LOS ANGELES, November 17, 2011 - At seven o'clock in the morning thousands of people from the Occupy Los Angeles movement and associated groups converged on the 55 story Bank of America Plaza building in the skyscraper riddled area of the downtown financial district. The crowd was loud and impassioned, chanting "Banks got bailed out, We got sold out" or "This is what a police state looks like". There was every possible age and progressive political viewpoint represented by the inspired crowd.

There was heavy union participation in the first and second marches. Groups such as The Service Employees International Union and United Long Term Care Workers which is California's largest union were in full presence amongst others such Good Jobs LA . The police presence was the heaviest yet presented in the ongoing drama of Occupy Los Angeles. Tear gas weapons, rubber bullets and truncheons were displayed openly. The protest remained non violent throughout the days events and the weapons were not used. Occupiers cried "You are the 99 percent" to the LAPD officers with little visible reaction from the cops.
Full Report from the Newswire: Occupy Los Angeles Ups The Ante on November 17th (part three) by Robert Stuart Lowden

Also by Robert Stuart Lowden: Street sit-in and arrests, part 1 | N17 part two | Occupy BofA action | BofA action arrests

This morning, October 15, City Council is scheduled to vote on Jan Perry's proposal that would release developer Ralph Horowitz of the 2.6-acre green space requirement and make it easier for him to sell the property. And so the future of the 14-acre plot of land, at 41st and Alameda is once again under dispute. Previously the site of the famous South Central Farm, once known as the largest urban farm in the country, if the not world, the land has become the most disputed plot of real-estate in the city. (At the time of its demolition circa 2006, there was a massive community mobilization to save it, and the goal of the farmers to reclaim the land has not died.)

Are members of the City Council colluding with real estate moguls to illegally make bad real estate deals? The original deal to sell the land back to Horowitz was conducted in a closed-session meeting, a meeting which has recently been deemed illegal by a Superior Court judge, as reported in the LA Times. Not only has Horowitz underpaid for the land, he's now seeking to extract more value from it than agreed before. The City should demand the terms of the original agreement. That was the deal negotiated -- a community benefit of green space, the value of which cannot be measured in simple dollars and cents: our city needs more recreational space, particularly in the east side of South Central Los Angeles.

Full statement: Editorial: Jan Perry's Latest Offensive Against the South Central Farm Land (41st & Alameda) by LA Indymedia Collective

BREAKING: City Council Votes Unanimously Against South Central Farmers | Report Back: City Council Unanimously Supports "Turning Land into Cash" by RP | Video: LA City Council Votes for Warehouse At South Central Farm Site by wsrcreative

Background: (video) Justicia Tierra Y Libertad Large by altla04 | Jan Perry's Attempt to Remove Green Space Requirement Gains Steam | Jan Perry Proposes Waiver of Green Space Requirement for South Central Farm Land by RP

Archival: Never Forever 21: Round 3 | Joan Baez, Julia Butterfly & John Quigley Begin Tree Sit at South Central Farm by Jennifer Morris and Christina Aanestad | Encampment at the Farm -- Day 8 by LA-IMC, A, and Free Radio Santa Cruz | Protests growing at Farm, activists call for more support | BULLDOZER RETURNS TO FARM, Direct Action Disables Bulldozer

RIVERSIDE (CA) - Sunday, November 6, 2011 - Approximately 25 police in riot gear raided the peaceful encampment of Occupy Riverside yesterday afternoon. They dismantled and confiscated tents to the jeers of the demonstrators. The booth set up for the People's Kitchen and the media table were consolidated in the center of the plaza, and, in attempt to defend these stations and personal belongings, occupiers linked arms and formed a human chain around them.

In total 11 were arrested. There are many reports of police violence during the arrests; Many people were slammed to the ground, had their faced smashed into the concrete, and had the knees of officers applied to their necks and heads.

Reports from the Newswire:

Report From Occupy Riverside Police Raid by Rockero

Riverside Occupy encampment broken up by Kevin Akin

VIDEO: Occupy Riverside Raid November 6, 2011 by fbjr222

RPD Raid on Occupy Riverside 11-6-11 by OccupyRiv

BREAKING: Occupy Riverside getting raided RIGHT NOW by LA-IMC

UPDATE with video: Rally to Protect Free Speech from Police Brutality by Rockero

LOS ANGELES, November 5, 20011 - Saturday morning, fifty fours stories down from the top floor at the Wells Fargo skyscraper, a vigorous crowd protested and marched through the banking district of downtown Los Angeles. The protest was part of a nationwide day of action called "Bank Transfer Day". A coordinated action to move funds from large multi-national institutions to credit unions and smaller community banks.

Kristen Christian is a Los Angles Gallery owner and former B of A customer who started the revolt on her facebook page. Her page that states the case for using credit unions and small non investment banks while punishing the larger banks for their behavior since 2008 and before. She originally sent the her page out to 500 friends and now has 28,000 nationwide supporters. Some demonstrators cut up their credit cards in protest. Reports from the newswire:

Occupy Los Angeles Marches for Bank Transfer Day, set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 by Robert Stuart Lowden

VIDEO: Occupy LA Occupies California Plaza on November 5th by Kevin Lynn

As the Occupy LA camp approached its one-month mark, various issues were being addressed: Participants have been discussing how to create balance between revolution and partying, how to make the camp more engaging and inviting for passersby, and what to do if the Mayor/City Council decide the camp is no longer welcomed. Also, the occupation has agreed to join forces with the South Central Farm. Some of these issues were recently discussed on Uprising Radio.

The numerous world/societal problems being addressed at the occupation, besides the 1%, which affects everything, include legalizing marijuana, the continued dangers of nuclear weapons and nuclear energy, chem trails, impact of the war economy on Americans, and environmentally-sane lifestyles. New signs are being created all the time at the camp.

Photos: Pictures of Occupy L.A. (Oct. 24, 2011) R of the Northeast L.A. Radical Neighbors | Occupy LA / Imagine Fairness by Robert Stuart Lowden Occupy LA / Imagine Fairness /Photoset 2 by Robert Stuart Lowden

Meanwhile, indigenous people around the country are calling on the Occupy movements to represent and support first people's wishes and views. A poster seen at various demonstrations points out that "Wall St. is on occupied Algonquin land." Recently, "Occupy Albuquerque" has been renamed to "(Un)Occupy Albuquerque".

Here in LA (known as Yangna to the Tongva people), the emphasis has been placed on trying to get Occupy LA to support the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People. The US, of course, is among the few countries that voted against it (along with Australia, Canada, and New Zealand). (Although, here in California, San Luis Obispo Country officially recognized it last August 9. More here.) Poltical prisoner Leonard Peltier has also been emphasized, both here and on Wall Street. An issue very close to home is the desecration of Tongva burials at La Placita (aka: La Plaza), and there has been talk of having a march to there from Occupy LA.

Article: Report: The Indigenous Committee at Occupy LA by RP

On October 21, Occupy LA marched on Fox News because of its role in creating so many of our dire problems plus its ridicule of the Occupy Movement. Story and photos: Occupy LA and Others Protest Outside Fox News Shareholder Meeting by A | Video: VIDEO: Protest At Fox Studios by FYI

There has been some criticism about the running and operation of the camp: "In spite of some people's best efforts, OccupyLA has managed to re-create all the ills of the society we purport to change, right down to the do-gooders who want to tweak our system to make the problems less visible." Commentary: OccupyLA Still Here, and Coming Soon to a Hood Near You by Federica Lorca

In Riverside, the occupation that began on October 15 remains vibrant and strong with a reported 60 people participating in daily actions and about 30 camping. There has been a demonstration at a local Wal*Mart and solidarity with the people of Oakland in the wake of the massive police brutality there. One incident of police brutality has been reported in Riverside.

Reports and pictures by Rockero: Update from Occupy Riverside Day 12 Riverside Womyn of Color for Decolonization Spearhead Oakland Solidarity Rally | Video: Occupy Riverside disrupts auction of WWII vet's foreclosed home by Occupy Riverside

Updates by IMC-LA: BREAKING: Occupy Riverside reports three arrests outside of a Chase bank | BREAKING: Occupy Riverside getting raided RIGHT NOW | Photos from Riverside Raid

Monday, October 24: After 90+ minutes of open discussion, City Council's Budget and Finance Committee unanimously approved Councilwoman Jan Perry's proposal, though the announcement was rather low-key. Perry was not present herself but filled the room with residents of the low-income housing project Pueblo Del Rio (who were bused in and treated to a free lunch) and employees of PIMA, the company which hopes to develop the entire property. They wore shirts custom-made for this occasion. The measure will now be reintroduced to the full City Council, probably in mid-November. The South Central Farm is calling on Angelinos to contact their City Council members (contact info. at the bottom of this article).

Perry's proposal was the source of several unflattering remarks about City Council. "[W]e'll have to look into how some council members may be part of the increasingly unpopular 1%," said Bruce Campbell, whose involvement in that land goes back to 1986, when he opposed the Lancer trash incinerator.

"Releasing the owner [of an obligation for] a community soccer field so that he can increase his profit margin in a proposed sale is exactly why there are people occupying cities across the country and right here in front of City Hall," stated Linda Pierre-Avilla, another long-time South Central Farm supporter.

Report and photos: Jan Perry's Attempt to Remove Green Space Requirement Gains Steam by RP | Video: Urban Farming: LA City Council votes on Fate of South Central Farm by wsrcreative

This year Columbus Day was protested at several locations in Southern California. In Santa Barbara, AIM (American Indian Movement) Southern California organized its third annual demonstration ( "Challenging The Myth Of Columbus") at the Dolphin Fountain at the foot of Stern's Wharf. Prior to that, activists visited other locations of historical significance: Precidio and De La Guerra. Participants were able to articulate their views of Columbus to the media: An Anti-Columbus Day Rally Stirs Up a Lot of Heat (video). There was talk of a Columbus "hanging" at Cal State Puvungna/Long Beach; and at the San Juan Capistrano Mission, the 10th annual Columbus Day protest was held. (Usually on Columbus Day, other actions like banner drops on freeway overpasses occur throughout Southern California, but at the time of this writing, none had been reported this year.)

The 10th annual protest at Mission San Juan Capistrano on Wednesday October 12 was well-attended and lively. About an hour into the demonstration, this author did a rough count of 28 participants, who occupied all corners of the intersection. There was a lot of road traffic and pedestrians, surprising considering it was the middle of a weekday. A large group of uniformed school children passed us several times before entering the mission. Many of the students seemed curious about the protest signs.

Article and photos: Columbus Day Protested in Southern California by RP | Photos of Columbus Day Protest: Mission San Juan Capistrano by Isabel Avilla

LOS ANGELES, October 22, 2011 - The 16th National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality held a protest this Saturday with a march from downtown to a rally at MacArthur Park, the site of LAPD's 2007 May Day attack on a peaceful demonstration for immigrant's rights.

Many of those marching were family members who have lost loved ones to police violence. Alicia Alvarez of Lynwood came with her family to fight for justice for her son, Johnathan, who was shot and killed by a Lynwood sheriff deputy on October 10, 2010.

About three hundred people took part in the march, some from the on going Occupy LA encampment at city hall. Many of the speakers at the rally cited racism as one of the root causes for police violence. The basic structure of the capitalist economic system was also denounced as a cause of police brutality.
Reports from the Newswire:

PHOTOS: O22, 2011 National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality March by A | DAY 22, OCCUPY LA by Marcus

AUDIO: Johnathan Cuevas Victim of Police Murder, a Family's Fight for Justice by A

VIDEO: Video interview from Stop Police Brutality Rally by Anarcho Paparazzi | Oct 22nd Rally Footage by ILIDIO

CALIFORNIA STATEWIDE, October 18, 2011 - Of the 1100 prisoners in the SHU in Pelican Bay State Prison, over 500 have been literally buried alive in the SHU, entombed, for over 10 years; 78 for over 20 years.

Prisoners at Pelican Bay and other state prisons have rebelled against all this; for 20 days in July and now for 19 days, from September 26 to October 14, upwards of 12,000 courageous prisoners have carried out a hunger strike.

The prisoners stopped eating, risked their lives, and made their just and reasonable demands to end long term solitary confinement and torture, and snatched the initiative from the prison authorities, spotlighting a towering crime that has been for far too long covered up.

Full Story: Torture Is Unacceptable, Step Up the Struggle to Stop It! by Keith James

LOS ANGELES, October 17, 2011 - This past Saturday, October 15th was the day of coordinated worldwide actions in support of the Occupy Movement. Over the weekend more encampments began forming in cities throughout Southern California. In Los Angeles Robert Stuart Lowden reports: An eclectic crowd marched thru downtown starting at Pershing Square surging thru the financial district and on down to the occupied lawn of Los Angles city hall. Cries of "Make the banks pay" and "Banks Got Bailed out We Got Sold out" rang throughout the march.

Demonstrations also took place in Riverside, San Diego, Orange County, Santa Barbara and Long Beach.

In San Diego Mark Conlan reports: Despite attacks by police wielding pepper spray and Mace, confiscation of their possession and a series of threats to evict them forcibly from the Civic Center Plaza, over 1,000 members and supporters of Occupy San Diego reclaimed their downtown space

In Riverside Rockero reports: Just under 100 people of conscience successfully held the pedestrian walkway of the downtown mall, despite police threats of arrest for those determined to sleep in the public thoroughfare.

Reports from the Newswire: We are the 99% World Day of Awareness is a Peaceful Peak for Los Angeles, Set 1, Set 2, Set 3 by Robert Stuart Lowden | Pix of Occupy LA by Rick Panna | Occupy San Diego Draws Thousands Downtown Oct. 15 by Mark Gabrish Conlan | Occupy Riverside Official Launch October 15, 2011 by Rockero

UPDATE Latest News:

Police Crack Down on Long Beach Encampment, Two Arrests Reported, MP3 Audio: The 99 Percent Solution by James Maverick

Police Harass Peaceful Occupiers in Downtown Riverside By Rockero

The occupation of Wall Street, which has turned into an international movement, has prompted much discussion about political and economics systems and possible alternatives to the current ones. However, there has also been critical discourse about the movement itself, its defining characteristics (the slogans, the declaration and principles of solidarity, the imagery, the general assembly, the people's mic, etc.) and the role of race, class, and gender within the movement. LA Indymedia has gathered some of these perspectives from our newswire, social media, and the blogosphere and present them here for further discussion.

From the newswire: Occupying LaLa Land by Federica Lorca

From the social media: Some Thoughts on Last Night's Occupy L.A. General Assembly by Víctor EntrePuertas | | Reflections on Occupy LA, Wall St. and Bel air by Paulina | | Occupy Riverside You Need the Integrated Participation of Womyn of Color! by TepilliUelia Gloria

From the blogosphere: Some thoughts on the Occupation Movement by Joaquin Cienfuegos | | A todos nuestros familiares y compañero s en la lucha / To all our families and companeros in the struggle by RAC-LA

LOS ANGELES, October 8, 2011 - The Occupy LA site at Los Angeles City Hall was visited twice yesterday by Dr. Cornel West and PBS star Tavis Smiley. Friday was the seventh day of the occupation that sprung from the Occupy Wall Street actions in New York City.

West and Smiley inspired the rally and buoyed their hopes by articulating what they were seeing on their American Poverty Tour as well as their stops at other "Occupy " sites. West stressed that the people gathered at Los Angeles City Hall were of a highly diverse group which is contrary to the picture being painted by the mainstream and right wing press which is portraying the movement as fringe , confused and young. As this reporter looked around the crowd and the encampment, West's view was confirmed. There was consensus, diversity, sharing and intelligence.

From the Newswire: Smiley and West Buoy the 99 % at Occupy LA Rally by Robert Stuart Lowden