From the blog of Luis J. Rodriguez–www.luisjrodriguez.com/blog

It will be thirty seven years today after the Chicano Moratorium against the Viet Nam War was first held in East Los Angeles — at the time the largest anti-war demonstration in a community of color in the country. Some 30,000 people came from all over Los Angeles, the Southwest, and other parts of the country to proclaim, “Ya Basta”–that’s enough. It also became the scene of one of the worse police abuse cases in the country when LA County sheriff’s deputies attacked the mostly peaceful crowd at Laguna Park, enacting hundreds of arrests, causing hundreds of injuries, and resulting in at least three dead. One of those killed was Chicano reporter Ruben Salazar — the only national media voice Chicanos had at the time.

This was as significant as the murders of anti-war protestors by National Guardsmen at Kent State University in Ohio and Jackson State University in South Carolina earlier that year of 1970.

I was sixteen years old at the time. I was a gang member, a heroin (and other drugs) user, and quite lost. Still I took part in the march and protest. This demonstration awakened me to the vital struggle for justice, peace, and the possibilities of a new society, something I had only glimpsed at but never really understood. I didn’t expect to be taken in by this–I had only come to party. Soon I got swept up in the chants, the songs, the ardor for revolutionary change.

I was also one of the cholos arrested early on in the so-called riot that ensued. Hundreds were arrested, but the cholos (at the time, cholo meant Chicano gang member) were separated from the others, held in different facilities, and held for much longer than other protestors. Eventually I was placed into two adult jails (even though I was a juvenile), including the murderer’s row of the old Hall of Justice jail in downtown LA. I had a cell next to Charles Manson. The reason: we were threatened with possible charges in the murders of those who died in the rioting. Of course, they really couldn’t charge us for this. But the punishment was what they were after. I was placed in a cell with two murderers — one of whom put a razor blade to my neck. But I stood up to them, as I had learned to do from my many years in the streets (since the age of seven I had been stealing, and since 11, I had been in a gang), and I survived. I was even involved in a lightweight cellblock disturbance when we heard that Ruben Salazar had been killed.

I was eventually released — but I was never the same after this. It took me another two to three years, but I eventually left the gang, the drugs, and the jails to dedicate myself to revolutionary study, organizing, and action. In a few more years, I committed myself to becoming a writer. I’ve learned a lot since then, but the initial spark of my own purposeful life had been during the Chicano Moratorium.

This year, more than 35 years later, we are still at war. This year we must protest the US role in Iraq and Afghanistan — we are not winning anything over there, but we are losing many of our men and women (and many more civilians).

Tomorrow we must protest these wars. We have not stopped terrorism — in fact, terrorism around the world has increased since we first invaded Iraq. We cannot win a war against terror with more terror. That’s a lesson we seem to have not learned in more than thirty years. There are many ways to protest — the Internet is one of those places. If the streets still call you then join with others as much as you can against these wars that only really benefit the rich and powerful among us (it’s the working class poor, of all colors, who are dying in Iraq).

Use poetry, song, dance, film, and story. But do something. In concert with others. With millions. With dignity. With creativity. And with all the moral authority we can muster. No more dead for Bush/Cheney or the ruling class of thieves they represent. Ya Basta!

From the weblog of Luis J. Rodriguez:

All good things must come to an end. Today, I ended my week of guest hosting on the Front Page talk show with Dominique Di Prima on KJLH-102.3 FM. It was a wonderful experience. According to Dominique, I was the first Latino guest host on the show. I commend her and KJLH for having me and allowing me this opportunity to speak on some crucial issues confronting both the African American and Mexican/Latino community.

Yesterday, I was able to address key concerns about Black & Brown unity—including the value of working together when the interests of our communities converge. It’s not about unity for unity’s sake. We have common issues of poverty, bad schools, bad police relations, gangs, domestic abuse, disproportionate health problems, and disproportionate rates in prisons. We cannot move fully forward in these areas unless we forge important strategic aims and actions mutually beneficial to both communities.

It must be a principled and purposeful unity, not a makeshift or superficial one.

I’ve had a lifetime of working in this area. Including from living in South Central LA as a child, then working on police abuse actions with people like Michael Zinzun, may he rest in peace, to the coalition for Harold Washington for Mayor in Chicago (I lived there from 1985 until 2000), and the work I’ve currently done for many years with gang intervention/prevention and street peace, particularly in Chicago and LA.

Even now, as we move to bring developmental and policy changes in the poor working class community of Pacoima in the Northeast San Fernando Valley, which has a large Mexican/Latino population and a significant African American population, I’m involved in a Community Benefits Agreement process with the old Price Pfister Brass Foundry site that is slated to become a new mall/park/community gathering place. I’m also working through Tia Chucha’s Bookstore and Cultural Center to bring in more diverse aesthetics to our current workshop, events, and cultural expressions with African Americans as well as other communities.

Today, we had Marqueese Dawson Hawkins of the Community Coalition in studio to speak on the Coalition’s work in South Los Angeles concerning the lack of clean and adequate grocery stores (many that came in after the 1992 Civil Unrest have now left), school exit exams, and more. The Coalition has had an organic Black and Brown organizing process since its inception.

Historically Mexicans and Central Americans (who are mostly of indigenous descent) and African Americans have a long history of slavery, peonage, colonialism, and capitalist exploitation. We have more in common as far as working for the advancement of economic, social, and cultural well being than differences. I understand that there is a lot of ignorance, prejudice, and fear in both communities about each other. I have condemned the racially-based attacks against Blacks by Latinos in Los Angeles and elsewhere, and whenever this happens to Latinos from Blacks. There is already enough hate in this world—I personally don’t want to contribute any more or do anything to perpetuate it.

In addition, Mexicans have African ties from when the Spanish first brought African slaves to Mexico in the 1500s. The Native population of Mexico was greatly and quickly decimated by wars, hunger, tortures, and disease. The Valley of Mexico—the most populous area in the hemisphere before the Spanish arrived—had an estimated 25 million inhabitants when Cortez and his conquistadors first set foot there in 1519. In 50 years, only 2.5 million survived. In fact, most of the continent lost from 80 to 95 percent of their populations shortly after the Europeans came. The Spanish numbers reached a height of 150,000 during the colonial period; African slaves were believed to number around 300,000. In addition, some 100,000 Malaysians (from the Spanish colonies of the Philippines and other Asian areas) were also brought in.

In fact, Mexico had the first recorded African slave uprising in the Americas in 1546. Later rebellious slaves established the first free African pueblo in the Western Hemisphere in 1609. It was called Yanga, located in the present-day state of Vera Cruz, Mexico.

A leader of the Mexican war of independence from Spain in 1820 was Vicente Ramon Guerrero—an African-Mexican. He also became Mexico’s second president (Benito Juarez, of Zapoteca Indian, became the first full-blooded native president in the 1860s). And then Mexico eventually lost Texas and later half of its national territory in the US invasion of 1848 after Mexico refused to return runaway slaves to US slave masters after Mexico had abolished slavery in the 1820s.

Still, with all this history, the remaining native population of Mexico is the main root and source of the Mexican character and makeup. Today there are 240 native languages in Mexico. Many of the newer so-called immigrants are coming from highly Native areas of central and southern Mexico, including tribal members of Mayans, Huicholes, Raramuri, Yaquis, Mixtecos, Zapotecas, and more. There are an estimated 2 million full-blooded Mayans in the US, almost as many as the whole Native American population (believed to number 3 million, with a majority of mixed blood). Many of these tribal peoples don’t even speak Spanish, let alone English.

Now things have turned on their heads. Now the brown-red indigenous peoples of these lands, with connections here that go back tens of thousands of years, have become the “foreigners,” “immigrants” and “illegals”—mostly by people of European descent who have only been in the US areas a little more than 300 years. This is how man-made and superficial borders, created by conquerors, colonialists and capitalists, have now determined who we are, our relationships, and who we unite with and who we fight with.

To find out more about this history, the racial/cultural make up of Mexico, and the African American/Mexican/Native connections, please look up the following publications:

Occupied America by Rudy Acuna
Anything but Mexican by Rudy Acuna
The Fifth Sun by James Russell
The American Holocaust by David Stannard
1491 by Charles Mann
Cycles of Conquest by Edward Spicer
Indian Givers by Jack Weatherford

This is a beginning list. There are so many great books and articles that spell out our common historical, cultural and strategic ties. On the World Wide Web, there are now many sites and informational links. It’s important for all of us to be armed with knowledge, books, history, and stories as we move forward to better all of our communities.

I also recommend, to those who are interested, to visit the website of Xispas Magazine; I am a co-founder and now editor of this online Chicano magazine. You can check it out at www.xispas.com.

A’ho.

Vicente Fox has ordered up to 4,000 or more heavily armed Mexican Federal Preventative Police (PFP) into Oaxaca. Dressed in riot gear and carrying heavy automatic weapons, the police are using armored cars with water canons, bulldozers, and brut force to push their way to the city center, where protestors vow to put up a massive resistance. With helicopters roaring overhead, PFP units wearing masks to hide their identities, are invading private residences and arresting protest leaders.

Oaxacans are calling on people around the world to protest the government violence in front of Mexican Embassies and Consulates at 6:00 pm on Monday, October 30th. Mexico’s Zapatistas have also issued a call for unity with the people of Oaxaca. Zapatista Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos called “to compañeros and compañeras in other countries to unite and to demand justice for this dead compañero.” Masked thugs working for the Mexican government murdered American William Bradley Roland and three Mexican nationals in an armed attack against the Oaxacan people’s movement - now the government of Vicente Fox is using that violence as an excuse to unleash even more violence against the people.

The family of Brad Will has released the following statement: “We are grieving over the tragic and senseless loss of Brad’s life. Brad’s friends and family admired his brave support for the downtrodden and willingness to act tirelessly upon his convictions. We believe he died doing what he loved. We will all miss Brad’s compassionate, loving and adventurous spirit, and it is our hope that his life’s work reporting on the human struggle will never be forgotten.”

In Los Angeles a Press Conference denouncing the murders of Will and his fellow activists will be held on Monday, October 30, 2006, 12:00 pm, in front of the Mexican Consulate (Park View & 6th Street, Los Angeles). A demonstration will also be held at the Consulate on, Thursday, November 2 from 10:00 AM to 9:00 pm. Stay up to date - don’t believe lies told by the corporate media.

Striking teachers, workers and indigenous activists in the historic Mexican city of Oaxaca have for months been involved in a campaign to oust the corrupt Governor of the state, Ulises Ruiz. (Oaxaca is the name of one of Mexico’s 32 states, and also that state’s capital city.) In Oaxaca Friday Oct. 27th, 2006, armed goons attacked a barricade erected by demonstrators across a road in the old city - they fired shots that took the lives of three men - one of which was an American journalist from New York’s Independent Media Center, William Bradley Roland (36). Another victim killed during the incident has been identified as a schoolteacher named Emililio Alofonzo Fabian. Videotape was shot of the attack and broadcast on Televisa, a large Mexican television network. The paramilitary gunmen who killed Will have since been identified by name, each having connections to Oaxaca’s ruling political party, the PRI.

The U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Tony Garza, made the following statement: “It appears that Mr. Will was killed during a shoot out between what may have been local police, and protesters.” However, Will was an unarmed journalist whose only weapon was a camera. Fellow activists maintain they were also unarmed, and had only sticks and rocks to defend themselves. It is obvious looking at the video of the incident, that the so-called “police” the U.S. Ambassador refers to are nothing more than thugs.

Mexican President Vicente Fox has ordered troops into the area, a provocative move that is sure to bring more violence. The question is, now that an American citizen has been murdered by a death squad known to be made up of individuals connected to Mexican government forces, what will the U.S. State Department do?

Activists in the U.S. will be pressing the State Department to investigate Will’s murder, and to demand that his killers be brought to justice. Calls will also be made for solidarity with the Mexican movement for social justice, a cause that Will gave his life to while documenting events in Oaxaca. Read the full story about what’s going on in Oaxaca, at New York’s Independent Media Center.

The following is from the South Central Farmers on June 13, 2006 with an update on today’s police action against the farm

Greetings!

For the highest readability, start your letter with a short sentence.The Farm is being Bulldozed! Let’s not mourn but continue to fight for its life and the livelihood of the South Central Farmers! Over 50 arrests have been made, a few demonstrators have suffered blows from batons and the bulldozers were sent in to demolish the blooming crops, indigenous plants and 14 years of love that have been put into the farm. We are continuing to stand strong with tears in our eyes. It is not over yet! The community cannot be defeated. Join us to peacefully protest the police attack on our community. A candlelight vigil will be held tonight at 7:00pm as we have for 21 nights at the Farm. There is police perimeter set up so be respectful of that barrier for your safety and the safety of the rest of the community. We want safety for our families and the land to be returned to the community. We are gathered at the corner of 41st St & Long Beach Ave. Los Angeles, CA. -please bring candles and supplies such as water or food to share as we have been dispossessed. A demonstration at the mayor’s house is also being organized simultaneously with the vigil at the Farm. Here’s the info: At 7pm tonight we will be gathering at Villaraigosa’s house in protest of the actions taken by the state against the community today. Bring banners, instruments, chants and signs. What: PROTEST/VIGIL AT ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA’S HOUSE When: 7pm today, Tuesday Where: the “mayor’s mansion” 605 S. Irving St., LA (In Hancock Park near Wilton and Wilshire) JOIN US IN EXUBERANT SHOW OF PEOPLE’S POWER AND OUTRAGE AGAINST THOSE BEHIND THE DESTRUCTION OF THE FARM! Thank you for all your support and dedication to the struggle of the South Central Farmers. -South Central Farmers Support Coalition

www.southcentralfarmers.com
Mr. Tezozomoc
South Central Farmers

Early this morning, at 5 PM, a squadron of helicopters, squad cars, and bulldozers came to remove the 350 families from Mexico and Central America who have made 14 acres in an urban blighted area into a garden oasis in South Central LA (41st and Alameda streets). The South Central Farm is the largest urban farm in the United States. Last reports were that bulldozers were tearing down the fences and tearing into the carefully plotted trees and plants.

This battle to save the amazing gardens and farm has been waged for weeks when a wealthy developer demanded to get the land back from the city so he can build warehouses and industrial sites (in an area chock full of warehouses and industrial sites). The farmers, however, have been on this land for 14 years. Celebrities such as Darryl Hannah, John Quigley, and Danny Glover have recently taken part in supporting the farmers. All the protests in support of the farmers have been peaceful. The attack this morning shows that LA City, like most cities in this country, cater to the rich and powerful.

The deadline is tomorrow, May 22. Los Angeles City is using eminent domain to take away 14 acres of garden space from the 350 gardeners and their families who live and work there. The city and farmers have until tomorrow to raise millions of dollars to buy the land back from wealthy developer, Ralph Horowitz.

While the city will pay billions of dollars to create a shop-heavy entertainment center downtown, and $80 million to spruce up a stadium for a possible NFL team, it won’t come up with the monetary support to keep these hard-working men, women, and children from being thrown out into the street.

Mostly Mexican and Central American, and largely Spanish-speaking, these farmers/gardeners made a weed-infested block of South Central LA come alive with food crops and medicinal plants–the largest urban garden project in the country–for almost 13 years.

Xispas urges all our readers to contact the city, send emails and make phone calls to Mayor Villaragoisa and all councilpersons demanding they help the South Central farmers to continue beautifying a run-down section (considered the poorest in the county) instead of turning the land over to more warehouses (there are already miles of industry and warehouses in Vernon and the LA City area surrounding the garden on 41st street). Take a strong stand. We only have one day!

In Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Portland, Tucson, New Orleans and over 200 American cities - millions of workers stayed off their jobs to protest against repressive legislation aimed at undocumented immigrant workers. The national May 1st Day without an Immigrant boycott and strike brought sectors of Los Angeles to a standstill. Two enormous mass marches, one in downtown L.A. and the other along Wilshire Boulevard, clogged city streets with up to two million workers. Hundreds of shops and businesses closed their doors in solidarity, tens of thousands of students walked off campuses all across the city, and the ports of L.A. were effectively shut down by truckers who had walked off the job.

These were the largest demonstrations in the entire history of Los Angeles, but they are also indicative of something much greater. Immigrant workers in the United States, with their massive demonstrations and work stoppages, have breathed life into International Workers Day, or May Day. That holiday is celebrated around the world each year on May 1st, as an expression of solidarity with the industrial workers killed by Chicago police in 1886 while demanding the eight hour day. While virtually ignored in the United States, the day is a legal holiday throughout much of Latin America (and indeed the world.) Spanish speaking immigrants have brought to the United States a lived tradition of celebrating May Day, as well as a sophisticated understanding of labor organizing and worker’s rights. When it was proposed months ago that May Day be designated as a national day of protest for Immigrant Rights, mainstream politicians and community leaders discouraged the idea - with some going so far as to plea with workers to stay on their jobs and not participate in May Day. However, the appeals of the timid and the backwards were ignored by the masses, who stopped work and poured into the streets in their millions.

In Los Angeles, wave after wave of demonstrators filled the streets. Most wore white and U.S. flags were displayed everywhere. Spanish was the dominant language on the streets that day, with most protestors being Mexicano - but many other Latinos were involved as well. Large numbers of L.A.’s Asian community turned out, especially for the march down Wilshire Blvd., which runs through L.A.’s huge Korean community. Some of the signs carried in the marches read: Nigun ser humano es ilegal (No human being is illegal) - Our citizenship wasn’t a problem when you sent our children to war - Are our troops in Iraq illegal too? - Jose called in today, Make your own taco, USA. - Hoy marchamos. Manana votamos (Today we march. Tomorrow we vote) and No Somos Crimales, Ustedes nos hacen criminales (We’re not criminals, You make us criminals.) Pictures of the massive L.A. marches taken by photographers Stephen Sakulsky, Rogue Gringo and JLR, can be viewed at the L.A. Indymedia website.

May 1st, 2006 was not the end or the culmination of a people’s struggle, it was the beginning, and in the months to come that fight for the rights of all will grow stronger. The people made history on May Day, but there’s much left to accomplish. Now stronger bonds must be forged between immigrant and U.S. workers - for our interests are one and the same.

The video game publisher Activision, has released Gun, a new game set in the American West that displays blatant racism towards Native Americans. One of the earliest tasks the game player must complete before advancing to the next level is to kill, not once, but on an ongoing basis, Apache Indians. After killing the Apache the game player must scalp his victim with a “scalping knife.” The Association for American Indian Development released a statement condemning Activision and calling for a boycott of their products. The statement in part reads:

“Let’s be clear - contrary to popular belief and myth, the near genocide of Native Americans is a shameful chapter in American history and should not be condoned or trivialized in a game as if it were okay. Yes, the brutal slaying of America’s indigenous people is historically accurate, it happened. But so did slavery, lynching and the holocaust - and we don’t see games glamorizing it as if it were the right thing to do. Why is it that still, today, Americans think it’s okay to talk, let alone spend millions of dollars to create video games about killing a bunch of Indians so casually? This is grossly insensitive and does not in any way acknowledge the brutality camouflaged as Manifest Destiny. This is why the Association for American Indian Development asks you to join us in letting the publishers of this offensive game know that this will not be tolerated — BOYCOTT Gun the video game, as well as other games published by Activision.

For more information concerning the boycott of Activision, and to sign a petition in opposition to their racist game, Gun, visit this website: www.boycottgun.com

Several organizations are calling for a National Day of Action for Immigrant Rights to be held on April 10th. Protests will be called to recognize the USA as a nation of immigrants, and to join in a massive rally to: “stop the anti-immigrant House resolution 4437, stop all attacks against immigrants, and stop criminalization of immigrant communities.” The organizers also are demanding comprehensive immigration reform, including: “a path to citizenship, not a temporary guest worker program, family reunification measures, worker protections, and full rights for all immigrants!”

The April actions will be followed by a May 1st, Nationwide General Immigrant Strike. Called “El Gran Paro Americano 2006″ (The Great American Boycott 2006,) the nationwide strike is also being referred to as “Un dia sin immigrante” (A day without an immigrant.) Organizers of the May 1st strike are saying, “Immigrants contribute 7 billion in social security per year. they earn 240 billion, report 90 billion, and only are reimbursed 5 billion, - where are the 85 billion? They also contribute to the U.S. economy 25 billion more than they receive in healthcare, etc. According to the anti-immigrant politicians and hatemongers, ‘immigrants are a drain on society.’ If this is true, then during the day on May 1st the stock market will surge, and the economy will boom. If not, we prove them wrong once and for all.” Marches are being planned in major cities for April 10th and May 1st. More details can be found at the Immigrant Solidarity Network for Immigrant Rights website, at: www.ImmigrantSolidarity.org