The New Freedom Bus visits Los Angeles

The New Freedom Bus traveled all day Tuesday from Merced to LA. During the bus ride Sarah Fernandez assisted many of the students on the tour with their school work.

This evening we welcomed our first international guest Rosa Melida Rivas of CRIPDES a rural peasants movement in El Salvador. Rosa or Chita will be riding the freedom bus along with Jesse Kates-Chinoy (left) with the U.S. - El Salvador Sister Cities Network http://www.us-elsalvador-sisters.org> until December 10th.

In Los Angeles we were welcomed by the El Sereno Caltrans Tentant's Association with a homecooked meal.

As part of our ongoing focus to integrate arts and culture into the movement to end poverty we were treated to some music before the evening events began.

Roberto of the El Sereno Caltrans Tentant's Association welcomes the Freedom Bus and shares some of the struggle of those who live in the corridor.

The residents were experiencing extreme increases in their rent, and have been fighting together for 35 years to keep California Transit Authorities from destroying their neighborhood to create public transit.

Lee Ballinger of Rock a Mole Productions, who was also joined by Carvell and Lisa Scott. Lee thanked the Tenant's Association, the East Side Cafe, Rock a Mole, and KWRU and says, "Despite the distance, the housing struggle needs to be connected, and this is an important step in that struggle."

Rock a Mole Productions recently completed the film "The Ultimate Song," which documents the role of musicians in the movement to end poverty. The film includes interviews with well-known musicians like Ice-T, Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle, as well as many local musicians. Check out rockamole.com http://www.rockamole.com> for more.

We spent the night at the PACE Union Hall Local 8-675, and we had breakfast there that morning. Before we left Los Angeles, we stopped to visit with Wiley Drake at his Church / Homeless Shelter. Today, Wiley hosted the entire New Freedom Bus Tour on his radio show.