LOS ANGELES, December 30, 2008 – Demonstrations were held at the Westwood Federal Building and the Israeli Consulate today in response to continued air strikes on Gaza City by Israeli Defense Forces. Protesters are calling for an immediate ceasefire and a resumption of peace talks between all warring parties. Close to 1,000 people demonstrated outside the Israeli Consulate this evening. Despite a few incidences with a small group of pro-war counter demonstrators the protest was mostly peaceful. From the Newswire: Video: Jeff Warner, LA Jews for Peace | Video: Mike Farrell at Gaza Massacre Protest | | Timeline of call ins: Protests Dispatch #1 & #2 | | Cel Phn Photos from Gaza Massacre Protest

This year's AntiMall was held at East LA's Chavez Studio. As organizer Laura Palomares explained on Uprising last year (full interview here), the concept was inspired by her experiences with Zapatistas and the notion of an alternative, parallel economy. The AntiMall brings together many co-ops. “So the idea of El Puente is providing a space where you know you're buying something directly from the artisan, and that group of people are working on making things better for their community,” she explained to Uprising's Sonali Kolhatkar. “So they--for example, the Zapatistas--are not waiting for the government to come in and fix what's going on in their community. They're going to make a demand, but at the same time they're working on creating their own autonomous communities. So the purpose of El Puente is to support those communities in their struggles and not support things like Walmart and Target in our neighborhoods but really invest back into social change .”

Story and photos: 2008 AntiMall (part 1) and 2008 AntiMall (part 2) by RP

LOS ANGELES, December 20, 2008 - In the wake of another fatal police shooting community members living under the gun of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lennox Division are calling for the formation of a new Citizen Police Control Board. Citing the failure of the appointed Office of Independent Review they are calling for all-Elected, all-Civilian, Sheriffs/Police Control Board.

The call comes in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of Christian Portillo who witnesses say was killed by L.A. County Sheriffs while he sat unarmed in his parked car in the driveway of his home. A demonstration was held this Saturday at the Lennox Sheriffs Station. Christian’s mother, Mrs. Elida Portillo, spoke at the rally. This December 20th would have been Christian’s 35th birthday. From the newswire: Justice For Christian Portillo! Stop Killer Cops! March On Lennox Sheriffs by jubilee shine

Saturday, December 13, 2008 LOS ANGELES - The organizers of the first annual Los Angeles Anarchist Bookfair sent out a call for "dreamers, fighters, organizers, and rebels to come, meet, strategize, learn from each other, get books, attend workshops, participate, and join the movement." And despite the state's efforts to squelch our efforts, come they did--more than 700 people, mostly from the greater Los Angeles area, although some came from as far as San Diego, the Bay Area, Oregon, New York, and even Canada, to participate in this herstory-making event.

Story with photos: First Annual Los Angeles Anarchist Bookfair: A Beginning Marker of Resistance by Rockero | | PHOTOS: Photos from the Los Angeles Anarchist Bookfair by Spicy Organic Tofu | | VIDEOS: Videos from the Anarchist Bookfair by Spicy Organic Tofu

PASADENA, Dec. 13, 2008 - Despite the threat of rain and many other competing activist events this Saturday there was a very good turnout at the demonstration in front of Forever 21 in Old Town Pasadena. Forever 21 intends to build warehouse space on the land of the South Central Farm, which developer Ralph Horowitz acquired by dubious means. (More details here.)

Story/photos: "BOYCOTT FOREVER 21! BOYCOTT FOREVER 21!" by RP

The 1st Annual Los Angeles Anarchist Bookfair - Saturday, December 13th, 2008 Zines, pamphlets, DVD, Cd's, radical bumper stickers, protest shirts, records, tapes, speakers, workshops, panels, open discussions, games, diy distros and much more...

Los Angeles Anarchist Bookfair
Saturday, December the 13th, 2008
Southern California Library for Social Studies & Research
6120 South Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles, Ca. 90044

$5 includes vegan lunch and dinner, provided by Los Angeles and Santa Ana Food Not Bombs

From the newswire: First Annual Los Angeles Anarchist Bookfair by Joaquin Cienfuegos | | LA IMC CALENDAR | | AUDIO: Anarchist Bookfair By KPFK's Indy Media On the Air

At 1:30 am on Tuesday, October 28, Julian Alexander heard noises outside the middle class home he shared with his wife Renee, who is seven months pregnant. They had just gotten married about a week ago when Julian turned 20 years old. Feeling like their safety was threatened, Julian grabbed a broomstick and walked out on the front lawn to look around. Minutes later, he was killed by two bullets to his chest, one of which struck his heart. Hearing gunshots, Renee and her 15-year-old sister looked out the window and saw the killers—Anaheim police—turn Julian’s body over and handcuff him. Family members tried to rush to Julian’s side, but were told to get back…or else.

Full story from the newswire:Don’t Let Them Get Away with the Murder of Julian Alexander...Turn Grief into Resistance by Revolution newspaper

The recent exhibit Tongva: Our Voice, Our History, Our People, which ran from September 13 through November 22 at the Ruth & Charles Gilb Arcadia Historical Museum, demonstrated that Southern California's history goes back far beyond shopping centers, Hollywood, city lights, theme parks, car culture, missionaries, Cabrillo, etc., etc.

As Chief Red Blood Anthony Morales stated at the show's grand opening, Tongva people have lived here for many thousands of years. He added that the community of Aleupkingna (sometimes spelled Aluupkenga) encompassed the land currently occupied by the Santa Anita Mall, the Santa Anita Race Track, and the Arboretum.

Story and photos:Tongva: Our Voice, Our History, Our People by RP

November 25, 2008 GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala - Guatemalan women's organizations commemorated International Day Against Violence Against Women with a five-kilometer march from the Palacio de Justicia to the city's central plaza. Up to 2,000 women, men, and children from over twenty women's and human rights organizations participated, including a solidary group from Los Angeles.

Article with photos from the newswire:
Ni una muerta más - International Day Against Violence Against Women in Guatemala by Rockero

The conservative student at Cal State Long Beach invited Jim Gilchrist, founder of the anti-immigrant Minutemen, and Ted Hayes, homeless advocate-turned anti-immigrant opportunist, to speak on campus during immigration awareness week. The good people of CSULB ignored them, and the racists went away, proving that regardless of the strategies chosen, solidarity is the key in winning our struggles.
Article from the newswire:
Solidarity destroys fascism: LB activists unite to ignore racists by Rockero

LOS ANGELES - El Jueves 20 de Noviembre del 2008, Transgeneros Unidas de Bienestar por primera vez en la historia de Los Angeles cordialmente tuvo un evento en Espanol, llamado Recordando a La Comunidad Transgénero, especialmente recordar a las mujeres transgéneros Latina que han muerto por crímenes de odio. Este evento comenzo a las 5:30pm en el centro de Hollywood de donde una procesión tomo rumbo a la iglesia de la Comunidad Metropolitana de Los Ángeles. Durante la ceremonia hubo una remembranza de las mujeres transgénero que murieron por crímenes de odio a lo igual se dio un mensaje positivo hacia esta comunidad que siempre es oprimida, marginilizada, y discriminadad. Mas con fotos: Transgeneros Unidas | | More photos, video and English text: Transgender Day of Remembrance by SCHA-LA

LOS ANGELES, November 18, 2008 – All was going nicely at this Sunday’s opening night event for an alternative community art center, dubbed the TOW space, until some uninvited city employees ruined the party. Claiming to be in search of a shoplifting suspect police forced a group of about 50 people out of the space and into street for a line up. Everyone was searched and forced to line up for close to 30 minutes while police went down the line. Six people in all were arrested. At least 25 police officers took part in the raid with a police helicopter circling above and it seemed to those there to be a rather excessive response to a shoplifting incident. The shoplifting claim is widely believed to be a cover story for a police raid that appeared to many to be planned in advance. Speculation is that the space is being targeted by the LAPD for the political affiliations of some of the participants in the event last Sunday night. There are reports that two of those arrested are members of the Black Riders Liberation Party.
Reports and eye witness accounts: LAPD suppresses radical art space by tu_kuñ(A)'o | | Police Raid of Anarchist Event by johnaimani | | Anarchist bookfair meeting raided by LAPD by josh | | Media from raid on anarchists by witness | | Video: X-Vandals Benefit Show in LA Gets Raided by LAPD by Puerto Rican Alliance

[Opt. Ed. Special Feature] Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008 – Two weeks ago Stephen Lendman in his article Obama Mania wrote: “On November 4, the world exhaled. The age of George Bush ended, and a new one under Barack Obama began. With high hopes he'll reverse the toxic legacy of the past eight years. Adopt socially progressive policies. End foreign wars. Govern the nation responsibly, democratically for all its people. Show his supporters that their faith in him was justified.” In the past two weeks the LA-IMC newswire has seen a wide range of reaction and commentary to Obama’s victory. Compiled here are some selected articles from the newswire. (Views expressed in the articles are those of the authors only and not necessarily those of the LA Indymedia collective) Selected articles from the newswire:
Obama Mania by Stephen Lendman
Obama Sweeps Presidential Election by H. Nelson Goodson
Election Night In Hollywood by Anna Kunkin
Obama and the Crisis of Expectation Workers Action
Barack Obama, new mouthpiece of ruling class interests PCInt
Obama Nation by Dylecsic goD
Not "Fascism or Obama": Fascism and Obama by DG
Obama and the Deep State: Is there Hope? by redpill8
HEY, BARACK! by df
Jeremy Scahill: 20 Hawks, Clintonites and Neocons to Watch for in Obama's White House by Jeremy Scahill

LOS ANGELES, November 15, 2008 – Thousands of people rallied and marched for the right to marry for all people today in downtown Los Angeles. Early estimates have the demonstration at its peak at 8,000 to 10,000. The demonstration may well have been larger than these initial estimates. The march was at least seven full blocks long when it left City Hall with more still arriving.

The end rally point of the march was not the best choice and many dissatisfied marchers doubled back and scattered in the areas of Chinatown and Olvera St. Cafes and restaurants in the area were packed with marchers in the late afternoon. A smaller march of a few hundred rallied at back at city hall and set off on a non-permit march route with Hollywood & Highland their destination point. Police did not disperse the post-march and opened traffic lanes for the marchers to proceed West on Temple St. toward Hollywood. From the Newswire:
Photos: Downtown Prop 8 demo 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 by SCHA-LA | | PHOTOS: March for the Right to Marry by A | | Prop. 8 and the Triumph of Theocracy by Mark Gabrish

VIDEO: Right to Marry Demo | | Right to Marry rally Nov 15 - audio montage by no2h8

LOS ANGELES, November 8 – Gay-rights protests continue to spread across California and the US. In Los Angeles as many as 10,000 people protested against the passage of Proposition 8. The protest went on without major incidents except for a few glitches with the organization of the march. In San Francisco more than 15,000 activists and supporters hit the streets to protest passage of an anti-gay marriage bill. Also in San Diego, 8,000 to 10,000 marched on the streets.

From the Newswire:No on 8 protest Silverlake | | Saturday night timeline of call ins to LA-IMC Newsroom | | Txt msg from march by Lesile
Video:11-08 Prop 8 Protest in Silverlake by SCHA-LA
Photos: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | by SCHA-LA
Reports & Commentary: PROP. 8 Demo: Overview of Silverlake to Hollywood and Highland 11/8/08 by Anna Kunkin | | ANSWER rally saved by Gay and Lesbian community leaders by No Discrimination | | ANSWER is not the Answer! by answer sucks
Report from San Diego: Anti-Proposition 8 Protests in San Diego by Mark Gabrish Conlan/Zenger’s News magazine
Audio: Right to Marry rally Nov 8 - audio montage by no2h8
Latest news: 1:35pm East LA No 8 March has started | | protest prop 8 East LA sunday nov 9, 2008 | | Solidarity from Chicago: Anti-Prop 8 Protest in Chicago

LOS ANGELES, November 6, 2008 – The Outrage over the Prop 8 election results that spilled into the streets of Los Angeles on Wednesday night continued all day Thursday and well into the night. The main focus of Thursday’s protests was the Mormon Church in Westwood. The church is believed to have funded up to 40% of the Yes on 8 campaign.

Protesters had the numbers to take the street and spontaneous marches snaked their way through the Westside all day. Police were uncharacteristically restrained and even facilitated the marches by rerouting motor traffic. From the Newswire: Right to Marry Protests Rock West LA by A | | Photos: Prop 8 Demo in Westwood & part 2 by SCHA-LA | | Video: No on 8 demo by SCH-LA | | No 8 protest going on Now at Mormon temple West LA by FYI

NEW MP3 AUDIO: Victims of Hate Crimes at No 8 demo. | | Video from Thursday right to marry protest.

LOS ANGELES, November 4, 2008 – Local voting precincts are seeing an unprecedented voter turn out today. Long lines are reported polling places throughout the city at many locations. Waits of up to two hours reported at some polling places.

At one polling place at Clover Elementary School in the Mar Vista area, hundreds of voters were lined up around the block even before the polls opened at 7:00 am this morning. Both No on 8 and yes on 8 reps were there passing out flyers to voters waiting in line. Both observed the 100 foot electioneering rule and no incidents were observed between the rival groups.

The parents and school children set up a bake sale with coffee for those waiting in line. The mood seemed positive as people waiting in line and studied their sample ballots or chatted with fellow voters. Many people were seen busy absorbed in their blackberry or iPhone as they waited.
From the newswire: Record Turn Out and Long Lines at Polls by A