anarchistcommunism:

Hunter Bombadier has spent the better part of the past year protesting for an end to police violence and anti-Black racism – and supporting communities hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.

That is how the 33-year-old member of Symbiosis, a network of left-wing organisations across the United States, was ready to help when massive wildfires broke out south of Portland, Oregon, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.

The group had a system in place to provide needed supplies to communities affected by COVID-19, Bombadier explained, and had created relationships with other activist organisations to coordinate their efforts.

The groups use multiple supply drop-off sites throughout the state, often in public parks or parking lots, and coordinate their efforts through a central hub staffed by volunteers. Those volunteers work every day, often late into the night, receiving and distributing donated supplies in coordination with people in areas affected by the wildfires.

The “Antifa” movement had been blamed by US President Donald Trump for the protests and when the fires erupted, conspiracy theories spread about left-wing activists’ supposedly starting them. Local officials and the FBI debunked those theories.

In fact, the very same groups that had been vilified by Trump and other right-wing leaders during the past several months were leading relief for those affected by the fires.