Los Angeles Indymedia : Activist News

This month, two organizations, CAPSL and several local Green Parties, will host striker benefit screenings of Salt of the Earth, a film inspired by the zinc strikers of Silver City, NM. Produced in the McCarthy era by blacklisted Hollywood workers, the filmmakers took a radical step and had the striking miners and their families play themselves. Additionally, the film explored race relations between Chicanos and Anglos at a time when anti-immigrant sentiment had increased to a fever pitch during WW2 and afterward.

Background information on the film.

The screenplay.

The legendary Koo's Art Cafe, which recently moved to Long Beach, needs help to keep their permit to put on live events. Koo's originally started in Santa Ana as a nonprofit arts space that hosted music events, and was the hub of the OC youth activist scene. Last year, they re-opened in Long Beach to fill a much needed void for progressive entertainment, as well as provide a social space for visual and performance artists. According to Koo's reporters, the LBPD has reported erroneous info to the City, and the venue is now faced with revocation of their license. They request your presence in support of community based arts and social space.

Tuesday, January 5th at 6PM. Read the story for details.

This harrassment at Koo's follows in a pattern established by the LBPD over the past three years in the wake of the May Day 2001 police riots. Elements in the Long Beach PD have consistently harrassed activists, particularly anarchist activists who started social projects and opened public arts and cultural spaces within the city. Back when the Long Beach Infoshoppe was operating, participants were targeted for surveillance, and local youth who looked "punk rock" were acosted by police and asked if they were affiliated with the project.

Historically, Long Beach has been a center for working class student activists, drawn to the area by Cal State Long Beach and LBCC, as well as the vibrant grassroots city life and low rents. Past nonprofit projects there included the first Food Not Bombs in California, the SST performance space, Puvunga Native American village site defense, Sierra Club Harbor activist projects, and ILWU and other labor actions at the docks.

Michelle Shocked, Lowen and Navarro Hold Benefit for Grocery Workers @ Kulak's Woodshed

Kulak's is another non-profit arts venue, located in North Hollywood, on Laurel Canyon Blvd. north of Magnolia. Tuesday night, they're featuring Michelle Shocked in a small show to benefit the strikers. Kulak's Woodshed's Calendar.

This article lists numerous incidences where the President was prevented from being exposed to signs of dissent. Protesters are penned like sheep, into "free speech zones" where they have the freedom to speak, but into a silent void where their speech goes unheard. This technique of crowd control has been used at many major public events for the past decade allegedly to keep peace. Protesters, often not aware of the repercussions of their complicity, go along with whatever the police prescribe.

People who resist are arrested, and released, but only after their opportunity to speak has passed.