Los Angeles Indymedia : Activist News

LOS ANGELES, March 12, 2006--Thursday, the South Central Farmers got word: the City of Los Angeles would hold off enforcing an eviction of the Farm as long as developer Ralph Horowitz kept negotiating with the Farmers, in talks mediated by the Trust for Public Land. The eviction was anticipated for March 13 after a court hearing. The Farmers held a small celebration and emailed supporters to call off a planned drum circle scheduled for that night at Mayor Villaraigosa's home.

Earlier in the week, Horowitz had filed a suit against the Farmers for nearly $730K, citing in part his fear that the Farmers might exercise their right to use civil disobedience in protest against the eviction. One Farm protest organizer remarked that Horowitz was particularly stung by the week's protests at his home.

The announcement came in an email form the Mayor's office at 5:30 p.m. In a conversation an hour and a half earlier, a staffer in the Mayor's office confirmed that the Mayor had made no progress with his effort to negotiate an option to buy with the developer. She also reported that the office had been deluged with phone calls since the Farmers asked their supporters to call--over two thousand in the intervening week. ...
Full reports: Farmers Fight To Win by Leslie Radford | | Zack's statement to the Farmers by Zack de la Rocha (posted by Leslie)

A written agreement for a hold on evictions is said to have been signed between the city and the developer. Although this is cause for hope the farmers still remain on alert. Police helicopters have been seen hovering over the farm and dropping ropes, in what is believed to be tests for police to repel down into the farm and remove people by force. It is activity like this that keeps the farmers and their supporters skeptical of promises from City Hall. There is still a chance that forced evictions could occur on Monday or Tuesday. And until there is an official announcement that the sheriffs have been ordered to stand down the farmers will stay on guard 24 hours a day. A court will hear appeals next week challenging the evictions, but a court decision is not expected until next Friday at the earliest. ...
Full report: REPORT BACK FROM THE FARM by A

This weekend the LA Times issued a deadly editorial attack on the South Central Farm, justifying the destruction of the land and the community, overtly using the theme of "property rights" to do so. Such assessments cannot be allowed to hold sway. Too much is at stake, for all of us. ...
Full report: A Magic So Strong: The South Central Farm Must Live by Juan Xavier Santos

In its Saturday editorial, the Los Angeles Times reduced virtually all the civic concerns of the historically neglected South Central to “niceties” and condemned a swath of the district to being a “concrete-and-asphalt” wasteland,“ "a seemingly endless sweep” of “industrial warehouses, packing plants, and junkyards.” It proclaimed that developer Ralph Horowitz must triumph, and the South Central Farm must be razed. The Times was wrong. ...
Full report: Why the Farmers Must Win by Leslie Radford

LOS ANGELES, March 12, 2006 – The hard-scape of South Central got a little softer Sunday as CommonVision instructed children of the south central farmers in the art of planting tree. Trees were planted in the West African tradition of drumming and dancing while planting. Each tree received blessings and prayers for a long life in their new home on Long Beach Blvd at the entrance to the South Central Farm. ...
Report with photos: CommonVision Plants Fruit Trees at South Central Farm | | VIDEO: Planting Fruit Trees with CommonVision all by A