Los Angeles Indymedia : Activist News

Monday, January 19, 2009 - As the final hours of the Bush-Cheney regime draw nearer millions around the world are breathing a collective sign of relief that they survived the Bush-Cheney era. The one word Obama campaign slogan: Hope, is still the operative word in the minds of the public. The crowds at the 2009 inauguration are expected to break all records with perhaps over 3 million people lining the parade route. Not in recent history as a president entered the office with expectations so high.

Corporate media has transformed the event from an inauguration into a coronation. The pre-inaugural hype now resembles that of the Rose Parade or a Super Bowl game. The voices of alternative viewpoints lost in the spectacle of the parade and tournament. With the news that KPFK, a major local outlet of alternative news, has been denied access to broadcast facilities at the inauguration non-corporate representation of the event will be very limited.

Fortunately Indymedia activists are gearing up to cover counter-inaugural events. The DC-Indymedia web site has a redesigned homepage for special coverage. There are reporters from Urbana-Champaign IMC in DC now and filing reports. Also there is a live webcast at Radio Portland IMC. Locally here in Los Angeles there is a counter-inaugural event downtown planned for Tuesday.

Latest from the newswire: Commentary - Some Thoughts on Obama and the US Empire by Chris Burnett

LOS ANGELES January 14, 2009 - Early this morning, Jewish activists in a historic first in Los Angeles, chained themselves to the entrance of the Israeli Consulate and blocked the driveway to the parking structure, blocking all traffic in and out of the building. "We sent a clear message to the world that LA Jews are part of the global majority in opposition to the Israeli siege of Gaza," said Lenny Potash a 72-year old protester who was cuffed to eight other activists, blocking the driveway to the consulate. The activists were joined by 50 other supporters and who chanted "LA Jews say, End the Siege of Gaza" and "Not in Our Name! We will Not be Silent!" Protesters also held up signs reading "Israeli Consulate: Closed for War Crimes." From the newswire Jews Shut Down Israeli Consulate -LA By riKu Matsuda | | JEWS SHUT DOWN LOS ANGELES ISRAELI CONSULATE! by International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network | | BREAKING NEWS: Jews Shut Down Israeli Counsulate in Protest of Attack on Gaza! by Jewish People of Conscience | | Jewish activists block Israeli Consulate by Robert Stuart Lowden

UPDATE - Statement from Activists: Why We Chained Ourselves to the Israeli Consulate by Lisa Adler, Robin Ellis, and Eric Romann

LOS ANGELES, January 11, 2009 – This weekend saw continued protests against the Israeli invasion of Gaza. A march and rally estimated at 2,000 to 3,000 people took place in Westwood Saturday. At least one person was arrested on Saturday for climbing on a stop light to hang a banner. There was some minor police violence against protesters who tried to prevent the man from being arrested as he climbed down from the pole. And on Sunday another demonstration in Westwood drew hundreds including hundreds of pro-war counter-protesters. Police formed a line between the two rival groups and kept them separated. Local protest reports from the newswire: VIDEO: Free Gaza Protest | Zionists vs Gaza supports at protest | Free Palestine | | PHOTOS: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | | Timeline of call ins from Sunday’s Protest
New photos: Protest Against The Gaza Incursion Draws Thousands To Westwood by Robert Stuart Lowden
LET GAZA LIVE - A video and photo documentary of the march and rally by Ozzie Carmona

Jan. 16 demo (report/photos): Local Groups Join Forces to Oppose Gaza Offensive by Strangest Dream

Latest independent news from the region: Israel Indymedia

LOS ANGELES, December 30, 2008 – Demonstrations were held at the Westwood Federal Building and the Israeli Consulate today in response to continued air strikes on Gaza City by Israeli Defense Forces. Protesters are calling for an immediate ceasefire and a resumption of peace talks between all warring parties. Close to 1,000 people demonstrated outside the Israeli Consulate this evening. Despite a few incidences with a small group of pro-war counter demonstrators the protest was mostly peaceful.
From the Newswire: Video: Jeff Warner, LA Jews for Peace | Video: Mike Farrell at Gaza Massacre Protest | | Timeline of call ins: Protests Dispatch #1 & #2 | | Cel Phn Photos from Gaza Massacre Protest | | Los Angeles Protest at Israeli Consulate | Dece3mber 30th Protest by Robert Lowden | | Pictures and Video: Muslim family face off with LAPD after Husband / Dad / Brother Arrested by markers10

Protests continue as ground invasion begins: 1/3: Latest Updates from Israel Invade Gaza, Worldwide Protest Against Invasion by Lee Siu Hin
PHOTOS by Robert Stuart Lowden: Gaza Protest at the Los Angeles Israeli Consulate | Jews for Peace Protest Los Angeles January 4th | Gaza Incursion Protest and Counter Protest January 7th

This year's AntiMall was held at East LA's Chavez Studio. As organizer Laura Palomares explained on Uprising last year (full interview here), the concept was inspired by her experiences with Zapatistas and the notion of an alternative, parallel economy. The AntiMall brings together many co-ops. “So the idea of El Puente is providing a space where you know you're buying something directly from the artisan, and that group of people are working on making things better for their community,” she explained to Uprising's Sonali Kolhatkar. “So they--for example, the Zapatistas--are not waiting for the government to come in and fix what's going on in their community. They're going to make a demand, but at the same time they're working on creating their own autonomous communities. So the purpose of El Puente is to support those communities in their struggles and not support things like Walmart and Target in our neighborhoods but really invest back into social change .”

Story and photos: 2008 AntiMall (part 1) and 2008 AntiMall (part 2) by RP