Thread by @philmandelbaum

I first met with @ShahidForChange last year to talk #GeneralStrike. Then he and @EFF helped recover my Twitter account from hackers, and later he joined our call with @FlyingWithSara.

I interviewed him on everything, including the allegations against him

During our 60-min conversation, lawyer, organizer, Congressional candidate and rapper @ShahidForChange and I talked Mike Gravel, the Squad and #ForceTheVote, the George Floyd Act, police reform, #DefundThePolice and abolition, and power in protest music

"Mike Gravel was like an actual real-life Jedi… He’s one of the only members of congress in the entire last century to show up for work"

- @ShahidForChange on Mike Gravel, who endorsed Shahid and whose legacy continues today through @GravelInstitute

"Force the Vote was a day late and a dollar short"

@ShahidForChange and I discussed the Left's growing discontent with elected officials, and electoral politics

"It’s all a cover your ass move by a rich, wealthy, dynasty politician who is trying to evade international justice"

- @ShahidForChange on the Democratic establishment's June attacks on @IlhanMN for her remarks regarding #Israel and #Palestine

"Our campaign was like the tail wagging the dog of the entire US House of Representatives"

- @ShahidForChange on the effect his Congressional run had on Nancy Pelosi and national legislation

One of the bills @ShahidForChange helped force Nancy Pelosi to pass was the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which gives $750 million more to police

I asked him how he can tout this achievement while supporting efforts to #DefundThePolice

"When I say defund the police, it’s not a slogan, it’s a demand. And it’s a demand from people who are tired of seeing their neighbors come home in coffins."

@ShahidForChange and I talked about #DefundThePolice, abolition, and endorsing @TENDEMANDS

I created an #AbolishThePolice and prisons anthem for @TENDEMANDS with @jesse_jett, with proceeds going to @Mvmnt4BlkLives.

And now we're doing an #M4A anthem for @M4M4ALL.

To close out our chat last week, @ShahidForChange said he'd hop on the remix