Bilal Rafiq, Kam Francis, and Travis Laver

The River and The Land

News EN ↓ 36 episodes

A politics, news-oriented, and political organizing podcast based in Windsor, ON, Canada hosted by Bilal Rafiq, Kam Francis & Travis Laver.

Author

Bilal Rafiq, Kam Francis, and Travis Laver

Category

News

Podcast website

podcasters.spotify.com

Latest episode

Aug 24, 2025

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Episodes

Power to the Component 24.08.2025

Ali, Bilal, and Travis discuss the CUPE Air Canada Component's badass defiance of the Canadian government's back-to-work order and how effective worker power is at getting the things we all need. We also tal about elite capture in unions, the Rand Formula, and the lockout of Windsor's Titan Tool & Die workers.

Quote Unquote Sustainable Development 10.08.2025

Ali, Bilal, and Travis attempt to decifer the neoliberal corporate-language-nightmare that is "sustainable development." Links to the things we reference: Perfect Victims - Mohammed El-Kurd Elite Capture & Reconsidering Reparations - Olufemi O. Taiwo The People's Republic of Walmart - Leigh Phillips & Michal Rozworski UN 17 Goals for Sustainable Development David Suzuki inter...

Paragliders! The debut of Ali 02.08.2025

Bilal, Kam, and Travis were joined by Ali, a local man of science, nature, and revolution to talk about Canada's recognizing "Palestinian statehood," Canada's lies about providing Israel with weapons, and Windsor's police deficit, which--shocker!--is apparently because of the Palestinians too!

Terrorizing the Vibes 25.07.2025

We're back! This time for real! (maybe) This is a catch-up episode, bordering on doomerism. Trump, tariffs, organizing. You know the thing. Travis is going to be on Sandy and Nora Talk Politics! This Sunday, July 27th at Water's Edge on Drouillard Rd. in Windsor. Get tickets here: https://thepointofsale.com/billets/q3e250625001

Why Homelessness is Illegal 02.02.2025

Bilal sits down with Emily, a harm reduction activist and law student, to talk about how homelessness is made illegal and why.

Drewnald Trumpkins 22.11.2024

Bilal and Travis discuss the (re)election of Donald Trump, the "failure" of the Democrats, and how it relates to Canadian politics. Then they discuss Drew Dilkens' plan to use the long dick of the law to make sure homeless people never sleep.

One Year of Genocide 16.10.2024

Bilal, Kam, and Travis congregate at the new studio space! (Travis' dining room) and talk about Brampton mayor Patrick Brown's fascist new idea to deal with drug addicts and how Windsor's mayor thinks it's a swell idea! In other news, Israel continues to do what it does and the University of Windsor's Board of Governors considers taking back the landmark deal struck with the Pro-Palestine student...

Pigs are Haram 14.09.2024

Bilal, Kam, and Travis talk about the killing of Jason West, an Indigenous man shot and killed by police outside of The Beer Store in downtown Windsor last week. They also remember the killing of Matthew Mahoney less than a block away in 2018 and muse on the role of police in Windsor. Contact us on Instagram @TheRiverandTheLand or email us at TheRiverandTheLand@gmail.com Some articles referenced:...

Student Intifada 18.07.2024

Bilal and Travis break down the victory at the Palestine encampment by the students at the University of Windsor. What was in the deal? What did we learn? And what of the backlash?

The Prime Contradiction 09.05.2024

Bilal, Kam, and Travis discuss the student protests in the U.S. and Canada and how they expose the prime contradiction in Western liberal democracies. Then they delve into the news that H4 and The Downtown Mission, the two main homelessness and poverty outreach centres downtown, are moving to the edge of Ward 3 in a cataclysmically dumb move by the city.

Why Everything You Know About the Economy is Wrong w/ AJ 02.05.2024

Travis is joined by local agent of chaos AJ to discuss Modern Monetary Theory, its proponents, critics, and potential.

Pleasing the Dilk 17.04.2024

Bilal, Kam, and Travis start off with some housekeeping before re-contexualizing our thoughts on the Palestinian Genocide. Then we discuss the hot water Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens finds himself in as he gets sued by a former city engineer who alleges a toxic culture, illegal activities, and wrongful dismissal. The Left Voice - Palestinian Liberation and the Israeli Working Class Windsor Star - Dil...

The Tenant Class w/Ricardo Tranjan 09.04.2024

//We are pleased to be joined by Dr. Ricardo Tranjan, author of the National Bestseller The Tenant Class to talk about the state of housing in Canada and what is to be done. Between The Lines Books Ricardo's Instagram

Revitalize or Gentrify? 26.03.2024

Bilal, Kam, and Travis talk about the role of art in revolutionary movements before delving into the potential decision to move H4, a service for unhoused folks, out of the downtown core in the name of neighbourhood revitalization. You can probably guess where we stand on that.

Seventy Million Schmemity Schmillion 06.03.2024

Bilal, Kam, and Travis talk about council's decision to turn down $70-million in a federal housing accelerator grant and why both sides of the debate are wrong and missing the point.

There Will Always Be A Palestine w/ Maram Alshurafa 27.02.2024

We're very pleased to bring Maram Alshurafa, a survivor of the current genocide against Gaza, into the studio for what is an intense, heartbreaking, beautiful, and immensely important conversation about what Gaza was, is, and will be. Maram lived in Northern Gaza until her and her family were forced to flee after Israel started bombing in early October. Living in a tent in Southern Gaza, they...

Communism's Great, In Theory 12.02.2024

We had a plan and didn't stick to it. Instead we responded to a common criticism of communism/socialism: 'It's great in theory, but we need to be pragmatic'

In Victory or De-Peat 30.01.2024

Bilal, Kam, and Travis discuss Windsor's Italian of the Year Award and question why only Italians win it...WHY IS NOBODY TALKING ABOUT THIS?? Then we dig into whether electric vehicles are really the catch-all climate solution they're pitched as while discussing green-tech's horrific consequences for the Peatlands in Northern Ontario. Finally, we do a Palestine update and discuss the I...

The ATU and Me 23.01.2024

Bilal, Kam, and Travis discuss the potential Amalgamated Transit Union/Transit Windsor work stoppage and why supporting unions is integral for true working class democracy. Find us on Instagram @TheRiverandTheLand, on X @TRTLPodcast, and email us at TheRiverandTheLand@gmail.com

Drone over Drones 16.01.2024

Bilal and Travis welcome Brian Shuchuk a musician and activist based in Haarlem, Netherlands. Brian recently facilitated a drone/noise compilation in support of direct action for the Palestinian cause called Drone>Drones which Bilal also appears on. Brian has also been travelling to The Hague where the International Court of Justice is hearing a case brought on by South Africa charging Israel w...

From the Lazy River to the Sea 09.01.2024

We're back! Kam and Bilal want to tell you that Windsor's infamous waterpark Adventure Bay is actually...good? Great, even? Then we dive in to more Zionist propaganda on the local level before talking about Canada's racist refugee program for Palestinians and South Africa's law suit against Isreal at the International Court of Justice.

Reform or Revolution? 12.12.2023

Bilal, Kam (!!), and Travis discuss one of the eternal left-wing debates: Whether it is better to reform the existing systems of capitalism, or overthrow them in revolution. We use Rosa Luxemburg's seminal essay " Reform or Revolution " wherein she argues with revisionist Eduard Bernstein that hte only way to liberate the working class under capitalism is by revolution. For this text...

SafePoint Under Threat w/ Starr Meloche 05.12.2023

Bilal and Travis are joined by local activist and overall mensch Starr Meloche to talk about the impending closure of Safepoint, Windsor's Consumption Treatment Site, the history of harm reduction in Windsor, and what is to be done to fight and keep the site open.

White People Love Straight Lines w/ Manidoo Mooz 28.11.2023

Bilal and Travis are joined by Manidoo Mooz to give a brief update on the continued genocide in Palestine before delving into Indigenous incarceration rates in Canada. CBC's article on the Zinger Report Spirit Matters Report (2013) Follow us on Twitter @TRTLPodcast, on IG @TheRiverandTheLand, and email us at TheRiverandTheLand@gmail.com

Long Live the WWAC w/ Paul Chislett 21.11.2023

We have our first ever guest! Legendary Windsor labour rights activist Paul Chislett joins the show to talk about the comeback of one of the most important activist spaces in Windsor's history, the Windsor Workers' Action Centre and why it's important for working people to have their own spaces outside of work and home. Follow Paul on X/Twitter @Paul_Chislett Follow us on IG @TheRivera...

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