Los Angeles, CA – On Sept. 26, President Obama visited Los Angeles to dip into the pockets of the Hollywood elite for his re-election campaign. His first stop was the famous House of Blues on Sunset Boulevard, where over 100 anti-war activists lined the sidewalks to demand Obama end the wars in Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan, “Money for jobs and education! Not for war and occupation!” the crowd chanted. “We are sick of mounting tuition, rising unemployment and most of all the ever-increasing war deficit of this country,” said a student activist from Pasadena Community College.

From House of Blues the President made his way to a fancier affair at the restaurant Fig and Olive on Melrose, where a dinner place cost guests $17,900! This time he was greeted by over 200 demonstrators calling for an end to Obama's Secure Communities policy that has led to mass deportations. “Obama please don't take my Mama!” the demonstrators chanted. Over 1 million immigrants have been deported under Obama's administration. “1 million too many,” a high school student name Sabrine called out in a moving speech about how her mother was deported while working her taco truck. “Us children had to make it on our own for three months with no mother!” She told the crowd.

L.A.'s Committee to Stop FBI Repression (CSFR) came out to both demonstrations, highlighting that one year ago the FBI raided the homes of anti-war and international solidarity activists in Chicago and Minneapolis. They called on Obama to put an end to the witch hunts. “FBI repression is nothing new,” L.A. CSFR member Charla Schlueter told the crowd, “but, that does not make it any more acceptable. We must fight back as a community!” She praised the 23 activists in the Midwest who have stood strong against the grand jury summonses. “Carlos Montes is also a target of the FBI and now faces six felonies on trumped-up charges! All because of his political work. Carlos is a veteran activist here in Los Angeles.”

Schlueter went on to say, “He has been active in immigrant and education struggles for over 40 years. Now we must fight for him.” She then called on the crowd to come out to Montes’ preliminary hearing Sept. 29 8:00 a.m. at the Criminal Courts Building, 210 West Temple Avenue in Los Angeles, where demonstrators will be packing the courtroom demanding justice for Montes. “Obama can you hear me?” the crowd called out, “Solidarity is not a crime!”

#LosAngelesCA #AntiwarMovement #SouthernCaliforniaImmigrationCoalition #CarlosMontes #BarackObama #CommitteeToStopFBIRepression