Los Angeles Indymedia : Activist News

“. . .The division that the corporate media folks were constantly harping on wasn't anywhere visible. There weren't any obvious Farrakhan supporters anywhere evident nor anyone openly citing their opposition to him. . . .

“. . . As far as the signage was concerned it was mostly homemade and tended towards citing the inadequacies of the 45th president and his policies. The Pandora's box the President had unleashed with his classless profanities were still being stridently reflected back at him,Loud and Clear.

“One can only wonder what our great grandmothers would have made of the new rhetoric.

“. . . Trans women were lightly represented in the crowd but heavily supported by the speeches from the stage. And as those rhetorical flourishes were spoken the crowd roared again and again in favor of full inclusiveness. They also spoke of the high murder rate against trans women worldwide.

“I have covered protests in LA for awhile now and this was the only time I ever cried. Just a few tears but it hit me as to what I was actually witnessing. . . .”

Robert Stuart Lowden’s article and photos: Photoset 1 | Photoset 2 | Photoset 3 | Photoset 4 | Photoset 5 | Photoset 6 | Photoset 7

More coverage: Women’s March, 2019 by RP

Other Indymedia coverage: San Francisco Bay Area: Indybay

The tremendously destructive Woolsey Fire has been widely reported as beginning “near” the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL or Rocketdyne), but it appears that the fire began on the Rocketdyne property itself.  Cal Fire identifies the fire location as E Street and Alfa Road, a location that is in fact on SSFL. It was recently reported that the “Chatsworth electric substation” experienced a disturbance 2 minutes before the fire was reported, but that substation is in fact on SSFL, near that location.  A photograph posted on Twitter from KCAL9’s Stu Mundel shows the fire starting Thursday afternoon near the same location, which is only about 1,000 yards away from the site of the 1959 partial nuclear meltdown of the Sodium Reactor Experiment (SRE) reactor.

Full story: Massive Woolsey Fire Began On Contaminated Santa Susana Field Laboratory, Close to Site of Partial Meltdown by Physicians for Social Responsibility - Los Angeles

As the senate vote on Brett Kavanaugh loomed, vigils took place all over the country (including Alaska and Hawaii). Several occurred in Southern California, including Santa Monica, Burbank, Sierra Madre, Claremont, Corona, Riverside, Whittier, downtown LA, Larchmont Village, and Echo Park.

At Echo Park Lake, 58 people were counted by nightfall. They stood on the corner of Glendale Boulevard and Park Avenue facing rush-hour traffic.

Story and pictures: ”Kava-no!!!” by RP

The land of the South Central Farm, at 41st and Alameda, is currently owned by PIMA an apparel company that wants to build warehouses. However, on August 9, a judge agreed with the South Central Farm that an adequate Environmental Impact Report was never done. Quite a few trucks would enter and leave the warehouses every day in an already dense neighborhood. Thus, the project will be reviewed by City Council again, giving the Farmers another chance to present their case for restoring the urban farm.

Story and photos: Setback for Developer of SC Farm Land by RP

Update: November 13: The Judge ruled the City of LA and P.I.M.A need to redo and re circulate the Environmental Impact Report and the community will be able to comment on it once its published. In the coming months, the City Council and PLUM Committee will vote on whether to proceed with the project in light of its environmental impacts. Another victory for our community. Join us as we continue to fight for the restoration of the #southcentralfarm. It's time for community investment and equity #bringbackthefarm . (Facebook announcement)

The California Assembly and Senate have passed AB-2178, which would impose new restrictions on individuals and community groups like Food Not Bombs that share free meals. If the bill becomes law, these groups would have to pay to register with local authorities in order to continue to provide mutual aid by sharing free food that would otherwise be discarded. In general, Food Not Bombs and similar groups are entirely volunteer with little to no budgets.

Volunteer groups feeding the poor and homeless pose little food safety risk. These grassroots groups have operated for decades and follow strong private food safety practices. They fill a critical gap that the state itself struggles to address.

More: California Bill Threatens to Restrict Sharing Free Food with the Poor from Indybay

On June 30, at least 400 marches took place across the U.S. with 70+ in California. High turnout was reported in downtown LA; at least 500 were in Pasadena. Both had signs calling for abolishing I.C.E.. The former also had some criticism of Mayor Eric Garcetti (who also spoke) for working with I.C.E.

The Pasadena march went along crowded Colorado Boulevard and received enthusiastic response from passing motorists. Some passersby took pictures.

Story and photos: "Families Belong Together" March, Pasadena / More Pix: "Families Belong Together," Pasadena by RP

More: Short Report on the Keep Families Together Protest in Los Angeles by johnk

The Montrose Peace Vigil began on the third Friday in January 2006 as a response to a call by Progressive Democrats of America to oppose wars neighborhood by neighborhood. In all these years, not a single Friday has been missed regardless of weather or holidays.

There have also been several special events at the vigil itself. On the 40th anniversary of the two Bed-Ins held by John and Yoko*, the peace vigil held ones of their own on their corner…

Story and pictures: The Montrose Peace Vigil at 12 Years by Oss Rae

The Rebel City Los Angeles guide answers the question, what would Los Angeles look like if vertical power as we know it disappeared? The illustrated two sided guide helps users visualize the city from below, providing details of a developing infrastructure of people-centered institutions supporting human activities outside corporate dominion; from electricity, housing, education, medicine, and banking.

More information here: GUIDE TO REBEL CITY LOS ANGELES AVAILABLE by LLANO