Los Angeles Indymedia : Activist News

Protests against banks are being reported in L.A. Some have been targeting Chase Bank (as discussed here). Also, various organizations, including MoveOn, are organizing protests throughout Southern California this Monday, April 18: Tax Day Protests on April 18th! (announcement by mous). Times vary from location to location.

Also, for almost a year, a weekly demonstration has been taking place in front of Bank of America in Silver Lake (at the corner of Glendale and Silver Lake Boulevards). It is organized by the Silver Lake-Echo Park chapter of The Coffee Party, the only chapter to be engaged in such an action. (It is hoped that other chapters across the country will follow suite.) Not surprisingly, public reaction has been rather positive. Some motorists even pull over and join in. The demonstration takes place on Saturdays from 1:30pm to 3.

Report and photos: Weekly Demonstration Against Sleazy Banks by RP | | Analysis: An Expansion of Terms Used in the Coffee Party Article by RP by mous | | On the legal front: Fraud by Bank of America in the Los Angeles Court by Human Rights Alert, NGO

On March 26th, "Our Communities, Our Jobs" the largest worker solidarity march, probably, in Los Angeles history, brought together all of L.A. labor, ranging from big unions like SEIU, Teamsters, UFCW, CWA, and Carpenters, to the smaller organizations like the numerous construction unions, Hollywood unions, firefighters, the IWW, worker organizations, community organizations, and unaffiliated allies.

The march went from the convention center to Pershing Square, and stopped at a hotel to support UNITE-HERE organizing there, stopped at a T-Mobile shop to support CWA organizing T-Mobile, stopped at Ralphs to tell the supermarkets to negotiate with UFCW, and stopped at Chase to highlight the causes of this lousy economy.

Estimates on size vary from 10,000 (initial LAPD estimate repeated by LA Times) to 30,000. (Current LAPD estimate is 20k to 25k.) (Photo at left by David Sachs)

Photos: Photos by Tim H-M, Photos by Slobodan Dimitrov, Photos by David Sachs, Photos by Chris Valle, Photos by joiseyboyy Videos: Kids Protest Cuts at Labor Rally From the newswire: Downtown March for Workers' Rights by Rockero

In Switzerland three anti-G8 activists are now being brought to court by the Swiss Authorities. On the 1st of June 2003, an international affinity group blockaded the motorway in order to stop an official delegation from reaching the g8 in Evian. Two climbers suspended themselves from a single rope being stretched across the street. Nevertheless a police officer cut the rope and sent Martin plummeting 20 metres into a shallow, rocky stream beneath the bridge, while Gesine was saved by the quick reflexes of her support team who managed to grab a hold of the rope. The Aubonne support group are inviting everyone to take part in a public presence outside the courthouse in Nyon on the day of the trial or be in solidarity at your local Swiss embassy.

(Taken from KPFK.org, written by Mumia Abu Jamal)

On March 8th 2004, women around the world in LA, England, Argentina, Uganda, Peru, Philadelphia, San Francisco, in Guyana, in southern India, in Trinidad and Tobago, in Spain, women will be staging the 5th Global Women's Strike. A movement involving women in some sixty countries many involved in grassroots organizations. Fighting for payment for housework, for clean safe water resources, for housing, education, gender justice, and peace. In a world where war is now our norm, the Global Women's Strike is part of the vast throng against war and occupation. Not only in Iraq, but in Palestine, in Columbia, in the Congo and in Kashmir. Their organizing slogan, which unites strikers from a broad array of struggles, is deceptively simple: 'Invest in Caring not Killing.'

Events have been going on this weekend, and the main event is at Immanuel Presbyterian Church on Monday the 8th, International Women's Day. Read the events calendar for details.

Global Women's Strike Website