December 23, 2009

Union Del Barrio- (Base Tierra y Libertad) along with other community and student organizations will denounce the increasing wave of LAPD and Sheriff’s “Sobriety” Checkpoints which are being used to legally steal thousands of cars from undocumented Immigrants. The LAPD’s stealing cars from Immigrants has become a multimillion dollar industry that is now being used to bring in funds to alleviate the city’s budget deficit. This is being done at the expense of the undocumented community. This is particularly shameful during the holiday season.

Under the pretext of looking for drunk drivers, the Police and Sheriff’s Departments are specifically racially profiling Latinos by strategically placing “Sobriety” checkpoints in predominantly Latino communities. Both of those departments acknowledge that the GREAT majority of the cars impounded are NOT from drunk drivers but from unlicensed drivers; most of whom are undocumented.

The central objectives will be:
1) To call for an IMMEDIATE halt to the impounding of vehicles at sobriety checkpoints for people who are NOT under the influence
2) To make a call for our communities to defend themselves from the Police and Sheriff’s Departments by resisting the Checkpoints
3) To announce a January 27th Community Forum focused on Community Defense from LAPD/Sheriff' s Checkpoints
4) To distribute our Hotline # to report Checkpoints (323) 602-3425

Organizers will be available for interviews

Contact: Ron Gochez (323) 602-3425

What: Community organizations to denounce LAPD and the Sherriff Department for stealing cars from Immigrants

Where: Union del Barrio's Centro Cultural Francisco Villa
2100 Maple Ave. Los Ángeles, CA 90011
When: Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Time: 5:00 P.M