Posted on by SpokenNothing

Reportback from SmashBy Benefit Show for Chris G. & Aeshna

A flyer with vines wrapping around the edges and two butterlfies on the top corners. Text reads: "On March 16th, as part of SmashbySmashwest, an autonomous campaign to urge South by Southwest to divest from the "unity of evil" that comprises the festivals funding and implementation, community members held a show benefitting the two victims of Tarrant County's Mccarthyite crackdown on leftists. Chris G. delivered the following message to those in attendance: "I did not ask for this. It feels strange and unkind to center myself in such a way when the world is on fire. I never desired or hoped to be the center of anything in this world of so much loss and heartache greater than mine but again, I did not ask for this. I hope that you will hear my story as a message of hope in the ruins of what once was and join me in dreaming of what will be. No matter what the bastards say, they are scared. They would not have taken me if they weren't. They know the micro-chasms in their stranglehold on us are widening everyday. They shudder knowing that as long as there is breath in our lungs this blueprint of oppression as we witness it from Forth Worth to the Weelaunee to Gaza will not stand. My heart aches for my partner and for my children in this hellish limbo of uncertainty but your collective love gives me strength in ways I can't fully comprehend, much less articulate. Empathy dies quickly in this world and it is not our fault but the fault of our social conditioning that we've designed to pulse these little doses of relief as each crisis hits; even our prisoners and martyrs become beacons of idoltry we thingify and consume. I ask that as you go from here you remember our names and what we represent because it could and can be any one of your names the suits scoop next. Envelop your chosen kin in hope and carry yourself with the confidence that no matter the stumbles of the journey, the path to progress has never been more clearly defined but through our radical love for one another and because of y'all I feel that love. From the bottom of my heart, thank you." Bottom of the flyer has a QR code that says "Donate to Chris's legal fund."

Originally published by Swallowtail Distro as a reportback on this SmashXSmashWest event

On March 16th, a SmashbySmashwest benefit show was held to support Chris and Aeshna’s legal fees and approximately $400 was raised towards this goal both through online donations and in person. The following message was delivered:

I did not ask for this.

It feels strange and unkind to center myself in such a way when the world is on fire. I never desired or hoped to be the center of anything in this world of so much loss and heartache greater than mine but again,
I did not ask for this.

I hope that you will hear my story as a message of hope in the ruins of what once was and join me in dreaming of what will be. No matter what the bastards say, they are scared. They would not have taken me if they weren’t. They know the micro-chasms in their stranglehold on us are widening everyday. They shudder knowing that as long as there is breath in our lungs this blueprint of oppression as we witness it from Forth Worth to the Weelaunee to Gaza will not stand. My heart aches for my partner and for my children in this hellish limbo of uncertainty but your collective love gives me strength in ways I can’t fully comprehend, much less articulate.

Empathy dies quickly in this world and it is not our fault but the fault of our social conditioning that we’ve designed to pulse these little doses of relief as each crisis hits; even our prisoners and martyrs become beacons of idoltry we thingify and consume. I ask that as you go from here you remember our names and what we represent because it could and can be any one of your names the suits scoop next. Envelop your chosen kin in hope and carry yourself with the confidence that no matter the stumbles of the journey, the path to progress has never been more clearly defined but through our radical love for one another and because of y’all I feel that love.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Chris G’s legal fund

 

Flyer with a picture of Aeshna. Text reads: Support Aeshna "Protest Mom" Aeshna, better known as Protest Mom, is a street medic from Dallas that was arrested at a cop riot in Fort Worth and indicted by a grand jury on trumped up charges. After their violent arrest, Tarrant County assigned a special prosecutor who has made a hobby of stalling their trial. Subsequent to their arrest, they were served with a $250,000 lawsuit from the Christian-Fascist New Columbia Movement which has thus far amounted to a deluge of lies. They've also been targeted and harassed by investigators and federal agents. QR code that says "Scan to Support

Aeshna, better known as Protest Mom, is a street medic from Dallas that was arrested at a cop riot in Fort Worth and indicted by a grand jury on trumped up charges.

After their violent arrest, Tarrant County assigned a special prosecutor who has made a hobby of stalling their trial. Subsequent to their arrest, they were served with a $250,000 lawsuit from the Christian-Fascist New Columbia Movement which has thus far amounted to a deluge of lies. They’ve also been targeted and harassed by investigators and federal agents.

Aeshna’s legal fund

Got a something you need to publish? Send it to us! We take all kinds of radical/revolutionary content, with a special affinity for anarchist/autonomous movements and crews. We specialize in research and strategic intelligence that can inform direct action, but we’ll take art, opinion pieces, and other stuff too! Submit content to austinautonomedia [@] autistici [dot] org.