[ Don White of CISPES - the Committee In Solidarity With The People of El Salvador, wrote the following report concerning the massive student walk-outs that occured in Los Angeles on Monday, March 27, 2006. The students organized the walk-outs to protest the repressive anti-immigrant legislation now before the US Congress. The latest reports indicate that over 40,000 students staged walk-outs in LA on the 27th, with around 100,000 students organizing walk-outs statewide. While Xispas urges all young Chicanos/Latinos to pursue education, we also applaud students for taking a stand for raza and playing a decisive role in the civic life and politics of the nation. ]

LOS ANGELES March 27, 2006 - Peaking at about 5000 students, a demonstration Monday on the south lawn of City Hall in downtown Los Angeles was addressed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa as the youth chanted, applauded and waved banners and flags. His appearance from a City Hall door created a surge of students to the steps of the building. Earlier students poured into the City Hall lawn after walking out of scores of local high school and middle schools to protest the immigration legislation now in Congress. As each student contingent enter the area, deafening cheers greeted the newcomers.

Student protesters especially targeted the most draconian immigration proposal in Congress with signs calling for NO ON 4437. There are now four proposals before Congress including the President’s and one, supported by some labor unions, sponsored by Senators Kennedy and McCain. Students who “walked out” of class today probably got a better education than if they had been sitting in class. Speakers who touched off enthusiastic responses included the Mayor, Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamonte, State Sen. Richard Alarcon, City Councilperson Eric Garcetti, legendary activist Nativo Lopez and a series of student organizers.

School Board members, including David Tokofsky, monitored the student-police relations and scores of principals and teachers surrounded the area. Sgt. Royce of LAPD told a National Lawyers Guild legal observer at 1:30 p.m. that “there have been no arrests, no detentions and no serious incidents.” Unbelievably the Mayor spoke to the huge throng without a sound system and only later in the day did the LAUSD bring in sound for the rally.

Every major television station, English and Spanish, had crews covering the students including some helicopter coverage. At one point students occupied the Harbor Freeway but were “herded” off the highway by police. While it created a major traffic tie-up, there were no arrests. At approximately 2:30 p.m. about 400 hundredstudents took over Alvarado Street at Beverly and LAPD moved in to escort the march rather than try to forcethem onto sidewalks. They moved toward MacArthur Park. A school official told us at 2:00 p.m. that 1000students were en route to City Hall from East Los Angeles, scheduled to arrive at 4:00 p.m. or so.

School officials began bringing buses to City Hall as early as 2:00 p.m. offering “free rides” back to all campuses. Most students declined and some chanted, “Hell No, We Won’t Go.” As on Saturday, Mexican and U.S. flags dominated but Central American flags were seen throughout the crowd. The heavy turnout of public officials, school principals and school Board members certainly helped create a passive and non-agressive attitude by police.

Proyecto Guerrero Azteca has initiated a 241 mile march by Latinos against the war in Iraq. The march is now taking place in California, but the event has national if not international repercussions. Fernando Suarez del Solar, Pablo Paredes, Camilo Mejia, Aidan Delgado and their supporters are marching on this 241 mile quest for peace - which began in Tijuana, Mexico on March 12, 2006. The “coalition of the willing” - as the marchers are being called - will end their trek with a large antiwar rally in San Francisco on March 26 2006.

Proyecto Guerrero Azteca wrote the following on their website, explaining their actions; “Latinos represent nearly 15% of the US population and 11% of the US military, with many serving in combat or hazardous duty occupations. In addition, an estimated 20% of the fallen service members in the early months of the invasion were Latino. With the continued growth of the Latino population and its vital importance to the future of this country, it is time the Latino community become an active and vocal part of the 60%+ of US citizens that oppose this War. It is also time to show the Latino community that they have a voice and a right to fight for peace and stability. Fernando Suarez Del Solar is committed to self-sacrifice. At 50 years of age he cares more about ending this war than even his own health. We make this call not only to the Latino population but to all those who agree with our message ‘No more bloodshed in Iraq.’” For the specific route of the march through your community and the contact coordinators, visit: www.guerreroazteca.org

Two huge demonstrations againt the Iraq war are coming up - here are the details:

East LA March & Rally Against War
Friday, March 17th, 3:00 pm.
For march, assemble at 3 pm on Soto at 6th Street in Boyle Heights. Rally at Plaza Del Sol, 8th & Soto.
www.latinoscontralaguerra.org

Latinos Say US Out Of Iraq! Bring Our Troops Home Now! Ending the US Occupation of Iraq and bring our troops home is a top priority for Latino communities and all the people of the United States. The invasion and occupation of Iraq, and the policy of preemptive war move our country in the wrong direction in foreign and domestic policy. The invasion of Iraq was unnecessary, wrong, and justified by false premises. The occupation of Iraq is not only pouring good money into bad foreign policy funding death and devastation, it is growth obstacle to democracy and peace. More and more people are concluding that the war for oil and strategic military advantage. The opportunity for a truly peaceful world is at risk.

Our troops are at risk and dying with the heaviest burden falling on working class and poor minority young men and women. Hundreds of billions of dollars are being spent on this immoral war while the need grows for funding good education, health care, job training, childcare and other services. Anti Arab hysteria that is promoted by the White House and the Media reinforces racist stereotyping, profiling and discrimination against immigrants and people of color. Our youth are being oriented to a future of militarism not peace.

We join the Congressional Out Of Iraq Caucus, AFL – CIIO, United for Peace & Justice, Mexican American Political Association, and many others Saying US Out of Iraq! Bring the Troops Home Now! A Future of Peace not War! Funds for Good Jobs, Education, and Health Care!

Sponsored by LATINOS AGAINS The WAR www.latinoscontralaguerra.org
Contact: David Cid (323) 369-3864, Carlos Montes (213) 368-8674
Endorsed by American Friends Service Committee,
Chicano Latino Heritage Club ESMS,
Coalition Against Militarism in Schools,
Community Service Organization,
Hermandad Mexicana Latino Americana,
Latino Committee of SEIU Local 660,
Mexican American Political Association,
MECHA de RHS,
MECHA de LA Valley College,
MECHA De Pasadena City College,
and United Farm Workers.

… and in Hollywood

March 18th, Mass March & Rally
Saturday, March 18th, 12 Noon
Gather Hollywood and Vine
March to Hollywood and Highland
For more info call 323-464-1636
More info here, with downloadable flyers in English and Spanish.

[ The face of antiwar protest in Los Angeles. Aztecs surround a memorial of flag drapped coffins. Photo by Marcus at L.A. Indymedia. ]

A huge antiwar demonstration took place in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, September 24th., one of many that occurred aross the nation. Organizers placed the size of the crowd at 50,000 - around the same size of the mass march that took place in San Francisco. In the nation’s capital, organizers claimed 300,000 attended the demonstration, with C-SPAN reporting the crowd at 500,000. Here in Los Angeles, we had a demonstration like no other in the country. The tens of thousands who took to the streets were a mix of all the different ethnic communities that make up the city, and they marched along Broadway Street in the downtown area of L.A. where there is a massive presence of Central American and Mexican immigrants.

Dozens of Aztec Dancers danced along the boulevard to the sound of drums, conch shells, and rattles. Xicano student groups from all over Southern California were in attendance, and Latinos in general made up a high percentage of the massive crowd. Unions, church groups, advocates for the poor and homeless, feminists and gay rights activists, artists, left parties and everyday people who had never attended a protest before - filled the streets with cries of “Stop the War!” and “Peace Now!” In the march were 60 flag draped coffins, each carried by four pallbearers. Those who carried the coffins marched silently at the end of the huge demonstration, and as the march came to its conclusion at L.A. City Hall, the coffins were neatly arranged at the base of the government building. Aztec dancers formed a circle around the coffins, dancing, praying, and offering incense to the gods. The entire march was an amazing spectacle to behold, and some say, just the beginning for an antiwar movement that is daily gaining in strength and numbers. To see more photographs from the L.A. demonstration, click here.

Massive demonstrations against the war in Iraq are scheduled to take place internationally on September 24th, 2005. In the U.S., major marches and rallies will take place in Washington D.C., San Francisco and Los Angeles, with smaller demonstrations and forums planned in cities across the nation. For more information on demonstrations near you, visit the United for Peace and Justice website. Here in Los Angeles, ANSWER has organized an enormous march and rally that will take place in downtown L.A., at 12 noon. The people will start gathering at the corner of Olympic and Broadway at around 11 am. Bring drums, flowers, banners, cameras, and your determination to stop the war.

Urban Outfitters, a trendy apparel company that targets the 18-30 age group, has come out with a racist T-shirt presently being marketed to the public. The offensive shirt displays the caption “New Mexico, Cleaner than regular Mexico”. Apparently the executives at Urban Outfitters think it’s ok to make repulsive jokes about “dirty Mexicans”, but racism is no laughing matter. Here’s the number of their corporate headquarters, 215-564-2313. Give them a call and ask to speak to someone in charge of retail operations - tell them that racism is not funny, fashionable, or something to be marketed for profit. Last year the bigots at Urban Outfitters marketed a T-shirt with a slogan that read “Everyone Loves A Jewish Girl” - the words surrounded by dollar signs. That outrageous insult brought the Anti-Defamation League into the fray, and the ADL demanded Urban Outfitters stop producing and selling the offensive shirt. Urban Outfitters followed up by releasing a T-shirt called “Ghettopoly”, infuriating African Americans. That not being enough, the 77 retail store outlet released a T-shirt displaying the words “Voting is for Old People”. To their great credit, the Anti-Defamation League have now demanded Urban Outfitters stop selling the shirt insulting to Mexicans and Mexican Americans. The regional director of the ADL, Barry Morrison, told the offending retailer the T-shirt slogan “is saying that the country of Mexico is a dirty place.” Despite the persistent controversies, the sales for the company are up by over 60%. Here at Xispas, we think it’s high time for a boycott of Urban Outfitters.

On Tuesday, June 14, 2005, the Cesar Chavez-founded United Farm Workers asked North American wine consumers to join a new international boycott of the Gallo winery. A noon rally at San Francisco’s City Hall was attended by hundreds of vineyard workers and supporters who kicked-off the UFW’s first major nationwide boycott in more than 20 years. UFW Union President Arturo Rodriguez premiered boycott posters, buttons and bumper stickers spotlighting Gallo’s exploitation of its Sonoma County vineyard workers, 75% of whom are denied any benefits or job protections. “The Gallo’s abuse, cheat and deny the majority of their workers benefits, job protections and humane living conditions in the heart of California’s fabled wine country,” he noted. “The Gallo’s deny responsibility for what is being done to farm workers on their behalf, on their land, to produce their product and to help make their money. Through this boycott people of goodwill can say, ‘No Gallo!’”

When Gallo’s Sonoma County workers voted overwhelmingly for the UFW in a 1994 state-conducted election, all were full-time workers with benefits. Today, however, 75% of the work force is composed of temporary employees with no benefits. Gallo was found guilty of illegally attempting to decertify, or get rid of, the UFW by a state administrative judge and unanimously by the Agricultural Labor Relations Board in 2004. In 1973, Chavez declared the first Gallo boycott after the Modesto-based jug wine producer refused to renegotiate its UFW contract. E&J Gallo Winery has wineries in Fresno, Livingston, Modesto and Sonoma County, Calif., and vineyards across the region. Its wine is sold throughout the U.S. and in more than 85 countries. The company, the leading U.S. wine exporter, is one of the world’s biggest wine makers and the largest in the U.S. by cases sold. For more information, visit www.gallounfair.com or www.ufw.org