EPCC NEWS
Sept. 20, 2010

SEPT 18 MARCH RALLY CONDEMNS POLICE SHOOTING IN LA

Los Angeles- One rally, two marches.

Hundreds of activist from the ANSWER Coalition –LA along with community members and numerous grassroots organizations,militantly marched and rallied last Saturday, Sept. 18. at the new multi-million LAPD headquarters in downtown Los Angeles.

After gathering at the 6th and Union Ave., the corner where the Guatemalan immigrant day laborer Manuel Kamines was killed, at 10:00 a.m., they marched two blocks and rallied in front of the new LAPD Rampart Station at Valencia and 6th streets.

The group then march north through the Westlake community and downtown L.A. to the steps of the LAPD’s new multi-million and state of the art headquarters at 1st and Spring Streets.

The Guatemalan Union Of Immigrants, Vamos Unidos, Full Rights For All Immigrant Rights Coalition, PSL, Alliance-Philippines (AJLPP), KmB, AFFIRM-Gabnet, BAMM, RCP and other groups gathered more people as they marched towards downtown LAPD headquarters.

‘We will not be diverted’

The ANSWER Coalition in LA in a statement on Sept. 17 said: “ government, police, city officials and others don’t want us to succeed. They don’t want hundreds of people from all over Los Angeles to march together against racist police violence. They want us to be quiet, divided and to wait for the results of their “investigation.”

But the LAPD brass and the Mayor have already made their conclusions; they are justifying the police actions every step of the way. And the killer cop, Frank Hernandez, is still a free man.

Marching on LAPD headquarters this Saturday is exactly what we must do. Some people want to divert the march, but we will not be diverted. We will not be divided. Instead, we will march directly to the doorstep of the police who harass and intimidate our communities each day. “

On the other hand, a motley group of less than a hundred led by the so called- “Southern California Immigrant Rights Coalition” in a separate sound truck together with the BRU and IAC marched away from the ANSWER march and went south to Macarthur Park.

Their tactics were clear. They want to show the people of Westlake that they are leading the movement so they march separately and instead succeeded to divide the movement.

The rally at the LPAD HQ lasted until 1:30 in the afternoon.

The group then march north through the Westlake community and downtown L.A. to the steps of the LAPD’s new multi-million and state of the art headquarters at 1st and Spring Streets.

The Guatemalan Union Of Immigrants, Vamos Unidos, Full Rights For All Immigrant Rights Coalition, PSL, Alliance-Philippines (AJLPP), KmB, AFFIRM-Gabnet, BAMM, RCP and other groups gathered more people as they marched towards downtown LAPD headquarters.

‘We will not be diverted’

The ANSWER Coalition in LA in a statement on Sept. 17 said: “ government, police, city officials and others don’t want us to succeed. They don’t want hundreds of people from all over Los Angeles to march together against racist police violence. They want us to be quiet, divided and to wait for the results of their “investigation.”

But the LAPD brass and the Mayor have already made their conclusions; they are justifying the police actions every step of the way. And the killer cop, Frank Hernandez, is still a free man.

Marching on LAPD headquarters this Saturday is exactly what we must do. Some people want to divert the march, but we will not be diverted. We will not be divided. Instead, we will march directly to the doorstep of the police who harass and intimidate our communities each day. “

On the other hand, a motley group of less than a hundred led by the so called- “Southern California Immigrant Rights Coalition” in a separate sound truck together with the BRU and IAC marched away from the ANSWER march and went south to Macarthur Park.

Their tactics were clear. They want to show the people of Westlake that they are leading the movement so they march separately and instead succeeded to divide the movement.

The rally at the LPAD HQ lasted until 1:30 in the afternoon.

******

This is not the first time ANSWER has caused confusion in the streets and tried to co-opt a community action.

Past example:

ANSWER rally saved by Gay and Lesbian community leaders

These ANSWER and PSL people have a long history of being divisive and setting up groups against each other. This is classic NARC behavior. The main guy they had do this, Marcial Guerra/Pedro Ramirez tried to send out various misleading email and listserve messages in secret but was caught. Like always he tries to hide his and ANSWER/PSL's behavior all the time by pinning it on other people.

Here's an example of threatening and harassing messages he has sent people. He has done so in person to other people in the movement who are considered elders and responsables.
http://la.indymedia.org/news/2010/06/240425.php

This "Marcial" guy and the ANSWER group he works with are bad news for everyone. They are frauds and undemocratic and lie to people to get what they want because they think they are more "revolutionary" than everyone else. People should expose this type of behavior.