RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Monday, May. 05, 2008 - Approximately 200 people gathered today in honor of Jose Fernando Pedraza, a Jornalero (day laborer), leader, and friend, who died while defending his right to be a worker in Rancho Cucamonga. Pedraza died after being struck by a car. The motorist is said to have been distracted by the protest when they hit Pedraza. A march to city hall was held demanding Pedraza's dying wish: a day labor center for the city. Full Story Day Laborer Remebered, 1 year after Killed in Rancho Cucamonga during Minutemen Protest by miss x

LOS ANGELES, May 2, 2008 – May Day demonstrations and marches were held throughout the region yesterday. Two marches converged downtown at 5th and Broadway in the late afternoon. An estimated 8,000 to 10,000 people took part in the downtown demonstrations. Although not as large as the past two years the marches were described as festive and high spirited. Immigrant rights was the primary focus of the demonstration, but other issues such as the Iraq war were featured as well.

Scattered student walkouts and sit outs also took place at a number of local high schools. Dockworkers at the port of Los Angeles staged a one day strike that halted port operations for the day. The dockworkers’ strike, which included all west coast ports, was called by the workers to protest the continuing US war on Iraq.
Reports from the newswire: Workers/Immigrants March Rally in LA on May 1 by AJLPP | | Venice High School Students Walk out of Class by Marcus | | May Day Time Line by LA-IMC | | May Day Strike Against the War Shuts Down All U.S. West Coast Ports by Internationalist Group | | MARCH AND RALLY FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS! by AJLPP

PHOTOS: Marcha Primero de Mayo by Oliver Santana | | MAY DAY 08 in LA by Marcus | | MARCH AND RALLY FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS! by AJLPP
VIDEO: ¡Afuera Con La Migra! May Day Video & May Day March in Downtown. Video by Que Chido

From Democracy Now: Report on dockworkers' strike
In related news: Did Google Block ILWU Web Page?

Video report from Oxnard: May 1, Oxnard : Farmworkers, Longshoremen, and Youth Take to the Streets by FCR-VC

In a major step for the U.S. labor movement, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) has announced that it will shut down West Coast ports on May 1, to demand an immediate end to the war and occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Middle East. In a February 22 letter to AFL-CIO president John Sweeney, ILWU International president Robert McEllrath reported that at a recent coast-wide union meeting, “One of the resolutions adopted by caucus delegates called on longshore workers to stop work during the day shift on May 1, 2008 to express their opposition to the war in Iraq.”
From the newswire: ILWU to Shut Down West Coast Ports May 1 Demanding End to War in Iraq, Afghanistan by Internationalist Group
Website: here
More on: KPFK's Beneath the Surface (4/28/08 at 5:45 pm) and Sojourner Truth with Margaret Prescod(4/29/08)
Also: VERMONT AFL-CIO CALLS ON WORKERS TO SUPPORT WEST COAST SRIKE AGAINST WAR by Vermont AFL-CIO
From the calendar: Twin May Day Marches for All Workers! by MIWON | | Ventura County May Day: March for Dignity and Work by Frente Contra las Redadas
From the newswire: MARCH AND RALLY FOR IMMIGRANT RIGHTS! by CDIR-USA | | May Day March & United Rally for Immigrant Rights by by AJLPP | | Did Google Block ILWU Web Page? by A | | ¡Por un 1° de Mayo proletario y de lucha! by by PCInt. | | May Day 2008-The Internationale in Many Languages by & | | All Out to May Day 2008 March for Immigrant Worker Rights! by by Lee Siu Hin

LOS ANGELES, April 30, 2008 – Environmental activists from AmazonWatch with support from the LA Greens and other local groups paid a visit to Occidental Petroleum’s corporate headquarters today. Dressed up in Haz Mat uniforms demonstrators staged a mock toxic clean up outside the Oxy building in Westwood.

Activists are demanding that Oxy pay for the clean up of an area of the Amazon home to the Achuar people. Oxy is blamed for the poisoning of an entire ecosystem that the Achuar depend on for their survival. Today’s demonstration was the first of two planned for this week. The next protest will be held at Oxy’s shareholders meeting this Friday, May 2nd at 9am at the Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica.From the Newswire: AmazonWatch Clean Up Crew Hits Occidental Petroleum Headquarters | | PHOTOS - From Oxy Protest | | "This is What a Clean-Up Looks Like!" by RP

On Wednesday April 30 and Friday May 2, there will be demonstrations against L.A.-based Occidental Petroleum over pollution and illness caused by nearly 30 years of oil sdrilling in the Peruvian Amazon. The first event, a mock clean-up will take place at the company's headquarters, the second will be outside the annual shareholder's meeting. According to Amazon Watch, Occidental Petroleum is sensitive to this kind of publicity. Full story: Two Upcoming Events to Expose Pollution, Sickness in Peru Caused by Occidental Petroleum by RP Announcements: *Wednesday event *Friday event

America’s racist rulers want to silence the powerful voice of Mumia Abu-Jamal. The March 27 Third Circuit Court of Appeals decision upholding Mumia’s frame-up conviction for the 1981 killing of Police Officer Daniel Flulkner proves, again, that there is no justice in the capitalist courts. It is a slap in the face to all opponents of racist injustice. Mumia now faces the prospect of another sentencing hearing—not a new trial—where the death sentence could be reinstated or where he could be entombed in prison for life. We must not let this happen! Mumia must be freed now! All out on April 26 in Los Angeles.
From the newswire: FREE MUMIA NOW! by Partisan Defense Committee
From the calendar

Wadsworth UTLA, The Association of Raza Educators, and Parents of Wadsworth will DEMAND that the Los Angeles Unified School District to remove Wadsworth from the Prop. 39 Schools with Available Classrooms List. Prop. 39 requires the LAUSD provide public classroom space, if there is open rooms, for charter schools. However, THERE IS NO ROOM on the Wadsworth campus which operates on 4-tracks due to OVERCROWDING.
From the newswire:South LA School Resisting Charter Invasion by Jose Lara

Pomona, Calif - After being subjected an unannounced pay cut from $10/hr to $8/hr, Cal Poly student marketing representatives Austin Garrido and Sarah Doolittle were fired by their employer, Uloop.com, for attempting to organize a worker's union. The students were fired from their part-time jobs 20 minutes after posting a message in an online inter-company form announcing their intention to form a union. Doolittle and Garrido have filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board.
From the newswire: Student Workers Claim They Were Illegally Fired by Cal Poly Community Activist

Labor Notes supporters are no strangers to heated debate—and the SEIU International is not the first union to protest at our conference. During the 1980s, for example, we saw opponents of the New Directions Movement inside the United Auto Workers put up picket lines outside our conference hotel and had BLAST—the Brotherhood of Loyal Americans and Strong Teamsters—try to intimidate Teamster reformers attending our events.

People are going to disagree and that is fine. There is no idea that can’t be discussed at a Labor Notes conference. We welcome debate on any and all issues facing the labor movement, including the heated dispute between the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (CNA/NNOC) and the leaders of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) over the best way to build power for health care workers. But that debate must take place with respect and free from intimidation. Despite being welcomed to the conference earlier in the day—and given space to debate supporters of the CNA/NNOC about neutrality organizing agreements—SEIU staff and members shouted down speakers at workshops and panels throughout the event.
From the newswire: SEIU International Attacks Labor Gathering - Conference Goers Assaulted. by Labor Notes - repost

UPDATE: Latest from the newswire: Open Letter to SEIU Members and Leaders on Violence at Labor Notes Conference by SMART | | The Purple Punch-Out in Dearborn by Steve Early

ESTE de LOS ANGELES, 13 abril 2008 -- Los manifestantes, convocados por un conjunto de organizaciones bajo los auspicios del Frente Unido de los Pueblos de América, marchamos desde Cinco Puntos hasta el parque de México (junto a Lincoln Park) en el este de Los Angeles.

Bajo un sol que parecía de julio y no de abril, echamos cánticos, cantamos, y por supuesto marchamos hasta llegar a la estatua de Zapata. Allí vimos a danzantes que nos hicieron recordar lo bonito de nuestra cultura mexicana y chicana y a oradores que nos recordaron lo crítico que son nuestros movimientos actuales.
Marcha Por Zapata 2008 by Rockero
March in Honor of Emiliano Zapata by Marcus

LOS ANGELES April 6, 2008 The large and loud mid-Wilshire protest demonstration against Antonio "Tony" Saca, right-wing president of El Salvador, in front of the Wilshire Ebell Theater this afternoon, apparently brought about a change in the President's arrival plans. As a bevy of LAPD motorcycle officers, leading his motorcade, arrived at the box office entrance to the theater, demonstrators "went into high gear" and the bike officers all reversed their route and the motorcade was taken to a parking lot side entrance.

It appeared both L.A.P.D. and Salvadoran security forces, traveling with the president, wanted to spare him the agitated anti-ARENA scenario. An L.A.P.D. officer, who related well to a National Lawyers' Guild legal observer, commented, "They're taking him around to the side; he won't be appearing in this area." Every large vehicle, including a giant white limo, created a frenzy of chants calling the ARENA president "an assassin," "an enemy of the poor and workers," and "a Bush puppet with troops in Iraq."
From the newswire: MILITANTS, LOUD DEMO CAUSES "CHANGE OF ROUTE" FOR SALVADOR'S RIGHT-WING PRESIDENT by don w. white
Photos: Protest Against President of El Salvador by Marcus

ONTARIO - March 24, 2008 - The residents of "Ontario Tent City," a Bushville formerly home to approximately 400 homeless people, were evicted today and their possessions bulldozed. "I have nowhere to go," and "I don't know what I'm gonna do," were the refrains heard over and over. The few residents who were allowed to stay were relocated to a lot across the street from the main settlement to allow for "improvements."

The city government set aside the plot of land, about the size of two city blocks, in October of 2007 in order to provide an alternative to the people that were removed from smaller encampments near the Ontario Museum of History and Art and elsewhere. Since then, awareness of the camp spread through word of mouth and through the reports of print and electronic media. The city provided port-a-potties and trash removal, but the bulk of the resources were provided by volunteers, including church groups, charities, and local activists. Full story: Tent City Residents Evicted, Dwellings Bulldozed by Rockero

Related articles: Tent City residents being evicted Tomorrow, March 24, ACLU to try to intervene by Lady Madonna

AUDIO: Interview with homeless rights activist Mike Dunlap. Part 1: History of Tent City Ontario.| | Part 2: The Eviction. | | Part 3: The Future for Tent City?

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, March 23, 2008 – Peace Vigils are being held across the region to mark the 4,000th US military death in the Iraq war. From the Newswire: Orange County Candlelight Vigil for 4,000 Fallen | | 4000 death vigil Downtown LA Federal Building | | Easter Day Vigil in Highland Park -- More vigils are planned for the week: Vigil to Honor 4,000 U.S. Troops Killed

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, Saturday, March 15, 2008 – Protests were held in Hollywood, Santa Barbara, Huntington Beach to mark the fifth year since the US invasion and occupation of Iraq. An estimated 2,000 protesters gathered at Hollywood & Vine and marched a short eight block route for rally at the CNN building on Sunset. Hundreds marched in Santa Barbara and formed a human peace sign in a local park. In Orange County a Silent Peace March of about 300 people was held in Huntington Beach. Latest From the Newswire:

Hollywood: Hollywood Peace March 3-15-2008, Part 1 & Part 2 by Don Hodges | | CFWP at the M15 March by Hugh Stegman | | Photos from the Anti War Protest in Hollywood 3/15/2008 by Organic Tofu Vegan Burger | | Anti-War Protest in LA by Marcus
Santa Barbara: Anti-War March in Santa Barbara by ForestDefender
Orange County: Orange County Peace Coalition: "How Many More? Resist, Resist the War!" Part 1, Part 2 & VIDEO by df
San Diego: Gore Vidal Headlines San Diego Anti-War Rally by Mark Gabrish

UPDATE: More demonstrations and peace vigils continued into the week across the region. Wednesday night saw a reunion of local peace vigils at street corners throughout the city. Demonstrations were also held at military recruitment centers. Latest from the Newswire:

Santa Monica: Silent Walk for Peace in Santa Monica by sgibson
Pasadena: Pasadena Protest against the Iraq War by Steven Gibson
Boyle Hieghts: Roosevelt High Students Picket Recruitment Center In Boyle Hts. & Images from Today's Boyle Hts. Protest by A
Highland Park: Highland Park Protests U.S. Aggression in Iraq on Five-Year Anniversary by R of the Northeast LA Radical Neighbors
Rancho Cucamonga: Five years too many: Vigil in Rancho Cucamonga by Rockero

Saturday morning, March 8th, saw police barricades going up at and traffic diverted from Olympic & Broadway Streets as hundreds of women marched in the first International Women's Day mass action in Los Angeles since 1994. Scores of students from the University of Southern California, Cal State Long Beach, Long Beach Community College, University of California Los Angeles, East Los Angeles College, Cal State Los Angeles and from the Fremont, Jordan, Belmont high schools and El Sereno Middle School joined the march against the war. "We're here to let people know that we are with women all around the world who think that the war is unjust and a waste of our government's money," said USC Social Work student Kathryn Cronin. Led by the Mariposa Alliance/GABNet, the historic gathering created a buzz in the world of the U.S. women's movement, which had tended to take March 8th for granted. Ma-Al/GABNet called for the return of International Women's Day to its historic and political context, and to use 8th March as a statement against US-led imperialist wars, notably in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Philippines.
Report back: WOMEN CLOSE DOWNTOWN L.A. STREET; BRAVE NY STORM IN 8TH MARCH COMMEMORATION by Gabnet
Photos: Int. Women,s Day in LA by Marcus
NEW REPORT: Women Say Fund Caregiving Not War & Occupation by Global Women's Strike

As part of the International Day of Action in Solidarity with the People of Haiti, Global Women’s Strike hosted a showing of the films Haiti: Harvest of Hope (see the trailer here) and What’s Going on in Haiti? at the Eastside Café on Saturday, March 1. Margaret Prescod of Pacifica Radio and Women of Color in the Global Women’s Strike, moderated the event. "The Reports that I’ve gotten are is that things are going very well, there were events in about 36 cities around the world,” she said.
Report back: Haiti Event Marks Four Years Since the Coup Against Aristide by Weak from Fasting | | | Video: MARINES OUT! Solidarity with the Haitian People! by Bill Carpenter | | | List of Participating Cities

LOS ANGELES, March 4, 2008 - Members of the BlackRiders Liberation Party and their supporters held a press conference today in Leimert Park. Only three media outlets attended: KPFK, LA Indymedia and a reporter for the Final Call. No other media was present.

The BlackRiders are calling for the immediate release of three of their members who are currently being held on charges of conspiring to acquire automatic weapons, a charge they claim has been fabricated by the police. The court has set bail at one million dollars.

The BlackRiders are asking that supporters come to the hearing this Thursday, March 6th at the downtown courthouse located at Temple & Broadway, 15th floor, Division 131 to show support. From the Newswire: Report back from the BlackRiders press conference | | Audio: BlackRiders’ Demands | | Interview with Attorney for the BlackRiders

- Past feature: Black Riders held on million dollars bail each