April 10, 2012

RIVERSIDE - As part of a statewide effort to expose California's 1% and demand retribution from them so that schools can be funded and homeowners protected, community activists gathered for a press conference that was followed by a direct challenge to the managers of the local branch of Wells Fargo. Though the crowd was small, the response--a shutdown of the bank branch--was anything but.

From the newswire: Group of Six shutdown Wells Fargo by the lizard queen

LOS ANGELES, March 30, 2012 - Occupy Venice, Venice Locals, Lawyers with the National Lawyers Guild, and a group called Venice Community Unity all came together on 3rd Ave in Venice to stop a homeless sweep from happening on March 29.

There was tension. Despite public resistance, the LAPD and Street Services were going to throw away belongs that were clearly not garbage until civil rights attorney, Carol Sobel called Councilman Rosendahl and convinced him to intercede. So this time no property was seized. Trash was removed from 3rd Ave but the belongings remained. It was a success. The only problem is that the city just keeps doing the same thing. Full Story: Venice Homeless Sweep Stopped: A Good Day in Venice for Street People by Venice Justice Committee & Rosendahl's Legacy: Gentrification and Sweeping the Homeless Out of Venice? by Peggy Lee Kennedy

SANTA CRUZ, CA - District Attorney Bob Lee has embarked on a full frontal assault against independent media in Santa Cruz by including four regular contributors to the independent news website Indybay.org amongst the eleven people charged with multiple felonies and misdemeanors after the occupation of a vacant bank building on November 30th, 2011. District Attorney Lee apparently believes it is his duty to dictate how events such as the occupation of the vacant bank at 75 River Street should be reported on by the media, and if he does not approve of the coverage, then journalists risk the DA bringing charges against them.

Bradley Stuart Allen and Alex Darocy are Indybay photojournalists and Indybay editors who were reporting on the occupation. No charges nor arrests were made at the time, but warrants were issued over two months later on February 8th, 2012 for Bradley, Alex, and nine other individuals. Alex was arrested at his home before he could submit to the surprise warrant. Bradley and Alex were originally charged with felony vandalism, felony conspiracy, and two counts of misdemeanor trespass, but after a three-day preliminary hearing starting March 13th the felony vandalism charge against both was dropped. Alex and Bradley remain out of police custody on their own recognizance.Full Story: Indybay Journalists Charged with Felony: Conspiracy to Make Media by the Indybay Collective

En Español: Periodistas de Indybay acusados de delito grave: Conspiración para hacer los medios

Wednesday, February 29th was the national day of nonviolent direct action to shut down the corporations, especially those that comprise ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council. Occupy Riverside has called for a community-based picket line at the world's largest Walmart distribution center, Schneider Logistics, at 4100 Hamner Ave in Mira Loma, where workers are engaged in a struggle to recover stolen wages and ultimately, for recognition as a collective bargaining unit.

Calls to Action: #F29 Promo Video | F29 SHUTDOWN THE CORPORATIONS CALL TO ACTION: Occupy Walmart! | Resolution in Support of Warehouse Workers at Walmart Contractor Schneider Logistics

From the Newswire: F29 Walmart Warehouse Shutdown: Victory at Dawn and F29 photos by Rockero | | F29 - Breaking: Protest holding one intersection outside Walmart by LA-IMC | | F29 - Images from Riverside by A | | F29: Club wielding cop trips and falls while chasing flag waving anarchist. by A

VIDEO: #F29 Occupy Walmart Warehouse by occupythischannel | | #F29 Videos by franchiseGH by franchiseGH | | Police Brutality at Occupy Los Angeles F29 by 19Alcibiades87 | | F29 videos by mikepointfive by mikepointfive

VENICE - In the latest wave of government and police repression of the homeless community, a meeting was held, a new policy adopted, signs were posted, and eviction followed. The events were marked by the participation of members of the clergy from the LAPD Religious Outreach office.

In order to justify this clearing out, the city council approved an ordinance banning vending, but also extended a previous ordinance closing the beach between midnight and 5am to include the Venice boardwalk. Advocates have opposed the beach-closing ordinance on the grounds that it was created and enforced without the required California Coastal development permit.

The LAPD's Pacific Division is further attempting to justify the removal of people by claiming that Venice is not subject to the terms of the Jones settlement, which prohibits police from enforcing the ban on sitting and sleeping on sidewalksduring certain hours.

Forcibly removed from their customary locations, the homeless were recommended to go to skid row.

From the newswire: More War Against Venice Street People by Venice Justice Committee | | Power Comes From The Barrel Of a Gun by Calvin E Moss

February 20, 2012
LOS ANGELES and RANCHO CUCAMONGA - With the United States incarcerating more people than any other country on Earth, and with the rampant abuses that occur throughout the opaque detention system, Occupy movements nationwide were eager to heed the call to "Occupy for Prisoners," which issued from prison solidarity activists who have long been in support of the Pelican Bay and Corcoran hunger strikes against solitary confinement in the special housing units, or SHUs.

A protest outside the infamous twin towers jail in Downtown LA, where the ACLU was instrumental in exposing prisoner abuse by LA County Sheriff's deputies late last year, drew large numbers of protesters, and a smaller facility at San Bernardino County's West Valley Detention Center, where inmates participated in the solidarity hunger strike during it's peak last year, likewise drew a loud demonstration.

From the newswire: Occupy for Prisoners by Rockero

Saturday February 4, 2012 was an international day of solidarity for political prisoner Leonard Peltier. A call was put out for demonstrations in front of federal buildings world-wide. Such an event occurred here in Los Angeles in the proximity of the downtown Federal Building and was well-attended. Leonard Peltier, who has been wrongfully imprisoned for 35 years, has received little exposure in the mainstream media. (Although, good documentaries have been made about him.)

"He's been in prison for over 30 years for a crime that he did not commit; his health is extremely bad," said Corine Fairbanks of AIM (American Indian Movement) Southern Cal, who was involved in two of the three events on February 4. "It was wonderful to see people going out of their way to participate in these events. I believe we definitely need to continue to educate people, especially young people, as to who Leonard Peltier is. I think there's a concentrated effort made by various governments for us to forget who he is. When I say educate, I'm saying that people need to be aware of not only who he is and the sacrifice he and his family have made being that he's a prisoner of war, but people also need to put more pressure on President Obama, put more pressure on the U.S. government for his release."

Peltier's trial has been deemed illegitimate by Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, and many others. Peltier has received six Nobel Peace Prize nominations. His activism includes selling his paintings, proceeds of which have benefited the Lakota people.

Story and photos: International Day of Solidarity with Leonard Peltier: Clemency Now! by RP, photos by Isabel Avila

February 4, 2012
WEST LOS ANGELES - Just one block South of a very urban section of Wilshire Blvd with 40 story high-rise buildings and often grid locked streets sits the Kuruvungna Springs. The Springs are on a part of the University High School campus. The Springs and the surrounding area were once the site of a Tongva village.

This last Saturday the Green Party and the Foundation hosted a tour that also included a Tongva blessing of the land. Fresh potable water is bubbling out of the ground and into small streams and pools. The water is said to have healthy restorative powers.

In 1992 a group of local environmentalists working together with Tongva descendants formed the Gabrienlino/Tongva Springs Foundation. The foundation was able to secure a lease for the land from the Los Angeles Unified School District for one dollar a year. The Foundation found funding, both private and public and has restored much of the site. The work goes on and there is still much to be done to preserve and protect the springs.

The foundation’s current lease expires next year and they are hoping to secure a new long-term fifty-year lease from the school district. Supporters are urged to contact the school district and encourage them to extend the lease and ensure the continued protection and ongoing restoration of this sacred site.

From the newswire:Protecting Sacred Sites: The Kuruvungna Springs by A

LOS ANGELES - Using the budget shortfall in Sacramento as cover, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board President Monica Garcia and LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy have recommended a draconian budget that cuts off all funding for adult education--the veritable lifelines for immigrant families, impoverished communities, and students of color. Unconscionable in any circumstances, their proposed budget is even more grievous given the hundreds of millions of dollars of public property and resources they have given away to private charter corporations over the past couple of years.

More than 345,000 students are currently enrolled in various adult education programs including English as a second language, high school graduation, occupational programs, and many others.

Efforts are underway to save these critical programs. So far thousands of signatures have been collected, hundreds of phone calls made, and various other means of trying to convince the LAUSD Board to save Adult Education have been employed. Moreover, it isn't just the students at these schools and community activists supporting adult education. Indeed, many local business support LAUSD Adult Education for reasons including providing workers from the community better prepared for positions.

Supporters are asking for signatures on the on-line petition, as well as for support at a demonstration this Thursday, February 9, at 1:30 at the LAUSD offices, 333 S Beaudry Ave in Los Angeles, 90017.

From the newswire: Even Local Businesses Support Efforts to Save LAUSD Adult Education by Robert D. Skeels

"The Kawaiisu Tribe of Tejon thanks Secretary Ken Salazar for 'Reaffirming' the Tribe to the list of Federally Recognized Tribes in the United States. 'Reaffirming of Recognition,' means that Congress and the President of the United States recognize the Tribe through the Treaty, because the Treaty represents prior Federal Recognition. The United States now is back in compliance with the Treaty, except for the Tejon Reservation and Graves issues. . . . They have been fighting a legal case for two years in California Federal Court, docket number 1:09-cv-01977, to stop development on their Indian Reservation at the Tejon Ranch near Los Angeles, that gives the corporation permission to unearth the burial remains and spiritual burial objects of thousands of their ancestors that died on the reservation. The timing of regaining recognition, while awaiting a ruling on the Federal Case is an unexpected gift that the Tribe embraces with gratitude. . . ."

More: Tribe Thanks Secretary Salazar For Righting Wrongs Of The Past by David Laughing Horse Robinson

Video: The Kawaiisu people and legal history of land by Kernvillekate | | More Information and videos: Kawaiisu Tribe of the Tejon (Blogspot)

Spring Festival, also known as Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year, is beyond a massive holiday; it impacts everyone in China. Nearly a billion people will travel back to home during the so-called 40-day Chunyun (春运) travel period, the world's largest human migration movement.This year's Chunyun will be expected to make up around 3.16 billion passenger trips means around a round-trip for every people in China (population approx.13.3 billion).

While middle classes can afford to take airplanes for the holiday, for average Chinese migrant workers and students, the less expensive railroad trip could be their only chance in a few years to return their home for the holidays. Train tickets are always very difficult to buy during the holiday seasons, and the trip could be very long. Some people could take up-to10-days trip from far nothen China to far southern China to meet their family.

Holidays also mean the need to bring year-long savings from work to families; however, not everyone is so lucky. Many workers also need to fight for their back-wages as well, right before the new year many company bosses also could cheating their worker's wages, they need to fight to get their money back.

The author also comments on the impact of international politics in China, including the steady rise of China's right wing pro-US/anti-communist neo-con/neo-liberal forces.

From the newswire: Journey to My Home--Happy Spring Festival (AKA Chinese New Year)! by Lee Siu Hin

SAN DIEGO - January 20 , 2012 - When 100 protesters from Occupy San Diego, Activist San Diego, Common Cause, the League of Women Voters and a wide variety of organizations arrived in the morning to hold a rally outside the Federal Building in downtown San Diego to protest the U.S. Supreme Court's two-year-old Citizens United decision, they were in for a rude awakening. A phalanx of agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had parked four trucks outside the building three ominously labeled Homeland Security Federal Protective Service and one, unmarked, topped with a satellite dish and stationed themselves outside the building to ensure that the rally could not take place there. Instead the Homeland Security agents unilaterally moved the rally to an alcove by the side of the building two blocks away, in a far less visible location.

The rally went on anyway, with featured speakers Marjorie Cohn, professor at Thomas Jefferson College of Law and former head of the National Lawyers Guild,; Lori Salda, former California State Assembly member and current candidate for Congress against Republican incumbent Brian Bilbray; and Tara Ludwik, a 37-year-old single mother from Point Loma who described herself as amazingly moderate politically until last September, when she joined Occupy San Diego. Full Story: San Diegans Rally Against Citizens United Decision by Mark Gabrish Conlan

RELATED: Occupy Redlands Protests Citizens United Decision by Rockero