The May 1 General Strike (M1GS) is only 28 days away. Tonight, meetings are being held in East LA, South LA, the west side, the San Fernando Valley and downtown to plan the "four winds" peoples power bike/car caravans and convergence for May Day, the international working peoples day that commemorates a general strike in the US for the 8-hour day and more recently has become an important date for defending immigrant workers' rights.
In Boyle Heights, the "east wind" working group will meet at 7:30 PM at Corazon del Pueblo, 2003 E. First St. (corner Cummings, just east of the I-5 freeway) to finalize plans for a May 1 peoples power caravan starting from East LA College and stopping for several "flash occupations" on themes such as stopping police abuse, reversing education cuts, and defending health care as a human right, on their way to the downtown convergence.
In South LA, the "south wind" group will meet at 7:30 PM at the Southern California Library, 6120 S. Vermont Ave., between Slauson and Gage. Plans for the south are for a peoples power caravan beginning at Cal State Dominguez Hills, proceeding up Central Avenue through Compton, Watts and South Central LA, then possibly via Figueroa to the downtown convergence. Sites along the route include the Watts Labor Community Action Center and the nearby Maxine Waters Employment Preparation Center, one of the adult education facilities facing closure under the draconian LAUSD budget cuts and layoff of all adult ed teachers, and the 41st & Central site of the Black Panther Party's successful defense of its offices against an onslaught by the LAPD SWAT forces under COINTELPRO.
On the west side, the "west wind" planning group will meet at Bohemian Exchange, 1358 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA at 7:00 PM with Occupy Venice and others from Topanga Peace Alliance and other west side progressive groups. The "west wind" peoples power caravan and convergence is slated to begin from Ocean and Wilshire on May 1 and proceed across Wilshire, coordinating with UCLA, traversing Beverly Hills and the Miracle Mile and reaching MacArthur Park, where, like the other "winds," people will switch to marching on foot for the last leg into downtown.
For the "north wind," people are meeting with Occupy San Fernando Valley at their General Assembly at the Van Nuys Civic Center at 7:30 tonight (Tuesday, April 3). OSFV has plans for their own march on the morning of May 1, and there is also a labor action in the east valley on May 1 at American Reclamation, 4560 Doran St, Los Angeles, CA (near the intersection of the 134 and I-5 freeways) at 11:00 AM on May first, and that will probably serve as a gathering point for the "north wind" peoples power caravan, which may also stop for an action regarding the Chinatown Walmart before proceeding to march into downtown for the convergence.
The convergence planning meeting will take place tonight, Tuesday May 3 at 7:30 PM in Pershing Square (6th and Olive corner) to finalize plans for the downtown convergence of the "four winds." Current plans are for gathering at 2:30 PM on May 1 for a financial district protest, possibly at Freddie Mac (444 S. Flower a 5th Street), followed by joining the SCIC immigrant rights march at Olympic and Broadway at 4:00 PM, and ending with a "General Assembly" of Occupy LA on international solidarity and "next steps."
There are many other actions and protests taking place on May 1 locally, and Occupy LA's call has also been taken up nationally by Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Oakland, and many other occupations. Occupy LA has adopted a proposal to support all the immigration, labor and student actions and protests that day as well as building the four winds peoples power caravans and convergence. We are seeking to work with the 99% Table, the immigration coalitions, and others. The port truck drivers who have recently been caught in a financial squeeze between shipping companies cutting their rates and fuel companies raising their prices, and some of them, inspired by a recent wildcat by drivers in Seattle, are talking about possible job actions, and interested in discussing May 1 and further cordination with Occupy LA.
For more information, check out www.occupymay1st.org or call 323 250 MAY1 or email
occupymay1st@gmail.com.