Margaret talks with Courtney Kocak about how a bunch of self-styled anarchist gnomes helped collapse a government.

Margaret talks with Courtney Kocak about how a bunch of self-styled anarchist gnomes helped collapse a government.

As long as there’s been oppression, there’ve been people fighting it. This weekly podcast dives into history to drag up the wildest rebels, the most beautiful revolts, and all the people who long to be—and fight to be—free. It explores complex stories of resistance that offer lessons and inspiration for us today, focusing on the ensemble casts that make up each act of history. That is to say, this podcast focuses on Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff.

As long as there’s been oppression, there’ve been people fighting it. This weekly podcast dives into history to drag up the wildest rebels, the most beautiful revolts, and all the people who long to be—and fight to be—free. It explores complex stories of resistance that offer lessons and inspiration for us today, focusing on the ensemble casts that make up each act of history. That is to say, this podcast focuses on Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff.

Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff

As long as there&rsquo;s been oppression, there&rsquo;ve been people fighting it. This weekly podcast dives into history to drag up the wildest rebels, the most beautiful revolts, and all the people who long to be&mdash;and fight to be&mdash;free. It explores complex stories of resistance that offer lessons and inspiration for us today, focusing on the ensemble casts that make up each act of history. That is to say, this podcast focuses on Cool People Who Did Cool Stuff.

Part One: The Orange Alternative: The Polish Hippie Surrealists Who Tore Down a Communist Government

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/37ea7a30-fa12-4586-8e5b-b1ce0112d2db/transcript

Margaret continues her talk with Shuli Branson about the international campaign to end a notorious animal testing lab

Sources:

https://activistfacts.com/organizations/408-shac//
https://newspaper.animalpeopleforum.org/2002/10/01/crackdown-on-shac-hits-activist-for-child-porn-brings-boston-busts/
https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/hearings?Id=DAED00C5-802A-23AD-4106-0178D28039D9&Statement_id=CB16330B-2C94-4C18-B3A1-EF426A27966C
https://www.splcenter.org/resources/reports/british-arrest-animal-rights-activists/
https://www.splcenter.org/resources/reports/animal-rights-activists-get-prison-web-threat-case/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/staffordshire/4762481.stm
https://www.thefreelibrary.com/I+dug+up+a+grave+20+years+ago+but+this+is+appalling%3b+YOXALL...-a0123564625
https://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/news/the-research-they-tried-to-stop
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/may/12/animalwelfare.topstories3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DONT2Aucgs
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/aug/24/animalwelfare.nelsonmandela
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/aug/24/animalwelfare.businessofresearch
https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/this-britain/animal-rights-activists-condemned-as-guinea-pig-farm-gives-up-fight-307872.html
https://aldf.org/article/federal-laws-and-agencies-involved-with-animal-testing/
https://www.reddit.com/r/changemyview/comments/1fkyqaf/cmv_testing_on_animals_is_not_logically_unethical/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36762462/
https://awionline.org/awi-quarterly/summer-2025/animal-experimentation-under-trump-administration-good-bad-ugly
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/administrator-zeldin-gets-epa-back-track-eliminate-animal-testing-after-biden-admin
https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/consumer-health/federal-food-drug-and-cosmetic-act-1938
https://bfp.org/the-u-s-is-finally-beginning-to-move-beyond-animal-testing/
https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-experimentation/animals-used-experimentation-factsheets/animal-experiments-overview/
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10408444.2023.2221987#abstract
https://www.humaneworld.org/en/blog/epa-end-animal-testing
https://web.archive.org/web/20080227041442/http://www.nuffieldbioethics.org/fileLibrary/pdf/RIA_Report_FINAL-opt.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK32655/
https://humanedecisions.com/charles-darwin-the-lower-animals-like-man-feel-pleasure-and-pain-happiness-and-misery/
https://web.archive.org/web/20130121030113/http://postcog.ucd.ie/files/fulltext.pdf
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/aug/14/davidpallister
https://www.stagemilk.com/aaron-monologue-act-5-scene-1/
https://awionline.org/press-releases/envigo-settlement-first-step-addressing-companys-abysmal-animal-welfare-record
https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/headlines/2960204-envigos-22-million-guilty-plea-animal-welfare-scandal-unveiled
Puppy Killer, Leave Town, Jon Hochschartner
https://we.riseup.net/imc-uk/barry-horne

Margaret continues her talk with Shuli Branson about the international campaign to end a notorious animal testing lab
Sources:
https://activistfacts.com/organizations/408-shac// https://newspaper.animalpeopleforum.org/2002/10/01/crackdown-on-shac-hits-activist-for-child-porn-brings-boston-busts/ https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/hearings?Id=DAED00C5-802A-23AD-4106-0178D28039D9&amp;Statement_id=CB16330B-2C94-4C18-B3A1-EF426A27966C https://www.splcenter.org/resources/reports/british-arrest-animal-rights-activists/ https://www.splcenter.org/resources/reports/animal-rights-activists-get-prison-web-threat-case/ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/staffordshire/4762481.stm https://www.thefreelibrary.com/I+dug+up+a+grave+20+years+ago+but+this+is+appalling%3b+YOXALL...-a0123564625 https://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/news/the-research-they-tried-to-stop https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/may/12/animalwelfare.topstories3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DONT2Aucgs https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/aug/24/animalwelfare.nelsonmandela https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/aug/24/animalwelfare.businessofresearch https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/this-britain/animal-rights-activists-condemned-as-guinea-pig-farm-gives-up-fight-307872.html https://aldf.org/article/federal-laws-and-agencies-involved-with-animal-testing/ https://www.reddit.com/r/changemyview/comments/1fkyqaf/cmv_testing_on_animals_is_not_logically_unethical/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36762462/ https://awionline.org/awi-quarterly/summer-2025/animal-experimentation-under-trump-administration-good-bad-ugly https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/administrator-zeldin-gets-epa-back-track-eliminate-animal-testing-after-biden-admin https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/consumer-health/federal-food-drug-and-cosmetic-act-1938 https://bfp.org/the-u-s-is-finally-beginning-to-move-beyond-animal-testing/ https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-experimentation/animals-used-experimentation-factsheets/animal-experiments-overview/ https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10408444.2023.2221987#abstract https://www.humaneworld.org/en/blog/epa-end-animal-testing https://web.archive.org/web/20080227041442/http://www.nuffieldbioethics.org/fileLibrary/pdf/RIA_Report_FINAL-opt.pdf https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK32655/ https://humanedecisions.com/charles-darwin-the-lower-animals-like-man-feel-pleasure-and-pain-happiness-and-misery/ https://web.archive.org/web/20130121030113/http://postcog.ucd.ie/files/fulltext.pdf https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/aug/14/davidpallister https://www.stagemilk.com/aaron-monologue-act-5-scene-1/ https://awionline.org/press-releases/envigo-settlement-first-step-addressing-companys-abysmal-animal-welfare-record https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/headlines/2960204-envigos-22-million-guilty-plea-animal-welfare-scandal-unveiled Puppy Killer, Leave Town, Jon Hochschartner https://we.riseup.net/imc-uk/barry-horne

Part Two: SHAC and Modern Protest Tactics

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/a9910951-9513-4ec3-8cd1-b41f00219bb2/transcript

Margaret talks with Shuli Branson about the international campaign to end a notorious animal testing lab

Sources:

https://activistfacts.com/organizations/408-shac//
https://newspaper.animalpeopleforum.org/2002/10/01/crackdown-on-shac-hits-activist-for-child-porn-brings-boston-busts/
https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/hearings?Id=DAED00C5-802A-23AD-4106-0178D28039D9&Statement_id=CB16330B-2C94-4C18-B3A1-EF426A27966C
https://www.splcenter.org/resources/reports/british-arrest-animal-rights-activists/
https://www.splcenter.org/resources/reports/animal-rights-activists-get-prison-web-threat-case/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/staffordshire/4762481.stm
https://www.thefreelibrary.com/I+dug+up+a+grave+20+years+ago+but+this+is+appalling%3b+YOXALL...-a0123564625
https://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/news/the-research-they-tried-to-stop
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/may/12/animalwelfare.topstories3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DONT2Aucgs
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/aug/24/animalwelfare.nelsonmandela
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/aug/24/animalwelfare.businessofresearch
https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/this-britain/animal-rights-activists-condemned-as-guinea-pig-farm-gives-up-fight-307872.html
https://aldf.org/article/federal-laws-and-agencies-involved-with-animal-testing/
https://www.reddit.com/r/changemyview/comments/1fkyqaf/cmv_testing_on_animals_is_not_logically_unethical/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36762462/
https://awionline.org/awi-quarterly/summer-2025/animal-experimentation-under-trump-administration-good-bad-ugly
https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/administrator-zeldin-gets-epa-back-track-eliminate-animal-testing-after-biden-admin
https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/consumer-health/federal-food-drug-and-cosmetic-act-1938
https://bfp.org/the-u-s-is-finally-beginning-to-move-beyond-animal-testing/
https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-experimentation/animals-used-experimentation-factsheets/animal-experiments-overview/
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10408444.2023.2221987#abstract
https://www.humaneworld.org/en/blog/epa-end-animal-testing
https://web.archive.org/web/20080227041442/http://www.nuffieldbioethics.org/fileLibrary/pdf/RIA_Report_FINAL-opt.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK32655/
https://humanedecisions.com/charles-darwin-the-lower-animals-like-man-feel-pleasure-and-pain-happiness-and-misery/
https://web.archive.org/web/20130121030113/http://postcog.ucd.ie/files/fulltext.pdf
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/aug/14/davidpallister
https://www.stagemilk.com/aaron-monologue-act-5-scene-1/
https://awionline.org/press-releases/envigo-settlement-first-step-addressing-companys-abysmal-animal-welfare-record
https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/headlines/2960204-envigos-22-million-guilty-plea-animal-welfare-scandal-unveiled
Puppy Killer, Leave Town, Jon Hochschartner
https://we.riseup.net/imc-uk/barry-horne

Margaret talks with Shuli Branson about the international campaign to end a notorious animal testing lab
Sources:
https://activistfacts.com/organizations/408-shac// https://newspaper.animalpeopleforum.org/2002/10/01/crackdown-on-shac-hits-activist-for-child-porn-brings-boston-busts/ https://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/hearings?Id=DAED00C5-802A-23AD-4106-0178D28039D9&amp;Statement_id=CB16330B-2C94-4C18-B3A1-EF426A27966C https://www.splcenter.org/resources/reports/british-arrest-animal-rights-activists/ https://www.splcenter.org/resources/reports/animal-rights-activists-get-prison-web-threat-case/ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/staffordshire/4762481.stm https://www.thefreelibrary.com/I+dug+up+a+grave+20+years+ago+but+this+is+appalling%3b+YOXALL...-a0123564625 https://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/news/the-research-they-tried-to-stop https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/may/12/animalwelfare.topstories3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DONT2Aucgs https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/aug/24/animalwelfare.nelsonmandela https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/aug/24/animalwelfare.businessofresearch https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/this-britain/animal-rights-activists-condemned-as-guinea-pig-farm-gives-up-fight-307872.html https://aldf.org/article/federal-laws-and-agencies-involved-with-animal-testing/ https://www.reddit.com/r/changemyview/comments/1fkyqaf/cmv_testing_on_animals_is_not_logically_unethical/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36762462/ https://awionline.org/awi-quarterly/summer-2025/animal-experimentation-under-trump-administration-good-bad-ugly https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/administrator-zeldin-gets-epa-back-track-eliminate-animal-testing-after-biden-admin https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/consumer-health/federal-food-drug-and-cosmetic-act-1938 https://bfp.org/the-u-s-is-finally-beginning-to-move-beyond-animal-testing/ https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-experimentation/animals-used-experimentation-factsheets/animal-experiments-overview/ https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10408444.2023.2221987#abstract https://www.humaneworld.org/en/blog/epa-end-animal-testing https://web.archive.org/web/20080227041442/http://www.nuffieldbioethics.org/fileLibrary/pdf/RIA_Report_FINAL-opt.pdf https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK32655/ https://humanedecisions.com/charles-darwin-the-lower-animals-like-man-feel-pleasure-and-pain-happiness-and-misery/ https://web.archive.org/web/20130121030113/http://postcog.ucd.ie/files/fulltext.pdf https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/aug/14/davidpallister https://www.stagemilk.com/aaron-monologue-act-5-scene-1/ https://awionline.org/press-releases/envigo-settlement-first-step-addressing-companys-abysmal-animal-welfare-record https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/headlines/2960204-envigos-22-million-guilty-plea-animal-welfare-scandal-unveiled Puppy Killer, Leave Town, Jon Hochschartner https://we.riseup.net/imc-uk/barry-horne

Part One: SHAC and Modern Protest Tactics

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/4f2253d8-8022-40e6-a998-b41c0166915c/transcript

Margaret continues her conversation with Charles McBryde about the underground organization of anarcho-communists fighting against their own authoritarian government.

Sources:

https://www.anarchistnews.org/content/anarchist-ruslan-siddiqui-sentenced-29-years-maximum-security-penal-colony
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-20120888
 https://avtonom.org/en/news/anarchist-alexey-rozhkov-sentenced-16-years-setting-fire-military-enlistment-office
https://crimethinc.com/2022/02/15/war-and-anarchists-anti-authoritarian-perspectives-in-ukraine
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2022/12/05/7379273/
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2022/12/05/7379409/
https://theins.ru/en/society/280988
https://avtonom.org/en/news/you-could-call-me-partisan-ruslan-siddiqi-recounts-his-anti-war-actions
https://theins.ru/en/politics/252885
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmJZVKLQylA
https://abc-belarus.org/en/prisoners/
https://ukrainetoday.org/ex-russian-officer-defects-to-ukraine-to-fight-enemies-of-my-homeland/
https://greydynamics.com/siberian-battalion-russian-volunteers-fighting-for-ukraine/
https://greydynamics.com/inside-russias-underground-resistance-the-rise-of-boak/
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/anonymous-anarchists-on-the-front-line-against-russia-s-war
https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2025/05/29/i-couldnt-watch-people-die-in-silence-en
https://freedomnews.org.uk/2024/04/27/russia-prison-sentences-for-terrorist-graffiti/

Margaret continues her conversation with Charles McBryde about the underground organization of anarcho-communists fighting against their own authoritarian government.
Sources:
https://www.anarchistnews.org/content/anarchist-ruslan-siddiqui-sentenced-29-years-maximum-security-penal-colony https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-20120888 &nbsp;https://avtonom.org/en/news/anarchist-alexey-rozhkov-sentenced-16-years-setting-fire-military-enlistment-office https://crimethinc.com/2022/02/15/war-and-anarchists-anti-authoritarian-perspectives-in-ukraine https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2022/12/05/7379273/ https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2022/12/05/7379409/ https://theins.ru/en/society/280988 https://avtonom.org/en/news/you-could-call-me-partisan-ruslan-siddiqi-recounts-his-anti-war-actions https://theins.ru/en/politics/252885 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmJZVKLQylA https://abc-belarus.org/en/prisoners/ https://ukrainetoday.org/ex-russian-officer-defects-to-ukraine-to-fight-enemies-of-my-homeland/ https://greydynamics.com/siberian-battalion-russian-volunteers-fighting-for-ukraine/ https://greydynamics.com/inside-russias-underground-resistance-the-rise-of-boak/ https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/anonymous-anarchists-on-the-front-line-against-russia-s-war https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2025/05/29/i-couldnt-watch-people-die-in-silence-en https://freedomnews.org.uk/2024/04/27/russia-prison-sentences-for-terrorist-graffiti/

Part Two: If Not Us Than Who: The Russian Partisans at War Against Putin

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/0c69c1ff-49e7-42c6-aead-b417012d76b1/transcript

Part One: The Orange Alternative: The Polish Hippie Surrealists Who Tore Down a Communist Government

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