4th Annual Left Coast Forum in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA – On October 2 – 4, Over 100 progressives, activists and community members attended the Left Coast Forum at California State University, Los Angeles.
The Left Coast forum was a weekend of panels and workshops led by grassroot organizations, authors, and members of teacher unions. The Legalization 4 All Network (L4A) had a panel on the final day of the forum.
Members of Centro CSO (Los Angeles), CSO Orange County, and Aurora Unidos CSO spoke about their firsthand experiences with political repression, and the local campaigns they are currently working on as members of the Legalization for All Network.
Speakers included Verita Topete of Centro CSO, Yosselin Corrales of Aurora Unidos CSO, Diana Terreros of CSO Orange County, with moderation done by Marisol Marquez Co-Chair of L4A network
Diana Terreros, spoke on their campaign to organize tenants at Kingsley Mobile Home Park, many who are undocumented, stating, “The manager of the park, Olivia Garcia, has threatened to call ICE on some of the residents, so they use these tactics to silence the residents.”
Yoselin Corrales stated, “ICE is just one branch of a really broken system and so abolishing ICE isn't going to fix the problem because something else will just come in and replace it so we need to abolish the system that criminalizes immigrants.”
Corrales and others in Aurora Unidos CSO were recently successful in getting state charges dropped against them for protesting at Colorado's ICE Field Office.
Verita Topete spoke on their next steps to get ICE out of White Memorial Hospital, “We're going to be putting up tear-off flyers that have our phone number inside the hospital.” The hope is that this next step will allow Raza to find their loved ones.
To get into the fight for Legalization 4 All, follow Legalization 4 All on Instagram and join one of the monthly meetings.