Episode #237
Criminalized Mutual Aid: Food Not Bombs Over the Years
Keith McHenry , author, activist and co-founder of Food Not Bombs , shares great stories of how he and a few friends started the grassroots mutual aid network that eventually spread to over 1,000 cities in 65 countries worldwide. With very few resources, a small group of activists were able to feed the people around them while also building a movement against war profiteering. As he takes us through his years of organizing, Keith also provides tips and tricks you can take to your own community: How they set up soup lines to maximize impact. How they shared knowledge, even in an era before the internet. How they make decisions on consensus while maintaining focus on taking action. How they used the heavy handed tactics of the police to expand their own reach. And how they persevered through years of being targeted by strategic incapacitation. In fact, what most attests to the power of mutual aid and the model Food not Bombs uses is the amount of effort the state puts into criminalizing them. Keith details some of his interactions with state agents, from street cops stealing their food, to infiltrators and ‘honey traps’ working to derail the movement. Like his new book, Soup Streets , this episode is a fascinating and resourceful collection of stories that takes you through decades of political change, while also demonstrating that nothing much has changed in terms of how the state responds to anti-capitalist models that gain traction. Hosted by: Jessa McLean and Santiago Helou Quintero Calls to Action: Grab a Copy of Soup Streets Related Episodes: Solidarity and Supports (June 2022) Stories of finding solidarity and creating meaningful supportive spaces in rural Alberta and Saskatchewan Always Shoot Down Range (June 2024) The Canadian Socialist Rifle Association talks about their mutual aid work, their advocacy and creating socialist spaces. More Resources: Article: Mayor Says Food Not Bombs Must Obtain Permit (2025) Prism Reports - Activists in West Palm Beach charged for feeding houseless people (2023) Keith's Bio Get more of our content on our SUBSTACK . All of our content is free - made possible by the generous sponsorships of our Patrons. If you would like to support our work through monthly contributions: Patreon Follow us on Instagram or on Bluesky
