:26.440,0:07:30.860 The media was out, and a reporter called the[br]cops. And his reasoning was we have to keep 0:07:30.860,0:07:33.420 order in place, otherwise there [br]will be total chaos. 0:07:33.420,0:07:36.980 Well of course the government wants to criminalize[br]disaster victims because it does the same 0:07:36.980,0:07:37.980 with poverty. 0:07:37.980,0:07:40.160 It has to be part of the discourse and the[br]narrative. 0:07:40.160,0:07:41.720 And it’s also very racialized. 0:07:41.720,0:07:45.650 There were all those images that came out[br]of Katrina, um, there’s one in particular 0:07:45.650,0:07:49.720 where it’s a photo of a white person with[br]a bag full of groceries, dragging it through 0:07:49.720,0:07:50.900 the floodwaters. 0:07:50.900,0:07:54.780 They were portrayed as being beneficial to[br]their family and their community. 0:07:54.780,0:08:00.720 And then there’s another photo of a Black[br]person, basically the same situation, - ‘looters’ 0:08:00.720,0:08:02.500 you know, ‘ ravaging the city’. 0:08:02.500,0:08:04.180 It’s a game. 0:08:04.180,0:08:07.980 They’re the same people, doing the same[br]thing, for the same reason. 0:08:07.980,0:08:12.200 Especially with Puerto Ricans being the ‘second[br]class citizens’, if you may, these people 0:08:12.210,0:08:15.960 who enjoy some rights, but are [br]colonized by the US. 0:08:15.960,0:08:19.120 Then you also have to promote this idea of criminalization, 0:08:19.120,0:08:21.360 this idea of incapacity to run a government. 0:08:21.360,0:08:24.140 But we have the conditions that we have because[br]US imperialism 0:08:24.140,0:08:26.320 and colonialism has created the situation. 0:08:26.320,0:08:27.740 What should people do? 0:08:27.740,0:08:29.070 Should they die? 0:08:29.070,0:08:31.090 Should they allow their children to die? 0:08:31.090,0:08:36.140 We should all be considering very deeply what[br]it means when a society values things 0:08:36.140,0:08:39.159 over human life. 0:08:39.159,0:08:43.659 Cuz with the way our society is unraveling[br]and how rapidly it’s unravelling, one could 0:08:43.659,0:08:48.780 easily find themselves swimming to the corner[br]store in search of food. 0:08:51.520,0:08:57.480 Despite what the oil industry lobbyists and die-hard[br]climate change skeptics may say, it's a widely-accepted 0:08:57.490,0:09:01.390 fact that greenhouse gas emissions are trapping[br]more of the sun's energy within the earth's 0:09:01.390,0:09:05.630 atmosphere, causing a spike in global temperatures. 0:09:05.630,0:09:12.160 2016 was the hottest year ever recorded, for[br]the third year in a row... and 2017 is currently 0:09:12.160,0:09:14.180 expected to come in a close second. 0:09:14.180,0:09:18.760 But while people on dry land have been sweltering[br]through historic heatwaves, the effects on 0:09:18.779,0:09:21.550 ocean temperatures have been even more dramatic. 0:09:21.550,0:09:26.570 And just as climate scientists have longed[br]warned us would happen, warmer surface temperatures 0:09:26.570,0:09:30.300 in the oceans are producing more frequent[br]and powerful storms. 0:09:30.300,0:09:34.860 This year's hurricane season was unprecedented,[br]with three separate mega-storms, Harvey, Irma 0:09:34.860,0:09:40.520 and Maria making landfall in the Caribbean[br]and areas along the US Gulf Coast. 0:09:40.520,0:09:46.430 The islands of Dominica and Barbuda were completely[br]flattened, and the UK and US Virgin Islands 0:09:46.430,0:09:48.980 sustained heavy devastation. 0:09:48.980,0:09:52.660 But nowhere was the scale of damage worse[br]than in Borike, or as it’s known by its 0:09:52.660,0:09:54.160 gringo overlords... 0:09:54.160,0:09:56.200 Pweeerto Rico. 0:09:56.200,0:10:01.160 Puerto Rico was hit by two separate storms,[br]Irma and Maria, causing massive flooding, 0:10:01.160,0:10:05.570 knocking out the country's electrical and[br]telecommunication grids, and leaving millions 0:10:05.570,0:10:08.279 of people without access to clean drinking[br]water. 0:10:08.279,0:10:10.380 This natural disaster was made all the worse 0:10:10.380,0:10:13.520 by the man-made disaster that is the Trump administration 0:10:13.520,0:10:16.020 All appropriate departments of our government 0:10:16.040,0:10:21.620 from Homeland Security to Defense[br]are engaged fully in the disaster. 0:10:21.620,0:10:24.960 and the island's status as[br]a hyper-exploited US colony. 0:10:24.960,0:10:30.400 But while Trump has used the disaster as an[br]excuse to work on his paper-towel 3-point game 0:10:30.400,0:10:34.880 and yet another opportunity for delusional[br]self-glorification, 0:10:34.880,0:10:37.840 When you talk about relief, when you talk[br]about search, when you talk about 0:10:37.840,0:10:42.840 all of the different levels. And even when you talk about lives saved... 0:10:42.840,0:10:44.980 I give ourselves a ten. 0:10:44.980,0:10:49.940 people in Puerto Rico have responded to the situation with an incredible level of resiliency, 0:10:49.940,0:10:53.320 and outpouring of collective solidarity. 0:10:58.200,0:11:01.400 Puerto Rico has been undergoing a crisis for[br]over 11 years, 0:11:01.400,0:11:06.300 starting in 2006, dramatically, and obviously the[br]hurricane just deepened that crisis. 0:11:06.310,0:11:10.390 The state government and many municipalities[br]have either collapsed because they don’t 0:11:10.390,0:11:14.980 have the capacity to operate emergency because[br]of the lack of resources 0:11:14.980,0:11:16.720 that we have on the ground. 0:11:16.730,0:11:22.170 And also it’s been kind of like a hands-down, let FEMA come in and take care of us. 0:11:22.170,0:11:26.769 But FEMA’s been withholding aid and[br]deploying people into assignments but they’re 0:11:26.769,0:11:28.180 not going really into the communities. 0:11:28.180,0:11:30.730 They’ve lied about the access to communities. 0:11:30.730,0:11:34.380 So in the absence of state and federal government,[br]people are starting to come together. 0:11:34.380,0:11:39.779 The bureaucracy and red tape and protocols[br]on the ground set by FEMA and Red Cross have 0:11:39.779,0:11:45.540 been creating a lot of difficulties and barriers[br]between the people and the resources that 0:11:45.540,0:11:46.730 they need. 0:11:46.730,0:11:51.440 I think a lot of the times before NGO’s[br]go in to do an action they have to consider 0:11:51.440,0:11:56.160 how it’s going to fall upon the ears and[br]the sensibilities of their keepers 0:11:56.160,0:11:57.560 - of their funders. 0:11:57.560,0:11:59.440 We don’t have that responsibility. 0:11:59.440,0:12:05.900 We think about the way the thing that we’re[br]seeking to do is going to impact the community, 0:12:05.900,0:12:09.760 who’s going to benefit from it, and if there[br]is an actual need. 0:12:09.760,0:12:16.139 If we can come to a consensus that that is[br]true, then we go and we do the damn thing. 0:12:16.139,0:12:20.490 Everywhere we go throughout the island the[br]stories it’s the same; people on the ground, 0:12:20.490,0:12:24.500 neighbours coming together to clean their[br]neighbourhoods, to help feed other folks in 0:12:24.500,0:12:26.500 their neighbourhoods when the aid is not coming[br]in. 0:12:26.500,0:12:31.830 Trying to pool together resources to have collective[br]kitchens and collective meals and it’s been 0:12:31.830,0:12:34.937 an incredible amount of solidarity both from outside Puerto Rico 0:12:34.940,0:12:37.640 but also especially within folks in the communities 0:12:37.640,0:12:39.020 because it’s based out of need. 0:12:39.020,0:12:42.080 So now you have to talk to your neighbour[br]because you have to share the rice and the 0:12:42.080,0:12:46.160 beans so you can cook something together and[br]you happen to be the one with the gas stove. 0:12:46.170,0:12:52.140 So this has resulted in some spaces that are[br]called Centros de Apoyo Mutuo, centres of 0:12:52.140,0:12:57.420 mutual support that vary from social kitchens[br]or collective kitchens where folks come to 0:12:57.420,0:13:02.899 eat, to places where people can come to drop off[br]stuff so it can get distributed to communities 0:13:02.899,0:13:05.560 that have little to no communication. 0:13:05.560,0:13:10.980 Even FEMA had mentioned the model of [br]Common Ground relief collective that 0:13:10.980,0:13:15.820 -as that being, like, that decentralized model being[br]a way to get mass resources to people like 0:13:15.820,0:13:20.810 quickly, immediately, rather than waiting[br]for government bodies to respond. 0:13:20.810,0:13:25.560 So there’s decentralized groups on the ground[br]now that are distroing food and getting supplies 0:13:25.560,0:13:29.940 out to people because FEMA’s reporting that[br]they give out 200,000 meals a day 0:13:29.940,0:13:32.820 in a place where there’s millions of people. 0:13:32.820,0:13:35.410 And that’s like 1 meal a day for 200 000[br]people. 0:13:35.410,0:13:37.370 So they’re sorely failing. 0:13:37.370,0:13:43.050 So we’re like daring to believe that we[br]could render the state and these NGO’s unnecessary 0:13:43.050,0:13:46.470 by just being on the ground and responding[br]to people directly. 0:13:46.470,0:13:50.740 So in that way decentralized methods are - like[br]we’re able to circulate more easily, 0:13:50.740,0:13:55.610 we're able to get intel around the island better,[br]we’re able to communicate more directly 0:13:55.610,0:14:00.139 with people rather than treating them like[br]they’re passive receivers of aid like they’re 0:14:00.139,0:14:03.529 consumers, and treating them like they’re[br]human beings and listening to them. 0:14:03.529,0:14:08.269 It’s been a challenge, the lack of communications[br]so we have to actually go to places. 0:14:08.269,0:14:12.790 It’s been a challenge also for us the lack[br]of transportation- the fact that because we 0:14:12.790,0:14:15.660 are poor and working class, we really don’t[br]have adequate vehicles. 0:14:15.660,0:14:20.769 So we’ve eventually gonna rental, and try[br]to get to places and take stuff directly to 0:14:20.769,0:14:23.920 folks that we haven’t heard from yet who[br]are the ones in most need. 0:14:23.920,0:14:28.380 But the challenge is in transportation, communication,[br]and also money- the fact that we can’t ask 0:14:28.380,0:14:29.380 even with donations. 0:14:29.380,0:14:33.730 We can’t ask because it’s so hard to get[br]money even from the banks. 0:14:33.730,0:14:39.010 The mail is practically paralyzed or working[br]at a very very low level because of the damage 0:14:39.010,0:14:41.579 of the hurricane and the systems are down. 0:14:41.579,0:14:46.589 So even the mail is an issue and we’re an[br]island, so people with money fly in planes with 0:14:46.589,0:14:48.540 aid, but working class folks can’t do that. 0:14:48.540,0:14:51.639 So it’s really been about pooling resources-[br]what do we already have? 0:14:51.639,0:14:56.810 And finding solidarity with some, even some[br]sympathizers at all levels, from business 0:14:56.810,0:15:02.570 owners to truck drivers, to folks that are[br]ready to help us and us being able to have 0:15:02.570,0:15:05.550 the connection because we’ve been with the[br]folks that do the front line work. 0:15:05.550,0:15:08.760 And it’s been a challenge but it’s been[br]a necessary challenge cuz if not, nothing 0:15:08.760,0:15:12.209 would get to a lot of our communities because[br]of the way they’re not connected 0:15:12.209,0:15:14.339 to the political structures of the island. 0:15:14.339,0:15:17.630 People at first were waiting for the government[br]to- you know, thinking that the government 0:15:17.630,0:15:21.139 would come and respond to their needs but[br]once they saw that it wasn’t coming, 0:15:21.139,0:15:25.949 they started joining together, organizing kitchen,[br]you know, getting community aid out and then 0:15:25.949,0:15:30.110 connecting with other networks that were,[br]you know, trying to get the word out of what 0:15:30.110,0:15:34.310 people in their areas and rural municipalities [br]were in need of. 0:15:34.310,0:15:38.930 There’s this like fear mongering that society’s[br]gonna break out and we’re gonna have to 0:15:38.930,0:15:40.370 have the government come in and police us. 0:15:40.370,0:15:44.580 I mean, well that’s absurd, because the[br]government when they come in, they’re usually 0:15:44.580,0:15:46.690 taking and not giving. 0:15:46.690,0:15:50.279 And what I've seen here is people giving to each other. 0:15:50.279,0:15:54.310 From the airport- every single place that[br]I’ve been in, I’ve seen people pouring 0:15:54.310,0:15:58.610 out the milk of human kindness to each other. 0:15:58.610,0:16:01.079 So yes, the solidarity has been immense. 0:16:01.079,0:16:05.990 And it’s the first steps of a popular power[br]that’s gonna build because of folks coming 0:16:05.990,0:16:11.420 together in absence of a state and a military[br]occupation by the US. 0:16:14.020,0:16:19.880 Early in the morning of September 19th, 1985,[br]Mexico City was struck by a devastating earthquake. 0:16:19.880,0:16:24.670 In the span of minutes, thousands of buildings[br]collapsed into piles of rubble, including 0:16:24.670,0:16:28.820 hospitals, factories, schools and entire apartment[br]blocks. 0:16:28.820,0:16:33.220 An official death toll was never produced,[br]but it's generally agreed that somewhere between 0:16:33.220,0:16:36.300 ten and thirty thousand people lost their[br]lives. 0:16:36.300,0:16:41.580 The government of President Miguel de la Madrid[br]responded to this national tragedy by ordering 0:16:41.580,0:16:45.720 a news blackout, and sending the military[br]into the streets to impose a curfew. 0:16:45.720,0:16:49.180 Outraged by the state's incompetence and authoritarianism, 0:16:49.180,0:16:52.620 the Mexican people spearheaded the rescue efforts themselves, 0:16:52.620,0:16:56.790 pulling survivors from downed buildings[br]and helping to organize emergency 0:16:56.790,0:17:02.290 shelter for the hundreds of thousands of people[br]rendered homeless by the quake. 0:17:02.290,0:17:06.559 In September of this year, Mexico was hit[br]by two more earthquakes. 0:17:06.559,0:17:11.199 The first, and more powerful of the two struck[br]near the southern states of Chiapas and Oaxaca 0:17:11.199,0:17:17.971 on Sept 7th, and the second hit near Mexico[br]City on September 19th... exactly 32 years 0:17:17.971,0:17:21.579 to the day after the ‘85 quake. 0:17:21.579,0:17:25.480 This time around, the Mexican government has[br]attempted to avoid the negative press that 0:17:25.480,0:17:29.540 plagued its predecessor, by cynically using[br]the tragedy as a way of 0:17:29.540,0:17:31.780 increasing its domestic image. 0:17:31.780,0:17:36.180 But the majority of people in Mexico have[br]long since stopped believing in the legitimacy 0:17:36.180,0:17:40.360 of their government, and in recent years,[br]their values of solidarity and mutual aid 0:17:40.360,0:17:42.460 have grown stronger. 0:17:46.760,0:17:50.580 More or less the official number [br]is 40 collapsed buildings, 0:17:50.580,0:17:57.900 but there's easily a thousand buildings [br]that cannot be used as housing. 0:17:57.900,0:18:01.980 There's a lot of people that are in the streets,[br]and many of them don't know 0:18:01.980,0:18:05.740 if they can return to their to their homes,[br]because no one can tell them. 0:18:05.740,0:18:10.940 And of course they always want to go back[br]to retrieve their belongings, 0:18:10.940,0:18:13.180 but that puts their lives in danger. 0:18:13.180,0:18:16.220 And the authorities are not competent. 0:18:17.200,0:18:25.300 After the earthquake happened, the general response[br]was to go to the most affected areas. 0:18:25.300,0:18:28.700 There was no immediate response from the government. 0:18:28.700,0:18:37.020 It was civil society, and since the earthquake in '85 [br]it has been always civil society 0:18:37.060,0:18:42.100 the ones who are going to the sites and starting aid, 0:18:42.100,0:18:46.440 especially removing all the debris from the area. 0:18:47.920,0:18:54.260 The autonomous brigades, here in our school[br]emerged from the restlessness 0:18:54.260,0:18:58.800 of asking ourselves:[br]"What can we do?" 0:18:58.880,0:19:03.000 The first thing we did was to open[br]a center of supplies and aid. 0:19:03.040,0:19:13.440 Later we started an information verification project,[br]because of the massive amounts of messages - real and false. 0:19:13.440,0:19:18.080 Some things that had already [br]happened, other things that had not. 0:19:18.400,0:19:26.720 So then we concentrated reousources,[br]and from here bicycle brigades would leave 0:19:26.840,0:19:30.920 to take aid to the places that needed it 0:19:30.920,0:19:38.160 - be they shelters, disaster zones or damaged buildings. 0:19:39.080,0:19:41.200 When they came back, they would give us a report 0:19:41.200,0:19:43.200 on the status of the situation. 0:19:43.200,0:19:44.620 If other things were needed, 0:19:44.620,0:19:48.760 or if heavier things required a car to be transported, 0:19:48.760,0:19:53.520 bikers would come that would support us 0:19:53.520,0:19:55.300 in moving insulin. 0:19:55.300,0:19:57.300 Some taco delivery motorcycles 0:19:57.440,0:20:02.560 helped fit a cooler of insulin [br]in the box of their motorcycle. 0:20:02.560,0:20:07.420 After the civil society started working on the sites, 0:20:07.420,0:20:13.660 the government also sent special forces, [br]but that included the military, police groups, 0:20:13.760,0:20:19.620 and some engineering teams, but the feeling was 0:20:19.620,0:20:24.300 that they were not really trying to help and save lives, 0:20:24.300,0:20:28.600 but just in general control the situation at all the sites. 0:20:29.760,0:20:33.600 On Thursday night it seemed like 0:20:33.600,0:20:37.520 material necessities were taken care of, 0:20:37.520,0:20:42.720 so we asked ourselves:[br]what more could we do to help? 0:20:42.880,0:20:43.900 What came next? 0:20:43.920,0:20:49.360 We put our energies into the school here,[br]with the documentation brigades 0:20:49.440,0:20:54.800 - who interviewed people that were [br]affected by the quake 0:20:54.800,0:20:57.840 with a list of questions. 0:20:57.840,0:21:04.160 Asking them how they were doing,[br]how was their home? 0:21:04.160,0:21:06.160 What they needed... 0:21:06.160,0:21:09.200 and asking them to describe their [br]interaction with the authorities. 0:21:09.840,0:21:15.040 When we decided to stop working[br]as an aid warehouse, 0:21:15.040,0:21:19.060 we began to envision this work as a long term project. 0:21:19.120,0:21:22.700 So we developed new working groups, 0:21:22.700,0:21:26.720 like art brigades that deal with things that[br]we are more used to, like graphic work, 0:21:26.720,0:21:31.020 to find ways to support [br]with what we really know how to do.... 0:21:31.080,0:21:36.340 to go beyond the moment of emergency and immediacy. 0:21:36.340,0:21:39.600 So we have various assemblies, in which we figure out 0:21:39.600,0:21:43.620 where we should put our energies - where to support. 0:21:43.620,0:21:47.120 Like creating a census of people who've been affected. 0:21:47.120,0:21:52.400 If we find camps that need things, if we have the capacity we bring them. 0:21:53.800,0:21:58.940 It was impossible for one single group to[br]organize aid. 0:21:58.940,0:22:08.040 For example there was collaboration between[br]the groups collecting or being able to buy 0:22:08.040,0:22:11.500 equipment, food, to send to Oaxaca. 0:22:11.500,0:22:16.900 People organized to make lists of what was needed[br]where, and then there were other groups in 0:22:16.900,0:22:26.080 charge of finding what was the best way to[br]transport all those things. 0:22:26.080,0:22:35.620 So in general, a very specific group got specialized[br]in one part of the process and then it helped 0:22:35.620,0:22:42.500 a lot with previous organization knowing which[br]autonomous groups were working in Oaxaca, 0:22:42.500,0:22:46.980 so those were very important connections to[br]make. 0:22:46.980,0:22:52.180 We never got in one another's way.[br]We never said: "You do this, and you go there!" 0:22:52.180,0:22:55.600 ...like no one has to tell you what to do, 0:22:55.600,0:22:57.920 which was fuckin awesome! 0:23:05.520,0:23:09.760 In the wake of a natural disaster, local systems[br]of authority break down. 0:23:09.780,0:23:14.680 The widespread damage to infrastructure, disruption[br]of service provision and general sense of 0:23:14.740,0:23:19.720 panic and desperation associated with these[br]events creates a sudden power vacuum. 0:23:19.800,0:23:24.360 Governments are well aware of this, and many[br]have developed contingency plans that allow 0:23:24.480,0:23:29.400 them to rapidly move to reassert the rule[br]of law, over often still-traumatized populations. 0:23:30.320,0:23:35.080 According to the cold logic of state power,[br]containing threats to public order brought 0:23:35.080,0:23:39.040 on by a catastrophe is more important than[br]actually saving lives. 0:23:39.040,0:23:43.080 This includes quashing threats to the sanctity[br]of private property brought on by the necessity 0:23:43.080,0:23:44.680 of human survival. 0:23:44.680,0:23:50.080 For anarchists, and other enemies of social[br]control, there is a flipside to this equation. 0:23:50.080,0:23:55.400 While natural disasters are horrific tragedies[br]that cause immense devastation and suffering, 0:23:55.400,0:24:00.080 the collective trauma of these events can[br]also serve to bring people together, and inspire 0:24:00.080,0:24:05.280 neighbours to build local networks of interdependence[br]and mutual aid, in order to collectively navigate 0:24:05.280,0:24:08.880 situations where they’ve been abandoned[br]by the state. 0:24:08.880,0:24:13.360 This brings to mind the well-known quote,[br]by Spanish anarchist revolutionary, Buenaventura 0:24:13.360,0:24:16.240 Durruti: “We are not afraid of ruins. 0:24:16.240,0:24:19.520 We carry a new world, here, in our hearts.” 0:24:19.520,0:24:24.800 In the ruins created by climate catastrophe[br]and natural disasters, new worlds are being built. 0:24:24.800,0:24:28.880 Small-scale experiments in local[br]sustainability and the fostering of new 0:24:28.880,0:24:33.360 social relationships rooted in the values of autonomy[br]and mutual aid. 0:24:36.000,0:24:40.880 In Lakewood, what happened during the storm[br]was almost criminal. 0:24:40.880,0:24:46.240 They were told they were not in a flood zone,[br]they were not priority evacuation, and as 0:24:46.240,0:24:49.680 the water started to rise from the bayou that[br]encircles the neighbourhood, 0:24:49.680,0:24:52.320 they started calling up rescue and they couldn’t get any. 0:24:52.320,0:24:55.360 So, they helped themselves, they found the[br]boats. 0:24:55.360,0:24:58.480 Some neighbours went around rescuing folks[br]off their roofs, 0:24:58.640,0:25:00.960 and the community took care of itself. 0:25:00.960,0:25:06.000 They have always been a tight knit community,[br]and now that they’ve gone through this together, 0:25:06.000,0:25:07.360 they’re even closer knit. 0:25:07.360,0:25:12.080 I think organizing around short term and long[br]term relief for people has really helped to 0:25:12.080,0:25:17.520 demonstrate how communities can do the work[br]themselves and render the state unnecessary. 0:25:17.520,0:25:22.560 That vision of community, mutual aid, horizontal[br]organization and solidarity is coming to life 0:25:22.560,0:25:24.080 with people. 0:25:24.080,0:25:28.240 This charity vibe of the big corporations raising funds, 0:25:28.240,0:25:33.120 they do it so they can say, "I am this corporation, and I am going to help you 0:25:33.120,0:25:36.720 rebuild your home, because I am so good." 0:25:36.720,0:25:42.000 And I think that mutual aid doesn't seek recognition. 0:25:42.720,0:25:46.000 I think we have to be very careful about the[br]politics about the groups that are saying 0:25:46.000,0:25:47.440 they are doing aid in Puerto Rico. 0:25:47.440,0:25:50.720 A lot of folks in the US, not necessarily[br]the disaster relief folks, but other people 0:25:50.720,0:25:54.800 from the Puerto Rican diaspora or non profits[br]have come in to try to colonize the efforts 0:25:54.800,0:25:58.480 and they can have influence on organizations[br]usually based on identity politics. 0:25:58.480,0:26:01.520 So folks are like “oh these are the Puerto[br]Ricans, so we gotta listen to them”, but not 0:26:01.520,0:26:03.600 all Puerto Ricans are on the same page. 0:26:04.240,0:26:08.320 Charity can be used as political capital 0:26:08.320,0:26:12.160 for other interests that don't interest us. 0:26:12.160,0:26:16.000 When you receive charity,[br]other than probably clearing 0:26:16.000,0:26:20.400 someone's conscience,[br]they can also profit politically from it. 0:26:20.400,0:26:23.040 Mutual aid doesn't pursue that. 0:26:23.600,0:26:27.760 The difference between charity and mutual[br]aid in a disaster situation is charities like 0:26:27.760,0:26:30.960 the Red Cross- they’re set up along very[br]specific lines. 0:26:30.960,0:26:35.900 They have CEO’S, they have vice-presidents[br]of communication, they have all of these different 0:26:35.920,0:26:40.400 levels in their hierarchy and as you go up,[br]each level is more authoritarian 0:26:40.400,0:26:42.000 than the one before. 0:26:42.000,0:26:46.160 So in order to make any decisions, in order[br]to do anything, things have to follow a very 0:26:46.160,0:26:50.240 specific set of rules, they have to be done[br]in a certain way, and if you try to contravene 0:26:50.240,0:26:53.440 those rules, then you get booted out of the[br]organization. 0:26:53.600,0:26:58.800 From Katrina, to Haiti, to Houston, they cause[br]the same problems over and over again, 0:26:58.800,0:27:00.560 because their structures are inflexible. 0:27:00.560,0:27:05.280 We get to pick and choose what we wanna do,[br]and in picking and choosing what we wanna do, 0:27:05.280,0:27:08.080 we let the community who needs the work[br]done, direct us. 0:27:08.080,0:27:11.920 Mutual Aid just recognizes that we’re all[br]in different places and we have to meet each 0:27:11.920,0:27:14.560 other where we are in order to keep moving[br]forward. 0:27:14.560,0:27:18.720 All of this hand wrangling, all of this ‘will[br]our funders renew that grant at the end of 0:27:18.720,0:27:21.280 the year’, is not an issue. 0:27:21.280,0:27:25.920 We’ve been creating affinity groups like[br]medical crews, organizing short term infrastructure 0:27:25.920,0:27:29.040 like solar and water purification and we have[br]a long term systems group 0:27:29.040,0:27:30.480 that’s coming in after. 0:27:30.480,0:27:36.160 We’ve been in contact with folks from Houston[br]and Louisiana and Mexico who’ve been organizing 0:27:36.160,0:27:38.320 that same structure. 0:27:38.320,0:27:43.520 It’s open source open communication, it’s[br]really accessible so community can get involved 0:27:43.520,0:27:47.360 where they have the most intel on what’s[br]going on. 0:27:48.240,0:27:52.720 When you have an opportunity to rebuild systems[br]so that they’re more people centered than 0:27:52.720,0:27:57.440 organizationally centered, then you’re doing[br]real work, then you’re making a difference 0:27:57.440,0:28:01.200 that’s a long term difference because you’re[br]letting people direct what it is that they 0:28:01.200,0:28:06.160 need rather than coming in and dictating to[br]them and telling them what you will give them. 0:28:06.560,0:28:10.160 When disaster happens, it’s a crack in societal[br]norms that the state has set up for us and 0:28:10.240,0:28:13.200 we can see through the cracks and exploit[br]those cracks. 0:28:13.200,0:28:18.080 This is the time where we can seize power[br]and we can act and really empower other people 0:28:18.080,0:28:20.240 to you know, to make our communities ours. 0:28:20.480,0:28:22.560 Liberalism is dying for a reason. 0:28:22.560,0:28:27.040 Watching Anderson Cooper and saying “oh[br]my” is not activism. 0:28:27.040,0:28:31.680 If you believe that change comes from other[br]means, you need to be 0:28:31.680,0:28:34.320 actually doing those things. 0:28:34.320,0:28:35.680 Just go out and fucking do it. 0:28:35.680,0:28:41.040 Get self organized, get affinity groups together,[br]and start responding but respond through listening. 0:28:42.400,0:28:45.360 We already have to have plans in place when[br]this happens because 0:28:45.360,0:28:48.080 the response has been too slow. 0:28:48.160,0:28:52.720 For comrades that are organizing in other spaces,[br]I would say get out in the community, 0:28:52.720,0:28:54.720 get them involved in what’s going on, 0:28:54.720,0:28:57.760 start organizing projects around people’s experiences, 0:28:57.760,0:28:59.520 and then building from there. 0:28:59.520,0:29:00.880 Go find the people. 0:29:00.880,0:29:01.680 They’re there. 0:29:01.680,0:29:03.680 You see them everyday. 0:29:03.680,0:29:08.640 They’re the single mom who needs a child[br]care co-op, or help setting one up. 0:29:10.400,0:29:14.880 I think that what you’re seeing is anarchists[br]leading and saying “here are our options” 0:29:14.880,0:29:18.720 rather than waiting on the government to enact[br]those options, we’re going to create 0:29:18.720,0:29:24.160 open source resources and allow the communities[br]to have access to them 0:29:24.160,0:29:25.760 so that people are empowered. 0:29:25.760,0:29:27.200 It’s the future. 0:29:27.200,0:29:29.760 It’s where we’re going, and I am proud[br]to be a part of the anarchists 0:29:29.760,0:29:31.040 who are leading the way on that. 0:29:34.880,0:29:39.560 In the days after we finished interviewing[br]members of Mutual Aid Disaster Relief, 0:29:39.560,0:29:44.900 the church they were operating out of in Guaynabo,[br]Puerto Rico, was raided by a SWAT team. 0:29:44.900,0:29:49.900 These comrades were detained at gunpoint,[br]asked if they were associated with antifa, 0:29:49.900,0:29:54.360 and interrogated as to whether or not they[br]intended to overthrow the government. 0:29:54.360,0:29:57.200 Thankfully, they were all released without[br]charges and were able to 0:29:57.200,0:29:59.120 quickly get back to work. 0:29:59.120,0:30:04.480 This act of ill-thought out repression clearly[br]demonstrates that governments see relief efforts 0:30:04.480,0:30:09.440 that fall outside of the hierarchical control[br]of state and corporate non-profits as a challenge 0:30:09.440,0:30:14.320 to their legitimacy, and a threat to their[br]assumed role as the sole deciders of who gets 0:30:14.320,0:30:16.480 aid, how they get it, and when. 0:30:16.480,0:30:20.960 So at this point, we’d like to remind you[br]that Trouble is intended to be watched in groups, 0:30:20.960,0:30:25.200 and to be used as a resource to promote[br]discussion and collective organizing. 0:30:25.200,0:30:30.560 Are you interested in starting a local group[br]to help support front-line disaster relief efforts? 0:30:30.560,0:30:34.720 Or just figuring out how people in[br]your town could better apply mutual aid principles 0:30:34.720,0:30:36.720 to your local organizing? 0:30:36.720,0:30:40.720 Consider getting together with some comrades,[br]screening this film and discussing what this 0:30:40.720,0:30:42.880 could look like in practice. 0:30:42.880,0:30:46.720 Interested in running regular screenings of[br]Trouble at your campus, infoshop, 0:30:46.720,0:30:49.760 community center, or even at home with friends? 0:30:49.760,0:30:51.360 Become a Trouble-Maker! 0:30:51.360,0:30:55.040 For 10 bucks a month, we’ll hook you 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