Los Angeles Indymedia : Activist News

CARPINTERIA, California (March 16, 2009) – On Tuesday, March 17, the school board of Carpinteria, California will meet to vote whether or not to rescind their own 2008 decision to remove all imagery that stereotypes Native American peoples from Carpinteria High School. The town of Carpinteria is staging the meeting in such a way as to intimidate the Native people choosing to participate. (photo of Eli Cordero by Paul Wellman)

Details: Carpinteria votes on reinstatement of racist mascot by AIM-West

Update: Last night, the school board of Carpinteria voted 3-2 to retain the mascot. The nearly three-hour-long meeting was heated, and at one point was interrupted by violence just outside the building's entrance. At the time of this writing, details of this incident were unknown. As soon as the board's decision was announced, opponents of the mascot promised, "We will be back."

In a crucial attempt to protect a densely populated Latino neighborhood in Los Angeles, environmental justice advocates and community residents filed an appeal in court on March 3, 2009, seeking to overturn a decision to build luxury homes on a fragile hillside in El Sereno. The development on Elephant Hill would endanger residents and strip the community of its last open space.

“The community of El Sereno needs parks and open spaces, not McMansions,” said Tim Grabiel, project attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). “Elephant Hill is a greedy project pushed forward by developers at the risk of jeopardizing the health and safety of residents and the environment.”

Story: Groups Appeal Elephant Hill Ruling by Hugo Garcia

February 2, 2009: Another demonstration took place outside the Forever 21 in Old Town Pasadena. The turnout was even higher than the previous action of December 13, 2008. One demonstrator reported giving a leaflet to someone entering the store. This person looked at the flier, turned around, and exited. Many other passersby showed interest. Participants were asked to contact other Forever 21 outlets (see the list following this article) to remind them of the boycott.

Story and photos: Actions Against Forever 21 Continue by RP

SAN DIEGO, February 13, 2009 - The situation for medical marijuana users is loosening up just about everywhere in the country — or at least in the 13 states that have laws allowing it — except in San Diego County and elsewhere in southern California. That was the message Don Duncan, California director of the nationwide organization Americans for Safe Access (ASA), brought to the local ASA chapter in San Diego February 10. For years medical marijuana users have been bedeviled by federal raids ever since the U.S. Supreme Court’s rulings in 2001 and 2005 that state medical pot laws didn’t protect patients, caregivers and growers from federal anti-drug law enforcement — but, said Duncan, the Obama administration has sent signals that these raids may soon end. Full Story: S.D. Cracks Down on Medical Pot as Feds Loosen Up by Mark Gabrish Conlan

UPDATE: Crack Down Continues - Medical Marijuana Caregiver Convicted of Drug Dealing by Mark Gabrish Conlan

Join the Los Angeles Independent Media Center, the Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance (KIWA), and Cinebang! for a screening of Humble Beauty, an hour-long documentary that tells the stories of a group of talented homeless and formerly-homeless men and women who create art -- fine art painting -- in the worst area of LA, known as "skid row."

It’s also about the ubiquity of art in human life. People strive to make art, no matter how humble the circumstances.

KIWA will also display work by artists featured in the film. The exhibition will begin March 5 and continue until Tuesday, March 10th.
LA IMC Calendar: Humble Beauty Screening and Art Show