weekly archives : LA IMC

The LA/Orange County Coalition To Stop The War / Coalition For World Peace is calling to Demonstrate for "Peace with Justice" this Saturday 1:00 pm at Persing Square .

The accompanying photo is one of a series documenting banner drops in public space around LA- highway overpasses. This action, done by a small collective was done to inspire independent action and free speach.

Unrelated but also of note in its scope are wheat-pasted 81/2" by 11" bilingual posters that appeared through-out Los Angeles imediatly after S11; some that read "Say no to ALL violence" and "War is Never the answer."

[ Demonstration Flyer (PDF) | Coalition For World Peace | Anti-war Art/performance announcement ]

A hearing before the West Hollywood California Business License Commission threatens closure of famous club for predominatley minority transgenders, youths & lesbians allegedly on racial and classist grounds. Read the Report.

[ Pro-Pot analysis on Federal Ruling against Marijuana Clubs | California's Prop. 215 on Medical Marijuana- State Law ] Republicans abruptly abandoned a 2-week filibuster attempt to force Democrats to rubber-stamp Bush's conservative judicial nominees, according to Roll Call and the Washington Post. A corporate media blackout protected them from public wrath for their wholesale betrayal of their own calls for "bipartisan cooperation." Republican whining ignores the past record, according to a report by People For The American Way, which found that Republicans rejected 45.3% of Clinton's nominees when they controlled the Senate, a rate 72% higher than the 26.3% rejection rate Reagan & Bush nominees when Democrats controlled the Senate.

Finally, after Republicans defeated a truly bi-partisan approach, most Democrats caved in and passed an "anti-terrorism bill" that threatens non-profits and foundations as well as individual activists. It is expected to arrive at the President's desk tomorrow

EXTRA! San Diego: Fast-Track. Labor and environmental representatives held a press conference Monday to demand local Congressmember Susan Davis oppose fast-track. [ Story | Complete Transrcipt of Rally ] Under the rubric of "national unity" conservatives & corporate special interests are rushing to move a narrow, divisive agenda through Congress with strong Republican support, while progressives fight to stiffen the Democrat's backbones (assuming they exist).

Senate Leaders have removed mention of Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from the Energy Policy bill they are working on, but the NY Times reports that Republican leaders think they will be able to move ANWR to a vote sometime soon.

Fast Track for the Free Trade Area of the Americas agreement has passed from the house committee and may be brought up for vote by the full House by the end of the session in November. Public Citizen says they have a good chance of stopping it. The LA Times reports the Administration is mixing post-S11 propaganda & free trade ideology to bring the bill to the House floor. The NY Times reports on Big Labor's response to Fast Track. American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and other national peace and justice organizations are calling for a National Call-In to the White House, Representatives, and Senators on Wednesday, October 24, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST, to STOP THE BOMBING OF AFGHANISTAN! White House comment line: (202) 456-1111, Secretary of State Powell: (202) 647-6575, Congress (Capitol switchboard): (202) 234-3121. Article with information about recommended action steps, with talking points.

[ Education for Peace in Iraq Center | American Friends Service Committee | Bombings That Hit Wrong Targets ]

October 22nd is a nationwide day of protest to stop �police brutality, repression and the criminalization of a generation.�
In LA, the permited march begins at 2:00 PM at Olympic and Broadway and manifests up Broadway to a rally at Parker Center at Los Angeles Street near Temple Street. The rally then crescendos with a permitted stroll around Parker Center; though not permitted to pass on the street directly behind Parker Center, the coalition will be permitted to pass via the 2nd street beyond the center.

Ironically, though permitted last year, this final part of the march sparked a police riot which reportedly began over LAPD's questions of permits for marchers to circumnavigate the building. One result of last years fray was a lawsuit against the LAPD addressing their behavior during manifestations; the October 22nd Coalition joined this lawsuit bringing litigation about both October 22nd and D2K to the courts.

In Los Angeles, police misconduct makes headlines again and again. Recently the issue has appeared under the guise of the Ramparts scandal. With the institution of the Consent Decree, some say that scrutiny of the LAPD has prematurely slackened to hide the ongoing institutional problems of the department . Also of note in the Southland is the alarmingly high number of shootings by the Oxnard Police Department.

Activists say that the October 22nd event comes at a time of intense state pressure against free speech, what with the civil liberties repressions instituted after the S11 deaths. O22 organizers also note the resulting expansion of racial profiling tactics to those who appear to be of Middle Eastern descent. Many link the repression of the globalization movement (one example of this climate) with the continued air of police repression.

Many critics of the policing strategies link these problem with the corporatization of public institutions and sumarize the issues under the term- "the prison industrial complex." Recently in Philadelphia, a globalization-styled protest was held at a prison industries tradeshow.

[ alternatives to incarceration | alternatives to sentencing | alternatives to policing ]

Los Angeles Indymedia : Activist News

Original Cities

Surviving Cities