In attempt to shut down the Long Beach REACH Center (aka Infoshoppe), Long Beach Police contacted the leasing company, Crestwave, and threatened to take legal action against them if the REACH Center was not shut down. The notice came on Jan 2nd, 03, from Crestwave when they called the REACH Center, stating the LBPD called them regarding last Friday's show (benefit for Raise the Fist). The police reportedly told Crestwave when they came to the show with a noise complaint someone tried to assault them and the door was slammed in their face. This is a LIE. Police officers came to the show with a noise complaint, stating the noise needed to be turned down, then left. There was no confrontation. The situation was dealt with peacefully and respectively. The noise was turned down, the last two bands were canceled, and the show ended at approximately 8pm, 2 hours early. If someone tried to assault the police then how come nobody was arrested?
The LBPD appear to be disappointed in fact that despite intensified political repression against anarchists in Long Beach, the REACH Center still remains open. There has been a continuous effort by Long Beach Police, FBI and INS to repress political descent, particularly that of the anarchist movement in Long Beach. Police are now actively trying to shut down the center - the only anarchist community space in Long Beach. The REACH (Revolutionary Empowerment and Community Help) Center is an anarchist space that seeks to empower the community of Long Beach by providing an open community space for meetings, political events, programs such as Food Not Bombs, Cop Watch, and books and information otherwise not readily available to the community. KEEP THE REACH CENTER OPEN! STOP POLITICAL REPRESSION NOW!
More info, contact REACH Center at 562-434-6934. 684 Redondo, Long Beach, CA. 90814.
http://www.StopLbRepression.org 