Issue 02 of the Popular Front magazine is here. In this one we’ve got on the ground reporting from the rebel held jungles of Myanmar, details of recent letter bomb campaigns in Europe, a tour of a Ukrainian prison of war camp, and much more. Oh, and one of our reporters tests out 3D-printed rocket launchers. No-one does real grassroots conflict reporting like we do. https://www.popularfront.shop/products/popular-front-magazine-issue-02 If you want to stock this magazine, email: [email protected] Pre-order issue 02 now. Deliveries begin end of January 2024. SUPPORT POPULAR FRONT • https://www.patreon.com/popularfront • https://www.popularfront.co/ • https://www.instagram.com/popular.front • https://www.twitter.com/popularfront_

The zine is over, but the magazine is here. This is a professional publication containing some the best conflict journalism you’ll read. We’re reporting from the ground amidst ongoing wars in Congo, America’s armed trans movement, and Ukraine’s volunteer militias. Also: 3D-printed weapons workshops in Syria, youth rebellion in Palestine, anti-surveillance tech, and much more. • Pre-order now: https://www.popularfront.shop/products/popular-front-magazine-issue-01 SUPPORT POPULAR FRONT • https://www.patreon.com/popularfront • https://www.popularfront.co/ • https://www.instagram.com/popular.front • https://www.twitter.com/popularfront_

The current protests in #France are the biggest in decades, with up to a million people gathering across the country. Things kicked off in January, when president Macron increased France’s pension age by two years and cancelled retirement benefits for many different sectors, including rail workers, farmers, and electricians. Macron used his constitutional power to bypass parliament and push through the reform without a vote. This caused outrage, acting as the straw that broke the camel’s back. After years of discontent with Macron, and the leading opposition party being far-right, people took to the streets to protest. We tagged along with protesters in #Paris on May Day, as some of the biggest riots in the country broke out. MORE POPULAR FRONT • https://www.patreon.com/popularfront • https://www.popularfront.shop • https://www.popularfront.co/ • https://www.instagram.com/popular.front • https://www.twitter.com/popularfront_

Кайф або смерть One of our team (Conall Kearney) met with Anton, from our documentary Frontline Hooligan [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsodbPkjO3c], during some down time away from thier recent battles on the frontlines in Ukraine. To support Kayfariki Group: https://linktr.ee/kayfarikigroup SUPPORT POPULAR FRONT • https://www.patreon.com/popularfront • https://www.popularfront.co/ • https://www.instagram.com/popular.front • https://www.twitter.com/popularfront_ #Ukraine #Russia

When #Russia invaded #Ukraine in February 2022, anti-Putin Russian partisans began to launch sabotage operations against Kremlin infrastructure inside their country. After almost one year of war, these cells in Russia have grown exponentially. From Moscow to Vladivostok, there have been more than 80 confirmed anti-government attacks in the past 12 months. To document Russia's anti-Putin underground first hand, we met with two members of one of the most well organised Russian partisan groups. SUPPORT POPULAR FRONT • https://www.patreon.com/popularfront • https://www.popularfront.co/ • https://www.instagram.com/popular.front • https://www.twitter.com/popularfront_

The long awaited third issue of the Popular Front zine. This one features some of the most obscure conflict reporting you'll see, from Greek militants blowing up McDonalds to the vegan punks fighting Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Buy it: https://www.popularfront.shop SUPPORT POPULAR FRONT • https://www.patreon.com/popularfront • https://www.popularfront.co/ • https://www.instagram.com/popular.front • https://www.twitter.com/popularfront_

The commander of Hoods Hoods Klan (https://youtu.be/nsodbPkjO3c) and Black Headquarters (both #Ukraine leftist units fighting #Russia's invasion) has sadly been killed in combat whilst fighting on the frontlines in the east of the country. His name is Yuriy Samoilenko. He’s the one blurred out in our Frontline Hooligan doc (due to his military position). Yuriy shouldn’t really have allowed us to film as freely as he did, but he said ok let’s go. He understood the project. Thank you Yuriy. We couldn't have made the film without you. Yuriy leaves behind a young daughter, a wife, and an elderly mother. If you want to help support the family in these hard times, you can do so by donating via PayPal using the following email address: [email protected] Rest in peace Yuriy SUPPORT POPULAR FRONT • https://www.patreon.com/popularfront • https://www.popularfront.co/ • https://www.instagram.com/popular.front • https://www.twitter.com/popularfront_ [ Comments turned off out of respect for the family. They don't need to see what bad things cowards on the Internet have to say about their fallen loved one. ]

In the midst of the #Ukraine war, there’s an armed unit of anti-fascist football hooligans who are fighting #Russia’s forces on the frontlines. They’re called Hoods Hoods Klan. They made a name for themselves across Europe for beating up far-right ultras. Now though, they’re fighting a bigger enemy: Putin. At Popular Front we spent time with Hoods Hoods Klan as they prepared to head to the east, where the war is still raging. This documentary is about friendship, conflict, and a side of Ukraine often unreported. Help Hoods Hoods Klan with medical supplies via PayPal: [email protected] YouTube has demonitised our whole channel because real life reporting isn't advertiser friendly, so please consider subscribing to our Patreon to keep this moving forward: https://www.patreon.com/popularfront SUPPORT POPULAR FRONT • https://www.patreon.com/popularfront • https://www.popularfront.co/ • https://www.instagram.com/popular.front • https://www.twitter.com/popularfront_

Popular Front is four years old today. Thank you all so much for the support. SUPPORT POPULAR FRONT • https://www.patreon.com/popularfront • https://www.popularfront.co/ • https://www.instagram.com/popular.front • https://www.twitter.com/popularfront_

More: https://www.patreon.com/popularfront In February 2022, less than a week before the Russian invasion, we were filming in #Ukraine. We spent time with the citizen militia forces of the Territorial Defence as they prepared for the then uncertain possibility of war with #Russia. Of course, Russia did invade. Now, the Territorial Defence, along with many other militias, have been deployed all over Ukraine. They're fighting Russian forces on the frontline of many different areas. What we filmed quickly became less relevant once the invasion began, but we're publishing some of the interviews we did with the Ukrainian citizens that were preparing for the now active war with Russia. This is a preview. There's much more on the Patreon, for just $5 a month. All of this was filmed five days before the invasion. SUPPORT POPULAR FRONT • https://www.patreon.com/popularfront • https://www.popularfront.co/ • https://www.instagram.com/popular.front • https://www.twitter.com/popularfront_

On March 13th we were on the ground in Bastia, #Corsica, to document the violent youth protests against the French state. These historic clashes have gone largely under-reported. Corsica is under the control of #France, but many on the idyllic island want to be independent, or at least have better autonomy. A Corsican prisoner, Yvan Colonna, was recently attacked in a French prison. This sparked the ongoing youth revolt. Yesterday, Colonna died from his injuries. This will likely cause a new wave of violence in Corsica. SUPPORT POPULAR FRONT • https://www.patreon.com/popularfront • https://www.popularfront.co/ • https://www.instagram.com/popular.front • https://www.twitter.com/popularfront_

In 2021, more than 25,000 people were killed by drug cartels in #Mexico according to official statistics. The true number is likely much higher. One of the most violent and brutal cartels is the Sinaloa Cartel. In collaboration with 550BC, we got access to footage recently filmed by a Sinaloa Cartel foot soldier. The result is this short documentary—an unflinching look inside the lives of Sinaloa Cartel militiamen as they advance to launch attacks on rival cartels. The cartels make billions of dollars a year from drug trafficking, and have a presence in every state in Mexico. They now have equipment similar to that of the Mexican military and are often considered to be narco-militias. This documentary shows you the harsh realities of their lifestyle. Sinaloa Foot Soldier accompanies a book by 550BC that documents the lives of the Sicarios in more intimate detail. You can buy it at https://www.550bc.com/ SUPPORT POPULAR FRONT • https://www.patreon.com/popularfront • https://www.popularfront.co/ • https://www.instagram.com/popular.front • https://www.twitter.com/popularfront_ [DISCLAIMER FOR YOUTUBE CENSORS: Sinaloa Foot Soldier is a journalistic documentary made by professional and award-winning journalists. It shows an unusual and often unseen element of the lives of the cartel members. It in no way aims to glorify their brutal acts of violence. What we're doing with this film is showing the harsh reality of these organised crime syndicates whilst juxtapositioning it with the mundane elements—the opposite of glorifying their lifestyle. This documentary is a valuable piece of reporting as it shows unique access as well as allowing the viewer to see how the cartel members live. This is vital information when it comes to real on-the-ground reporting. This documentary should not be censored or removed as it meets all of YouTube's requirements.]

"Live free or fucking die." - JStark Watch Plastic Defence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlB2QV5wVxg JStark tribute song: https://soundcloud.com/sun-of-old/a-tribute-to-jstark SUPPORT POPULAR FRONT • https://www.patreon.com/popularfront • https://www.popularfront.co/ • https://www.instagram.com/popular.front • https://www.twitter.com/popularfront_

Jake Hanrahan (who founded Popular Front) has a book out now. You can buy it here: https://www.jakehanrahan.com/gargoyle "Gargoyle is a compilation of written work by British journalist Jake Hanrahan, collecting his on-the-ground reporting from all the wrong crowds. In this book he visits hidden places and speaks to tough people, from the militant hideouts in Kurdistan, to the secret safe-houses of dark web drug dealers. Hanrahan has a particular knack for discovering, and gaining access to, the dark underbellies of the modern era. Gargoyle is his first-hand documentation of these dangerous and often bizarre journeys." Music: Omon Breaker Skeleton graphics: Hightosis SUPPORT POPULAR FRONT • https://www.patreon.com/popularfront • https://www.popularfront.co/ • https://www.instagram.com/popular.front • https://www.twitter.com/popularfrontco

In just 44 days of fighting, more than 5000 soldiers and at least 143 civilians were killed in the recent war for #NagornoKarabakh / #Artsakh. Tens of thousands have been displaced, many people are still missing, and bodies are still being found. The war has been active on and off for decades. It's a territorial conflict between #Armenia and #Azerbaijan. We went to the frontlines in Karabakh to see how the war has affected the people and to see if the ceasefire is really holding. SUPPORT POPULAR FRONT - https://www.patreon.com/popularfront - https://www.popularfront.co/ - https://www.instagram.com/popular.front - https://www.twitter.com/popularfront_

PLASTIC DEFENCE is a documentary about illegal 3D printed firearms in Europe and the decentralised network behind them. These guns are robust, they don't blow up in your hands, and they're untraceable. What's more, they're being made in people's bedrooms. At Popular Front, we got access to the network designing and building these downloadable rifles. It goes by the name "Deterrence Dispensed". Its members are determined to give untraceable DIY firearms to the world. We spent time with the founder of the movement—a man known as JStark. He showed us how he designs the firearms, builds them in his workshop, and even makes bootleg 9mm ammunition for them. We also went out into the forests with JStark to witness how powerful 3D printed firearms have become, and to gauge how dangerous they could be for Europe. JStark argues that his group is helping people living under authoritarianism fight back against their oppressors. Whilst this could be true, Deterrence Dispensed is sending their technology out into the world for free to anyone and everyone. It's totally unregulated. If it gets into the wrong hands, which it easily could do, many innocent people could die. [NOTE: Sorry gun fans, I interchangeably used the term "assault rifle" incorrectly I think. Forgive me, I'm Bri'ish - @JHanrahan] RIP JStark ____ Reporters, writers, other media people: If you want to write about this doc (3D printed untraceable guns in Europe that you can build in your bedroom, hello!) we've put together a presskit that can be downloaded here: http://popularfront.co/3D ____ SUPPORT POPULAR FRONT - https://www.patreon.com/popularfront - https://www.popularfront.co/ - https://www.instagram.com/popular.front - https://www.twitter.com/popularfrontco

Belarus is considered by many to be Europe’s last dictatorship. The president, Alexander Lukashenko, has been in power since 1994. He rules the country with authoritarian laws that have stifled free speech, political activism, and press freedom. On August 9th 2020 a presidential election was held in #Belarus. Despite there being a strong democratic opposition for the first time in years—with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya—Lukashenko somehow won with 80% of the vote. Almost immediately evidence of vote rigging was shared online. That same night, the people of Belarus took to the streets to protest. Thousands flooded into the country’s capital of Minsk. As this was happening, the government shut down the internet and blocked all the exits to the city. Thousands of riot police were deployed all over Belarus to stop the protest marches. They attacked protesters viciously. One of our filmmakers, Luke Pierce, was on the ground for these clashes. He caught firsthand how the people are resisting on the streets. We also met with an outlawed anarchist organisation trying to agitate against Lukashenko. Have a watch. SUPPORT POPULAR FRONT - https://www.popularfront.co/ - https://www.patreon.com/popularfront - https://www.jakehanrahan.com/ [Had to reupload sorry, I fucked up the subs on one bit before]

Throughout June, the Captiol Hill area of #Seattle became a battleground between anti-police-brutality protesters and the cops. After several nights of fighting, the police pulled out and the protesters took over the area. What followed was a no-police protest zone that spanned six blocks. This became know as the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP). Initially, the CHOP was intended to be a peaceful co-op that aimed to bring attention to black activism. What followed was a controversial few weeks that ended with the deadly shootings of three people. Popular Front was on the ground to witness it all. This is the rise and fall of the Seattle CHOP, a documenatry by Johnny LeFlare and Max Curtis. SUPPORT GRASSROOTS CONFLICT JOURNALISM - https://www.patreon.com/popularfront - https://www.popularfront.co/support

Since October 1st 2019, protests in Iraq have spread across the country. Young men and women have come to the streets to protest against government corruption and the meddling of both America and Iran inside their country. US troops have been around since the 2003 invasion, and now Iran-backed militias have been given free reign across #Iraq. This, coupled with unemployment and corruption, have left the protesters desperate to make a change. The Iraqi government has been cracking down hard on the protests. Nearly 600 people have been killed since October, many of them unarmed protesters who were shot with live ammunition. Cameraman Luke Pierce spent time on the frontlines with the Iraqi protesters for Popular Front to get an on the ground perspective of what they’re fighting for. Popular Front created by @JHanrahan SUPPORT GRASSROOTS CONFLICT JOURNALISM - https://www.patreon.com/popularfront - https://www.popularfront.co/support

Popular Front is now two years old (I forgot the exact date we launched, but it's definitely March). Thanks so much for all the support. It's growing rapidly. Much more to come. Enjoy this year two recap. - http://patreon.com/popularfront - http://popularfront.co

Hundreds of thousands of anti-government protesters have been clashing with police and rebelling against the Chinese system in #HongKong every week since June 9th. To get an idea of who these people are, and what they're fighting for, we spent time with them on the frontlines of the protests. Soundtrack: https://www.samblackpf.com SUPPORT GRASSROOTS CONFLICT JOURNALISM - https://www.patreon.com/popularfront - https://www.popularfront.co/support

Since October 1st 2019, anti-corruption protesters in #Iraq have been fighting against their government. Sick of unemployment, stolen public funds, dire services, and foreign interference in Iraq, they come with flags, rocks, and Molotovs. They've been met with live gunfire from the secruity forces and #Iran backed militias. More than 400 of the Iraqi protesters have been shot dead since protests began. Cameraman Luke Pierce recently spent time with the protesters in Baghdad. Full documentary coming soon. SUPPORT GRASSROOTS CONFLICT JOURNALISM - https://www.patreon.com/popularfront - https://www.popularfront.co/support

Hundreds of thousands of anti-government protesters have been clashing with police and rebelling against the Chinese system in #HongKong every week since June 9th. To get an idea of who these people are, and what they're fighting for, we spent time with them on the frontlines of the protests. This is part three of our documentary. SUPPORT GRASSROOTS CONFLICT JOURNALISM - https://www.patreon.com/popularfront - https://www.popularfront.co/support

Hundreds of thousands of anti-government protesters have been clashing with police and rebelling against the Chinese system in #HongKong every week since June 9th. To get an idea of who these people are, and what they're fighting for, we spent time with them on the frontlines of the protests.This is part two of our documentary.  SUPPORT GRASSROOTS CONFLICT JOURNALISM - https://www.patreon.com/popularfront - https://www.popularfront.co/support

Hundreds of thousands of anti-government protesters have been clashing with police and rebelling against the Chinese system in #HongKong every week since June 9th. To get an idea of who these people are, and what they're fighting for, we spent time with them on the frontlines of the protests. This is part one of our documentary. SUPPORT GRASS ROOTS CONFLICT JOURNALISM - https://www.patreon.com/popularfront - https://www.popularfront.co/support

Trailer for our upcoming documentary covering the frontlines of the #HongKong protests. - patreon.com/popularfront

http://www.popularfront.co/10k

It’s been two years since the city of #Raqqa was liberated from ISIS. The jihadists have lost all their territorial positions in #Syria, but are still active in the form of sleeper cells. They blend in with the population and launch attacks whenever they find the opportunity. This year alone ISIS sleeper cells in Raqqa claim to have killed 126 people in 32 attacks. We went on patrol with the internal security forces of Raqqa, to find out what it’s like trying to keep ISIS out of the former capital of their Caliphate. SUPPORT GRASS ROOTS CONFLICT JOURNALISM - https://www.patreon.com/popularfront - https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/popular-front-10k/x/16582795#/ - https://www.popularfront.co/

To take things up a notch, we need a bit of money. Support us if you can. - www.popularfront.co/10k - www.indiegogo.com/projects/popular-front-10k/

We spent a day in Raqqa with the Asayis, who're the ones left trying to keep the city safe amidst ISIS sleeper cells and IEDs. Coming soon to Popular Front - patreon.com/popularfront

Popular Front is an independent grassroots conflict journalism collective. Thanks very much for all the support. Keep it moving forward, there's loads more to come - https://www.patreon.com/popularfront - Music by https://www.samblackpf.com

Ukraine has a long history of political anarchism, dating back to the Black Army of anarchist revolutionary Nestor Makhno in the 1920s. Since the country's 2014 Maidan revolution though, the historical and modern day rise of fascist groups is more widely known. Whilst the Russian government's claims that the revolution was some kind of "Nazi Junta" are false, Ukraine does have a rising problem with militant fascism that cannot be ignored. In a bid to combat the growing far-right, a group of anarchists calling themselves Rev Dia (Revolutionary Action) have begun to organise. They're armed, training, and have never spoken to journalists before. Until now... (We fucked up the clip for a few seconds at 04:43 by having the wrong audio with the subtitles. The subs are what he said though. Sorry about that.) - patreon.com/popularfront - popularfront.co #Ukraine #Russia (Thanks to JMB for putting us on to this)

To combat the rise of neo-fascist street movements in #Ukraine, a group of anarchist are training and organising on the streets of Kyiv. Popular Front is the first to film with them. New doc out soon. - patreon.com/popularfront

For more than five weeks now the so-called Yellow Vest protests have turned into weekly clashes between demonstrators and police in France. The protests were sparked when the French President Macron hiked up fuel taxes after also abolishing a policy that put a high tax on the rich. Due to this, the perception is that the poor are made poorer and the rich are made richer. There is no one specific demographic to protesters out on the streets in Paris—they’re all just very angry and want Macron to resign. At Popular Front we went to cover the protests after seeing weeks of police violence and dangerous clashes throughout Paris. The weekend we arrived was the beginning of a new police tactic—heavy kettling. We were stuck with #YellowVest protesters for hours, finding it near impossible to move throughout the city. Either way, we made this short dispatch to give you an idea of why so many people are so pissed off in France. SUPPORT INDEPENDENT CONFLICT JOURNALISM - https://www.patreon.com/popularfront FOLLOW - https://www.twitter.com/jake_hanrahan - https://www.instagram.com/popular.front - http://www.popularfront.co ARCHIVE All in this thread - https://twitter.com/Jake_Hanrahan/status/1068960497670791169

Anarchists and other leftist groups in #Athens have been clashing with police tonight to mark 10 years since Alexandros Grigoropoulos, an unarmed 15-year-old anarchist, was shot dead by a police officer in #Exarchia. We planned to make a proper dispatch about the protests, but we couldn't get around the police line. There were other issues too and just not enough time, so here's some raw footage of the clashes at least. We hate "riot porn" but there was fuck all else we could get with the time we had. Filmed by Conall Kearney. - patreon.com/popularfront

Warfare for weirdos: patreon.com/popularfront Every year in Northern Ireland, both the Irish Republicans and the British Unionists build huge bonfires to celebrate their culture. Each side burns the other’s flag. We went to the Bogside in #Derry to talk with a group of young lads calling themselves the Bogside Republican Youth. They spent all summer building this year’s bonfire, which caused controversy due to its links to the IRA and the recent violence in the area. The biggest problem of the Bogside is not militancy though, it’s the poverty and complete lack of leadership. Derry has the highest rate of unemployment in Northern Ireland, more than twice the average. The city is also one of the most unemployed in the UK as a whole. The young lads of the Bogside have nothing to do and nowhere to go. We filmed with them over two days as they set the bonfire alight. - Popular Front is an entirely independent platform for conflict journalism. If you liked this short doc, please consider supporting us so we can make more. - patreon.com/popularfront - popularfront.co Camera / producer: www.conallkearney.com Producer / editor: jakehanrahan.com Graphics: lowres.live Music: soundcloud.com/sun-of-old

The showreel of Jake Hanrahan, who started Popular Front. jakehanrahan.com