Los Angeles Indymedia : Activist News

Outdoor public events in the City of Los Angeles have always been unpredictable and the history of May Day events over the years is no exception to this. Early reports of Friday’s May Day events indicate that this year was festive and free of police violence experienced in past years.

There were multiple May Day marches and events this year in the Los Angeles area on Friday. There were also dozens of high school student walkouts in East LA and many local community marches throughout the Southern California region.

One Indymedia reporter with one of downtown marches reported a very positive and festive march with a wide diversity of people and a great youth turnout. The crowds cheered as student walkout marches from local high schools joined the main march. Another reporter in Riverside estimates 500 people demonstrated at Riverside City Hall. Local grassroots groups and union locals together with UCR students made up the Riverside demonstration.

From the Newswire: May Day 2009 on Broadway a photo essay by William John Cox | | Timeline of call ins to the LA-IMC newsroom | | Cell Phone Photos from Downtown March | | Downtown LA May Day Protests by Robert Stuart Lowden | | Echo Park March: May Day 2009 Pics, pt-1 | | May Day 2009 Pics pt2 | |VIDEO:¡Fuera La Pinche Migra! video by Que chido no

Reports from Riverside: May 1, 2009 Riverside Immigrants Rights/Labor Rights march and rally by Flowerguerrilla | | May Day 2009, Riverside, Part 1 & Part 2 by Rockero | | The Inland Empire Marches on May Day by Jennaya Dunlap | | Impressive May Day in Riverside by Kevin Akin || VIDEO: May Day march in Riverside by Mateo Owen

There are numerous events planned throughout the region for this year’s May Day. A march and demonstration in front of the main Los Angeles ICE detention facility in Downtown Los Angeles is planned and is expected to be sizeable. There are also many feeder marches from local communities such as Echo Park planning to rally downtown in the late afternoon. In Riverside a march on City Hall under the banner: Día Internacional del Trabajo has been called by local community organizers and there are dozens of similar such events planned throughout the Southern California area.

Latest from the Newswire: Workers' Day-May Day- Primero de Mayo- Dia de los Trabajadores | | May Day March for Immigrants Rights An interview with Ron Gochez of the Southern California Immigration Coalition, the Unión del Barrio, and member of the Association of Raza Educators by Brian Elerding | | EPCC STATEMENT FOR MAY 1 RALLY IN LA| | ALL OUT IN THE STREET! May Day 2009 National Immigrant Workers Mobilization! by Lee Siu Hin

On April 25, supporters of the South Central Farm held their third demonstration outside Forever 21 in Old Town Pasadena. (Background information can be found here.) The turnout was high: between 20 and 30 people, and the demonstrators were vocal and lively. . . .

This campaign is country-wide. However, not all of Forever 21's stores have the same name (even within Southern California). The names tend to be variations on Forever 21, like Forever Fabulous.

Report back and photos: Never Forever 21: Round 3 by RP

April 21, 2009 CLAREMONT, California--About 100 activists, college students, and community members gathered Monday for the anarchist activist conference at Pitzer College. The conference was titled "The Resistance is Not Silent," and topics of discussion included the environment, the internet, immigrant rights, urban planning, poetry, bicycling, the anti-war anti-hunger network of collectives Food not Bombs, and non-violence. The event also included vegan food, music, and tables where vendors accepted donations for literature and t-shirts. Full report: The Resistance is Not Quiet: 2009 Anarchist Activist Conference by Rockero || Audio: The Resistance is Not Quiet: 2009 Anarchist Activist Conference (audio) with one speech by an activist from CAROB and another by Food Not Bombs co-founder Keith McHenry

Monday, April 20 2009
CLAREMONT, California-- Despite the right wing's efforts at deception and obfuscation, pro-immigrant, pro-human rights, anti-racist, and community activists organized strong opposition to the arrival of anti-immigrant extremist Jim Gilchrist to our neighborhood. It was no coincidence that the speech was set to take place on April 20, the biggest "holiday" of the year for white supremacists. Full report: This is a hate-free city: Minutemen founder persona non grata by Rockero

RELATED: Youth arrested and brutalized for protesting a checkpoint by Carlos