Los Angeles Indymedia : Activist News

Photos of the Yes on H March for the Homeless accompanied by ones of homeless people in downtown L.A by Robert Stuart Lowden. Measure H, if passed on March 7, would generate about $350 million, which would go to housing, medical supplies, and more.

The march on February 25 was organized by Monday Night Mission and LA on Cloud9. On Saturday afternoon, approximately 200 passionate people turned out. Many motorists saw us, and we passed the Pantages Theatre just as a big crowd was leaving. The theatergoers had to exit in a small stream because of us, and they got good views of our signs.

Story and pictures: Prop. H Activists March on Hollywood to House and Help the Homeless by Ross Plesset (article) and Robert Stuart Lowden (photos) Photoset 2 Photoset 3

"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

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

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

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

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

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

It's a sweet, but sad victory. This recently overturned unconstitutional Los Angeles City law, LAMC 85.02, has been used over the years to harm many more people than the four plaintiffs in the Desertrain vs. City of Los Angeles appeal.

Harassment, arrests, tickets, vehicle tows, pets taken to the pound, stay-away orders, intimidating city attorney meetings, unnecessary court appointments, warrants for those who could not show up, inappropriate fear mongering by the city and homeless hate groups - these are some of the injustices connecting the victims of this unconstitutional law. We have a systemically broken city government in Los Angeles that criminalizes poverty.

Carol Sobel, the civil rights attorney who won this important case, remains positive and believes "Not only is this a victory for unhoused individuals, but it is also a very important step in the judicial recognition of the need to address any legitimate issues the City seeks to remedy by some more humane means than criminalizing poverty." And she is so right. There are plenty more humane means to addressing homelessness than ticketing, arresting, towing, and police harassment.

Full story: LA Living in Vehicle Law Found UnConstitutional by Peggy Lee Kennedy

PASADENA--More than fifty people filled the office lobby of Fannie Mae on Wednesday, June 11, 2014 in a call for the federal housing agency to change policies which are evicting long-term homeowners.

The crowd gathered to call attention to the plight of Jaime and Juana Coronel, an Azusa couple who have "worked their whole life to afford the house they've lived in for almost 25 years. The Cornels lost their home of 25 years to improper foreclosure. Now, the Cornels, after renting three years from Fannie Mae, they qualify to buy back their home. We have a letter here today that proves that the Coronels are qualified to buy back their home at fair market value, but Fannie Mae won't sell it back to them at market price. Fannie Mae is intent on evicting the Coronels to sell this house at the same price, that the Coronels can afford, but to someone else."

Full story and photos: Furious Homeowners Occupy Lobby of Fannie Mae in Pasadena by Los Angeles People's Media

Check it out. They're hitting up stores along Crenshaw. Their message is hitting wage theft. Wage theft encompasses a lot, but probably the biggie for fast food is when workers aren't given breaks or work off the clock, and management are lax about it. You're entitled to a break every four hours, and a lunch within any 8 hour period. Also, working off the clock is illegal, especially at the low wages they get paid.

Will the SEIU be able to pull off organizing victories for fast food workers?

Full story: Fight for $15 in LA by johnk

On Thursday, May 15th, three dozen people rallied in 102 degree heat outside the FCC field office in Cerritos, CA to #OccupyTheFCC in favor of net neutrality. Protesters waved signs bearing messages such as "FCC -- Don't Nix Net Neutrality," Don't Neuter the Net," and "Neutralize the Threat, Not the Net."

This Southern California FCC field office is located in unmarked suite 660 of a large industrial park also housing a for-profit college. Despite chants of "Hey, FCC? Come out! We've got some stuff to talk about!" no employees appeared to address the assembled citizens.

If the FCC approves paid Internet "fast lanes," websites that pay hefty fees will be easier for the average consumer to access. On the flip side, small businesses, start-ups, and anyone who can not afford the large fees will have their Internet traffic sent to the "slow lane." #SaveTheInternet refers to the campaign to keep the Internet free from discrimination and defend the principle of net neutrality.

Or, in the words of Thursday's rally, "Google fast, my blog slow? To that I say: no, no, NO!"

Full story and photos: Los Angeles Joins Nationwide #WaveOfAction Occupation of FCC Offices to #SaveTheInternet by Los Angeles People's Media