FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - News Conference Advisory

Friday, March 10, 2006

South Central Farmers, Zack de La Rocha, Julia Butterfly, South Central Farmers’ Support Committee, and community groups will hold a peaceful demonstration outside of LA City Hall. Protesting the eviction of 350 poor families from the South Central Community farm, which is located at 41st and Alameda.

LOS ANGELES – Supporters are expected to strongly defend the rights of the community farmers, and publicly urge Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to intervene to protect the interests of the community against the decision to give in to developer Ralph Horowitz at the expense of those most in need in South Central.

The news conference is set for 10 a.m. Thursday at the South Central Community Farm (Alameda & 41st St.).

The city allowed the South LA community to develop this land into a productive farm in 1992. The city secretly decided to sell it to developer Ralph Horowitz for about million dollars in a back-room deal without public hearings. Horowitz is now demanding million from the 350 families.

“As citizens and tax payers of the City of Los Angeles we are outraged that the city of LA settled a speculative lawsuit with Mr. Horowitz. Even after Judge W. Crispo had ruled three times against Horowitz, the city officials conceded to give the land back to Horowitz for a mere 5.1 million dollars, extremely under the fair market value, since in 1994 it had been sold for 13.3 Million dollars.”, state Tezozomoc, elected representative of the South Central Farmers.

Those who conceded the sale have an essential liability to return this asset to the community. We are calling on Congressman Xavier Becerra, Speaker of the California Assembly, Fabian Nuñez, County Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and the whole city council to 1) nullify the sale with Ralph Horowitz, or 2) take the land by eminent domain, or 3) take on the burden of fundraising to buy the land that was given away to a speculative developer. The land belongs in the community for the good of the community.

The farmers were to be evicted March 6, but have vowed to fight the eviction process.