LA IMC

Judith Halberstam lecture: "Homosexuality and Fascism"

Rockero — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

After a brief introduction by Professor Angelina Chin, Halberstam began by referring to the recent film Brüno, a vehicle for the British comic Sasha Baron Cohen. In it, Cohen plays a gay character who describes himself as "the second most understood Austrian of all time," a reference to the fascist dictator Adolf Hitler. The character also performs an exaggerated homosexuality. She used this pop culture example to challenge some commonly-held assumptions (that one's politics flow from one's sexuality, i.e., gays and lesbians "naturally" tend towards progressive politics.) Another common image, especially in the media, is that of the queer victim who stands up to his/her aggressor. This is the dominant figure, the hero in queer meida, but does not necessarily harmonize with the historical record.

Recently, there has been a heightened depiction of (especially male) homoeroticism during the Third Reich. She dissected the various ways in which male homosexuality intersected with Nazism in Germany, tearing down the "Pink triangle vs. Pink Swastika" dialectic.

The final part of the talk was on other media explorations of the homosexuality-fascism connection, including the work of Tom of Finland, Stuart Marshall, Collier Schorr, and Attila Richard Lukacs.

The lecture ended with a quetion-and-answer/group discussion, and was followed by a reception hosted by Pomona College's Queer Resource Center.

Paul Robeson play for L.A. 19-21 Feb

Tayo Aluko — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

AWARD-WINNING PAUL ROBESON PLAY COMING TO NOHO ACTORS CENTER, FEBRUARY 19-21 2010 “Before Barack Obama there was Martin Luther King, and before King, there was Paul Robeson” Thus starts a review of CALL MR. ROBESON at an international Fringe Festival in Brighton, UK, at which the play picked up TWO AWARDS. Call Mr. Robeson is being performed at NoHo Actors’ Center between February 19 and 21, 2010, as part of a West Coast Black History Month tour, generously supported by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, of which Paul Robeson was made an honorary member in 1943. The review continues: Tayo Aluko's portrayal of Robeson is spot on. This is ... a thrilling, moving and marvellously entertaining musical drama. Aluko's singing of Robeson songs like Ol' Man River and Steal Away is totally soulful and convincing – just like this show!" ***** Bill Smith, Latest 7 Magazine, (Brighton, UK) June 2008 Written and performed by British Nigerian actor/singer, Tayo Aluko, Call Mr. Robeson is a roller coaster journey through Robeson’s remarkable and eventful life, and highlights how his radical activism caused him to be disowned and disremembered, even by the leaders and descendants of the civil rights movement. It features some of his famous songs and speeches, including a dramatic rendition of Ol’ Man River and a spectacularly defiant testimony in front of the Senate House Un-American Activities Committee. Aluko, who is based in Liverpool, England, is almost ashamed to admit that he was 33 years old when he first found out about Paul Robeson, who was born in Princeton, NJ in 1898, and died in Philadelphia in January 1976. After reading Robeson’s biography, he says, he decided “that Robeson’s story needed to be told, not just because it was so remarkable, but because it is so inspiring. I am thrilled by the reception the story has received in UK, America and Africa.” Live accompaniment will be provided on piano by Los Angeles based pianist, organist and arranger Mr. Mark Henley, who plays piano and organ at various churches in the LA area, including New Hope Presbyterian, Home Assembly and Jacob’s Ladder Church. He is also the choice accompanist for several visiting gospel artistes. Call Mr. Robeson was last seen at the DC Arts Center in Washington, DC, where it was previewed in the Washington Post and was selected as a “TOP PICK” by the DC Theater Scene reviewer, who described it as “An invigorating and rich story for novice and scholar alike. Aluko seems to almost channel Robeson's fury as he takes the stand for justice and equity. A must-see experience, a treasure of a show”. The Philadelphia Inquirer described as: “[A] fine evocation of one of America's great talents and most controversial social activists.. Aluko's nicely paced tour through Robeson's career and life ... does honor to Robeson the performer and intellectual.” Other enthusiastic comments from audience members have included: “I saw the original Broadway performances of various classics, Death of a Salesman with Lee Cobb, Streetcar Named Desire with Brando, Member of the Wedding with Ethel Waters, All My Sons and others. With that, I cannot remember ever having been so moved in a theater as I was during your Robeson performance.” Fred Hirsch, San Jose, CA “-- your performance was truly remarkable! Thanks so much for sharing this great and important artistic and historical piece with us. My kids and niece and nephew (11-13) were enthralled and remembered a lot of the key points of Robeson's life. I hope it will not be too long until you grace the Nigerian stage with another wonderful performance.” Sandra Obiago, Lagos, Nigeria Listings Information: What: Call Mr. Robeson. A life, with songs. Written and Performed by Tayo Aluko, with Mark Henley, Piano. Where: NoHo Actors’ Centre 5215 Lankershim Blvd. - North Hollywood Los Angeles, CA 91601-3110 When: Fri Feb 19th, 8pm; Sat Feb 20th, 8pm; Sun Feb 21st, 3pm and 8pm 75 minutes, no intermission. Ages 11+ For more information About Tayo Aluko and Friends, visit: www.callmrrobeson.com Tickets: $20 Tel: 1-800-838-3006. Order online at brownpapertickets.com Photos available on request

Medics, Mediators, Cooks etc. still needed for EARTH FIRST! OC/WR in SB Feb. 11-15!!!

EARTH FIRST! — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

Howdy! This upcoming week EARTH FIRST! and similarly minded affinity groups from all across the continent are proud to bring you the 2010 Organizers' Conference (OC) and Winter Rendezvous (WR)! If you have been to such a thing before you already know how much fun it will be. There will be skillshares, discussion forums, plant walks, live music, FREE VEGAN FOOD at least twice a day, storytelling, partying, rabble-rousing etc. Many fun earth loving friends are still needed to come and help us make this party a reality. In particular we need commitments from medics and people trained in medical skills, but folks are also needed to help with the mediation team, to dig shitters, work security, cook meals, play music, facilitate workshops, etc. Whatever your skill set may be, it is surely needed here. Supplies are still badly needed also. Among our needs are firewood, hand sanitizer, BEER and other spirits, FOOD of all kinds (free is the best kind), condoms, pads, tampons, painkillers, TARPS, ROPE, climbing gear of all kinds, utensils, bowls, inhalers,epipen, iodine, bandaids, benadryl, splints, gauze, tea tree oil and other first aid supplies. More cars are also needed to bring participants and/or supplies to/from the site. If you have any of this stuff please contact organizers immediately at EFinSB@gmail.com. PLEASE COME TO THIS PARTY! The Organizers' Conference portion will occur from Feb 11-13 and the Winter Rendezvous portion from Feb 13-15th. For details on where it is, what to bring and other valuable information, check out 2010oc.org. thanks for reading this, and may the forest bewitch you. hope to see y'all in Santa Barbara! EARTH FIRST!

Protest at the Southwest Museum, its Future More Uncertain

Ross Plesset — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

After indicating that the Southwest Museum would fully reopen, the Autry, which owns the facility, recently closed the museum store and discontinued the monthly NELA Art Gallery Walk. Also, various community events, which had been free, are now $10 for non-Autry members. Recent examples of these community events include last summer's four-part film series: Alcatraz is Not an Island, Standing Silent Nation, March Point, PowWow Highway, and a number of shorts by Native American film students. (The shorts were produced and shown vis-a-vis the Southern California Indian Center's Creative Spirit Program.) Also, this past fall there was a free lecture by Dr. Paul Apodaca about depictions of Native Americans in movies from the silent era to the present. These types of free events are still happening—but at the Autry's facilities in Griffith Park (see: http://theautry.org/programs/film). Autry closed the exhibit space in 2006 to allow for some earthquake retrofitting (which was completed last summer). The gift shop closed in December '09 to afford the Autry temporary storage space for its bead collection, which is in queue for restoration and conservation. (Previous coverage of the museum closure on LA IndyMedia can be found here: http://la.indymedia.org/news/2007/02/193784.php and here: http://la.indymedia.org/news/2008/01/213072.php.) There had been plans, and state money allocated, for waterproofing the museum's tunnel-entrance so that the dioramas could be reinstalled. However, according to the Autry, this has been postponed indefinitely. Due to the global recession, the Autry says that it must use its matching funds elsewhere. Furthermore, “[f]or the moment and for the foreseeable future, the Autry must postpone making further capital investments there.” (Full statement from the Autry: http://www.friendsofthesouthwestmuseum.com/GrayReturnsFunds090809.html). Nicole Possert, co- chair of the Friends of the Southwest Museum Coalition, expressed suspicion about the timing of this decision, which she said happened near the closure of the store as well as Autry withdrawing its plans for a new museum in Griffith Park, which would have housed much of the inventory now at the Southwest Museum. The demonstration on Wednesday afternoon was well-attended and occurred on Marmion Way, just outside the museum grounds and adjacent to the Gold Line's Southwest Museum Station. Thus, many rush hour commuters, whether they were in cars or trains, could see the event. Possert expressed cautious optimism about the future. “The Friends of the Southwest Museum Coalition has been working with Councilman Jose Huizar on a funding package that he has put together with the city: a whole host of options that Autry could access and tap into. So Councilman Huizar met with the Autry in January (last month), and we're waiting for the Autry board to get back to the councilmember after that discussion. [M]aybe what the councilman put has forward, which is a really generous package, will be the solution to getting the Southwest Museum reopened as, in Huizar's words, 'a fully-functioning museum.' That's a change for him.” The Coalition has various suggestions for how people can help: http://www.friendsofthesouthwestmuseum.com/take.html.

ORGANIZACIONES COMUNITARIAS DEMANDAN A LA CIUDAD DE COSTA MESA POR VIOLAR DERECHOS DE TRAB

Siete Filos — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

Eran alrededor de las nueve de la mañana, cuando cerca de 40 jornaleros partieron del Boulevard Newport y la calle 18, esquinas en donde tradicionalmente se congregan a buscar trabajo. Su destino; la alcaldía municipal en donde más tarde sostendrían una conferencia de prensa junto a los abogados demandantes. Durante el trayecto de dos millas y media el grupo creció hasta alcanzar una multitud de al menos 80 personas, la cual estuvo animada con música de Son Jarocho y consignas a la vez que los trabajadores portaban sus letreros con mensajes en inglés y español, denunciando las injusticias a las que son sujetos y otras que exigían la derogación de la ordenanza anti-jornaleros. Una vez en la alcaldía y antes de las declaraciones oficiales, hubo espacio para una breve sesión de fotos y entrevistas con los participantes de la marcha. Thomas A. Sáenz, presidente y asesor legal de MALDEF, dio inicio a la conferencia de prensa ante las cámaras y micrófonos de varias televisoras y medios impresos, anunciando formalmente la querella legal contra la ciudad de Costa Mesa a nombre de la Asociación de Jornaleros de Costa Mesa y el Colectivo Tonantzin. “(La ordenanza) viola la libertad de expresión garantizada por la primera enmienda de la Constitución; uno de nuestros derechos civiles más preciados” dijo Sáenz. Siguieron Belinda Escobosa Helzer, abogada representante de ACLU y Gladys Limón abogada representante de MALDEF, quienes dieron más detalles sobre la ordenanza y el litigio. “Ésta ordenanza es ilegal porque no solo prohíbe a las personas buscar trabajo; también prohíbe a los niños en edad escolar anunciar con letreros llamativos eventos como los tradicionales auto-lavados” apunto Escobosa Heltzer. Pablo Alvarado de NDLON dijo que, “Los jornaleros han contribuido en mucho a la economía”, destacando las aportaciones de los trabajadores informales a la ciudad de Costa Mesa. Finalmente, Gabriela Trujillo y Arturo T. del Colectivo Tonantzin, hablaron sobre el amplio impacto que este tipo de leyes tienen en la comunidad, abarcando desde multas de miles de dólares hasta deportaciones como las del pasado 25 de septiembre, cuando 12 jornaleros fueron deportados después de que agentes de policía encubiertos les ofrecieran trabajo. El código municipal 10-354; ordenanza en cuestión, fue aprobado por primera vez en 1988 y re aprobada una versión más estricta en 2005 por el ayuntamiento municipal liderado por el alcalde Alan Mansoor, desoyendo las protestas de organizaciones comunitarias en pro de los trabajadores y la comunidad en general que en varias ocasiones llenaron la alcaldía de la ciudad para expresar su descontento ante la resolución. Una de las características más notables del reglamento es el lenguaje confuso que emplea, especialmente en el capitulo XIX que establece que: (a) Es ilegal pararse en la calle y activamente solicitar empleo o contribuciones de personas en vehículos en movimiento * (b) Es ilegal que una persona en un vehículo en movimiento solicite empleo a una persona parada en la calle, haga contribuciones, negocie o haga cualquier tipo de transacciones * *traducido al español Solicitar activamente, de acuerdo a la sección de definiciones, significa que, “está prohibido llamar la atención a un posible empleador por medio de gritos, movimientos de brazos, señas con las manos, brincos, agitar letreros, etc. No está prohibido en cambio, pararse inmóvil en una acera o cualquier calle sin acera con un letrero que anuncie su disponibilidad para trabajar o pidiendo contribuciones, distribuir volantes a peatones o pasajeros en un vehículo estacionado legalmente. Tampoco prohíbe la comunicación verbal expresando la disponibilidad para trabajar o pidiendo contribuciones de peatones o personas dentro de vehículos estacionados legalmente.” Esta estrecha línea entre una multa o posible deportación y un trabajo es que tienen que observar los jornaleros de Costa Mesa, cuyos problemas aumentaron en 2006 cuando después de mucha oposición de varios sectores de la población, el ayuntamiento municipal cerro el único centro de trabajo con que contaba la ciudad argumentando que dicho espacio costaba a los contribuyentes unos $100,00 al año, sin embargo, a la misma vez solicitaba al Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE) entrenamiento para que algunos agentes del departamento de policía pudieran desempeñarse como agentes de migración, lo cual costaría a la ciudad unos $82,000 por oficial al año.

CBS Studios Protest: Stop Anti-Choice Super Bowl Ad this Friday

FYI — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

WHEN: Friday, February 5: 11 AM - 12 PM WHERE: Outside of CBS Studios at 7800 Beverly Blvd @ Fairfax, next to The Grove WHY: CBS's recent decision to air an anti-choice advertisement ad during Super Bowl XLIV was outrageous. Even worse is the network's about face from its own policy of rejecting controversial Super Bowl ads. The Women's Media Center and CODEPINK are dedicated to reproductive rights, tolerance, and social justice, are urging the network to immediately cancel this ad

2/9 Picket Of Tesla LA Dealership & 2/10 Bell Worker/Community Forum-Speakout

California Coalition For Workers Memorial Day — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

2/9LA Picket Of Tesla Motors Inc. Dealership And 2/10 Bell Worker/Community Forum-Speakout On Downey Toxic Dump Site 2/09/2010 1:30 PM Picket At Los Angeles Dealership Of Tesla Motors Inc. 11163 Santa Monica Blvd/Cotner Ave in West Los Angeles Injured Downey Workers To Ask Tesla Why They Are Still Interested In Building Auto Assembly Plant At Toxic Downey Dump Site Injured workers and their advocates will be rallying at the Los Angeles Tesla automobile dealership in Los Angeles. Tesla Motors Inc. has said it is still continuing to consider building a "green" electric auto assembly plant at the contaminated former Superfund military industrial complex in Downey, California with a $465 million dollar loan from the Department of Education DOE. Hundreds of workers and their families have been sickened and contaminated at the sight including movie workers who have recently worked there. Injured workers and their families have also personally visited the world headquarters of Tesla Motors Inc. to warn Tesla about the health and safety problems and discussed the issues with Ricardo Reyes VP for Communications but apparently Tesla still has not received the message from the injured workers. http://blip.tv/file/3017234 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp1juQvw1Tc The injured workers, their families and injured worker advocates will again call on Tesla do the right thing and reject any further plans to build at the site which has not been properly cleaned up. They have also spoken out at a press conferenc in Los Angeles at the LA Press Club and at the Downey Kaiser Hospital Complex. http://blip.tv/file/2483914 The Los Angeles Times have also reported on the serious illness issues at the site. Why are the Tesla owners and executives ignoring these serious health issues? http://www.workersmemorialday.org/documents/LAtimes-Downey.htm Tesla Motors Inc. Los Angeles Dealership Picket/Press Conference Tuesday February 9, 2010 1:30 PM 11163 Santa Monica Blvd/Cotner Ave In West Los Angeles Sponsored by California Coalition For Workers Memorial Day California Coalition for Workers Memorial Day 323-535-4583/562-863-3097/661-312-2323 E-mail: lvpsf(at)igc.org http://www.workersmemorialday.org 2/10/2010 Bell Speak-out By Downey Movie, Kaiser And LACO Workers On Downey Toxic Dump Site Labor & Community SPEAK-OUT! On The Toxic Nightmare In Downey February 10 (Wednesday), 2010, 7:00 PM 4850 Gage Avenue/Palm St., Bell, CA 90201-1409 Injured Downey Movie and Kaiser Workers along with community members will speak out about the continuing contamination and sickness at Downey Studios,the Downey Kaiser complex and Los Angeles County Office of Education LACOE in Downey. IRG Downey developer and owner Stuart Licther promised to properly clean up the former Superfund Site which has now been named a “Brownfield” site before it was developed but workers continue to get sick at the Downeylocation. These workers will report on their long struggle to get healthcare and how they have been affected by this toxic contamination. This is not just an issue for the workers of the Downey site, but the community who have not been properly informed about the serious health hazards on the site and how they have affected people in the neighborhoods. These injuries were even reported in a front-page story in the August 2, 2009 Los Angeles Times but no ACTION has been taken to take of these injured workers and people in the community. (http://articles.latimes.com/2009/aug/02/business/fi-ct-downey2) It is time to let the public know that these issues have to be addressed and people have to be protected whether they are workers or people who live in the community. YouTube - Raging Grannies Bust Tesla Motors Inc. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp1juQvw1Tc The California Coalition For Workers Memorial Day (www.workersmemorialday.org) and the workers along with the Dr. Larry Rose, the last doctor at Cal-Osha have called for a epidemiological study of all workers on the site and people in the community before any further development at the site takes place. We need to protect our health and safety and the health of the families in the communities. Come to the meeting to hear about what has been happening and what we can do about this health emergency. For further information call California Coalition for Workers Memorial Day at 323-535-4583 or 562-863-3097 E-mail: lvpsf(at)igc.org http://www.workersmemorialday.org

Aviva Chomsky lecture:"Rethinking Labor and Environmental Histories"

Rockero — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

Chomsky began with an analysis of the contradictions prompted by the current crises, which are predicated on the assumption that in order to recover, we need more and better jobs, access to cheap goods, and environmental sustainability.

She gave a brief summary of the evolutions of "jobs" as we know them (they didn't really exist until the 19th century), and detailed the interrelatedness of labor histories of the world's regions. It is this interrelatedness, she argued, that is used to manipulate labor markets through three tactics: migration, capital flight, and labor-management collaboration.

She ended with praise for a group of economic theories known as décroissance, or "de-growth," currently gaining influence in Europe, and then took a few questions.

Superbowl checkpoints / Retenes este fin de semana (4-7/feb/2010)

Checkpoint reponse — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

Sometime this weekend (impreciso)

KANSAS CITY (Missouri) - "The location of the checkpoint was not disclosed. It will be held sometime between Friday and Sunday." (http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/1722114.html)

SCHUYLKILL COUNTY (PA) - "The North Central Regional Sobriety Checkpoint DUI Taskforce has announced that sobriety checkpoints and roving DUI patrols will be conducted through Sunday on various roadways in Schuylkill County." (http://standardspeaker.com/news/police-feb-3-1.595246)

Jueves / Thursday (4/feb)

CHARLESTON (SC) - "there will be a sobriety checkpoint on Thursday, Feb. 4 on lee Street between Washington Street and Delaware Avenue. The checkpoint will begin at 5 p.m. and end at approximately midnight." (http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=74517)

Viernes / Friday (5/feb)

APPLE VALLEY (CA) - "The Apple Valley sheriff’s station plans a DUI/Drivers License checkpoint from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday on Kiowa Road" (http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/valley-17137-apple-checkpoint.html)

CALCASIEU PARISH (Louisiana) - "the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office will be conducting a seat belt checkpoint from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at an undisclosed location in the parish." (http://www.sulphurdailynews.com/news/x1090832874/CPSO-to-conduct-seatbelt-checkpoint-on-Friday)

ESSEX COUNTY (Mass) - "The Massachusetts State Police will conduct a sobriety checkpoint on a secondary state highway in Essex County, Friday, Feb. 5, into Saturday, Feb. 6." (http://www.wickedlocal.com/northshoresunday/news/x1103042977/State-Police-sobriety-checkpoint)

MONTEBELLO (CA) - "a checkpoint at an undisclosed location Friday and other checkpoints in the city throughout the year" (http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_14320526)

SAN BERNARDINO (CA) - "The sobriety and driver's license checkpoint will be from 6 p.m. until 2 a.m. in the 1300 block of South E Street" (http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_14338593)

Domingo / Sunday (7/feb)

LAS VEGAS (NV) - "officers will conduct a sobriety checkpoint at West Flamingo Road and Redwood Street from 6 p.m. Sunday to 2 a.m. Monday. " (http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/feb/06/dui-checkpoint-planned-amid-increased-enforcement-/)

TRUCKEE MEADOWS (NV) - "The Sparks Police Department notes it will be joined by the Reno Police Department, the Nevada Highway Patrol, the sheriff’s offices of Carson City and Lyon and Storey counties for a DUI checkpoint at an undisclosed location." (http://www.rgj.com/article/20100203/NEWS01/100203017/1003/CARSON/DUI-checkpoint-planned-for-Super-Bowl-Sunday-in-the-Truckee-Meadows)

CALVERT COUNTY (MD) - "Troopers will be out in full force this Super Bowl Sunday, patrolling and holding sobriety checkpoints." (http://www.somdnews.com/stories/02052010/rectop170904_32218.shtml)

Queer Democrats Split on 79th Assembly District Race

Mark Gabrish Conlan/Zenger's Newsmagazine — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

Queer Democrats Clash Over 79th Assembly District Race Incumbent Councilmember Hueso, Challenger Quiñones Both Rated “Acceptable” by MARK GABRISH CONLAN Copyright © 2010 by Mark Gabrish Conlan for Zenger’s Newsmagazine • All rights reserved PHOTOS, top to bottom: Ben Hueso, Pearl Quiñones, Kevin Beiser, Katherine Nakamura, Patrick Finucane, Jim Morrison When the predominantly Queer San Diego Democratic Club at its January 28 regular meeting debated whom to endorse in the 79th Assembly District primary — San Diego City Council president Ben Hueso or Sweetwater Union High School District board member Pearl Quiñones — there was little to choose between them based on the issues. Quiñones scored 100 percent on the club’s issues questionnaire and Hueso got 98.7 percent only because the club’s vice-president for political action, Alex Sachs, docked him for firmly supporting marriage equality and therefore declining to back legal recognition for same-sex couples outside of marriage. Instead, the debate turned mostly on personalities and political styles. Hueso’s supporters pointed to his experience as a Councilmember, his name recognition and ability to raise money for a general-election campaign, the number of endorsements of elected officials he’d attracted and his willingness to stand up for marriage equality against the formidable opposition of the local Roman Catholic church. Quiñones’ backers saw her as an insurgent candidate in the tradition of City Councilmember Donna Frye and Assemblymember Lori Saldaña, one able to stir the passions of the grass roots and also someone more likely to take risks for progressive issues once in office. The club was originally supposed to debate the issue at a November meeting, but Hueso was unable to attend due to a death in his family, so club members voted in November to delay the endorsement until January. After extensive discussion and debate, the club failed to endorse either candidate and instead agreed to rate both “acceptable” — an option under its rules when members feel more than one candidate is supportable but neither is clearly superior. But even that vote, usually an act of conciliation at the end of a long and sometimes bitter debate, itself became charged with emotion after Jess Durfee, former club president and current chair of the San Diego County Democratic Party, demanded separate votes on the “acceptable” ratings for Hueso and Quiñones. The discussion of the race began with presentations by both candidates. Hueso’s combined a defense of his work on San Diego’s financial problems with ideas on how he would handle similar issues as a state legislator. “We’ve had an issue with the city, trying to restore our credit rating,” Hueso said. “I’m running to make quality education accessible and affordable. I’m also working on a local jobs initiative. We are putting together bonds on a water-use project. We have to spend local money locally and employ San Diegans instead of people from Arizona and Nevada.” Hueso also recounted how he voted to put the city of San Diego on record as supporting the legal right to same-sex marriage “even though the bishop of my diocese held Masses in my district to pressure me to vote against it.” “I am your local grass-roots candidate,” said Quiñones. “I believe education is the strongest power to open doors of opportunity, and the best equalizer. Everyone has the right to an affordable public education.” She said that since 2000, when she first ran for the Sweetwater board, it has started the largest capital-improvement program in the district and all its new buildings are certified as environmentally “green.” “We have the lowest dropout rate in the state and have passed a balanced budget every year since 2000 without laying off teachers,” she said. “Last year we were hit with an $11 million budget shortfall, and next year we will have to cut $22 million. How can we continue to provide a quality education for our children with all these budget cuts?” When the club debated the race, Hueso had the benefit of celebrity endorsements from openly Queer politicians, including State Senator Christine Kehoe — who became the first “out” Queer ever elected to public office in San Diego County when she won the District 3 City Council seat in 1993 — as well as her two successors in that office, Toni Atkins and current Councilmember Todd Gloria. Kehoe and Atkins sent letters of support and Gloria appeared personally to speak for Hueso. But Quiñones had a celebrity endorser of her own — Assemblymember Lori Saldaña, who ran a grass-roots campaign for her own Assembly seat in 2004, beat two better-funded primary opponents and won. “As chair of the Assembly’s Women’s Caucus, we need Pearl,” Saldaña said. “Pearl is a progressive. Pearl’s heart is in the right place.” Saldaña said one reason she was supporting Quiñones is that Latina women in office tend to be more progressive than Latino men. “The moderate Latino caucus holds up votes time and time again,” Saldaña explained. “The women are the progressives right now, and we need more of them.” “I’m here acknowledging the choice between two good candidates, and I know something about that,” said Gloria — referring to his own 2008 City Council race against former San Diego Democratic Club president Stephen Whitburn. “I have seen Ben close up, and he is always with us. Ben is a progressive Democrat on housing and environmental issues. In a city with a strong-mayor form of government, we have kept there from being cuts in police and fire services and we have kept every library open.” The debate over the race split the club’s former presidents — Andrea Villa spoke for Quiñones while Durfee endorsed Hueso — and also the two openly Queer people who have actually chaired the San Diego County Democratic Central Committee. Former chair Maureen Steiner praised Quiñones’ willingness to endorse Mary Salas, the outgoing Assemblymember she and Hueso are running to replace, for State Senate even though Salas isn’t supporting her. (Hueso said he is also supporting Salas.) Durfee said the club “must” endorse Hueso, partly because he expects Hueso to win the nomination anyway (“you can look at the numbers and the fundraising”) and partly because “we’ve never supported him yet — and he’s always supported us.” The Hueso-Quiñones race not only took the club two ballots but impinged on the next election up for consideration, the District B seat on the San Diego Unified School District board. Incumbent Katherine Nakamura and challenger Kevin Beiser had to sit patiently at the table in front of the room while procedural debates over the Hueso-Quiñones endorsement swirled around them. On the first ballot, Hueso got 41 votes and Quiñones 34 to seven for no endorsement. On the second ballot, on which Quiñones wasn’t considered (as the second-place finisher she was dropped), Hueso got 38 votes to 31 for no endorsement. Eventually both candidates were rated “acceptable,” with Hueso winning that designation by 50 votes to seven against and 10 abstentions, while Quiñones’ “acceptable” rating passed with 47 votes to one against and seven abstentions. The Nakamura-Beiser race was a much easier one for the club. Though the club had supported Nakamura in the past, it went for challenger Beiser by 65 votes to one for Nakamura and 10 for no endorsement. The key issue appeared to be whether the school district’s construction projects should be covered by Project Labor Agreements (PLA’s). PLA’s are under major attack from Republicans and libertarians who regard them as giveaways to organized labor — and Nakamura shocked her audience when she said, “I am vehemently not in support of PLA’s,” and added that they had been foisted onto the district by a new board majority elected two years after her. “I wholeheartedly support PLA’s,” Beiser said. “They set up guidelines for contractors who want to build our schools that we need to pay workers a fair wage, offer benefits including health care, and hire workers from San Diego. Katherine and I have a difference. I think it’s so important to hire local workers and keep San Diego’s money in San Diego.” The two also battled over teacher layoffs, with Beiser saying that Nakamura had “voted to fire 900 teachers two years ago,” while Nakamura said no teachers had been fired — they had simply been sent layoff notices until the state legislature restored the school district’s funds, whereupon the teachers were brought back. The club also considered an endorsement in City Council District 2, currently held by Republican Kevin Faulconer. Democrats Patrick Finucane and Jim Morrison appeared before the club and talked about the city’s general problems as well as one specific to their district: the proliferation of loud, noisy bars in Pacific Beach. Any hope Morrison might have had for winning the club’s support was dashed when, after the candidates had finished presenting themselves and had left the room so the club could debate the race, political action vice-president Alex Sachs read the answers to the club’s questionnaire on which Morrison had disagreed with the club’s positions. According to Sachs, Morrison had said he did not support lifting the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and allowing Queers to serve openly in the U.S. military “because they might get hurt” (later he quoted Morrison as saying “they might get injured,” which led one club member to wonder what Morrison thinks the military is for). Morrison also said on his questionnaire that Medi-Cal funding for abortions should be used “sparingly” and it would be “too costly” for women to serve on military submarines alongside men. Finucane won the endorsement with 63 votes to four for Morrison and 11 for no endorsement. In addition to the endorsement debates, the club also heard presentations from Gayl Jaaskelainen on how to apply for the California Redistricting Commission, which will draw new districts for the state legislature after the 2010 census; and from former president Jeri Dilno about the current status of the Pride organization and events. Dilno announced that former Pride board president Philip Princetta and the two other members who approved Princetta’s controversial (and since returned) $5,000 stipend have resigned. Before they quit, Princetta and the other members appointed Suanne Pauley, Debra McEntee and Joe Mayer to form a five-member Pride board, and that group in turn added Judy Schein, Chris Shaw, Jeri Dilno, Andrea Villa, Bob Leyh and Larry Ramey to fill out the board. (Pride’s bylaws state that the board can have any number of members between four and 20.) “My first statement is don’t believe everything you read in the papers,” Dilno joked about Pride. She commented wryly that the San Diego Democratic Club is not “taking over” Pride — despite the presence of two former club presidents, herself and Villa, on the new Pride board, along with current club development vice-president Leyh — and expressed confidence that the 2010 Pride events will take place on schedule (the celebration is scheduled for July 17-18) and be “a good Pride.” Dilno refused to comment on whether the new board will rehire executive director Ron deHarte — whose January 5 firing by the Princetta-led board led to a community controversy over Pride and its future — or the two other Pride staff members, Ken St. Pierre and Jeff Rolando, who quit in support of him. Finally, the club re-elected the full slate of officers from 2009 to continue in 2010. They are: Larry Baza, president; Alex Sachs, vice-president for political action; Jeri Dilno, executive vice-president; Bob Leyh, vice-president for development; Brad Jacobsen, secretary; and John Gordon, treasurer.

U.S. citizens arrested for asking Oaxaca governor about Brad Will's murder

outrage — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

Press Release Oaxaca January 30, 2010 On Thursday January 28, at around 9 p.m. Andrea Caraballo, Guadalupe Rodriguez Lopez, James Wells and Jennifer Lawhorne were eating ice cream in the zocalo of Oaxaca. At that time, one of us recognized the face of the governor of Oaxaca who was about nine feet away from us. As a friend of Brad Will, a U.S. journalist who was killed in Oaxaca in 2006, one of us took advantage of the governor's presence to ask him about the case of Mr. Will, which to this day remains unresolved. We didn't receive a response from the governor who continued walking and we continued strolling in the zocalo with our ice creams. Five minutes later, between six and eight police agents, some in official uniform and others dressed in plainclothes, surrounded us, demanding to see our identifications and made us walk with them to a municipal police truck. While the police forced us to get into the back of the truck, we asked them why they were taking us away and to where they were going to take us. The police refused to give us any information. We were actually very afraid and worried for our safety. After traveling for half an hour, we arrived at the police headquarters of Santa Maria Coyotepec, located outside of the Oaxaca city limits.. Once we entered, the police took photographs of us and asked us questions. We demanded the presence of an attorney, which was denied by the police officials. We spent an hour there surrounded by police, faces covered with ski masks, who humiliated and threatened us. Later, the police put us once again in the police truck and without telling us to where we were going, we left the headquarters. The truck stopped about half a block away from the state General Procuradaria of Justice (PGJO in its letters in Spanish), the police ordered us to leave our belongings in the darkness of the street and when we refused to do that, they insisted by threatening us for half an hour while recording us with video. After entering the offices of the PGJO, the police ordered us to leave our belongings with them and that we make a declaration one by one without the presence of an attorney. We remained firm that we weren't going to do anything until our attorney arrived. After waiting for more than an hour, we were taken to a room where we supposedly were going to make a call to our lawyer. While in the room, a police officer read to us a document explaining our charges and to our surprise we were accused of scuffling and causing harm to two police agents. In that document, our arrest was ordered and without making the call to our lawyer, we were pushed and dragged out of the room, while twisting the wrist of one of us. That's how we were taken to the jail cells at 12:30 in the morning. At 1:30, we were allowed to see a lawyer, Jesus Alfredo Lopez Garcia, who we agreed to be our legal representative. From then on we knew that were going to spend the night in jail. Throughout the night, the police continued to intimidate us, asking us why we were there. We continued to state that we didn't do anything to cause our incarceration because we never committed any crime. Confused, we did our best to sleep on the cold jail floor. The next day, Friday January 29, we learned that the gravity of charges that had been filed against us had increased. One of us was taken to make a statement when she learned that we were being accused of assaulting two police officers and damaging a police radio valued at about $3000 (USD). We continued to demand our right to not make a statement. At around 4 p.m., our attorney informed us that for a lack of evidence, we were going to be set free without charges and without having to pay bail, under the provision of passing through a review with officials from National Immigration Institute. Upon arrival at the federal immigration offices located in the center of the city, we presented our passports and visas and shortly we were allowed to walk free. After learning about the situation, the U.S. consul, Mark Leyes, invited us to visit him at his office the same evening and told us that he was sorry for what had happened to us. We would like to thank the attorney Jesus Alfredo Lopez Garcia from the Mexican Protectorate for Human Rights, our friends and family members for all of their support and care. Andrea Caraballo, Guadalupe Rodriguez Lopez Jennifer Lawhorne and Jimmy Wells

SUPPORT OJORE LUTALU / POLITICAL PRISONERS THIS FRIDAY FEB 5TH!

RTF — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

2MEX , AZTLAN UNDERGROUND, SACRIFCE , OLMECA, SHERMAN AUSTIN + MORE TBA -- THIS FRI FEB 5TH 6PM . SUPPORT OJORE LUTALU , SUPPORT LOS ANGELES ANARCHIST BLACK CROSS , SUPPORT POLITICAL PRISONERS

Announcing the Opening of a LA Area Anarchist Twitter for Regional Anarchist Happenings

1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

Los Angeles Area anarchists have started a twitter to spread announcements of Greater Los Angeles Area anarchist events, news, & articles. The twitter can be found here: http://twitter.com/LAanarchist The purpose of this twitter is contribute to mass communication of anarchist happenings as well as promote news articles & analysis of local & regional happenings written from an anarchist perspective. If there is an event you'd like to see twittered that has an anarchist tinge to it, if there is breaking news pertaining to local or regional anarchists or anarchist allies, or if there is an article you'd like to see twittered that is an analysis from an anarchist perspective on local or regional happenings, feel free to e-mail desiderata@riseup.net

People's CORE Successfully Ends Relief and Fund Drive

Echo Park Community Coalition (EPCC) — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

EPCC NEWS January 29, 2010 People's CORE Successfully Ends Relief and Fund Drive for Philippine Typhoon Victims Posted Fri, Jan 29th, 2010 Los Angeles--People’s Community Organization for Reform and Empowerment with co-organizer Alliance Philippines, Los Angeles, ended its relief and fund drive to help the victims of the back to back floods that deluged the Philippines in October-November, 2009. Final Report The campaign which was launched on September 21, 2009 ended on December 31, 2009. The Relief and Fund Drive in Southern California and the Bay Area received a total donation of $6,469.43. The financial aid and 174 “Balikbayan” boxes of used and brand new clothing, shoes, canned goods and medicines were sent to the Philippine-based non-profit organization, AKAP (Ang Kalusugan para sa Pinoy) for assistance to the flood victims. As per report from AKAP, the cash donations were primarily used in buying food and medicines for the victims and the relief goods were distributed in the most severe areas affected by the calamity. Over all the assistance was provided to about 2,500 families (15,000 individuals). Thank You In Los Angeles, People’s CORE and Alliance Philippines get primary base support from organizations like, Kabataang maka-Bayan (KmB, Pro-People Youth) Los Angeles and San Diego, GabNet Los Angeles, Justice for Filipino American Veterans, Ecumenical Fellowship for Justice and Peace and Office of Councilman Garcetti of District 13. Drop off points were organized at the office of People’s CORE, XCQC Institute, field office of Councilman Garcetti and Beatrock. Cash donations were also received at Little Ongpin Restaurants, Ilongo Restaurant, Valerio’s Bakery, Point Point Restaurant, Seafood Ranch Market, Auntie Dee’s Pan de Manila, Kaiser Permanente and others. Hundreds of individuals and families generously supported the relief and fund drive. Some of the organizations that were able to solicit boxes of clothing were student organizations from USC Troy Philippines, LAANE, GabNet LA, UCLA Kappa Psi Epsilon, UCLA Samahang Pilipino, UCLA SPACE, CSULB Pilipino American Coalition, Alpha Psi Pho Beta Chapter, UCI Kababayan, CSUF PASA Kaibigan, and others.

Checkpoints this weekend (29-31/jan/2010) / Retenes este fin de semana (29-31/ene/2010)

Checkpoint response — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

In the checkpoint-plagued community of Escondido, California, the police will not only continue to hold checkpoints, but will actually increase their use of the military tactic despite efforts of activist organizations and the ACLU. Read more here: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jan/26/motorist-checkpoints-will-continue-expand/

En la comunidad de Escondido, California, azotada por retenes, la policía no sólamente continuará con esta táctica militar, sino también aumentará su utilización de la misma, a pesar de esfuerzos de activistas comunitarios y la ACLU. Para mayor información: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jan/26/motorist-checkpoints-will-continue-expand/

And here in Los Angeles, community activists have spearheaded an effort to standardize text message announcements of checkpoints and migra/ICE/Border Patrol raids. Hopefully this will alleviate some of the confusion and duplication surrounding those texts we all get. Here is their statement:

In the midst of the holiday season, since “El Dia de La Virgen” (Dec 12), the South East, South Central and South East LA communities have experienced an aggressive intensification of security, DUI, and immigration check points that have resulted in multiple arrests, costly confiscations of vehicles, and non-sobriety related fines. These attacks and intimidation tactics, ironically, come after the recent introduction of an immigration reform bill (CIR A.S.A.P.) by Luis Gutierrez (D-IL). We are demanding freedom in our communities and calling everyone to be alert, document, and spread the word if you come across a check point. Please call 323-331-1334 and text the following information:

CONFIRMED (or UNCONFIRMED) Check Point (or I.C.E. Raid)!
DATE(MM/DD)
TIME (00:00A/P)
LOCATION (Street/cross street)

Spread the Word!

Aquí en Los Ángeles, activistas comunitarios encabezaron un esfuerzo para estandarizar anuncios mediante mensajes de text referente a retenes y redadas de la migra. Se espera que con el nuevo formato, se aliviará un poco la confusión y duplicación en torno a los textos que todos y todas recibimos. A continuación, su declaración:

Durante la temporada navideña, desde el Día de la Virgen (12 de diciembre), las comunidades del sureste, y sur centro de Los Ángeles han vivido una agudización agresiva de retenes policiacos y de la migra que han resultado un numerosas detenciones, encautaciones de vehículos, y multas no-relacionadas a la embriaguez. Estos ataque y tácticas de intimidación vienes, irónicamente, después de la introducción de una propuesta para reforma migratoria (se requiere una reforma justa e integra lo más antes posible) por el congresista Luis Gutiérrez, Demócrata de Illinois. Exigimos libertad en nuestras comunidades y pedimos que todos y todas estén alertos y alertas, que documenten y corran la voz si se encuentran con un retén. Favor de llamar al 323-331-1334 y textear la siguiente información:

CONFIRMADO (o NO CONFIRMADO, según el caso) Retén (o redada de la migra, etcétera)
FECHA (MM/DD)
HORA (00:00A/P)
LUGAR (Calle/Intersección)

¡Corran la voz!

Retenes este fin de semana (29-31/ene/2010) Checkpoints this weekend (29-31/jan/2010)

Viernes / Friday (29/jan-ene)

DAYTON (OH) - "The Combined Agency DUI Task Force of Montgomery County will operate a sobriety checkpoint on South Smithville Road tonight, Jan. 29. The checkpoint will operate from 9:30 p.m. until 2 a.m. with the help of at least six area law enforcement agencies." (http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/sobriety-checkpoint-planned-tonight-in-dayton-519864.html)

LEE COUNTY (FL) - "A DUI sobriety checkpoint is scheduled for this weekend, beginning Friday, Jan. 29, 2010. The operation will take place at an undisclosed location in Lee County" (http://www.pineisland-eagle.com/page/content.detail/id/508347/Sobriety-Checkpoint-planned.html?nav=5051)

NAPA - "Napa police will conduct a checkpoint Friday where officers will look for drunk drivers and those driving without a valid license." (http://www.napavalleyregister.com/news/local/article_5c2b4304-0ca8-11df-9c11-001cc4c03286.html)

ONTARIO (CA) - "The Ontario Police Department will conduct a DUI saturation patrol from 6 p.m Friday to 2 a.m. Saturday. The checkpoint will be at an undisclosed location." (http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_14283462)

ORANGE - "The Orange Police Dept. is conducting a DUI and driver's license checkpoint from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday, Jan 29. The checkpoint is at intersection 700 N. Tustin Street for southbound traffic." (http://www.ocregister.com/news/checkpoint-231204-dui-traffic.html)

PALM SPRINGS - "The checkpoint will be Friday night. The location of the checkpoint is not known." (http://www.kpsplocal2.com/news/local/story/Palm-Springs-DUI-Checkpoint/m5Oy5ikQw0mzDQen8364MA.cspx)

SANTA BARBARA - "The Santa Barbara Police Department will be conducting DUI Checkpoints in the City of Santa Barbara Friday January 29th, 2010 6 pm to 2 am" (http://www.edhat.com/site/tidbit.cfm?id=1400&nid=26426)

TUCSON (AZ) - "Nearly $40,000 in state grant money has been awarded to the Tucson Police Department to help enforce traffic laws and prevent drunk driving, including a sobriety checkpoint scheduled for Friday." (http://www.azstarnet.com/staff/brian-j-pedersen/article_da20a1f8-0c1e-11df-9a36-001cc4c03286.html)

WEST MONROE (Louisiana) - "The West Monroe Police Department will operate a checkpoint to screen for intoxicated drivers Friday night." (http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20100129/NEWS01/1290307)

Sábado / Saturday (30/jan-ene)

ESCONDIDO - "Police will conduct a sobriety and driver's license checkpoint from 6 p.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday" (http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/escondido/article_eedcc0b1-fa87-5d1c-ad91-16cd7bae35ac.html)

OAKDALE (CA) - "Police will be looking for drunken drivers Saturday night at a sobriety checkpoint at an undisclosed location in Oakdale." (http://www.modbee.com/crime/story/1027643.html)

PALM DESERT - "The checkpoint will be Saturday from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. at an undisclosed location." (http://www.kpsplocal2.com/news/local/story/DUI-Checkpoint-Scheduled-in-Palm-Desert/X8yt_mV2sEqNHGmujk1slw.cspx)

POMONA - "Pomona police are conducting a sobriety and driver's license checkpoint Saturday, January 30, 2010. The checkpoint will be from 9:00 p.m. until 2:30 a.m. " (información proporcionada por Pomona Habla)

Domingo / Sunday (31/jan-ene)

SANTA BARBARA - "The Santa Barbara Police Department will be conducting DUI Checkpoints in the City of Santa Barbara Sunday January 31st, 2010 6 pm to 2 am" (http://www.edhat.com/site/tidbit.cfm?id=1400&nid=26426)

And if any of you are in South Dakota, you will want to check out this article, which offers a way to county-specific receive text message alerts about checkpoints: http://www.argusleader.com/article/20100125/UPDATES/100125019/1001/news

Y si alguno de ustedes radica en Dakota del Sur, querrán leer este artículo, que ofrede una manera de recibir alertas de texto sobre retenes en tu condado: http://www.argusleader.com/article/20100125/UPDATES/100125019/1001/news

Call out for Workshops at an Anarchist Picnic

1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

Comrades are planning an Anarchist Picnic on Saturday, February 13th Noon - 5PM at Memorial Park in Sierra Madre If you'd like to host and lead a workshop, lead a discussion on a specific topic, or share a specific skill contact windchimehouse@gmail.com or the Windchime House Myspace. If this doesn't sound like you, but you know someone who would be interested, then feel free to recommend or refer them. All workshops/ discussion topics are welcome! P.S This is open to those who do not identify with Anarchism. As long as your respectful of the event, it's guests, and topics then you're more than welcome to hold a workshop or discussion.

Ojore Lutalo Update and Support

Mapache LA ABCF — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

Ojore Lutalo (recently released Black Liberation Army prisoner of war and New Afrikan Anarchist) was pulled off the Amtrak train in La Junta, Colorado on his way home to New Jersey from speaking at the LA Anarchist bookfair. He will be arraigned Thursday morning. We are working on getting him a lawyer. They are charging him with "endangering public transportation." The officer said that bail will be set at $10,000.00 which means we will need a minimum of $1,000.00 with a good chance of it being higher in order for him to be released, while waiting for the court date. We will need some emergency fund raising. Go to http://paypal.com and send $$ to "timABCF@aol.com" Put "Ojore Bail" in the notes section. -Mapache LA ABCF MapachinABC@gmail.com

Howard Zinn Tribute Thursday Feb. 4th at Santa Monica Art Museum

LA-IMC — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

A statement released on the Museum’s web site reads, ‘The Santa Monica Museum of Art was deeply saddened to learn of Howard Zinn's death. He was due to speak at SMMoA on Thursday, February 4 at 8 pm about his new documentary, The People Speak. The event will now become a tribute to Zinn and his remarkable work as a social activist. More details to follow.” Reports are that Zinn suffered a heart attack and was taken to Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. It is believed that his body will be flown back to Boston for memorial services there next week. For those in Southern California looking for a place to gather and pay their respects it would appear that next week’s tribute at the Santa Monica Art Museum is their best bet.

Fernando Lopez: Marriage Equality Activist Looks to the Future

Mark Gabrish Conlan/Zenger's Newsmagazine — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

FERNANDO LOPEZ: Marriage Equality Activist on the Challenges Ahead interview by MARK GABRISH CONLAN Copyright © 2010 by Mark Gabrish Conlan for Zenger’s Newsmagazine • All rights reserved Fernando Lopez was one of the many activists who had been working hard for marriage equality for same-sex couples long before Proposition 8, California’s statewide initiative banning it, passed in November 2008. But, like a lot of the people involved in that issue, he became far more visible afterwards. It wasn’t from leading huge street demonstrations against the initiative and, later, against the California Supreme Court for upholding its constitutionality. It was from a much more basic, long-range strategy he pursued on behalf of the local chapter of Marriage Equality USA: just going out and talking to people about the issue. Crucial to Lopez’s strategy was getting the Queer community and its activists out of their comfort zone and having them directly, albeit politely, confront the opponents of marriage equality where they live and shop: in the outlying areas of North, East and South San Diego County. He recruited volunteers to canvass in shopping centers — and the program proved liberating and empowering for the volunteers as well as enlightening to the people to whom they spoke. Veteran community activist Wendy Sue Biegeleisen boasted at a marriage equality meeting at the Center that she’d been intimidated by the idea, but once she’d done it she’d had a wonderful time and she urged everyone in the room to volunteer for Lopez’s canvass. Lopez is working on expanding the street canvass into door-to-door campaigning and other ways of directly reaching individuals well before the heat of another election and another initiative on the issue. He spoke with Zenger’s in mid-January to talk about his personal background — including a youthful marriage and a bitter breakup —his analysis of what’s gone wrong with marriage equality efforts in general and the No on 8 campaign in particular, and his ideas on how to fight for marriage equality in the future. Zenger’s: Why don’t we start with a little about your background, and how you got involved in all of this? Fernando Lopez: I started doing some LGBT [Queer] volunteer work when I was in high school, and then in college, just with the student groups. I was married fairly young. I got married when I was 19 and he was 21. At the time we really didn’t think a marriage license was important. It was just a piece of paper, and what was more important was the spiritual commitment that we made to each other, and our love. Then, as we tried to commingle our lives, we realized all the obstacles that were in place for Gay people that weren’t there for heterosexuals, simple things like putting each other on our car insurance and our health insurance, and just changing bank accounts. I was a homemaker at the time, and so a lot of my time was dedicated to fighting the insurance companies and fighting his employer in trying to get equal insurance benefits. Zenger’s: When you said you were “married,” what did that mean — simply that you were together and had a commitment; you had a ceremony; or you actually had an opportunity to make it legal? Lopez: Well, it wasn’t legal at the time. This was 2001, so there was nowhere where same-sex marriage was legal. But as far as we were concerned, we dated, we got engaged, there were rings, there was a proposal and a marriage. We took it very seriously, as seriously as any other couple would take a marriage, and we referred to each other as married — and as husbands, husband and husband. A lot of people questioned us at the time: “Why are you saying you’re married? You’re not married. It’s not legal.” We said, “It doesn’t matter if it’s legal. It’s a spiritual thing, and religiously you can’t ban our religious right to get married.” So as far as we were concerned, we were. I think that viewpoint really helped us in a lot of the arguments we were making to the employers. Later there was a point where I was working, and my husband had changed jobs, so he didn’t have health insurance and I did. I was trying to get him on my health insurance, and one of the only reasons I started working for Disney — actually the only reason I took the job — was because they offered same-sex domestic partner benefits. But once I got there, it turned out you had to be living together a certain period of time — I think it was like a year or two —and you had to fill out all this extra paperwork. I pushed Disney and said, “Why? If I were [part of] a heterosexual newlywed couple, I wouldn’t have to prove that I lived with this person for two years of my life, and that we shared a residence and bills and whatnot. It would just be check a box and you’re married.” They don’t ask you to bring your marriage license, but they ask you to bring your domestic partnership paperwork. And so I was fighting that, while at that time when my husband didn’t have health insurance, he became ill and kept complaining about a pain in his side. It was getting worse and worse and worse. I kept encouraging him to go to the hospital, and he didn’t want to because he was afraid of the medical costs. Finally he just started the fact that he was in pain from me, because he didn’t want me to worry. Then I get a call that he’d collapsed at work, and so I got over there and I rushed him to the emergency room. He was unconscious, and the hospital — which was UCSD Thornton Medical Center [in La Jolla], and this was 2002 —wouldn’t let me in. They said, “Well, you’re a legal stranger, you have no right to be in that room,” and I said, “I know his medical history. You can’t give him this medication.” I was screaming, and finally I argued my way in While I was there they gave him medicine that he was allergic to. It stopped his breathing. They gave him unnecessary surgery. He was unconscious for five days, and for five days I stayed by his side. At that time I was still working with Disney, and they almost fired me from my job. They made me come back to work while my husband was in the hospital. Had we been married I could have taken leave for that, but that wasn’t available for me at the time. So I almost lost my job over my husband being sick, and just the whole situation was so insane and emotionally draining — and very eye-opening. That really intense situation was the catalyst that made me want to do more. So I started getting more involved in helping other people fight their insurance companies, and fight their employers, in order to get same-sex health insurance benefits. I was being active that way on my own, and then in 2004, when [San Francisco mayor] Gavin Newsom started with the marriages on February 12, on Freedom to Marry Day, and they were lsaying, “Oh, it’s legal, and you can actually get married,” my husband and I looked at each other and we knew we just wanted to do it. So we looked at each other, we grabbed our suits and we jumped in the car. We grabbed our best friend and his parents, and we drove all the way up to San Francisco. We waited in line all night, and we were one of only 42 new couples that were married that day. We drove up on Valentine’s Day, so we got there on the 15th and were married on the 15th. And it was such a wonderful feeling. It was like, “Oh, my God, this is real. We finally have it.” Somehow that piece of paper made sense, once it was in my hand, and I just thought to myself, “God, I just want everybody to be able to feel what this feels like.” That’s when an organization called Marriage Equality USA approached me and said, “Hey, you’re doing all this really great work. Would you like to come in and volunteer with us, and get involved and do some volunteer work?” At first I thought, “No, I don’t really want to be tied to an organization. I just want to do this work.” They finally convinced me. I went and I did some media stuff for them. My husband and I would do some media relations stuff, and then I just did some data entry, really simple things for them. The next thing I knew I was their events coordinator, and then I was the chapter leader, and then they merged temporarily with Equality California and I was the regional field director. And then I was a state director for California, and now I’m on the national board of directors and it’s been kind of a whirlwind of activism for the last six years. Zenger’s: What’s your marital status now? Lopez: My ex-husband and I separated three years ago, in March, so I’m divorced, single. That was another challenge, once we were divorced, in separating and trying to get the dissolution of our domestic partnership. The divorce was quite acrimonious, and the lawyers that I talked to really didn’t want to touch it. The ones that would cautioned me that the expenses would be so exorbitant that what I would get out of it wouldn’t really be worth it in the long run for the amount of time it would take, and the cost. So I opted to draft the paperwork myself, and we dissolved the domestic partnership through a notary. I essentially left without my life savings. Zenger’s: It sounds like an object lesson for anybody, straight or Gay, not to marry too soon. My immediate thought is, “Nineteen and 21? You didn’t date for a while, you didn’t sow your wild oats — that sounds like a mistake, whatever your sexual orientation.” Lopez: Well, as difficult as the divorce was, I did get a lot out of the experience of being married. And I wouldn’t change it. Looking back, I really cherish the experience. I loved him very dearly, and I know that he loved me very dearly. Sometimes things go wrong and people change, but I definitely wouldn’t sacrifice the experience for anything. I loved my husband very much. I never thought I would be a divorcé at 25. It wasn’t in the plan, you know. Zenger’s: There’s a confusing number of organizations dealing with this issue, most of which seem to have the words “marriage,” “equality” or both in their names. Could you explain for our readers which organization is which, and which ones you are part of? Lopez: I am part of Marriage Equality USA, and I have been since 2004. They are the national grass-roots, chapter-based organization that has done long-standing work in the field. Their chapters are broken down by state, and then broken down further by county to allow for greater investment and involvement in what that community says and feels like. It’s very much of a bottom-up organization rather than a top-down organization, so the individual chapters dictate the direction of the organization on the local level, and then collectively on a statewide and national level. Then you have organizations like the HRC (Human Rights Campaign), which everybody knows is the federal rights and lobby organization. You have Equality California, which has a history of amazingly successful lobby and legislation work here in the state of California. Marriage Equality and Equality California were partners for a time in order to pass the marriage bill two times through the legislature, and that was a part of that merger and, later, separation. I know there was a report that came out post-Proposition 8 that said something like 96 or 98 — I can’t remember the the exact number — different organizations were formed after the passage of Proposition 8 in an upswell of grass-roots response to what had happened. Locally, I think the two most notable ones have been the San Diego Equality Campaign, which was comprised of seven members of the community who took on a leadership role for that organization and partnered with other organizations to have the different marches and things. We partnered with them to have a few of the larger marches as well. San Diego Alliance for Marriage Equality [SAME] is one of the other organizations formed after Proposition 8, and they’re still very active in doing a lot of the visibility work here in the community. I haven’t really heard too much from the San Diego Equality Campaign, but the San Diego Alliance for Marriage Equality is still very active in the visibility aspect of engagement for the marriage equality issue in San Diego. The other organization that people probably didn’t hear about before the 2008 elections is the Courage Campaign. They saw a huge surge in growth. I guess they’re somewhere in the middle: their origins were more in an on-line progressive organizing capacity. While they are kind of Queer-slanted, they are not necessarily a Queer organization. They are a progressive organization that definitely takes on Queer issues, and they have had some field efforts across the state as well with regards to the marriage issue. All of these organizations partner together for different projects, events and field programs. Vote for Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force or the L.A. Center, Marriage Equality USA, Equality California and the Courage Campaign have all partnered together to accomplish a lot of field work over the last year with regards to ID’ing voters and persuasion work. There’s been a lot of collaboration between those several organizations — and more, I’m sure. Zenger’s: That’s another way in which it gets confusing. Not only that there are so many organizations, but there are so many people who are involved in more than one. So sometimes it really is difficult to tell the players without a score card. Lopez: You have people who sitting on the board, or the chair, or the regional contact for these different organizations. I’m Marriage Equality USA. That’s my hat. I sit on the Community Leadership Council, which is a great venue San Diego has for collaboration between the Gay groups here in San Diego. Other than that, I stay involved and connected with other organizations, but I stay pretty focused on the marriage equality issue. Zenger’s: Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear: to 2008, when you had the State Supreme Court decision and then the Proposition 8 campaign and our defeat at the polls. How did that make you feel personally, riding that roller coaster? With your various involvements, what was your role in that campaign, and how did you feel about it personally? Lopez: The first part of that really was the Decline to Sign campaign, which started in early 2008 when we were trying to prevent the initiative from even qualifying on the ballot. At that point, I was one of the co-regional organizers. I was still with Marriage Equality USA, but I was hired on by the campaign to help prevent the initiative [from qualifying]. As heartbreaking as it was to see all this money pour in, it was one of the most exciting campaigns I’ve ever been on, because you were so actively engaged in dealing with the opposition on the field, trying to deflect signatures and educate the public. We were all over the county, in 286 different locations. The people who worked on that campaign really developed a great bond, and some of the best friendships I still have came out of that campaign. It was so devastating that it still qualified, because all of us had worked so hard, but at the same time we knew that the goal wasn’t necessary to defeat it or to stop it, but to build a really empowered team of volunteers and leaders that would take us forward to the next step of the campaign. From there I was asked by the campaign to go to Los Angeles, and then subsequently to San Francisco. But in the writing of the field plan for the No on 8 campaign, and the discussion of how the field operations were going to be, I grew increasingly upset and I actually quit the campaign two weeks into being involved in it, just because I was so flabbergasted at the way the field program were being run. I know a lot of people really focused on the commercials and the ads, but for me I’m a field person. And being a field person, I was just disturbed with the way the field program was being run, and a lot of the decisions that were being made. So, as painful as it was for me, I left the campaign. I still wanted people to work on the campaign, so I was really quiet about it. You’re actually the first person I’ve told in any kind of public way that this is how it went down, because I still wanted people to continue to work. But it was very difficult for me to leave a group of really wonderful organizers for what to me was a very personal issue, and I couldn’t be a part of that. Zenger’s: What exactly was wrong with the field operation, in your opinion? What was the problem? Lopez: There were so many organizations who were reaching out to the campaign to help in their various capacities, and they were all dismissed or told no: organizations that had scope in so many other counties. You have a state with 42 million people, and you had a campaign with offices in three cities. That in itself was an immediate red flag. Also, we were only going to be on the phone, and we were only going to do voter ID and very little persuasion work. We thought we were going to win with voter turnout, and we were only targeting a small numbr of people. We did absolutely no door work, no street canvassing, no door canvassing, in the idea that we want everyone to be on the phones. But the fact is not everyone wants to be on the phones. You have to give people options and choices. “If you build it, they will come.” If you had had a more comprehensive campaign, more people would have stepped up to the plate to be part of it. There were cities and counties and regions who were begging for field operations. Field has a relatively low cost compared to media, and they could have accomplished so much more than they did. And When I heard how we were going to approach voters, and what we were expected to say, I was just so upset. Also, before the first signs ever went out, I said, “Are you kidding me? It says, ‘Yes on Equality,’ or what was it, ‘Equality for All,’ and it’s a green check mark?” Just from a graphic design standpoint — which is what I went to school for, initially — you can’t have blue and green on a sign when you’re asking people to vote no. Equality for All — yes, of course, Equality for All: vote no on Equality for All. That doesn’t make any sense. It’s horrible messaging. Graphically, it’s wrong. As you’ll note, in the last few weeks the campaign suddenly, finally figured it out and the green check mark became a red X. My initial recommendation had been for the color red to be used in some kind of negative fashion. So I left that campaign, watching from the outside but still helping our chapters from Marriage Equality USA stay involved in those rural areas that weren’t getting support from the campaign. In the end I hosted a phone bank and did some stuff for the campaign, but I couldn’t be a part of it in the same way. I just watched the numbers drop and drop and drop and drop, and it just hurt so much every day to see. Before the campaign, San Diego had moved almost 30 percentage points since Prop. 22, and then somehow we lost 14 percentage points in just a matter of months. To have put in so much work over all those years, and then to see it all just melt away, was disturbing. It was just devastating, really. Not disturbing — devastating. Zenger’s: The $64,000 question: do you think, if your suggestions would have been followed, the outcome would have been different? Lopez: I think it would have helped. We ended up having no get-out-the-vote program, either. If we had had all of that and a get-out-the-vote program, it would have been significantly different. I’m not an advertising person. I don’t work in the media that way, so I can’t tell you how effective those ads were, or weren’t, in changing hearts and minds. I know it had a lot more to do with the work that was done in the churches, but I think it definitely would have made a difference. I think if we had actually managed to turn out the vote and had some level of GOTV effort, we could have won with that. Zenger’s: One point Sherry Wolf made in her recent book, Sexuality and Socialism, and her talk here last December was that the campaign in Maine did a lot of the things people like you recommended for the campaign in California — and we still lost by about the same margin. It might be that this simply is a less tractable issue, or that the other side just has too good an outreach program and too many captive audiences every Sunday morning for us to be able to counter them. Lopez: Maine is a very different animal from California. Maine doesn’t have the stronghold of churches that California does. Maine isn’t as religious. There isn’t such a high level of religiosity as there is in California. But they also don’t have the same kinds of urban centers that California does, and so the Gay community isn’t necessarily as solid there, either. Organizing in that kind of community is so much more difficult. It’s more of a drive-and-knock situation than a walk-and-knock when you’re talking about door. I think they did a great job in Maine. I don’t know what could have helped to make that different, but Maine did learn from a lot of the mistakes [in California] and they did the best that they could do. Maybe they’re just not there yet. You’re not going to win them all. Zenger’s: You look at the entire country, and in every location where this has been on the ballot, it has been voted down. There was one state where we were able to beat back an anti-marriage initiative, but it passed in the next election. Lopez: Right, and in Arizona, the reason it failed the first time was because they also had a ban on domestic partnerships, and domestic partnerships were tied to senior citizens that helped to kill that initiative. It wasn’t the Gay community. They helped to run that campaign, but the difference in that vote was the first one was damaging to senior citizens, who vote more, and senior citizens didn’t want their rights taken away. In the following election cycle, our opposition got smart and took off the provision to abolish domestic partnerships, and so senior citizens were O.K. with voting that up. Zenger’s: The question is, leaving aside the morality or the equity of allowing people to vote on other people’s civil rights, why is that? Why are we zero for 37, or whatever it is? If this is supposedly an issue whose time has come, blah blah blah, why can’t we persuade a majority of our fellow citizens to support our rights? Lopez: I think the country just isn’t as progressive as we would like it to be, and there’s still a stigma. Gay people still carry this negative stigma, and we still see harassment in the workplace, discrimination. Homophobia is an expected part of daily life, and until we are able to change that, I don’t think we’re going to win a lot of things by popular vote. You look at a lot of other substantial progressions that we’ve made in the civil rights movement, with the rights of women or of African-Americans and other minorities, in different parts of our history. At the time that they were won through the court system, we still would have voted them down had they come up for a popular vote. And in some places of the country, they still would fail if they came up for a popular vote. It’s not like our side is the one putting it up to be voted on. It’s the opposition that is putting it up to be voted on, and we’re just fighting that off. We’re working through the courts, we’re working through the legislature, and I think that’s a good approach. I’ve heard some people argue, “Well, then, why are we even fighting them off at the ballot?” The answer is we can’t just let people stand there and spout lies, and spread lies and misinformation about us. We have to do our best to answer those, because if we don’t, it just feeds the homophobia. It feeds the discrimination, and that’s what in turn feeds into hate crimes and loss of life in the LGBT community. So we have to be there to answer those challenges. Zenger’s: Where did you get the idea for the canvassing in supermarkets and public places, the program you announced right after Proposition 8 passed? Lopez: One of the things that we had done in the previous campaign, the Decline to Sign campaign, was we went out to those places all over the county where our opposition was and directly engaged our opposition. That type of engagement didn’t continue in the No on 8 campaign, but I knew it had to. So I and a few people that had done that kind of work before all got together and said, “It doesn’t stop here. We can’t wait for this to go to the courts. We can’t wait for the court to rule. We need to continue organizing. We’ve been organizing for years before. The campaign’s over, but the job’s not done. We’ve done a great job carrying the city, but let’s continue going into these more rural areas.” And so we did. We canvassed up in North County, and in Lemon Grove, in Spring Valley and Grossmont and El Cajon and Chula Vista, National City and San Ysidro. We went everywhere, and we’re still going out every weekend and canvassing in those areas, because whether or not this goes to the courts and we win that way; whether or not it goes back to a ballot initiative; no matter how we inevitably win this, that key is the education and connecting people to the realities of what this discrimination is, and putting a human face on this issue. Asking someone in Otay if they support same-sex marriage is a conversation that wouldn’t have happened had we not been there. They say, “Oh, well, things will change over time, and eventually we’ll win same-sex marriage and marriage equality.” It’s not time that changes things; it’s conversation that changes things, and so we wanted to ensure that those conversations were happening rapidly. Zenger’s: I’m not sure that this will change over time. It will change if we put in the work to make it change. Lopez: Exactly. So now we’re running those street canvass projects — that’s what we call them, “street canvass outreach” —here in San Diego and also in the Inland Empire. There are a few other counties across the state that are going to be starting that, if they haven’t already. We also partnered with the Courage Campaign and a few other organizations — including Equality California — here locally to look at persuasion at the door, which is having conversations specifically with our opposition and really breaking down the barriers in logic that lead to them thinking about discrimination, and where they’re really coming from at the core. We’ve had a very high rate of persuasion, better than we had expected. That work is being done by Courage Campaign and Equality California all over the state, directly engaging our opposition at the door. Then we also have phone banks where we do some volunteer recruitment, so we ensure that we can keep staffing our canvasses. But we’re not doing persuasion over the phone right now. That’s something that may come on later as we do re-contacts by phone with people we’ve talked to at the door or on the street. Zenger’s: So far, what’s been the result? What are some of the kinds of conversations you’ve had approaching people on this issue? Lopez: Well, there was definitely a large amount of voter confusion. People voted yes when they should have been voting no, or whatever. They voted the wrong way over, “Yes, I want same-sex marriage, but — so I vote yes?” The other level of voter confusion was that they whole-heartedly believed what the commercials were telling them. They didn’t think they were voting on same-sex marriage. They thought they were voting on whether or not Gay marriage would be taught in schools. Or people thought they were voting on whether or not churches should lose their tax-exempt status. They didn’t even think it had anything to do with Gay people. So we’re just clearing up that and saying, “No, it was not about that. It was about people taking away the freedom to marry for Gay and Lesbian couples.” Then, with a lot of people, there’s that “aha!” moment where they realize they were just bamboozled. The three main issues people are working through are the issue of children, still, being taught what same-sex marriage is; matters of faith, and why they believe they can’t support it because of their own faith; and just the word, like just kind of a very general thought of, “Why do you have to have the word ‘marriage’?” Once you start asking those questions, anywhere from one-fifth to one-third of the people that we’re talking to suddenly realize they had it wrong, and they never really put enough thought in it to realize what they were doing, and whose lives they were actually affecting. It takes that real one-on-one conversation, that face-to-face interaction, to make that change happen. You can’t have an argument with your television — although I’ve seen people try. Every time I flip the channel and Glenn Beck is on it, I scream. I may have a few choice words, but that doesn’t get me very far. Zenger’s: I’ve seen an estimate that about 25 percent of California’s Gay voters voted for Proposition 8. Lopez: Really? Where was that statistic? I missed that one. I know they exist. I definitely know that they’re out there. They’re some of the hardest people to talk to — just emotionally, for me. It’s so hard for me to wrap my head around why there are still members of our community that are not for what I believe, and most people in our community believe, is an equal-rights issue. The statistic I saw was closer to 2 percent. It wasn’t 25 percent, but what I saw was 2 percent. I think my heart might split in two if I knew for a fact it was 25 percent! Zenger’s: One explanation was offered by Steve Yuhas on his talk show, where he said, “Just because I’m Gay doesn’t mean I’ve lost all morality!” Lopez: To me, that type of thinking is exactly the type of internalized homophobia that is very real in our society, in our community. As I said earlier, homophobia is an expected part of daily life. That is what the translation is to our community. One of the most moving moments for me during the Prop. 8 campaign was there was this young man who came to volunteer. We always do these team check-ins at the beginning and ask, “What’s your name? How do you identify,” and, in one or two words, “Why are you here today?” And, you know, people say, “Oh, I’m here for love,” or, “I’m here to fight Prop. 8.” They give one or two words. This kid said, “Hi, my name is so-and-so, and I’m 16” — I didn’t think he was 16, but that’s what he said. “I’m 16, and I’m here because I never thought I could get married. And today, all of a sudden, I can. And that changes everything for me. I didn’t think I could have a husband and kids and a white picket fence, and so I never thought about it. I never thought my life could go in that direction, and so I never worried about it. And now all of a sudden, my whole life is different. And my whole life today can be whatever I want it to be. I didn’t know that, and now I do. And now I have to rethink everything.” I almost started crying when he was talking, because I don’t know if he realized the significance of what he was saying, but that’s the reality. That’s why we do this, because it’s so true. Our youth grow up in this environment where they’re told that they’re less than; where they’re told that they can’t have these things. So one day to wake up, and all of a sudden you can, is life-changing. If you grow up your whole life and you’re told that as a Gay man you’re going to be promiscuous and do drugs and drink all the time and get AIDS, and you don’t have any positive role models to show you otherwise, then that’s what you’re going to grow up to do. And then, all of a sudden, you get the message, “Yes, you can get married. You can have kids. You can go to church, to an open, affirming church, and be loved. You can be an atheist. You can be a Republican and still be for Gay rights.” Those things didn’t exist before for our community. We were so hidden, and now all that’s slowly starting to dissolve away, and our youth are growing up in a different environment where they can be whatever they want. Zenger’s: So do you think the campaign in California should take the marriage equality issue, from our side, back to the ballot? And if so, when? Lopez: Should we? It would be really great to try. That’s a really great question. I guess I find myself still asking, “Should we?” It’s worth a shot. We’ve never tried it this way. It’s never been us on the offensive, so it would be nice to see what it looks like from our side to throw an offensive campaign. As for timing, I think we’re a little late in the game for 2010. I just don’t see the signatures happening in time. I don’t think that we’re prepared enough at this point. I think we could have been. I think there might have been a better opportunity earlier on — but we really almost needed last year to grieve. I think a lot of people needed that grieving process, and it was very difficult to get the community through that grieving process and to come back together and collaborate. I don’t really see it happening in 2010, so I think our next best chance after that would be 2012. I hope we can get it together. I think it would make a very powerful statement if we were able to bring it together, bring it in, unite and just knock it out of the ballpark. Wow, I used a sports reference! That never happens. Zenger’s: Not just on this issue but on so many other things, it seems like our side — and I don’t just mean Queer people, I mean progressives and the Left in general — we seem to sleep a lot. They are always awake. The Right was on top of Obama from the get-go, and they’ve managed still to control the political agenda in this country even after losing Congress and losing the Presidency. Lopez: That’s quite amazing, isn’t it? Zenger’s: They just never give up. They never stop. It might be that they’re the ones who have the messianic, utopian vision the Left used to have in the teens and in the 1930’s: the sense that they are remaking the world in their direction. So my question is, what is it going to take to get us to have that same level of commitment, that same level of devotion, that same level of dedication, to where we don’t need to take off, we don’t need these grieving periods, that we can be in the trenches right after we’ve taken the hit? What is it going to take? Lopez: I think you hit it when you said you look at the Right and they have this singular, unified vision of what it is that they want. You look at the ultra-conservative Fundies: they want something, and they spin that message in order to control that result. Then you look at the Left; and inherently, by what we are as the Left, is so many things. So, while they can focus on one issue at a time, we are focusing on this complete fractured rainbow of an array of issues that runs the gamut. We are very diverse in the Left, and that diversity sometimes works to our detriment. But if we didn’t have it, we wouldn’t be the Left! And somewhere in that, hopefully we can find that unifying place. We definitely haven’t found it yet, but we keep trying. I mean, kudos to the person who finds that one unifying linchpin, right? Zenger’s: Any comments on the current court case in San Francisco, Perry v. Schwarzenegger? Lopez: I didn’t see it coming. I guess a lot of people didn’t see it coming, so there was a little bit of shock to the community. But I’m very hopeful at least with what can happen in the Ninth Circuit. The case is solid. The witnesses for our side are fantastic. The lawyers have a great track record. II know some of the lawyers that are involved in the case, and I know how dedicated they are and how hard they have been working, and are continuing to work. Our own Mayor, Jerry Sanders, testified, and I think that’s fantastic to have a Republican mayor of a conservative city testify in favor of same-sex marriage. It means we’ve come pretty far. So I’m hopeful. I don’t know how hopeful I am outside of the Ninth Circuit, but if the case is strong and the early rulings are solid, they’ll build a strong case for past precedent in the court system. Really, the result of this at the end of the day has potential to have sweeping change for Gay rights in this country. It could go so far as to immigration and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and employment rights, and marriage and adoption. This single court case can really be the game-changer for Gay rights. I’m very disappointed in the U.S. Supreme Court for saying that this can’t be televised and this can’t be on YouTube. I think that’s blatant disregard for the openness of the courts. I think the arguments on both sides should have been transparent. And the opposition, our opposition knew exactly what they were doing when they pushed for that. They know that their arguments don’t stand water. If you’re under oath and you’re forced to tell the truth about why you think Gay people can’t get married, and do that from a logical standpoint, that’s the last thing they wanted: to have those arguments on television for either side. Because theirs just don’t cut it when compared to ours, if they’re forced to tell the truth. Zenger’s: My initial reaction is believing that an overwhelmingly Republican court is going to go this far away from popular opinion on such an explosive issue is like believing in Santa Claus. But let’s say it does. Let’s say it goes all the way to the Supreme Court and we squeeze out a 5-4 decision that same-sex marriage is legal throughout the United States. How do you think that’s going to galvanize people, both on our side and on the opposition? Aren’t you going to end up with essentially a political civil war that is going to make the abortion debate look polite by comparison? Lopez: Probably. That’s probably a really good way of putting it. It’s going to be the “activist judges” all over again. It’s going to be a media maelstrom. I’m almost concerned that our side will be celebrating and rejoicing, while the other side will be galvanizing and angered. Of course, if the courts rule in our favor it’s an immediate drop in opinion polls. Every time that a court rules in our favor, we drop; and every time we lose at the ballot box, opinion polls go up because people feel sorry for us. So I think you’ll see backlash. I think you’ll see a sudden increase in hate crime. And I think you’ll see a very high stress level come from that, just in the amount of vitriol that will be spit by our opposition. You’ve got a lot of really angry, hateful radicals out there that may take things to an extreme. I guess that would be my biggest fear. And you mentioned the abortion debate, or women’s health and women’s choice debate. There are a lot of similarities, and a lot of differences, but that debate was “settled” through a court case. But that debate is ongoing, and we’ve seen the deadly results of the conservative extremism that’s come out of that. So I’m almost fearful of what that’s going to look like if we are given our civil rights through a similar court ruling. And how long is that argument going to go on for afterwards? Zenger’s: The obvious avenue for that backlash would be a federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage throughout the country. Lopez: Which I don’t see passing — unless we could have some sweeping loss from the liberal side — but they could try. Laws are put in place essentially to effect an even playing ground for our citizens. But it doesn’t necessarily dictate to those citizens how to operate in day-to-day life. So while we might have equal rights for African-Americans or equal rights for women, that doesn’t mean they’re necessarily treated that way in the general public, day to day. That varies by region. The same thing will be true for the Gay community. There’s going to be parts of the country where you can go and Gay people still won’t be overly welcome. Then you’ll have San Francisco and Hillcrest to come and be a part of. It may change the laws and legal standing, but ultimately what is going to make the difference at the end of the day, again, goes back to that education work and how we’re seen by the general population, and treated. We still have a Planned Parenthood, we still have an NAACP, and we’re probably still going to have a Marriage Equality USA once we have same-sex marriage rights. I don’t see the HRC going anywhere after we win sweeping federal rights. Zenger’s: And there’s another question: do you think there might set in a kind of issue fatigue that might set in on both sides? We’re dealing with a major recession, possibly a depression. We’re dealing with global warming. We’ve got the health care crisis. We’ve still got foreign troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, and all over the world. We’ve still got a threat of terrorism, even if it’s gone down from 19 commandos who knew what they were doing hijacking four planes to one guy with a bomb in his underwear. Might people just tune out on both sides of this thing and say, “We’ve got so many real problems in this country, your struggle is just totally irrelevant”? Lopez: There’s some of that already, with some people. But as long as people’s lives are being affected, and families are being torn apart, and people are dying, and children are separated from their families. I think those real issues, that are still happening every day — I mean, the person who’s fighting in Afghanistan, but their same-sex partner here in the States doesn’t have the right to claim their body? Those types of real issues are what keep that alive. It’s never the quote-unquote “right time” to fight for civil rights. You look at the suffragists during World War I; people told them it wasn’t the “right time,” and they kept pressing on. I look back to them and think, “They had the right idea.” They weren’t willing to settle for anything less than equal rights, and kept talking while people cared — and didn’t care — and finally things turned and women got the right to vote. I think it’s going to be very much the same for the Gay community here in the early 2000’s, the same as it was in the early 1900’s for them. We’ll get there, and hopefully we won’t bore people in the process. But there are still very real, compelling, life-changing issues that come along with marriage that affect people every day. And maybe some of us in the “Gay bubble” don’t feel that as much. But there are people out there that really do, and it’s their stories that are important and need to continue to be shared.

Acciones + Conversaciones + Intersecciones 2010: Segunda Anual Feria del Libro Anarquista

Rockero — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

Domingo, 24 Enero 2010

HOLLYWOOD - Por el segundo año consecutivo, anarquistas del área de Los Ángeles realizaron una feria de libros, la cual que, además de propiciar intercambios entre vendedores y lectores ávaros para la literatura, también posibilitó todo un espectro de pláticas en panel, talleres, y de suma importancia, interacciones de calidad entre compañerxs activistas del movimiento libertario.

Acciones + Conversaciones + Intersecciones 2010: Segunda Anual Feria del Libro Anarquista

Rockero — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

Los preparativos se iniciaron hace unos meses, cuando integrantes del colectivo coordinador de la feria del libro anarquista del año pasado, que tuvo lugar en la Librería del Sur de California, empezó a reunir y pedir las aportaciones y sugerencias de otros sectores de la comunidad. El colectivo comenzó a crecer, y se hicieron arreglos para realizar la feria del año en curso en el Parque de Arte Barnsdall, ubicado en la cima de un cerro y que cuenta con tales lujos como un teatro, una galería de arte, y un jardín de esculturas en una plaza de pasto. El colectivo habló de e hizo contacto con posibles oradores. Se lanzó un llamado para propuestas para talleres, y las solicitudes empezaron a llegar en multitudes. Eventos comunitarios como muestras cinematográficas y conciertos fueron planificados con el fin de propagandizar la feria y el anarquismo, al igual que para recaudar fondos. Después de tanto preparar, el día clave por fin llegó.

Una semana entera de lluvias fuertes incitó preocupaciones referente a la realización de la feria del libro, no obstante su alivio a la carencia regional de aguas. Afortunadamente, el firmamento amaneció cristalino y despejado de toda nube, un buen agüero que prefiguraba un día productivo.

Por las nueve empezaron a llegar los organizadores y vendedores, armando mesas, poniendo rótulos, enchufando cables, y finalizando detalles logísticos. Los danzantes de la tropa Danza Azteca Cuauhtémoc llegaron y se pusieron a ponerse los tocados de pluma y tobilleras de capullo, alistándose para la ceremonia inicial. Y empezó a llegar la gente: activistas comunitarios, punkeros, veganos, estudiantes, artistas, madres y padres de familias, activistas mediáticos, abogados, indígenas, viajeros, y anarquistas de toda variedad.

La danza formalizó el comienzo del evento con una danza tradicionalmente asociada con la siembra de semillas, con la esperanza que se germinara una conciencia revolucionaria entre el pueblo. Al danzar, el aire se llenó del aroma de copal. Lxs danzantes dieron gracias por las lluvias recientes, y luego hicieron homenaje a lxs conservadorxs de la tierra, el pueblo indígena. Luego pidieron el perdón de los animales y las plantas por la violación humana de sus vidas y hogares. Finalmente, nos pidieron que compartieramos del sufrimiento de los migrantes que mueren al enfrentar fronteras, violencia, y el intemperie en su búsqueda para la dignidad que nos debería ser garantizada a todxs. "Estas personas son como los colibríes, o como los venados. También se trasladan por motivos económicos," precisó Judith, líder entre lxs danzantes. "Entonces, nosotros no nos diferenciamos tanto de ellos."

Se concluyó la ceremonia, y el públicó empezó a dispersarse para asistir los primeros talleres, buscar comida, y mercar.

La primera ronda de talleres incluyó una plática sobre el doble poder y el anarquismo moderno por Harjit y Adam W., una charla sobre el Autonomen Alemán, un movimiento que precedió el brote del Bloque Negro, liderado por Raoul, y una presentación sobre el anarquismo y la planificación urbana por Olympia. En el salón de videos, las Comunidades Revolucionarias Autónomas mostraron su película Todavía Estamos Aquí, Nunca Nos Fuimos, un documental sobre el ataque policial contra manifestantes en el Parque MacArthur el primero de mayo, 2007.

El la plática sobre el doble poder, a la cual el público contribuyó bastante, Harjit empezó con la idea que, aunque los anarquistas piden que el pueblo abandone el capitalismo, nos hace falta la infraestructura que permitiría que el pueblo tome ese gran paso. En el proceder, Tom Wetzel de la Alianza Solidaridad Obrera aclaró uno de los mitos rodeante el anarquismo, el de la postura anarquista hacia el poder. "Históricamente, una de las debilidades del anarquismo ha sido que ha habido mucha ambigüedad en torno al poder. Hay lxs que dicen que nos oponemos al poder, pero la verdad es que la mayoría de la gente, la clase obrera, no puede liberarse sin crear de nuevo estructuras de poder para gestionar las cosas. Manejar la sociedad, ése es el poder. Y pienso que la idea del poder popular, un poder que se basa sobre 'somos iguales,' un poder autogestionado, digo, así es como conceptualizo una sustitución para el estado y las corporaciones, etcétera. Pero en cuanto al desarrollo actual del poder, vale distinguir entre, por ejemplo, poder social que la gente construye a través de movimientos que participan en confrontaciones, como el cerrar de lugares de trabajo. O sea que el pueblo común está ejerciendo el poder, hasta cierto grado. Pero es un poder que se logra mediante la lucha, por enfrentarse a lxs que tienen el poder dentro del sistema. Pero si estás manejando un colectivo, digamos una distribución alimenticia, eso no es el poder verídico, eso es manejar colectivamente un recurso. Es diferente del poder social. Lo que decías de una transición a la nueva sociedad, que tenemos que tener cosas para hacer esa transición, históricamente, eso fue parte de la razón para el sindicalismo--se desarrolla un movimiento de clase obrera en el que tenemos en todos los talleres obrerxs organizadxs en sindicatos revolucionarios y autogestionantes para que éstos se encarguen de manejar los talleres y asegurar que tengamos comida, transporte, servicios públicos, etcétera."

Durante la siguiente hora, la primera discusión de pánel tuvo lugar. Autores de textos anarquistas, incluyendo a Andrej Grubačić, autor de Wobblies y Zapatistas, Cindy Milstein, quien escribió Anarchist Aspirations (a estrenarse próximamente), Mitchell Cowen Verter, editor de la copilación magonista Dreams of Freedom, y Gary Philliips, compositor de The Jook, compartieron reflexiones sobre sus obras.

Mientras, se llevó a cabo una charla sobre esfuerzos antifascitas en la región surcaliforniana que tocó los temas de la reciente actividad neonazista en el interior del Sur de California, el tema de la raza dentro del movimiento antifascista, y gestos actuales en contra del nuevo Partido Americano Tercera Posición. También abarcó antecedentes históricos de oposición anarquista al fascismo.

En el salón de videos, una exposición de diapositivas de afiches anarquistas de la colección del Centro para el Estudio de la Gráfica Política fue presentada.

Lxs próximxs panelistas trataron el tema de presos políticos. Ojore Lutalo y Sherman Austin, ambos ex-presos políticos, compartieron el escenario con Mapache, el facilitador, Matt, un organizador con el comité de Los Ángeles de la Federación Cruz Negra Anarquista, y Benjamín, quien habló de los presos políticos en Latinoamérica.

Antes de empezar la plática, Mapache pidió al público que consideraran ciertas preguntas al escuchar. "En particular para lxs de herencia europea, ¿te consideras oprimidx?" Basó su definición de opresión sobre la de Julius Lester en su obra Revolutionary Notes, copias de la cual fueron distribuídas entre la audiencia. "Segunda pregunta para el público en general, ¿te consideras revolucionarix o progresista?" Se repartió otro folleto tocante este tema. "Tercera pregunta, ¿consideras qu la droga es revolucionaria o contrarrevolucionaria?"

Empezó Ojore: "Fui politicizado en los tempranos setentas después de una vida de drogas y delincuencia callejera. Fui encarcelado, y conocí al fallecido anarquista Nuevoafrikano Kuwasi Balagoon y otros presos políticos de guerra. Unos siete años después me integré a la lucha armada clandestina. Me llevaron preso en 1975 por una expropriación bancaria armada, batallando a tiros con la policía. Luego de una condena de 28 años en el Penal Estatal de Trenton por mi actividad política, fui puesto en libertad por orden judicial el 26 de agosto, 2009."

Continuó con actualidades sobre el Ejército Libertador Negro: "Actualmente, el ELN está inactivo debido a las actividades de COINTELPRO, actualmente Seguridad Interna. Pero hay todavía presos del ELN en las prisiones que no reciben apoyo y necesitan urgentemente de tu apoyo. Por ejemplo, Sekou Odinga acaba de cumplir 28 años en el sistema federal y fue trasladado el sistema carcelario del estado de Nueva York hace unos meses. Su sentencia es de 20 años a vida. Su última esperanza para la libertad depende de una audiencia pendiente. Está en el proceso de recaudar $5.000 para contratar a un abogado para asesorarlo en su batalla legal." También habló de Sundiata Acoli, quien tendrá audiencia ante la mesa directiva de fianza el mes entrante, Herman Bell, y la necesidad que ellos tienen de apoyo.

Sherman Austin, encarcelado por dos años por manejar el sitio de internet raisethefist.com, fue el próximo en hablar de las tácticas que fueron utilizadas en su contra. "Cómo es curioso que es el aniversario [del cateo del FBI de su casa] y es la feria del libro anarquista. No sé si eso fue intencional o simplemente ocurrió así por casualidad. La clase de tácticas que usaron contra mí fueron pinchadas telefónicas, monitoreo de conversaciones de mensajería instantánea, correos electrónicos, estacionaron carros fuera de mi casa, me siguieron." Aclaró un malentendimiento que tienen muchos acerca del USA PATRIOT Act y su caso. "Después de que todo esto ocurrió, se hablaba mucho de cómo nos estaban repelando los derechos individuales por el PATRIOT Act, pero el hecho es que todas estas cosas ya estaban en marcha mucho más antes del caso mío. El PATRIOT Act simplemente declaraba que el gobieron y el FBI ya no iban a ocultar sus actividades sino ejercer abiertamente, y no había nada que nadie pudiera hacer en contra."

Luego habló Matt sobre la diferencia entre las opresiones que enfrentan blancxs de clase obrera y comunidades de color, citándole a Stokely Carmichael: "Los blancos son explotados, pero otras comunidades son colonizadas. En este sentido, es el deber de lxs blancxs de darse cuenta que, según el locutor, "Éste es nuestro movimiento también." Sin embargo, señaló que es importante reconocer que tan fácil es que lxs blancxs aprovechen del privilegio que les otorga el color de su piel para evitar las consecuencias de su involucramiento en la política revolucionaria, mientras que para personas de color, no existe esa posibilidad.

Explicó Sherman que el interés que tuvo en él el FBI resultó de las acciones de un joven blanco que no tomó responsabilidad por poner instrucciones para fabricar bombas en un sitio de internet mantenido en el servidor de Sherman. A ésto se suma que fueron lxs mismxs activistas que más fuertemente hablaban de revolución que luego que sintieron la presión de los aparatos estatales, se volvieron informadores. "Cuando nos damos la espalda el uno al otro, eso destruye nuestro movimiento," resumió.

Ojore compartió que él había enfrentado una situación semejante en 1982, cuando un ex-Pantera Negra con un problema de drogadicción se hizo infromador, hecho que terminó con su aprehensión en manos del FBI y su encarcelamiento consecuente. Procedió su análisis del uso de drogas, en la que concluyó que es una forma contrarrevolucionaria de auto-opresión y que lxs revolucionarixs no deben usar drogas, y los que las usan deben buscar la ayuda de programas revolucionarios de antidroga.

Luego retó Mapache al público, que había estado reflexionando sobre la distinción entre progresismo y revolución, a que apoyaran presxs políticxs, ya que son ellxs que han tomado los pasos que otrxs no pudieron tomar y ahora ya están sufriendo por lo mismo. Matt relató la historia de Thomas Warner, un Pantera Negra encarcelado que cometió suicidio en la cárcel. "Parte de la razón por qué él se suicidó fue porque él no tenía ningún apoyo. Se sentía sólo. Fue alguien que era preso político, que todas las organizaciones de apoyo a presxs políticxs tenían en sus listas, pero ninguno de ellas sabía quien era este tipo. Nosotros nos enteramos dos años despues de su muerte. Dos años después. Y me hace pensar que si hubiera más personas trabajando el teme de presxs políticxs, tal vez una carta más le habría llegado, y le podría haber cambiado un tantito su mentalidad."

De allí destacó Benjamín algunos detalles de una exposición sobre presxs latinoamericanos proporcionada por Rodolfo Montes de Oca, un compañero venezolano del colectivo coordinador de la feria del libro e integrante del colectivo editorial de El Libertario. Por uno, Latinoamérica viene siendo la región del mundo con la mayor cantidad de anarquistas asesinadxs por actores estatales y paraestatales. También ha habido una resurgencia de actividad anarquista--principalmente en denuncia del socialismo falso adoptado por los gobiernos izquierdistas que actualmente predominan en el continente sudamericano. Estos anarquistas han sido reprimidos cruentamente y muchos han termindo en la cárcel. Entre ellos son Diego Sebastián Petrissans, Leandro Sebastián Morel, Cristián Cancino, Marcelo Villarroel, Freddy Fuentevilla, Axel Osorio, Asel Luzárraga, Matías Castro, Pablo Carvajal, Víctor Hernández Govea, Emmanuel Hernández Hernández, Abraham López Martínez, Fermín Gómez Trejo, y Sabino Romero, todos de los cuales necesitan solidaridad y apoyo.

En lo que el pánel sobre presxs políticxs acontecía, Kaley, integrante del colectivo anarcofeminista Anarcha-LA y coordinadora del cuidado de niños para la feria de libros, dio un taller sobre la crianza de niños para radicales. En otro salón pasó una película sobre abusos de trabajadores inmigrantes en la industria ovejera. En el balcón, Tom Wetzel y otros miembros de la Alianza Solidaridad Obrera presentó su organización a partícipes interesadxs. Afuera del Centro Artístico Juvenil del Parque Barnsdall, una plática sobre la salud y el veganismo fue asistida por más de 30 personas. "Logré hablar con un nutricionista anarcovegano quien me dio a saber las ventajas de la dieta y me ayudó a asegurar que estoy comiendo correctamente y que no iba a hacer daño a mi organismo, y me gustó bastante porque contestó todas mis preguntas," recalcó Francisco, un ex-estudiante originario de Santiago de Chile ya radicado en California que tuvo que retirarse de las clases por el incremento en las colegiaturas.

Durante la próxima hora se llenó por completo el teatro para el pánel sobre la resistancia indígena. Simultáneamente, Cindy Milstein compartió espacio con Andrew, miembro del Instituto por los Estudios Anarquistas y archivos anarquistas. También se mostró un documental sobre la criminalización de participantes de la rebelión de Oakland y se hizo una plática sobre anarquistas dentro de las profesiones de salud.

El pánel constó de Profesora Andrea Smith de la Nación Chéroqui, Alex Soto de la Nación Tohono O'odham, Mark y Jaime, tradicionalistas de la Nación Diné, y Klee Benally, también de la Nación Diné. Temas incluyeron la centralidad de los derechos indígenas a toda lucha por liberación, el muro fronterizo entre Estados Unidos y México, genocidio cultural, y el infoshop Táala Hooghan.

Afuera, Andrew habló de la importancia de los acervos anarquistas, mostrando ejemplos de materiales de los Anarchy Archives de Claremont. Enfatizó la necesidad de preservar nuestra propia historia y de apoyar la labor de archivistas de todo el mundo que conservan las evidencias de nuestra lucha. Su plática se alineó bien con la de Cindy sobre el Instituto por los Estudios Anarquistas. Ella alentó a lxs que estuvieron presentes que pidieran las becas que el Instituto otorga a escritores y traductores.

La película se trató de una revuelta que transpiró como respuesta al asesinato policial de Oscar Grant, de 22 años el primero de enero del año pasado. El proceso jurídico de Johannes Mehserle, acusado del crimen, ha sido trasladado a Los Ángeles, y activistas locales están siguiendo el proceso para afirmar el anhelo popular para justicia en el caso.

El último pánel, que abordó el tema de ocupaciones de obreros y estudiantes, tomó lugar durante la próxima hora. Sirena habló de ocupaciones de obreros en Argentina, mientras que Chris, Eowyn, Gifford, y Paul participaron en la discusión que se centró sobre recientes esfuerzos para oponer recortes presupuestarios en el sistema educativo público de California y para reclamar espacios estudiantiles.

Afuera, Ned encabezó un taller sobre la política radical de la comunidad LBGT, el cual deconstruyó los "-ismos" experimentados por miembros de dicha comunidad, mientras que Toi y Rebecca dirigieron un taller sobre el parto autónomo.

La última hora de talleres incluyó la gira de ¡Tierra Primera!, la muestra de una película sobre paros y ocupaciones, un taller sobre abolición carcelaria dirigido por el comité de Los Ángeles de Resistencia Crítica, y una mirada radical a la anatomía feminina por Pati, una partera.

A lo largo del día, conversaciones espontáneas y talleres improvisadas se realizaron. En un taller mécanico para bicicletas, se dieron lecciones sobre reparaciones a bicicletas. Illogic, artista canadiense de hip-hop del colectivo puño alzado y co-presentador con Testament , dio un taller de autodefensa. El comité de Long Beach de Comida No Bombas sirvió refrigerio provisto por el comité de Los Ángeles, y cuando ése se acabó, el comité guerrillero llegó para alimentar a lxs que seguían con hambre o que no alcanzaron a comprar los sopes veganos a la venta por Mariana y su familia. Un ecologista audaz, no desilusionado por la falta de trepado de árboles prometido en el volante, decidió simplemente trepar un árbol solito. Un artista de grafitti armó un lienzo y se puso a pintar. Al agrado del público, se rifó mercancía donada por vendedores y compañerxs. Músicos del folclor rebelde inspiraron a niños y sus padres a bailar. Y en todas partes, personas se platicaron, se conocieron, intercambiaron datos, y por supuesto, compraron.

Al tranquilizarse los eventos del día, se arregló un sistema de sonido. Los Outspoken Wordsmiths, otro grupo canadiense de hip-hop de gira con Illogic y Testament para promover resistencia a los juegos olímpicos del 2010, que se harán sobre terrenos ocupados del pueblo Salish ahora conocidos como Colombia Británica, estrenaron, y luego proveyeron un ritmo de beatbox para raperos del público. Después de la presentación, integrantes del colectivo coordinador de la feria del libro dieron gracias a lxs asistentes, vendedores, e invitadxs, en especial a lxs que vinieron de la lejanía, y luego abrieron el micrófono para anuncios. Éstos incluyeron mensajes sobre los proyectos de las Comunidades Revolucionarias Autónomas, la anual Marcha por Zapata en el Éste de Los Ángeles, y un pos-feria concierto en el Café Tribal. Por último, se pidió manos de obra para ayudar con la limpieza del parque. Todxs aportaron, ayudaron, y de volada se guardaron las mesas.

Si se puede reorganizar la sociedad como se organizó la feria del libro, seguro que podramos construir un mundo nuevo de las cenizas del antiguo.

Segunda parte: Acciones + Conversaciones + Intersecciones 2010: Segunda Anual Feria del Libro Anarquista (segunda parte) ____________________________

Al autor le gustaría extender sus agradecimientos a lxs integrantes del colectivo coordinador de la Feria del Libro Anarquista de Los Ángeles por su colaboración en este artículo.

Actions + Conversations + Intersections 2010: Second Annual Los Ángeles Anarchist Bookfair

Rockero — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

Sunday, January 24, 2010

HOLLYWOOD - For the second consecutive year, Los Angeles anarchists organized a bookfair, which, in addition to facilitating exchanges between vendors and literature-hungry readers, also provided an array of panel discussions, workshops, and most importantly, quality interactions with fellow activists in the liberation movement.

Actions + Conversations + Intersections 2010: Second Annual Los Ángeles Anarchist Bookfair

Rockero — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

Preparations began months ago, when members of the collective that organized last year's bookfair at the Southern California Library began holding meetings and seeking the input of other members of the community. The collective grew, and arrangements were made to hold this year's fair at the Barnsdall Art Park, a hilltop park with such amenities as a theater, an art gallery, and a grassy area with a sculpture garden. Potential speakers were discussed and contacted. A call was issued for workshop proposals, and applications came flooding in. Community events, such as film screenings and concerts were held to raise funds and awareness about the bookfair and about anarchism in general. At long last, the day arrived.

Rainy weather throughout the week alleviated worries about longstanding water scarcity issues drought to some extent, but raised concerns about the realization of the bookfair. Fortunately, however, Sunday morning saw crystalline sunlight and azure skies, a positive sign for a productive day.

Vendors and organizers started arriving at about nine, setting up tables, posting signs, plugging in extension cords, and tying up logistical loose ends. The dancers of Danza Azteca Cuauhtémoc began donning their headdresses and anklets in preparation for the opening ceremony. And the people started arriving: community activists, punk rockers, vegans, students, artists, parents, media activists, attorneys, indigenous people, travelers, and anarchists of all stripes.

The scent of copal filled the air as Danza Cuauhtémoc formally initiated the day's events with a ceremony traditionally associated with the planting of seeds, in hopes that the seeds of revolutionary consciousness would take root in the community. Thanks was given for the rain, and homage was paid to the indigenous caretakers of the land upon which we stood. Forgiveness was asked from the plants and animals for the human violations of their lives and homes. Finally, we were asked to share in the pain of the migrants who suffer and die as they brave borders, violence, and the elements in their quest for the dignity that should be guaranteed to us all. "These people are just like the hummingbirds, or the deer. They move also for economic reasons," intoned Judith, a leader among the dancers. "So we're no different."

Upon the conclusion of the ceremony, the crowd of spectators began milling about, some eager to attend the first workshops, others looking for food, while others began browsing the merchandise.

The first round of workshops included a talk on dual power and modern anarchism by Harjit and Adam W., a discussion on the German Autonomen movement, a pre-cursor of the black bloc, led by Raoul, and a presentation on anarchism and urban planning by Olympia, an urban planner. In the video room, the Revolutionary Autonomous Communities film We're Still Here, We Never Left, a documentary on the police attack on May Day protesters in MacArthur Park, was screened.

At the talk on dual power, to which other attendees contributed greatly, Harjit began by positing that, while anarchists ask the general population to abandon capitalism, we lack the infrastructure that would allow people to make that leap. Tom Wetzel of the Workers Solidarity Alliance went on to debunk some of the myths surrounding anarchist positions on power. "One of the weaknesses of anarchism historically was there was a lot of confusion about power. People say we're against power, but actually, the mass of people, the working class people, can't liberate itself without actually creating new structures of power to run things. To run the society, that's power. And I think the idea of popular power, power that's based on 'we're all equals,' self-managed kind of power, I mean, that's how I think of the replacement for the state and the corporations, and so on. But in terms of developping power now, it might be useful to distinguish between, like, social power that people build through movements that are engaged in confrontations, like shutting down workplaces. That means ordinary people are actually exercising power, some power. But it's power that comes about through struggle, through confrontation with the people that have power in this system. But if you're just running a collective, like of food distribution, that's not really power, that's collectively managing a resource. But I think that's different from social power. And the point you said about transition to the new society, we have to have things there that can make that transition, historically, that was part of the whole reason for syndicalism--you develop a working-class movement where we have in all the various workplaces, we have workers organized in revolutionary, self-managed workplace organizations or unions, so that in a transitional situation, they can take over the running of those workplaces and guarantee that we still have food and transportation and public utilities and so on."

During the next hour, the first of the panel discussions was held. Authors of anarchist texts, including Andrej Grubačić, the author of Wobblies and Zapatistas, Cindy Milstein, who penned the forthcoming Anarchist Aspirations, Mitchell Cowen Verter, editor of the Ricardo Flores-Magón reader Dreams of Freedom, and Gary Phillips, who produced The Jook, who shared insights about their works.

Meanwhile, a discussion was held about anti-fascist organizing in the Southern California area, which touched on the topics of recent Nazi activiy in the Inland Empire and current efforts to oppose the American Third Position Party, as well as issues of race within the antifascist movement and the historic anarchist opposition to fascism.

In the video room, a slide show of anarchist-themed posters from the holdings of the Center for the Study of Political Graphics was presented.

The next hour featured a panel presentation about political prisoners. Ojore Lutalo and Sherman Austin, both former political prisoners, shared the stage with Mapache, the moderator, Matt, an organizer with the Los Angeles chapter of the Anarchist Black Cross Federation, and Ben, who was discussing political prisoners in Latin America.

Before beginning the discussion, Mapache asked the audience to entertain a few questions as they listened. "Specifically for the white audience, do you view yourself as oppressed?" He based his definition of oppression on that of Julis Lester in the text Revolutionary Notes, copies of which were circulated amongst the audience. "Second question is for the entire audience, do you consider yourself a revolutionary or progressive?" Another pamphlet was distributed on this topic. "Third question, do you view drugs as revolutionary or counterrevolutionary?"

Ojore began: "I became politically active in the early 1970s after living a life of drugs and street crime. I went to prison, and I met the late New Afrikan anarchist Kuwasi Balagoon and other POW political prisoners. It was at least seven years later, then I joined the armed struggle, underground. I was captured in 1975 for an armed bank expropriation, engaging the police in a gun battle. Then I served 28 years in Trenton State Prison for my political activity, and I was released August 26th, 2009 by way of court order."

He continued with an update on the BLA: "Currently, the BLA is dormant, due to activities of COINTELPRO--currently Homeland Security. But you still have BLA prisoners in the prisons who aren't being supported who are in dire need of your support. For instance, Sekou Odinga just served 28 years in the federal system. He was transferred to New York State prison system several months ago. He is currently serving 20 years to life. His last hope for release is based on a pending action he has in court. He's in the process of trying to raise $5,000 to retain an attorney to assist him in his legal battle." He also discussed Sundiata Acoli, who will face the parole board next month, Herman Bell, and their need for support.

Sherman Austin, jailed for two years for being the webmaster of the revolutionary website raisethefist.com spoke next, discussing the tactics that were used against him. "It's kinda funny that it's the anniversary [of the FBI raid on his house] and it's the anarchist bookfair. I don't know if that was intentional, or just kind of happened to be. The type of tactics that were used were wiretaps, they monitored instant messenger conversations, e-mails, I had cars parked in front of my house, I was followed." He went on to clarify some of the common misconceptions about his case and the USA PATRIOT Act. "After all this went down, there was a lot of talk about how our civil liberties were being eroded because of the USA PATRIOT Act, but the fact of the matter is that all this stuff had been going on a lot longer before my case even started. The PATRIOT Act just put it out there and said, the government said, and the FBI said, 'We're just gonna do it, but we're not gonna do it under the cover anymore, we're not gonna do it under the rug, we're gonna do it out in front of everyone's face and there's nothing anyone can do about it.'"

Matt then spoke on the difference between oppressions faced by working-class whites and communities of color, quoting Stokely Carmichael: "Whites are exploited, but other communities are colonized." In this sense, it is incumbent upon whites in the movement to realize, as he put it, "this is our movement as well." Nonetheless, he pointed out, it is important to recognize how easy it is for whites to make use of their white skin privilege in order to avoid the consequences of their involvement in revolutionary politics, whereas people of color have no such recourse.

Sherman elaborated on the situation, explaining that the FBI's interest in him was the result of a young white man who failed to take responsibility for placing bomb-making instructions on a website that was hosted on Sherman's server. In addition, people involved in the movement that had bruited about the need for revolution were the first to become informants once state pressure was brought to bear upon them. "When we turn our backs on each other, that destroys our movement," he summarized.

Ojore shared that faced a similar situation in 1982, when a former Black Panther with a drug problem became an informant, which led to Ojore's apprehension by the FBI and his subsequent incarceration. He continued with an analysis of drug use, concluding that it is a counterrevolutionary form of self-oppression and that revolutionaries should not use drugs, and those that do, should seek the help of revolutionary substance abuse programs.

Mapache then challenged the audience, who had been pondering the question of the distinction between progressivism and revolution, to support political prisoners, since they are the ones who have taken steps that others were unwilling or unable to take and are now suffering for it. Matt shared the story of Thomas Warner, an incarcerated Black Panther who committed suicide in prison. "Part of the reason why he committed suicide was because of the fact that he didn't have support. He felt alone. This is somebody that was a political prisoner, that every single political prisoner support organization had on their list, but not a single one of them knew who this guy was. We found this out two years later after he died. Two years later. And it makes me think that if there were more people out there doing political prisoner work, maybe one more letter would've gotten to him, and it might've changed his mindset just a little bit."

Ben then shared some highlights from a report on political prisoners in Latin America provided by Rodolfo Montes de Oca, a Venezuelan comrade of the LA bookfair collective and a member of the editorial collective of El Libertario. For one, Latin America is the region of the world with the greatest number of anarchists assassinated by both state and para-state actors. There has also been an upsurge in anarchist activity--primarily to denounce the pseudo-socialism espoused by the left-wing governments currently dominating the continent, which has faced severe repression and resulted in numerous political prisoners. Among them are Diego Sebastián Petrissans, Leandro Sebastián Morel, Cristián Cancino, Marcelo Villarroel, Freddy Fuentevilla, Axel Osorio, Asel Luzárraga, Matías Castro, Pablo Carvajal, Víctor Hernández Govea, Emmanuel Hernández Hernández, Abraham López Martínez, Fermín Gómez Trejo, and Sabino Romero, all of whom are in need of solidarity and support.

While the political prisoners panel was being conducted, Kaley, a member of the Anarcha-feminist collective Anarcha-LA and the coordinator of childcare at the bookfair, gave a workshop on radical parenting, and elsewhere, a film on abuses of immigrant workers in the sheep industry was screened. On the balcony, Tom Wetzel and other members of the Workers Solidarity Alliance introduced curious attendees to their organization. Outside Barnsdall's Junior Arts Center, a talk on veganism and health was attended by more than thirty people. "I got to talk to an anarchist vegan dietician who let me know the perks of the diet, and making sure that I'm eating correctly and I'm not gonna end up doing harm to my body, and that was really cool because he answered a lot of my questions," said Francisco, a student from Santiago, Chile who recently unenrolled due to the high cost of tuition.

The next hour saw a packed theater for the panel on indigenous resistance. Simultaneously, Cindy Milstein shared space with Andrew, a member of the Institute for Anarchist Studies and anarchist archives, a film on the criminalization of the participants in the Oakland rebellion was screened, and there was a chat about anarchists and radicals in the health professions.

The panel was made up of Professor Andrea Smith from the Cherokee Nation, Alex Soto from the Tohono O'odham Nation, Mark and Jamie, traditionalists from the Diné Nation, and Klee Benally, also of the Diné Nation. Topics included the centrality of indigenous rights to any struggle for liberation, the border wall, cultural genocide, the Táala Hooghan infoshop.

Outside, Andrew spoke on the importance of anarchist archives, showing examples of materials from the Anarchy Archives in Claremont. He emphasized the need to preserve our own history and to support the work of archivists the world over who conserve the evidence of our struggle. His talk dovetailed neatly into Cindy on the Institute for Anarchist Studies. She encouraged those present to apply for the grants that the Institute issues to writers and translators.

The film concerned the rebellion that took place in response to the New Year's Eve police murder of 22-year-old Oscar Grant. The trial of Grant's murderer, Johannes Mehserle, has been moved to Los Angeles and local media activists are closely following the trial in order to facilitate the achievement of justice for Grant and his family.

The final panel, which was on worker and student occupations, took place during the next hour. Sirena spoke about workers' occupations in Argentina, while Chris, Eowyn, Gifford, and Paul took part in the discussion, most of which centered around recent efforts to oppose budget cuts in the California public education systems and to reclaim student spaces.

Outside, Ned led a talk on radical queer politics, which deconstructed the "-isms" experienced by queer and trans people, while Toi and Rebecca led a workshop on autonomous birthing.

The last set of workshops included the Earth First! roadshow, a screening of a film on strikes and occupations, a workshop on prison abolition led by the Los Angeles chapter of Critical Resistance, and a look at radical feminist anatomy by Pati, a doula.

Throughout the day, spontaneous conversations and impromptu workshops were held. At a makeshift bicycle garage, lessons on repair and maintenance were given. Illogic, a Canadian hip-hop artist from the raised fist collective and partner in rhyme of Testament , gave a self-defense workshop. The Long Beach chapter of Food not Bombs served food provided by the Los Angeles chapter, and when that ran out, the guerrilla chapter showed up to feed those of us who were still hungry or had not gotten any of the vegan sopes being sold by Mariana and her family. An intrepid environmentalist, not to be let down by the absence of tree-climbing promoted on the flyer, decided to simply take matters into his own hands. A graf artist set up a canvas and did live painting. At some point, goods donated by vendors and comrades were raffled off, elating the prizewinners. Rebel folk musicians inspired children and their parents to dance. And everywhere, people chatted, got to know one another, traded contact info, and of course, shopped.

As the events began dying down, a microphone was set up. The Outspoken Wordsmiths, another Canadian hip-hop group who is touring with Testament and Illogic to promote resistance to the 2010 Olympic Games, which are to be held on the occupied Salishan territories known today as British Columbia, performed, and then beatboxed under the freestylings of various members of the audience. After the performance, members of the bookfair collective gave thanks to the attendees, vendors, and guests, particularly those who came great distances, and opened the microphone up for announcements. These included messages regarding RAC's programs, the upcoming March for Zapata in East Los Angeles, and an afterparty/concert held at the Tribal Café. Finally, a request was made for clean-up support. Everyone did their share, lent a hand, and packed up the tables in no time at all.

If we can reorganize the society in the same way we organized the bookfair, then we can surely build a new world from the ashes of the old.

More pictures: Actions + Conversations + Intersections 2010: Second Annual Los Ángeles Anarchist Bookfair (part 2) __________________________________

The author would like to thank the members of the Los Angeles Anarchist Bookfair Collective for their support in the composition of this article.

OJORE LUTALO ARRESTED GOING HOME FROM LA ANARCHIST BOOKFAIR

1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

Ojore Lutalo arrested in Colorado on his way home from LA Anarchist Bookfair I received word from LA ABCF that Ojore Lutalo (former Black Liberation Army political prisoner/pow and New Afrikan Anarchist) was pulled off the Amtrak train on his way home to New Jersey from speaking at the LA Anarchist Bookfair. He was charged with endangering public transportation in Colorado. His bail is set to 10,000 dollars. Currently there is an effort to bail him out. Contact Mapache from LA ABCF at mapachinabc@gmail.com

Audio from the 2nd Annual Los Angeles Anarchist Bookfair (part 2)

Rockero — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

Sunday, January 24, 2010

HOLLYWOOD - For the second consecutive year, Los Angeles anarchists organized a bookfair, which, in addition to facilitating interactions between vendors and literature-hungry readers, also provided an array of panel discussions, workshops, and most importantly, quality interactions with fellow activists in the liberation movement.

Videos from the L.A. Anarchist Bookfair

anarcho paparazzi — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

Aztec Dancers L.A. Anarchist Bookfair

Vendors / L.A. Anarchist Bookfair

Animal Rights Lawyer / L.A. Anarchist Bookfair

Christine / L.A. Anarchist Bookfair

D'Angelo / L.A. Anarchist Bookfair

Scott / L.A. Anarchist Bookfair

Political Prisoners Panel / L.A. Anarchist Bookfair

Jade / L.A. Anarchist Bookfair

Audio from the 2nd Annual Los Angeles Anarchist Bookfair

Rockero with support from A — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

Anarchist Book Fair short report & photos

1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

More than a book fair the event included workshops, film screenings, bike repair, yoga, vegan cooking demonstrations, native plant gardening and much more. There were so many workshops and tables that is was impossible to see it all. This reporter attended the Indigenous Resistance Panel comprised of a group that had traveled from Flagstaff, Arizona. It was inspiring to hear stories from this panel of the continuing resistance to a foreign occupation that is now over 500 years long. (audio from this panel to follow in separate post). The panel discussion touched on many issues including: the border wall, relations between the indigenous people’s right movement and the struggle for immigrants rights, the concept of settler privilege, and methods of resistance. Uploaded are some photos from the fair. See you next year.

KPFK/KPFA/Pacifica/Free Speech Radio News Send their Middle Finger to Senior Citizens

Hymie — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

Under both the House and Senate Health Care bills, senior citizens get screwed royally. See Government Care's Assault on Seniors. At a press conference on July 22, 2009, Obama stated his intentions for Medicare: "The opening statement made only one mention of the 47 million people now without health insurance, and did not repeat Obama's election campaign promises of universal coverage. Instead, he spoke almost exclusively about the need to slash spending on medical care, particularly on the federal Medicare and Medicaid programs which underwrite health care for the elderly, the disabled and the poor." "`The biggest driving force behind our federal deficit is the skyrocketing cost of Medicare and Medicaid,' he said. `So let me be clear: If we do not control these costs, we will not be able to control our deficit.'" "`I have also pledged that health insurance reform will not add to our deficit over the next decade, and I mean it,' he added, pointing to a plan to `create an independent group of doctors and medical experts who are empowered to eliminate waste and inefficiency in Medicare on an annual basis.'" See Obama press conference: Evasions and lies on plan to slash health care for workers In his Sept. 9, 2009, speech to Congress, Obama said: "Reducing the waste and inefficiency in Medicare and Medicaid will pay for most of this plan." See Remarks by the President to a Joint Session of Congress on Health Care This claim is nonsense on its face. Also see Democrats pledge more cuts in Medicare to fund Obama's health care overhaul Continuing a long patten, the Monday news report said nothing of how Obamacare would screw senior citizens. This omission made clear again indifference of both Pacifica and Washington Democrats for senior citizens. The post-Massachusetts election chatter both right and noted the issue of health care there but conveniently overlooked the fact Obamcare there would directly and immediately affect only senior citizens. State law there now requires residents to buy private health coverage. The Massachusetts health care voters who turned out for Brown were senior citizens, and the anger there reflected what Obama seeks to do to Medicare. Pacifica and FSRN consistently recognize and support identity politics for practically every group there is. But for them, senior citizens don't exist. From the beginning of this republic, senior citizens have always shown up in disproportionate numbers at the ballot box and, since Roosevelt, have voted Democratic. Obama's starting a fight with high turnout, Democratic base voters and turning them into opponents of his health plan must rank as one of the most stupid political moves in the history of this country, unless cutting Medicare and screwing seniors was a object of the exercise from the beginning. If that were true, the assault on seniors would make sense. However, Congressmen or Senators on the ballot this November might care to disagree. As the Pacifica winter fund raising season comes, Pacifica should remember that senior citizens also make donations in disproportionate numbers and should consider the morals of the Massachusetts election against starting class battles with senior citizens.

Nazi Holocaust Deniers Move to Fountain Valley

SoCal AntiFa — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

IHR lease a building at 10605 Lawson River Ave, Fountain Valley, CA 92708 (714)593-9725 from Hunsaker Development Company (714)962-5557 under the name LSF,Inc. (Legion of the Survival of Freedom). Hunsaker Property Management corporate number is (949)863-1390 call this company and ask them why they are leasing a building to Nazis, Holocaust deniers and Jew haters.

EARTH FIRST ORGANIZERS' CONFERENCE and WINTER RENDEZVOUS

Winter Rondy — 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z

The Earth First! Organizers’ Conference (OC) and Winter Rendezvous (Rondy) will be held in the beautiful mountains of Santa Barbara. Traditionally, this conference is a time for members of radical environmental campaigns to come together to discuss ideas and strategies, ideally creating a stronger, more unified front. We expect this year’s gathering to help connect and strengthen existing campaigns within the movement, as well as look at how current social and political trends impact the biosphere in increasingly devastating ways. We hope the conference will inform and inspire new comrades to join the struggle in defense of the Earth—along with eating good food and doing a bunch of hootin’ and hollerin’! The Earth First! Organizers’ Conference (OC) and Winter Rendezvous (Rondy) will be held in the beautiful mountains of Santa Barbara. Traditionally, this conference is a time for members of radical environmental campaigns to come together to discuss ideas and strategies, ideally creating a stronger, more unified front. We expect this year’s gathering to help connect and strengthen existing campaigns within the movement, as well as look at how current social and political trends impact the biosphere in increasingly devastating ways. We hope the conference will inform and inspire new comrades to join the struggle in defense of the Earth—along with eating good food and doing a bunch of hootin’ and hollerin’! We are encouraging folks to show up on Thursday, February 11 to help get things started on time. Friday and Saturday, February 12 and 13 will be the OC section of this year’s gathering. Critiques of current campaigns and ideas for future projects will be discussed throughout these two days. All EF!ers are welcome to join in on critical analysis of our radical movement. The Winter Rendezvous will take place on Sunday and Monday, February 14 and 15, with the night to howl kicking up the desert dust on Saturday night. This will be a time for folks to show off their skits, musical numbers, poetry and other creative acts. Proposed workshops: challenging oppression within the EF! movement, radical mycology, radical astrology, plant walks, bird walks, carbon markets, radical culinary arts, first aid, tree climbing, backwoods stealth and wilderness survival, conducting bioregional roundups, doing direct action trainings, learning acupressure techniques, massage, nutrition and discussing consent and accountability. Discussion points for the Winter Rendezvous: strategy sessions on attacking infrastructure, discussions on integrating climbing into our actions, confronting green capitalism and eco-fascism, thoughts on improving security culture, support for Earth and animal liberation prisoners, and anti-oppression work within EF!. Anyone interested in heading up a workshop, skill share or discussion should contact us at EFinSB [at] gmail.com. There is still time to make this gathering what you want it to be. Among things you should consider bringing are clothing for very warm and very cold temperatures, RAIN GEAR, food and water for the communal kitchen and yourself, friends, sleeping bags, an appetite for action, tarps and musical instruments and climbing gear. Chaparral gets relatively hot during the day, and temperatures can drop to freezing at night. It’s also very dry here. So, staying hydrated is extremely important. If you want to bring any animal companions, please contact us so that we can make arrangements. Excellent security culture is expected from all participants in the Rendezvous. This is because the state may be actively hunting for some of our friends and comrades and seeking to incriminate others. This can include anyone anywhere regardless of their actions or ideology. There will be workshops to encourage and share excellent SC practices and make us all feel safer. Things to know beforehand include: Don’t do illegal things, or tell others to, or talk about it around cellphones, mp3, laptops, or any other devices. Respect other people’s names (and pronouns!) and make up your own. It’s fun. Security culture is not an excuse to be unfriendly! Conflict Mediation and a Safe Place for All: This summer, the mediation team discussed how having a special chill space for folks would be beneficial for everyone’s mental health. We are planning on having a special area devoted to that at the gathering. The space will include an assortment of tools and resources to help earthfirsters relax and regain focus. There will be books available on stretching, yoga, acupressure and different types of massage. Zines on mediation, support, communication and mental health will also be at your fingertips. Oh yeah, tea anyone? If that’s your fancy, you can find it there! We will also have mediation team members available throughout the gathering to listen and help resolve conflicts and listen. We recognize that people may be coping with an assortment of things (grief, loss, addictions), and we want you to know we are there for you. Anti-Oppression Check-in: We want to create a space where folks feel safe, mentally and physically. We want to challenge all forms of oppression and encourage everyone to speak up against language and behavior that reinforces domination. Please be conscious of how much space you are taking up. For better sex, we encourage everyone to practice consent with each other. Self-care should be your top priority. We ask you to first try to address concerns that arise with the folks who are present, and then seek out a mediation team member if you need help. Check us out online at 2010oc.org. If you haven’t been to a Rondy before and would like to see what they’re like, check out past Beltane issues of the EF! Journal for report-backs. The 2010oc website will include a ride board to help folks figure out travel plans. We hope to see a bunch of old friends and a gigantic bunch of new ones! Santa Barbara is part of the most awesome bioregion in the Universe! So come on down and see why! EARTH FIRST! http://2010oc.org

LA IMC

Judith Halberstam lecture: "Homosexuality and Fascism"

Paul Robeson play for L.A. 19-21 Feb

Medics, Mediators, Cooks etc. still needed for EARTH FIRST! OC/WR in SB Feb. 11-15!!!

Protest at the Southwest Museum, its Future More Uncertain

ORGANIZACIONES COMUNITARIAS DEMANDAN A LA CIUDAD DE COSTA MESA POR VIOLAR DERECHOS DE TRAB

CBS Studios Protest: Stop Anti-Choice Super Bowl Ad this Friday

2/9 Picket Of Tesla LA Dealership & 2/10 Bell Worker/Community Forum-Speakout

Aviva Chomsky lecture:"Rethinking Labor and Environmental Histories"

Superbowl checkpoints / Retenes este fin de semana (4-7/feb/2010)

Queer Democrats Split on 79th Assembly District Race

U.S. citizens arrested for asking Oaxaca governor about Brad Will's murder

SUPPORT OJORE LUTALU / POLITICAL PRISONERS THIS FRIDAY FEB 5TH!

Announcing the Opening of a LA Area Anarchist Twitter for Regional Anarchist Happenings

People's CORE Successfully Ends Relief and Fund Drive

Checkpoints this weekend (29-31/jan/2010) / Retenes este fin de semana (29-31/ene/2010)

Call out for Workshops at an Anarchist Picnic

Ojore Lutalo Update and Support

Howard Zinn Tribute Thursday Feb. 4th at Santa Monica Art Museum

Fernando Lopez: Marriage Equality Activist Looks to the Future

Acciones + Conversaciones + Intersecciones 2010: Segunda Anual Feria del Libro Anarquista

Acciones + Conversaciones + Intersecciones 2010: Segunda Anual Feria del Libro Anarquista

Actions + Conversations + Intersections 2010: Second Annual Los Ángeles Anarchist Bookfair

Actions + Conversations + Intersections 2010: Second Annual Los Ángeles Anarchist Bookfair

OJORE LUTALO ARRESTED GOING HOME FROM LA ANARCHIST BOOKFAIR

Audio from the 2nd Annual Los Angeles Anarchist Bookfair (part 2)

Videos from the L.A. Anarchist Bookfair

Audio from the 2nd Annual Los Angeles Anarchist Bookfair

Anarchist Book Fair  short report & photos

KPFK/KPFA/Pacifica/Free Speech Radio News Send their Middle Finger to Senior Citizens

Nazi Holocaust Deniers Move to Fountain Valley

EARTH FIRST ORGANIZERS' CONFERENCE and WINTER RENDEZVOUS

Anarchist Book Fair short report & photos