Los Angeles, CA – On the blistering hot Saturday morning, May 20, a group of angry activists chanted “Jail killer cops!” and “When Chicanos are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” The group gathered directly outside of the LAPD Hollenbeck police station, in Boyle Heights to demand LAPD officers responsible for the six killings in the last 12 months be jailed.

During the protest, Hollenbeck LAPD was training new LAPD Cadet recruits. LAPD Cadets are youth from ages 13-20 and are trained by LAPD to become either future cops, or to serve as a neighborhood ‘eyes and ears’ to report back to local police. A group of teen cadets peeked from Hollenbeck doors to listen to the protesters, but quickly closed the doors when they heard, “Don’t be the future killers of Boyle Heights!” Some cadets were too scared to walk by the activists, and were escorted by LAPD officers.

Teresa Dominguez, mother of 14-year-old Jesse Romero who was killed by LAPD on August 9, 2016 said, “I thank all of you today for showing up to remind these cops that we are never going to stop fighting for our children.”

“It’s not even about who is a good cop or who is a bad cop. This is about who the cops even serve and protect,” said Luis Sifuentes a public-school bus driver and member of Centro CSO. “We know they only serve and protect the elite – the same ones who rule and dominate over us.”

The LAPD protest was organized by Centro Community Service Organization (Centro CSO). Also present were members from Pasadena City College Students for a Democratic Society, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and family of Jose Peruzzi Mendez. Mendez was only 16 years old when LAPD shot and killed him on Feb. 6, 2016.

Lawsuits have been filed against LAPD and are still pending investigation, but parents and community members continue putting pressure on LAPD.

Centro CSO is presenting in a workshop at a California Summit on June 10 at the East Los Angeles College. Parents of victims of LAPD killings will be present, and the panel will be led by Chicano revolutionary Carlos Montes. You may RSVP to the workshop here: http://www.facebook.com/events/1892084017726718/

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