Los Angeles Indymedia : Activist News

On Thursday, May 8, the Ad-Hoc Working Group for Haiti launched a weekly vigil outside the Brazilian consulate in Beverly Hills for the return of Haitian human rights activist Lovinsky Pierre-Antione. A weekly fast, begun last November and practiced around the world, continues.
Story/photos: A Weekly Vigil is Launched for Haiti and Kidnapped Human Rights Activist by Ross Plesset

Update: (5-15-08) Today was our second weekly vigil. Seven of us held our banner and signs and talked to pedestrians about the issue. There were lengthy and interesting conversations, and people signed our petition. Many of us continue to fast each week.

Update: (6-12-08) For over a month now, we have been standing here each week with signs and banners. Today, nine of us turned out. Passing motorists seemed especially enthusiastic--even the double-decker Starline Tour buses honked. Pedestrians stopped and asked to learn more about the issue, and we got more signatures on our petition.

Update: (6-26-08) Today we held a large photo of Don White along with our usual signs. Don was an organizer of this vigil--the banner pictured above was his idea. Also, Wilson, a colleague of Lovinsky's, called from Haiti at his own expense to express his regret about Don. Seven of us were present.

LOS ANGELES, May 2, 2008 -- May Day demonstrations and marches were held throughout the region yesterday. Two marches converged downtown at 5th and Broadway in the late afternoon. An estimated 8,000 to 10,000 people took part in the downtown demonstrations. Although not as large as the past two years the marches were described as festive and high spirited. Immigrant rights was the primary focus of the demonstration, but other issues such as the Iraq war were featured as well.

Scattered student walkouts and sit outs also took place at a number of local high schools. Dockworkers at the port of Los Angeles staged a one day strike that halted port operations for the day. The dockworkers' strike, which included all west coast ports, was called by the workers to protest the continuing US war on Iraq. Reports from the newswire: Workers/Immigrants March Rally in LA on May 1 by AJLPP | | Venice High School Students Walk out of Class by Marcus | | May Day Time Line by LA-IMC

PHOTOS: Marcha Primero de Mayo by Oliver Santana
VIDEO: ¡Afuera Con La Migra! May Day Video by Que Chido

From Democracy Now: Report on dockworkers' strike
In related news: Did Google Block ILWU Web Page?

LOS ANGELES, April 30, 2008 -- Environmental activists from AmazonWatch with support from the LA Greens and other local groups paid a visit to Occidental Petroleum's corporate headquarters today. Dressed up in Haz Mat uniforms demonstrators staged a mock toxic clean up outside the Oxy building in Westwood.

Activists are demanding that Oxy pay for the clean up of an area of the Amazon home to the Achuar people. Oxy is blamed for the poisoning of an entire ecosystem that the Achuar depend on for their survival. Today's demonstration was the first of two planned for this week. The next protest will be held at Oxy's shareholders meeting this Friday, May 2nd at 9am at the Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica.From the Newswire: AmazonWatch Clean Up Crew Hits Occidental Petroleum Headquarters | | PHOTOS - From Oxy Protest | | "This is What a Clean-Up Looks Like!" by RP | | MP3 AUDIO Protest at Occidental Petroleum Headquarters by A

In a major step for the U.S. labor movement, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) has announced that it will shut down West Coast ports on May 1, to demand an immediate end to the war and occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Middle East. In a February 22 letter to AFL-CIO president John Sweeney, ILWU International president Robert McEllrath reported that at a recent coast-wide union meeting, "One of the resolutions adopted by caucus delegates called on longshore workers to stop work during the day shift on May 1, 2008 to express their opposition to the war in Iraq."

From the newswire: ILWU to Shut Down West Coast Ports May 1 Demanding End to War in Iraq, Afghanistan by Internationalist Group
More on: KPFK's Beneath the Surface (4/28/08 at 5:45 pm)
Also: VERMONT AFL-CIO CALLS ON WORKERS TO SUPPORT WEST COAST SRIKE AGAINST WAR by Vermont AFL-CIO

On Wednesday April 30 and Friday May 2, there will be demonstrations against L.A.-based Occidental Petroleum over pollution and illness caused by nearly 30 years of oil sdrilling in the Peruvian Amazon. The first event, a mock clean-up will take place at the company's headquarters, the second will be outside the annual shareholder's meeting. According to Amazon Watch, Occidental Petroleum is sensitive to this kind of publicity. (Photo at right by Adam Goldstein.) Full story: Two Upcoming Events to Expose Pollution, Sickness in Peru Caused by Occidental Petroleum by RP Announcements: Wednesday event Friday event