Los Angeles Indymedia : Activist News

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. Cornell 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

LOS ANGELES October 6 was the 6th day of The Occupy LA actions. The Refund California Campaign, MakeBanksPay and and the ACCE ( Alliance of Californians of Community Empowerment ) along with the SEIU union staged a protest and march in and thru the downtown Los Angeles financial district.The march went past Chase, HSV and eventually surrounded the Bank of America at Figueroa and Seventh Streets. 11 people were arrested for occupying the BofA branch.

Rose Gudiel, a La Puente homeowner was present at the protest along with her family. She had been arrested the day before for participating in a peaceful sit - in at the Fanny Mae office in Pasadena.
From the Newswire: Refund California Action Results in 11 Arrests, Set 1 & Set 2 by Robert Stuart Lowden

LOS ANGELES, October 7, 2011 – OccupyLA Day Seven. The encampment at City Hall continues to grow. The camp now numbers close to 100 tents with at least two occupants per tent. Rain on Wednesday failed to discourage the occupiers, and the encampment is now larger and more organized than ever. Tomorrow the camp will have completed its first full week. It has been an action packed week and has drawn much media attention even competing with the Jackson murder trial just down the street.

Everyday there has been a march kicking off from the encampment to the financial district or a government building in the downtown area. Yesterday, Thursday, saw the occupiers teaming up with a group called Make Banks Pays for a march and a civil disobedience action at a Bank of America office. Ten arrests have been reported from Thursday’s action.

Today the camp was visited by Tavis Smiley and Dr. Cornell West who are in Los Angeles as part of their nationwide poverty tour. The camp has received support from the Los Angeles City Council in a resolution adopted on Tuesday. And unlike the police behavior in New York, San Francisco and other cities, the Los Angeles Police Department has to date been uncharacteristically restrained towards the protesters.

This weekend more actions are expected and occupiers say they are planning to stay indefinitely. Selected Reports from the Newswire: Occupy LA: One Week Old and Going Strong | Photos by Robert Stuart Lowden: Day One: Occupy Los Angeles Photo Set 1, Set 2, Set 3 | Day Two: Occupy Los Angeles Day 2 | Day Three: Occupy LA Day 3 UTLA Teach- In Photo Set 1, Set 2, Occupy LA Day 3 Evening Speeches |
PHOTOS: OCCUPY LA & DAY 2, Occupy Wall St LA by Marcus

AUDIO: Indymedia on Air - Occupy LA Day 3 by LA-IMC | Occupy L.A. 4 Oct 2011 by Yvonne de la Vega; James Maverick

VIDEO: Occupy Los Angeles Day 2 Video by by Alex de Cordoba | Occupy LA - Day 2

Commentary: Brief Anaylsis Of LA and Seattle Occupations by Al | We Pay for Their Crisis by Holger Marcks