Los Angeles Indymedia : Activist News

This year Columbus Day was protested at several locations in Southern California. In Santa Barbara, AIM (American Indian Movement) Southern California organized its third annual demonstration ( "Challenging The Myth Of Columbus") at the Dolphin Fountain at the foot of Stern's Wharf. Prior to that, activists visited other locations of historical significance: Precidio and De La Guerra. Participants were able to articulate their views of Columbus to the media: An Anti-Columbus Day Rally Stirs Up a Lot of Heat (video). There was talk of a Columbus "hanging" at Cal State Puvungna/Long Beach; and at the San Juan Capistrano Mission, the 10th annual Columbus Day protest was held. (Usually on Columbus Day, other actions like banner drops on freeway overpasses occur throughout Southern California, but at the time of this writing, none had been reported this year.)

The 10th annual protest at Mission San Juan Capistrano on Wednesday October 12 was well-attended and lively. About an hour into the demonstration, this author did a rough count of 28 participants, who occupied all corners of the intersection. There was a lot of road traffic and pedestrians, surprising considering it was the middle of a weekday. A large group of uniformed school children passed us several times before entering the mission. Many of the students seemed curious about the protest signs.

Article and photos: Columbus Day Protested in Southern California by RP | Photos of Columbus Day Protest: Mission San Juan Capistrano by Isabel Avilla

CALIFORNIA STATEWIDE, October 18, 2011 - Of the 1100 prisoners in the SHU in Pelican Bay State Prison, over 500 have been literally buried alive in the SHU, entombed, for over 10 years; 78 for over 20 years.

Prisoners at Pelican Bay and other state prisons have rebelled against all this; for 20 days in July and now for 19 days, from September 26 to October 14, upwards of 12,000 courageous prisoners have carried out a hunger strike.

The prisoners stopped eating, risked their lives, and made their just and reasonable demands to end long term solitary confinement and torture, and snatched the initiative from the prison authorities, spotlighting a towering crime that has been for far too long covered up.

Full Story: Torture Is Unacceptable, Step Up the Struggle to Stop It! by Keith James

LOS ANGELES, October 17, 2011 - This past Saturday, October 15th was the day of coordinated worldwide actions in support of the Occupy Movement. Over the weekend more encampments began forming in cities throughout Southern California. In Los Angeles Robert Stuart Lowden reports: An eclectic crowd marched thru downtown starting at Pershing Square surging thru the financial district and on down to the occupied lawn of Los Angles city hall. Cries of "Make the banks pay" and "Banks Got Bailed out We Got Sold out" rang throughout the march.

Demonstrations also took place in Riverside, San Diego, Orange County, Santa Barbara and Long Beach.

In San Diego Mark Conlan reports: Despite attacks by police wielding pepper spray and Mace, confiscation of their possession and a series of threats to evict them forcibly from the Civic Center Plaza, over 1,000 members and supporters of Occupy San Diego reclaimed their downtown space

In Riverside Rockero reports: Just under 100 people of conscience successfully held the pedestrian walkway of the downtown mall, despite police threats of arrest for those determined to sleep in the public thoroughfare.

Reports from the Newswire: We are the 99% World Day of Awareness is a Peaceful Peak for Los Angeles, Set 1, Set 2, Set 3 by Robert Stuart Lowden | Pix of Occupy LA by Rick Panna | Occupy San Diego Draws Thousands Downtown Oct. 15 by Mark Gabrish Conlan | Occupy Riverside Official Launch October 15, 2011 by Rockero

UPDATE Latest News:

Police Crack Down on Long Beach Encampment, Two Arrests Reported, MP3 Audio: The 99 Percent Solution by James Maverick

Police Harass Peaceful Occupiers in Downtown Riverside By Rockero

The occupation of Wall Street, which has turned into an international movement, has prompted much discussion about political and economics systems and possible alternatives to the current ones. However, there has also been critical discourse about the movement itself, its defining characteristics (the slogans, the declaration and principles of solidarity, the imagery, the general assembly, the people's mic, etc.) and the role of race, class, and gender within the movement. LA Indymedia has gathered some of these perspectives from our newswire, social media, and the blogosphere and present them here for further discussion.

From the newswire: Occupying LaLa Land by Federica Lorca

From the social media: Some Thoughts on Last Night's Occupy L.A. General Assembly by Víctor EntrePuertas | | Reflections on Occupy LA, Wall St. and Bel air by Paulina | | Occupy Riverside You Need the Integrated Participation of Womyn of Color! by TepilliUelia Gloria

From the blogosphere: Some thoughts on the Occupation Movement by Joaquin Cienfuegos | | A todos nuestros familiares y compañero s en la lucha / To all our families and companeros in the struggle by RAC-LA

LOS ANGELES, October 8, 2011 - The Occupy LA site at Los Angeles City Hall was visited twice yesterday by Dr. Cornel West and PBS star Tavis Smiley. Friday was the seventh day of the occupation that sprung from the Occupy Wall Street actions in New York City.

West and Smiley inspired the rally and buoyed their hopes by articulating what they were seeing on their American Poverty Tour as well as their stops at other "Occupy " sites. West stressed that the people gathered at Los Angeles City Hall were of a highly diverse group which is contrary to the picture being painted by the mainstream and right wing press which is portraying the movement as fringe , confused and young. As this reporter looked around the crowd and the encampment, West's view was confirmed. There was consensus, diversity, sharing and intelligence.

From the Newswire: Smiley and West Buoy the 99 % at Occupy LA Rally by Robert Stuart Lowden