Los Angeles Indymedia : Activist News

Long Beach Police murdered a young man who was in shock, injured from a second-story fall, and hallucinating on psychedelics on the evening of May 27, 2015. Twenty-year-old Moorpark College student Feras Morad has been described by family and friends as someone who was well-loved and who had a positive influence on those around him (as reported by Pacifica Radio).

Morad was twice shocked with a Taser before he was killed by four shots fired in quick succession at close range. LBPD have repeatedly labeled Feras a "suspect," but have not revealed any crime he is suspected of.

Full story and pictures: Latest Long Beach Police Execution: Murder of Youth In Mental Distress by Jessica Lux

Further discussion: The Michael Slate Show (about 24 minutes into the show. Online for 90 days)

“Sold out! Sold out! Took money from Wall Street!” came shouts from the crowd when Senate candidate Kamala Harris took the stage at the California Democratic Party convention. As California Attorney General, Kamala Harris protected the banks from criminal prosecution for their crimes by orchestrating a sweetheart deal of a settlement.

Harris, who is running for the Senate seat that will be vacated upon Barbara Boxer’s retirement at the end of 2016, was scheduled to deliver a stump speech to the LA County Young Democrats in the Grand Plaza on Saturday afternoon.

A cardboard sign at the convention summarized the situation: “$650 Billion Stolen; Only 18 Billion ‘Repaid.’ Who Says Crime Doesn't Pay? Bankers Have It Made!”

Full story and photos:> Foreclosure Victims Occupy Senate Stump Speech of Kamala Harris by Occupy Fights Foreclosures

Long Beach patrol officer Jeffrey A. Meyer killed teenager Hector Morejon on April 23, 2015. Officer Meyer was responding to a trespassing call. Hector was unarmed. No verbal warning was given. From next door, Hector’s mom heard gunfire, and she ran outside. Hector called to his mother, but the police would not let Lucia Morejon ride in the ambulance with her dying son.

Dozens of grieving community members took to the streets Wednesday afternoon to demand #JusticeForHECTOR

Full story and pictures: Long Beach Police Execute Unarmed Teen Hector Morejon on Suspicion Of Trespassing by Jessica Lux

At Thursday's LAPD community meeting in Venice following the fatal shooting of unarmed 29-year-old Brendon Glenn, also known to friends and the Rainbow Family as Dizzle, community members took the microphone for public comment. Bonin was criticized for his inaction in helping houseless people--breaking promises to provide basic services and failure to meet.

Bonin's answer: "I meet and talk to people who are unhoused every week. . . . What I'm not going to do is take a meeting organized by activists--outside agitators who are trying to..."

At this point, the room crowd erupted in outrage at the slur just uttered by elected representative Mike Bonin.

Before handing the microphone to the next person in line, Busch declared, "Maybe we should stop talking to politicians. How many times have I asked you for a toilet?"

Full story: Councilmember Bonin Calls People of Venice Outraged by Police Murder "Outside Agitators" by Los Angeles Peoples Media | Related story and photos: Brendon Glenn Dies and Venice S/Weeps by Peggy Lee Kennedy

Interviews on video (YouTube) by WeAreChange

May 1 was a day of international solidarity for Australian Aborigines, many whom are in danger of being driven off their ancestral lands and out of communities. Recent months have seen heightened activism in Australia concerning this issue. Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who's dismissed ancient Indigenous ways as "a lifestyle choice," has expressed concern over the expense of providing electricity and water to Aboriginal communities.

Over 85 demonstrations were held across Australia on Friday. Also participating were people in London; Hong Kong; Paris (via Idle No More, France); New Zealand; Finland; New York; and Los Angeles. In Los Angeles, a rally was held at Echo Park Lake. More than 25 people attended in the middle of the day. Some passersby and people already sitting on the grass took interest in the speakers.

Full story and photos: L.A. Stands in Solidarity with Australian Aborigines by Ross Plesset

Families feeling the abusive foreclosure practices of Wells Fargo occupied bank branches in both City of Commerce (on Whitter Blvd.) and Studio City on Saturday, April 25, 2015. Members of Occupy Fights Foreclosures (OFF) and the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) asked local branch managers to forward letters describing violations of the California Homeowner Bill of Rights to Wells Fargo headquarters.

The locations of Saturday's actions were not publicly disclosed in advance. Only a morning meet-up location in downtown L.A. was provided to participants and media. Regardless, security in Commerce appeared to be on high alert Saturday morning. Half a dozen security guards on bicycles circled the shopping center parking lot outside the Wells Fargo branch in advance of the protest. However, twenty minutes elapsed between the start of the lobby protest and the arrival of representatives of the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department (LASD).

One asked a man carrying a "Wells Fargo: King of Foreclosures" sign a question, and received such a passionate response that the deputy nodded and stepped back in deference to the man's right to express his grievances against Wells Fargo.

Sheriff Deputy Fonseca demonstrated a hostile attitude, intimidating videographer Patti Beers into stepping back from one portion of the sidewalk. He then retreated to corner of the sidewalk with the other law enforcement officers and private security. Multiple private security guards recorded Saturday's action on phone cameras, once they had the protection of the LASD.

Simultaneous to the action in East Los Angeles, members of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) occupied a Wells Fargo branch in Studio City, CA to bring attention to the plight of an 80-year-old woman who has lived in her home for five decades. Wells Fargo would rather evict her than work out a loan modification.

Full story and pix: Families Protest Abusive Foreclosure Practices of Wells Fargo Bank by Jessica Lux

April 7, 2015: Marchers carried 617 life-sized cardboard coffins, one for each of the 617 confirmed people killed by Los Angeles County law enforcement since the year 2000.

Four Winds of victims' families and supporters--north, south, east, and west--met at separate locations and demonstrated at various places before converging at the LA County Board of Supervisors. The West Wind met at MacArthur Park and, in its travels, visited 6th and Union (site of the police killing of Manuel Jamines); the Rampart police station; and the LA Unified School District Headquarters building; before their ultimate destination, the LA County Board of Supervisors.

The East Wind gathered outside the East LA Sheriff Department before rallying at Mariachi Plaza, LAPD headquarters at 1st and Main St., and finally the LA County Board of Supervisors.

The North Wind began at the Men's Central Jail at Bauchet and Vignes and marched past Union Station, through Skid Row, past the memorial site for slain Brother Africa, before joining the other Four Winds at the Board of Supervisors.

The South Wind traveled to the LAPD Newton Division Station, and the Hill Street Court en route to County Board of Supervisors.

Occupy Los Angeles OWS reports, "As the crowd first took the streets for a die-in adjacent to the array of hundreds of coffins, songs played over the portable address system included 'Every Breath You Take / I'll Be Missing You,' and 'What's Going On.' Danza Azteca led the hundreds assembled in a musical dance ceremony honoring Mother Earth."

"Even those who prepared the hand-painted coffins in the weeks leading up to the march expressed a somber, awestruck silence upon seeing hundreds of paper memorials occupying the entire roadway outside the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration," Occupy Los Angeles OWS continues.

Full story and photos: United Families For Justice Carry 617 Coffins to Downtown L.A. #DeathByCop Rally by Occupy Los Angeles OWS

After the jury returned a hung verdict, the Fullerton district attorney announced their intent to retry independent journalist livestreamers AJ Redkey and PM Beers for their presence at the January 18, 2014 protests of the police murder of Kelly Thomas

Following the January 2014 acquittal of Fullerton police officers Manuel Ramos and Jay Cicinelli for beating Kelly Thomas to death, outraged people took to the streets for a day of protest against police murder and violence against the unarmed citizenry.

Starting in the early morning of January 18, 2014 , signs with messages such as "If You're Not Outraged, You're Not Paying Attention" and "We Want Justice" began to appear outside the police station and Fullerton City Hall.

Livestreamer PM Beers interviewed a witness whose friend had just been snatched off the street by police. After following police who got out of a patrol car, she witnessed the arrest of another one of the people with whom she had been marching all day. When she tried to leave the scene herself, she ended up streaming her own arrest live across the Internet.

Livestreamer AJ Redkey also filmed the police at locations around downtown Fullerton throughout the day, but he was never arrested. The Fullerton Police Department waited until May 7, 2014, the day before a planned protest of unlawful arrests at Fullerton's North Justice Center, to stalk and arrest him at another rally in Pasadena. A "snatch squad" of six Fullerton police officers--four undercover and two in uniform--traveled many miles out of their jurisdiction to arrest the independent journalist, an event which was filmed by another livestreamer from inLeague Press.

Yes, you read that right. Independent journalist AJ Redkey was arrested for "failure to disperse" nearly four months after he left (or dispersed from) the area of downtown Fullerton.

Full story: City of Fullerton Conspires to Silence Free Press Following Hung Jury #LivestreamOnTrial by USvMJ

Long Beach: What the frack?! On Tuesday, March 24th, the state of California held an "Aquifer Exemption Workshop" to show oil industry representatives how to exploit loopholes for drilling and disposal projects to obtain aquifer exemption approval. Concerned water drinkers interrupted the state-sponsored workshop on how to get away with poisoning our drinking water.

As the presenter at the podium droned on about “EPA Aquifer Exemption Criteria,” one woman stood up from her banquet table to declare: “I just have to say one thing. This is backwards. It was just announced in the news that industry injected 2,500 wells illegally... Shouldn't you be having a workshop on how to stop that instead of how to get around, to get exempt from these regulations?"

Another woman entered the room waving two bottles of brown liquid. “I actually brought some poisoned water to show everyone what we’re going to be exposed to and forced to drink if this poisoning of our water by our regulators continues.”

Approaching the podium and handing out the poisoned water, she asked, "Would you feel like drinking this water?"

Full story and video: Californians Shame Regulators For Teaching Big Oil How To Skirt Law and Pollute Our Water by Los Angeles Peoples Media

Thousands of Angelinos took to the streets to demand an end to violence against women in Los Angeles. on March 8th.

Demonstrators pointed out that women's rights are human rights. Some of the groups' spokespersons expressed anger over the recent fall of women's rights and said that they would not stop marching and demonstrating until equality was achieved.

Domestic violence was a major theme of the day and women demanded that the police join them in fighting domestic violence instead of being part of the problem.

There were events in Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura Counties on March 8th as well.

Full story: Los Angeles Stands Up for Women's Rights by Women Against Slavery, International

On February 20 a Federal Court of Appeals in Washington DC rejected an attempt by Pacific Gas & Electric and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to quash a lawsuit filed by environmental group Friends Of the Earth (FOE). According to Friends Of the Earth, the suit alleges that the "NRC illegally allowed PG&E; to alter Diablo Canyon's nuclear plant license.

"FOE contends the NRC acted in secret and collusion with PG&E; to hide Diablo Canyon's vulnerability to earthquakes stronger than it was built to withstand. A decision in favor of Friends of the Earth could result in PG&E; having to shut down its reactors, pending a public hearing to examine the new risks at the plant."

Diablo Canyon has been controversial since the beginning. Located on California's Central coast near San Luis Obispo, and in an earthquake and tsunami zone, 1900 no nukes protesters associated with the Abalone Alliance were arrested in 1981 over a period of two weeks in an attempt to stop its construction.

Several years before that, The China Syndrome, a movie starring Jane Fonda and Michael Douglas, appeared on silver screens across the nation, at least partially inspired by the struggle at Diablo Canyon. This was 1979, the year the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster melted down into American consciousness.

And in fact Friends of the Earth itself was founded all the way back in 1969 by environmentalist David Brower because of concerns about the possible construction of Diablo Canyon.

Full story FEDS ALLOW LAWSUIT TO SHUT DOWN DIABLO CANYON TO PROCEED by Michael Steinberg

Once again, multiple groups engaged in activism at the Rose Parade--despite this year's cold temperature. (Last year, animal rights activists protested a Sea World float while Occupy Wall St. preceded the parade with an unofficial float).

On New Year's Eve, local activists visited the parade route carrying signs conveying the number of U.S. troops killed in America's military ventures in the Middle East. (Each casualty was represented by a "rose"--needless to say, there were a lot of "roses" on the signs.)

On New Year's Day, one group (organized by Stop Mass Incarceration Network, So Cal) protested the police murders of people of color. Before the parade, they stood at several locations, including parts of Old Town, dressed in black, holding signs, and chanting, "I can't breath." (Some parade spectators responded with, "I can breath." Other bystanders reportedly joined the demonstrations.) Police were especially strict with this group, forbidding them from even walking on Colorado Boulevard, which tends to be pretty accessible before the parade--even by activists, usually--and being rather particular about where they could stand on sidewalks.

Meanwhile, Occupy Wall St. followed the Rose Parade with a "people's parade." Despite being held up for a time by police and Homeland Security, Occupy made their way up the route and received a lot of notice. One float with the message "Gov Brown: Don't Frack CA" prompted spectators to ask what fracking is. Reportedly, "thousands of spectators remained in the grandstands to watch the unsanctioned post-parade."

Report, photos, and links to videos: Occupy the Rose Parade: People's Parade Follows Pasadena's Tournament of Roses Parade by Jessica Lux

A coalition of lawyers, law students, and others acting in solidarity protested police killings of unarmed people by staging a die-in outside Stanley Mosk Courthouse on the raining morning of Tuesday, December 16, 2014. The call to action encouraged others "to protest these police killings, the failure to hold police accountable for these deaths, and the system that perpetuates these racist practices. We act in solidarity with others taking action to show that Black Lives Matter."

Article, photos, and links: #BlackLivesMatter Massive Lawyer Die-In at Los Angeles Courthouse by Occupy Los Angeles OWS

On Black Friday, three demonstrations against Hewlett-Packard occurred in front of large stores in Greater Los Angeles.

Besides its involvement with Israel, HP is involved in government surveillance of citizens around the world, including in the U.S. About a dozen people turned out for each of the two-hour demonstrations.

Report and photos: Protesting Hewlett-Packard on Black Friday by RP

SAN FERNANDO, CA – On Tuesday, November 11, veterans fighting foreclosure and homeless vets joined Occupy Fights Foreclosures marching in the San Fernando Valley Veterans Day Parade. One out of three unhoused people are veterans. Veteran homeowners and homeless are marching to bring awareness to the ongoing foreclosure crisis. Many veterans continue to fight to stay in their homes while some less fortunate already have joined the countless other homeless people and families on the streets without a roof over their heads. During the foreclosure crisis, banks have taken full advantage of our veterans, who not only have to fight to keep and find jobs, but have to deal with long term illnesses, the high cost of medications, and a bureaucratic system moves slowly, putting them at high risk to lose their homes.

Full story and pictures: Veterans Against Foreclosures Marches in San Fernando Veterans Day Parade by Occupy Fights Foreclosures

Lamoreaux judges turned Lexi Dillon (pictured at left) over to a foreigner whom the Tustin police cast reports showed sodomized and raped the girl repeatedly. The foreigner is no longer allowed in the U.S. and due to a lifting of the travel ban on Lexi, as far as anyone knows, neither is she. The alleged molester only has citizenship in Thailand, the site of considerable sex trafficking.

Massive fear surrounds the trafficking of Jonah Rief to Australia via the San Diego courts. A man who is not the father and who did not have to prove paternity was allowed to take Jonah Rief to Australia and he did so using a falsified passport calling the "Rief" boy "Sullivan." Alabama had issued a protective order against Brian Sullivan on behalf of the child and on behalf of the mother Tammy Rief after Sullivan or someone associated with him uploaded misleading YouTube videos appearing to be aimed at getting people to kidnap Jonah from his Alabama home. California chose not to respect the jurisdictional orders of the court in Alabama, which was Jonah Rief's home state. Jonah entered Australia with Sullivan on February 26, 2013 and disappeared. Nude photos that appeared on March 4, 2013, on the Facebook page of Sullivan's accomplice Sara Francis AKA Denise Glasier AKA Denise Sullivan are believed to have been sales photos.

Full story: Activists Hold Prayer Vigil for Lexi Dillon and Jonah Rief in Orange County by Stand Up Orange County Coalition

More: Pressure on Orange County District Attorney to Prosecute Minors Counsel by PAA: Parents Against Abuse

LOS ANGELES--People assembled the morning of November 5, 2014 outside Los Angeles City Hall to participate in the worldwide #Anonymous Million Mask March. Signs bearing the messages "We Don't Want to Live in a World Government for the Corporations" and "Occupy Love" were among the dozens on display.

. . . As the march moved into the open space of the shopping mall at Hollywood & Highland, LAPD officers ringed the protest in pairs. Private security officers also came out to confront the masked masses, who continued dancing and waving signs. By remaining in one place for over a half an hour, the scattered participants were able to reunite, and the march was hundreds strong as it resumed down the Walk of Fame.

@LAPDHollywood tweeted "Please avoid Hollywood Blvd near highland due to protest" around 1:30 PM. LAPD Media Relations advised CBSLA.com "An anti-police brutality protest shut down a stretch of Hollywood Boulevard. More than 100 protesters took part in the march."

. . . Citizen journalist @PMBeers expressed her feelings about police: "The fact that riot cops come to peaceful protests and that intimidates people and makes them afraid to express their grievances is insulting. The fact that people equate protesting with getting arrested even if no laws are broken is insulting. It took me two years to realize that yes, in fact, all cops actually are bastards even if they think they are good people doing good things." #ACAP

Full story and pictures: Los Angeles Questions Oversized LAPD Response to Million Mask March by Los Angeles Peoples Media

HOLLYWOOD, CA -- Dozens of ghosts, grim reapers with bank logos on their scythes, and oversized banker puppets occupied the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Halloween Night as activists from Occupy Fights Foreclosures and Occupy Los Angeles portrayed the "Ghosts of Wall Street."

[The] rally assembled at dusk outside the mosaic-covered Chase Bank at the corner of Sunset & Vine. Familiar icons associated with Occupy Los Angeles filled the courtyard, including Nowhere Man's plea to "Imagine Fairness" and a black-and-glitter banner bearing the message "Fuck the Police."

. . . Led by a wide "The Nightmares From Wall Street" banner, the ghosts, reapers, and bankers marched north on Vine St, then west on Hollywood Blvd towards the intersection of Hollywood & Highland. The crowd responded positively to the procession, shouting out remarks that the "Ghosts of Wall Street" was both creative and true.

On the sidewalk outside the Dolby Theater, across from the El Capitan theater, the activists paused for a moment of street theater. . . .

Full story and photos: Ghosts of Wall Street Occupy Hollywood Blvd Halloween Night by Occupy Los Angeles OWS

If we wish to honestly "clean up" Venice we need an expanded storage program, an adequate number of trash cans and 24/7 bathrooms. The current city program of criminalizing unhoused people does not solve anything and wastes hundreds of thousands of dollars. "Cleaning up" cannot equal criminalization. That is discrimination, and is illegal. The act of being without housing is not a crime.

. . . If we had an expanded storage program and adequate public hygiene, like they do in other communities, like Costa Mesa, [Councilman Mike] Bonin could accomplish his goal of "cleaning up Venice" but without being punitive or harassing vulnerable people. He could actually help them. He could help all of us! It would cost the city far less and be a huge win/win for Venice.

. . . Why not try? Bonin has been made aware of this inclusive program but has not seen fit to implement one yet. He needs to feel public support. . .

Full story: The "Cleaning Up" of Venice by Deborah LaShever

Columbus Day has been suffering setbacks of late. Minneapolis; Berkeley, California; and most recently Seattle now observe Indigenous People's Day instead. San Francisco has Italian Heritage Day; Hawaii, Discoverers Day (i.e., the discovery of the islands by Polynesians); and South Dakota, Native American Day. Venezuela dropped Columbus Day in 2002 in favor of Day of Indigenous Resistance. Mexico, El Salvador, Argentina, and other countries celebrate Dia de la Raza. While Columbus Day's still recognized here in Southern California, a new annual protest occurs in downtown L.A.

While en route to the ornate Cathedral of Los Angeles, we got a clear view of it with a homeless camp in the foreground. Well over 30 protesters lined the sidewalk across the street from the church with signs. Several horrific and barbaric deeds of Columbus and other pious Europeans were mentioned via megaphone as patrons, including a large group of teenagers, exited the church and stood in front.

Full story and photos: Columbus Day Protest, Downtown L.A. by RP

Dozens of voters occupied the median of Sunset Blvd outside the Stewart and Lynda Resnick mansion in Beverly Hills Thursday afternoon to declare “No More Sweetheart Deals for Billionaire Farmers!” Hand-painted signs pleaded for “real water solutions, not Prop 1” and decried the water bond as “water for the 1%,” not for the people of California. #NoOnProp1

At the “No on Prop 1” press conference, actors portraying the Resnicks toasted the growth of their own wealth thanks to powerful friends in Sacramento, while a tuxedo-clad waiter held a tray of POM Wonderful juice, Fiji Water, and Wonderful Pistachios (brands owned by the Resnicks’ umbrella company Roll Global). The skit touted record profits in a drought year, revealing the business model of growing water-intensive crops on toxic Central Valley soil for export to foreign markets in China.

Full story and photos: Voters Rally Against Proposition 1 Outside the Beverly Hills Mansion of Water Barons by Jessica Lux.

INGLEWOOD, CA -- Dressed as bees, several people collapsed on the floor of pesticide aisle at Home Depot on S La Cienega Blvd this Saturday morning.

Aside from the theatrics, the activists cheerfully announced to shoppers and staff alike, "today is International Honey Bee Day! Join the fight to Save the Bees!" and handed out pamphlets titled "The Plight of the Honeybee" linking the collapse of 40% of honey bee colonies in the last decade in the United States to the use of insecticidal seed treatment in genetically engineered (GE or GMO) crops.

Other actions in Southern California included ones in San Diego and Long Beach.

Full story and photos: Southern California Swarms to Save the Bees in Solidarity with Honey Bee Day Around the Globe by Occupy Los Angeles OWS