Los Angeles, CA – The start of the new school year brought good news in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). At the Breed Street, 2nd Street and Eastman Avenue Elementary Schools, Extera charter school has finally moved out.

For years, Extera charter school had occupied space inside the three schools. This co-location status led to Extera taking over classrooms, libraries, auditoriums and playgrounds during the school day, forcing out the public school students and staff. This also led to lower enrollment in public schools.

Centro CSO has organized against charter schools in the Chicano neighborhoods of Boyle Heights and East LA, as charters are seen as an attack on public education, with corporations trying to privatize public schools.

Antonieta Garcia, Centro CSO co-chair of the Education Committee, stated, “We must protect and keep on advocating for public education. This was a great victory for parents, students and the community!”

This practice of allowing charter schools to occupy space within existing public schools is the result of California Proposition 39, a state law initiated by the charter school lobby which requires school districts to make facilities (including both classroom and non-classroom spaces) available to charter schools that serve students who reside in the district. This led to the growth of charter schools, especially in poor, working-class Black and Chicano communities. Charter schools are non-union and are known to be selective in student enrollment.

This co-location led to enrollment decline and many scheduling problems in local schools. The charter schools were also supposed to pay rent for use of the LAUSD public facilities, but many did not.

Due to these problems, people have been holding protests for years at Extera board meetings to get them out. Most of the Extera board members had no history or background in East LA area communities.

In 2025, Extera attempted to buy an old church in East LA with the plan to build a new charter school. Centro CSO and Eastside Padres organized a successful campaign to stop this construction, which resulted in LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis making a motion at the board of supervisors meeting to deny the building permit. This campaign re-energized the community to continue opposing Extera co-locations.

Centro CSO later visited Breed Street, 2nd Street and Eastman Elementary Schools, encouraging parents and staff to oppose Extera, and suggested parent re-enroll their children in the public schools.

Extera finally announced in early 2026 its intent to close and transfer any remaining students to the Green Dot Animo Ellen Ochoa charter school.

Josie Reyes, a parent of students at Eastman Avenue school, stated, “We won against the co-location of Extera and stopped them from growing. Thanks to the Eastman Ave School teachers, parents, UTLA, Centro CSO and Eastside Padres.”

August 2026 saw the final evacuation of Extera.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #PeoplesStruggles #Education #PublicSchool #Teachers #CentroCSO

San Francisco, CA – On the afternoon of August 15, 100 people gathered in front of the San Francisco Federal Building for a national day of action to demand, “U.S. out of Korea” and “No to a Pacific war.”

Protesters chanted, “No boots on the ground, no bombs in the air! U.S. out of everywhere!” and “From Korea to the Philippines, stop the U.S. war machine!”

Many held signs reading “Stop U.S.-Korea war games” alongside giant cartoon heads of President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae

A speaker from Bayan explained the Negros 19 Massacre, where the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) claimed to kill 19 New People’s Army fighters. However, family and the people’s movement clarified that nine were civilians, including teens, college students and journalists. U.S tax dollars go to arm and train the AFP who commit these human rights violations in their war.

They further explained, “Marcos Jr. and his cronies sell out the Filipino people in service of U.S. imperialism and giving foreign monopoly capitalist like American Sugar Refining, the parent company of C&H Sugar, unbridled access to plunder our rich resources by keeping peasant farmers from asserting their right to land.”

The C&H factory workers in nearby Crockett, California, members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 6, recently went on strike. That factory is connected to sugarcane sources from the Philippines.

“We will fight for our dignity and our right to determine our own future!” said Heath Lee from Nodutdol, reflecting the growing trend against U.S. military forces occupying bases in Korea.

Lee continued, “Our demand is clear: the United States must leave Korea, like it must leave the Philippines, Palestine, Puerto Rico, Guam, Panama, Okinawa and everywhere else!”

A representative of Palestinian Youth Movement expressed the unity and solidarity between the liberation struggles of Palestine, Korea and the Philippines.

The rally alternated speeches with singing performances as well as militant and energizing drumming performances. The program included speakers from Nodutdol, Bayan, Gabriela, International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, and the Palestinian Youth Movement.

#SanFranciscoCA #CA #International #Korea #AntiWarMovement

Anaheim, CA – On Saturday, August 15, 300 Disney workers took to the streets in front of D23 at the Anaheim Convention Center to demand a fair contract from Disney. D23 is Disney’s official fan club that started in 2009.

On Saturday the fan club was hosting an event called The Ultimate Fan Event, where fan club members get exclusive insights into Disney’s upcoming movies, with first looks at trailers and access to exclusive merch. The event also features panels with celebrities, creators and executives. 

The workers holding the action are hotel and restaurant workers who are represented by Unite HERE Local 11 and have been fighting for a contract since February. The workers say they have grown tired of Disney’s mistreatment.

Ines Guzman, a Disney hotel worker, stated, “We are fighting for a good workload. The workload is so heavy for us at Disney, we have people getting injured because it’s so bad.” Guzman also said “It’s hard for us to get breaks, because for me, I’m a lead, so I have to cover half a tower, and have to cover 55 rooms. So, we can’t take breaks because how would we cover that. We work at a fast pace and we can get hurt.” Guzman continued, “The Injuries are lower back, shoulders, arms and knees.” 

During the event, workers took to the streets and shouted “What do we want? Contract! When do we want it? Now!” The workers marched the streets in front of Disneyland, with drums and megaphone-amplified voices ringing through the streets, to let them know they are not going away. The workers are demanding that Disney respond and listen to them. Recently, in negotiations, Disney made a counteroffer that the workers were not happy with and voted to refuse.

Bonnie Gutierrez, a cashier and barista at the Coffee House, stated, “To receive their counteroffer was hurtful, it was a slap in the face.” Gutierrez continued, “We were expecting a little bit more from a company that has the means. It was offensive.” 

Gutierrez also went into what they want to see in a contract, “We're wanting Disney to give us a fair wage. We are looking for this upcoming contract to include better health benefits and a pension. Also really just to keep up with inflation. Some of us commute a long way. Myself, I come from Riverside to work, and with the price of gas and food going up its hard.”

Despite the long fight and Disney’s refusal to meet their demands, the workers' spirits are still high, with many being motivated to keep going so they can support their families and themselves. Austin Linch, a Local 11 leader stated, “The workers are furious, then they see Disney is going to throw a party to celebrate their brand, and the workers are outraged that Disney is going to tout themselves as the good guy and purveyor of magic. When we know the workers are the ones who provide that.”

Throughout the action, the picket line was loud and the workers' anger showed. They show no signs of slowing down, and say they will keep fighting until they get a decent contract. The workers are fed up and angry with Disney, with many getting injured and their working conditions being poor. They say they will not stop until they are treated with respect and get the compensation they deserve.

#AnaheimCA #CA #Labor #Disney

Toledo, a student organizer involved in the Palestine solidarity and anti-war movement, was arrested by Cal Poly Humboldt police at his home around 1 a.m. on March 6. Police sought the warrant under allegations of felony false imprisonment and felony conspiracy stemming from a February 27 student protest.

Weeks later, police returned to Toledo’s home with a search warrant and seized phones, computers, cameras and hard drives under the guise that it was to investigate a “criminal conspiracy” among student protesters.

But the so-called conspiracy never actually materialized.

When Humboldt County District Attorney Stacey Eads finally filed charges, the felony conspiracy allegation used to justify the investigation was nowhere to be found. Toledo instead faces three bogus misdemeanors – assault, battery and false imprisonment. No alleged co-conspirators have been arrested, and the DA has now stated that they do not anticipate bringing additional charges. This just goes to show how weak and baseless the accusation was right from the start.

The aggressive police response stemmed from an encounter lasting only seconds at a February 27 protest. Toledo’s defense attorney made it clear that university police knowingly inflated the allegations into felonies, allowing them to secure a warrant, arrest a student organizer in the middle of the night and later search his home for evidence of a supposed conspiracy.

Toledo is fighting back. His attorney, Matthew Kellegrew of the Civil Liberties Defense Center, is challenging the arrest and search warrant, demanding the return of Toledo’s property. The defense’s position is that police violated Toledo’s constitutional rights and treated ordinary protest organizing and communication between activists as evidence of criminal conspiracy.

The prosecution made a damning admission during the August 10 hearing. When Judge Steven Steward asked Deputy District Attorney David Watson whether prosecutors actually needed Toledo’s seized phone and computer for their case, Watson answered simply: “No.” Yet nearly six months after the raid, Toledo’s property remains in government hands.

The case is part of an escalating campaign of repression against student activists at Cal Poly Humboldt. Students have organized around Palestine, opposition to ICE and other anti-war struggles, repeatedly putting them into conflict with university administrators and police.

Toledo has been consistently clear that these legal attacks are political. “I think it shows that she has it out for me personally, that she has it out for student activists and Palestine activists,” Toledo said of the university police officer who sought the warrant. The conspiracy allegation may have disappeared, but the damage caused by the repression has not.

University police and officials wanted to turn student organizing into a conspiracy. Instead, its own prosecution has abandoned the conspiracy allegation entirely.

Judge Steward is expected to rule August 31 on Toledo’s challenge to the warrants and demand for the return of his property. His misdemeanor trial is currently scheduled for September 28.

Toledo and his supporters are continuing the fight against political repression and demanding that the remaining charges be dropped.

#EurekaCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #StudentMovement #PoliticalRepression

Oakland, CA – On Friday, August 14, around 20 community members rallied at a street corner in downtown Oakland to protest another man being killed by Oakland Police Department (OPD). Jose Santos Castillo Ortega, a 43-year-old Latino man, was shot and killed by officers last month after a call by California Highway Patrol, which had pursued him from a homeless community. Very few details of the incident were revealed to the public until body camera footage was uploaded to the public records website.

The protest, called by the Oakland Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, was joined by POOR Magazine, Black Alliance for Peace, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and Community Service Organization. Some protesters held picker signs with the words “FIght against police brutality.”

Rickie Cleere of the Oakland Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, said, “Video and audio footage show Castillo clearly in mental distress almost the entire time as multiple officers aimed guns and tasers while they walked him down through Oakland streets, with him yelling ‘leave me alone’ and ‘I'm not doing nothing.’”

Cleere continued, “Through organizing and action can we move toward a future in which the police do not get away with murdering our community members. A future in which the people have a direct say over who polices them and how they are policed. This is a future with actual police accountability through community control, and the time to build that future is now!”

Noah Teller, a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, said, “These officers were amateurish and completely unprofessional. They antagonized a man who was posing no threat to anyone. Shame! Living in peace in a highway median, what is the crime? Who is he harming?”

The crowd formed a march contingent towards OPD headquarters while chanting “Justice for Jose Castillo! No more cops killing our people!” Protesters marched down several blocks to the police station, where they continued to chant and demand accountability and for the names of the officers involved in the shooting, before marching back.

The street corner where community members gathered is affectionately called Oscar Grant Plaza, after the man who was shot and killed by Bay Area Rapid Transit police in 2009 at Oakland’s Fruitvale station.

#OaklandCA #CA #InjusticeSystem #KillerCop #JoseCastillo #NAARPR

Los Angeles, CA – On Friday, August 7, Centro CSO held an emergency rally to demand the protection of TPS (Temporary Protected Status) holders. The rally was held at Belvedere Park Lake in East Los Angeles, where ICE kidnappings recently occurred.

Community members were able to learn about the recent attacks on Haitian immigrant communities. The rally then marched to the sidewalk where bystanders honked and raised their fists in support of the signs “ICE out of LA” and “Defend TPS.” The rally took place as part of the Legalization for All Network’s Week of Action, with the demand being to Stop Trump's Mass deportation of Haitian Immigrants, defend TPS, and legalization for all.

The Trump administration recently terminated Temporary Protective Status, leaving over 300,000 Haitian and Syrian refugees at risk of deportation. With the increase of racial profiling by ICE, the same question of ongoing attacks arises as to how this racial profiling will affect the Haitian and Syrian communities. In Ohio, Haitian immigrants are being summoned by the DHS to wear ankle monitors until their court proceedings.

Emilio Martin Del Campo of Centro CSO Police Accountability Committee stated, “This inevitably leads to an increase in killer ICE activity in these communities of working-class people.”

He continued, “We have seen ICE claim the lives of more than 50 people in the last year both on the streets and in detention camps, gunning down fathers in front of their children and killing mothers in so-called self defense.”

There has been an upsurge of ICE activities in the greater Los Angeles area after the unfreezing of the federal DHS budget. This has led to an increase in raids and brutalization amongst immigrant communities.

Briana Mosque from Centro CSO immigration committee stated, “When are my people going to be ready to fight back? Until it’s one of their own family members, will it hurt and matter?”

Verita Topete, from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) told the crowd, “This is why we continue the ongoing fight for legalization for all. Temporary programs aren’t enough. Working-class immigrants deserve to live, work, and keep their families together without fear of detention or deportation. We denounce this racist attack on Haitians and Syrian immigrants.”

If you would like to join the struggle to defend immigrant rights in Los Angeles and win Legalization for All, you can follow @CentroCSO on Instagram to find out about upcoming meetings and actions.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #Haitians #CentroCSO #TPS

Santa Ana, CA – On Saturday, August 9, community members gathered in front of the Santa Ana Federal Building to demand Trump stop his attacks on Haitian immigrants. This protest was a response to a call to action from the Legalization 4 All Network to resist Trump’s racist attack on Haitian immigrants with the ending of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian and Syrian immigrants.

The rally started with the chant os “Defend TPS! Defend TPS!” by Jay Perez from the immigration committee of the Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC).

“TPS once protected roughly 3 million people providing lifesaving protection from deportations and the ability to work and provide for their families. Since then, Trump’s regime has slowly gutted these protections, country by country: Honduras, Venezuela, now Haiti,” Perez continued.

“With the Supreme Court ruling, over 300,000 Haitians have lost their protected status overnight. This attack on TPS is an act of violence against our immigrant community and we will stand up and fight back! This administration is using every means at its disposal to ramp up its deportation machine and the Haitian community is now on the front lines of family separation and deadly deportations. We must show up for our neighbors!” Perez stated.

Diana Terreros of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) took the mic, “The termination of TPS is happening after Trump and Vance made disgusting racist comments about Haitian immigrants eating neighborhood pets in Ohio during their campaign that resulted in harassment and threats. It also comes after the U.S. has intervened in Haiti in an attempt to control their politics and economy for more than a century.”

“As a communist, I know that these destabilizing attacks will continue to happen under capitalism. That’s why I’m in FRSO, fighting to bring socialism forward every day. Whether you are a Chicana whose parents are at risk of deportation or a Haitian immigrant being forced to wear an ankle monitor, our enemy is the same and we must unite to fight against them!” Terreros concluded.

“Hands off TPS! Let Haitians stay!” chanted the protesters as they faced the federal building.

“We saw during the Biden administration, Haitians were whipped by a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent while crossing a river to get to Texas. This was under Biden, and now things are worse. We are seeing how both sides of the ruling class function the same way in oppressing the colonized people of the world,” stated Paulo Cruzalgui of the Latin American Committee of the Hands off Uhuru! Hands off Africa! Fightback coalition.

Community members were encouraged to speak on the immigration organizing they do in Santa Ana. Joellez Lopez from CSO OC said, “Through CSO I have been exposed to the barrio walks. We go into the community, we educate people on how to identify ICE, give out resources, and also hear from them. We have been able to work closely with the Coach Royal residents who have been facing racist harassment from Kingsley management.”

“Let’s continue the work and let Santa Ana hear us! ICE out of OC! Hands off TPS!” stated Lopez.

This protest was organized by Community Service Organization Orange County alongside other community organizations. If you’d like to learn more or get involved with CSO OC. You can contact them on Instagram on CSO.OC or by phone at 714-367-6350.

#SantaAnaCA #SantaAna #CA #CSO #CSOOC #Immigration #TPS #ImmigrantRights

Los Angeles, CA – On Sunday, July 26, over 100 activists from different organizations came together to celebrate the launch of Bulosan – a network fighting for the labor movement in the United States and international solidarity with unions and workers in the Philippines.

“The core of our organization is made up of union organizers and workers who understand the importance of building genuine trade unions, building solidarity between workers in the Philippines and workers in southern California, and organizing overseas Filipino workers to contribute to the struggle back home. Before launching our organization, we grew to include several more organizers and workers and we are now growing every week,” said one of the Bulosan organizers.

The program started with report-backs from U.S. union members who recently went on a labor solidarity trip to the Philippines and saw firsthand the militancy and discipline of the KMU trade unionists. They noticed that workers in the Filipino labor movement are connected and involved across different industries and unions. “When there is a labor action in the Philippines, everybody comes out for it,” said Ryan Calbreath of the United Electrical Workers.

Then a panel of workers who traveled to Crockwell, California shared their experiences on the picket lines of the C&H refinery strike. C&H ILWU Local 6 workers have been on strike since June 15 over proposed cuts to health care, overtime and sick days. The workers have refused to unload the sugar from the ports where it arrives from sugar plantations of Negros Island in the Philippines.

The panel summated that workers in the Philippines and workers in the United States have more in common with each other than with their bosses. And sometimes, like with C&H sugar, they even have the same bosses.

The program ended with solidarity statements from other organizations including Migrante USA, International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, International Women’s Alliance, and Centro CSO.

Leilani Gonzalez, executive co-chair of Centro CSO, shared a solidarity statement supporting the labor movement in the Philippines. “It's important to continue to organize and raise the political consciousness of workers, to question the systems of oppression and connect it back to imperialism and join organizations like Bulosan. We look forward to working together more against our shared enemy.”

To learn about how you can support Bulosan, follow them on Instagram: @BulosanLA

#LosAngelesCA #CA #Labor #International #Philippines #Bulosan

San Jose, CA – On August 9, around a dozen people gathered in front of MLK Library in San Jose for a vigil to demand justice for Corey Ruiz, a 34-year-old African-American man who was murdered by the police on July 22 in Madison, Wisconsin. Community members brought flowers, candles and signs with slogans like, “Justice for Corey, jail killer cops” and “Justice for victims of police violence.”

John Duroyan with the San Jose Coalition Against Trump, the coalition which organized the vigil, read a statement on the murder of Ruiz from the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, stating, “We won’t wait for empty answers. We won’t sit back quietly while they try to force us to passively support a system that lets cops kill adults, teenagers, children, and even infants through their negligence and aggression.”

Duroyan continued, “We know exactly what this is: A modern lynching justified with the language of law and order. It's time to hit the streets and demand an end to police terror! Justice for Corey Ruiz!”

At the vigil, community members discussed the parallels between the murder of Corey Ruiz and other racist and police murders which occurred on San Jose State University campus, directly adjacent to where the vigil took place. These include the murder of Antonio Guzman Lopez, an undocumented man murdered by San Jose State University police in 2014. Lopez’ murderer faced no repercussions.

Additionally, in 2008, African American SJSU student Gregory Johnson Jr was found hanging in the SJSU Sigma Chi fraternity house where he lived. Despite numerous suspicious circumstances surrounding his death, SJSUPD and SJPD engaged in cover-up tactics and refused to seriously investigate Sigma Chi’s majority-white, wealthy fraternity members for any wrongdoing.

As the vigil concluded, community members chanted, “Justice for Corey! End police brutality!”

#SanJoseCA #CA #InjusticeSystem #CoreyRuiz

While a different survey of households showed that the unemployment rate fell from 4.2% in June to 4.1% in July, this was mainly due to unemployed workers giving up their job search, which meant that they are no longer counted as unemployed. The measure of people working and unemployed, called the Labor Force Participation rate, fell to 61.4, the lowest level in 50 years, not counting April and May of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic was gripping the country. All in all, more than a million workers have dropped out of the labor force over the last year.

The fall in the Labor Force Participation Rate was concentrated among oppressed nationalities. The biggest drop in the LFPR was among Asian Americans, where it fell by a whole point. The LFPR among African Americans fell by 0.6, while there was no drop at all in the LFPR among white Americans.

One reason for people giving up on the job search was that for the last six months, more than one in four unemployed had been out of work for six months or more. This is a record high percentage for a time not following a severe recession such as 1981-83, 2007-2009, and 2020 when the unemployment rate topped out near or above 10%.

Job losses were led by job cuts in public schools, where almost 50,000 jobs were lost in July. While some said this was because of summer vacation, the report was adjusted to account for this. Compared to a year earlier in July of 2025, public schools still had 80,000 fewer employees. The next biggest job loss was in leisure and hospitality, which includes restaurants, hotels and entertainment. These industries lost 40,000 jobs in July.

Despite the bad economic news, the stock market rose, with all the major indices (the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the Standard & Poor’s 500, and the NASDAQ) all up for the day. Just another example of when bad news for workers becomes good news for the capitalists and rich of Wall Street.

#SanJoseCA #CA #CapitalismAndEconomy #Economy #Labor #Jobs

Los Angeles, CA – On July 30, Centro CSO’s Police Accountability Committee held an emergency rally to demand justice for Corey Ruiz, a 34-year-old African American man who was killed by the police on July 22 in Madison, Wisconsin. Over a dozen community members gathered at Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights.

The protest in Los Angeles was a part of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression week of action to demand justice for Corey Ruiz. The rally-goers held signs that uplifted the demands coming out of Madison, including “Jail killers cops” and “Community Control of police.” They also held posters with Corey Ruiz’s face on them.

Derek Mejia, the Centro CSO’s Police Accountability Committee co-chair, was the emcee. He started the program with, “We are here answering the national call put out by the National Alliance against Racist and Political Repression to demand justice for Corey Ruiz.”

Verita Topete, Centro CSO’s Immigration co-chair, also spoke at the rally, saying, “Justice for Corey Ruiz means more than words. It means a full, independent investigation. It means accountability for every officer involved. It means no more cover-ups. And it means putting power back into the hands of the people through community control of the police.”

Sammy Carrea, a Teamster and FRSO member said, “How many more lives need to be ripped away from their loved ones? How many more police killings before we organize for justice, before we organize to jail all killer cops, before we demand community control over the pigs, before we fight for Chicano self-determination, before we fight for self-determination for the Black Belt South? Justice for Corey Ruiz.”

Baba Akili from BLM LA Grassroots was the final speaker, “Too often what happens is the police kill us and we may not even see a blurb in the news and we just move on as if that's how it is in the world today. That is not how it is! What happened in Madison is a continuation of the war on Black people. What's happening with ICE is a continuation of the war on Latinos and immigrants.”

After the program, folks gather on the corner of First street and Vicente Fernandez Avenue, where Derek Mejia led the crowd in chants like “Justice for Corey Ruiz” and “When killer cops are on patrol

what do we want?” as the crowd yelled back “Community control!”

Luis Sifuentes, a longtime Centro CSO member said, “We’re here today to protest the killing of Corey Ruiz. This is another example of the police violence our communities continue to face in this country, especially Black communities. We’re standing in solidarity because what’s happening there is connected to what’s happening here in Los Angeles. Our struggles are connected, and that’s why we’re calling on people to come together, stand with one another, and demand justice.”

#LosAngelesCA #CA #InjusticeSystem #CoreyRuiz #KillerCop #CentroCSO

Anaheim, CA – On July 30, Community Service Organization, Orange County (CSO OC), the family of Albert Arzola, and residents of Anaheim delivered a petition of 1840 signatures to the Anaheim Police Department.

During the delivery, Rosie Camacho stated, “December 6, 2025 changed our whole life. I watched my son die in front of my doorsteps. There was no first aid, there was nothing. I had guns drawn to my head.” Camacho continued, “They dragged my son through the ground like a dog. My son deserves justice, and fire Nathan Garcia!” Camacho then lead a chant of “Fuck Anaheim PD!”

Nathan Garcia is the officer who killed Albert Arzola on December 6, 2025.

Protesters gathered in front of Anaheim Public Library and began to march towards the Anaheim Police Department. Their chants of “Justice for Albert Arzola!” and “Jail killer cops!” rang throughout the streets. When they arrived, protesters attempted to go inside. However, Anaheim PD had locked their doors. Immediately, two Anaheim police officers came outside from a side door. The family of Albert Arzola, along with CSO OC members ,confronted the officers and demanded that they be let inside.

During the confrontation, Juanita Lopez, the grandmother of Albert Arzola, handed the petition directly to one of the Anaheim police officers. The family began to list their demands. With family members and CSO OC members alike demanding, “We want officer Nathan Garcia fired!” and “Publicly release the body cam footage!”

Grace Arzola, the aunt of Albert Arzola, said this during the confrontation,“Why can't we go inside our department? You guys serve us, we don't serve you. We don’t understand why we aren’t being let in.” After the officer responded stating that’s not what he was saying, Arzola continued, “Then let us go in, so we can deliver the petition. We’ve spread our concerns for the last seven months, and we’ve been ignored and we get greeted here with the doors closed!”

After about five minutes of confronting the officers, the protesters were finally allowed to go inside the department. Once inside, family members and CSO OC members demanded to speak with the Chief of Police Manuel Cid. Anaheim police officers refused to let the family speak to Cid, using the excuse that he was at an event. They demanded for him to be put on the phone, which again was denied.

The family was left with a phone number and was told to contact Manuel Cid through the number and set up a meeting. The family made sure to point out that they will in fact hold Manuel Cid to that meeting.

During the whole confrontation, the department had no choice but to hear the Arzolas’ demands, with family members telling the officers that Nathan Garcia needs to be fired, and to release the autopsy report. The officers were very visibly shaken and were nervous the entire time. For months, the department has ignored the Arzolas, now they had no choice but to listen.

Afterward, protesters gathered out in front of the department and began with chants of “Nathan Garcia, lock him up!” The energy was angry with a lot of tears flowing from the family over being disregarded by Anaheim PD for the last several months.

Both the Arzolas and CSO OC vowed to keep confronting Anaheim PD and build pressure onto Anaheim Police Chief Manuel Cid until their demands are met and Nathan Garcia is fired. The family remains angry and frustrated, however, that doesn’t slow them down. It only fuels their fire to get officer Nathan Garcia fired and put behind bars.

#AnaheimCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #CSOOC

San Francisco, CA – On July 27, a crowd surrounded the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco for the People’s State of the Nation Address to protest against the reactionary Bongbong Marcos Jr. This comes after a torrent of nationwide protests which have rocked the Philippines in the wake of economic disasters and armed attacks on workers and farmers.

The action began with the song Kapangyarihan honoring the martyrs who died resisting Duterte’s “War on Drugs,” which extrajudicially killed 30,000 people.

Che Lodico from Kabataan Alliance stated, “This past June I participated in the Bayanihan disaster response trip and peasant integration to the Philippines. During our trip, we were able to integrate to the province of Camarines Sur, which is one of the richest provinces and yet the people there are the poorest in the Bicol Region.”

Lodico continued, “Just like most of the countryside in the Philippines, many of the farmers do not own the land they are tilling on, so they are hired by the landowners as farmworkers for only 250 to 500 pesos a day.” This follows a pattern in the Philippines as victims of poverty and man-made environmental disasters are met with neglect, red-tagging, and even extrajudicial killings by the Marcos regime for demanding welfare and repairs.

“Why is the NTF-ELCAC investing 24 million pesos in constructing dams, flood control dams, water systems, road constructions in indigenous people’s communities of Mindanao? Because they only want to attack the activist youth and peasants. They also take away their livelihoods by creating man-made disasters in the countryside!” continued Lodico.

Tree Aquino from Pilipino Laban sa Korapsyon (PILAK) stated, “Currently, Vice President Sara Duterte made history for being the first Filipino politician to be impeached twice, and this trial must continue without fail. She must be held accountable for the misuse of 600 million pesos in public funds, and we demand that she be transparent with her bank and tax records!”

Aquino also recalled attempts made by the organization to call on the Philippine Consulate and its consulate general, Arnel Talisayon, to protect Filipino migrants, only to find they had lopsided priorities.

“When we tried to schedule a meeting with Arnel Talisayon to discuss the pressing needs of Filipinos and undocumented migrants in our area, he left his scheduled meet-and-greet early and did not address any of our concerns,” Aquino lamented. “Meanwhile, he happily takes time to meet with big tech and sell out the Philippines to the highest bidder!”

Isa Patoto made a tearful plea on behalf of the Defend Negros Island Campaign to seek accountability and justice for the Toboso 19 and victims of extrajudicial killings. “On April 19 and 20, the 79th Infantry Battalion from the Armed Forces of the Philippines did a forced evacuation of 653 people from Toboso, Negros Occidental and did an illegal strafing on their community killing 19 including two beloved Filipino American activists, Lyle Prijoles and Kai Sorem.” This comes as one-third of all extrajudicial killings by the Marcos Regime are committed in the “Sugarbowl of the Philippines” alone.

“The massacre was a direct result of the organized peasants and farmers who resisted under the NTF-ELCAC and under the guise of counterinsurgency. And what did Bongbong Marcos do? He congratulated the 79th Infantry Battalion and treated them to a feast, and also had a bid for the UN Security Council!” said Patoto, highlighting the absurdity of the government’s response to the AFP’s violation of international human law.

The action ended with a performance of the song Lahat ng Sangkot, Dapat Managot, while protesters destroyed effigies of Trump and Bongbong Marcos Jr. as the crowd cheered on.

#SanFranciscoCA #CA #International #Philippines

Los Angels, CA – On July 25, in downtown Los Angeles a coalition of over 50 organizations and faith leaders gathered for a funeral procession to honor the lives of those murdered by ICE. This action was organized under the slogan “Justice for All.”

The procession started at LA City Hall and marched through the streets carrying handmade cardboard coffins and pictures of those killed by ICE, including Keith Porter, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti.

No Camps CA and NELA for Democracy were the two main groups that organized this vigil demanding a full, independent investigation, the release and protection of those who witnessed the murder of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, an end to local collaboration with ICE, and for immediate action by Congress.

Marylinda Moss from NELA for Democracy told the crowd, “It was powerful and moving to have more than 50 grassroots groups here in LA and all across the country come together in unity in just over a week, for [the] ‘Justice for All Day of Action and Accountability’ to stand in solidarity against the brutality and the senseless killings enacted by this government. Thanks to the many hands and hearts it took to make over 70 coffins in a week, paired with the ‘Killed by ICE’ placards; it was an undeniable visual of what is being done to our people.”

Los Jornaleros Del Norte, a band that is known for leading protests with cumbias and “Music that accompanies the struggle and celebrates the dignity of the immigrant and working-class community,” guided the procession from Los Angeles City Hall to Placita Olvera.

Brianna Mosqueda from Centro CSO said, “Being able to be a pallbearer was an honor. But it also made me think about the 73-plus families that have to carry their fathers, mothers, or children to rest. These families suffer because of modern day ethnic cleansing. We see the warnings and if we don’t do anything now, this will become a genocide.”

Michelle Arkin with No Concentration Camps CA said, “At the Justice for All vigil in downtown Los Angeles we gathered to mourn lives that should never have been lost: Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, Johan Sebastian Guerrero, and the more than 70 people who have died in ICE custody or murdered on our streets. Our grief is real, but it is not the end of the story. Standing and processing with 73 coffins in solidarity, we transformed mourning into a powerful reminder that no one stands alone. Unity is our greatest strength.”

Verita Topete, the co-chair of Centro CSO’s Immigration Committee, read a statement of accountability and ended with, “We can say ‘abolish ICE’ but what happens when ICE is abolished? Before ICE there was INS. The people in power will just start over and build another agency to oppress and kill us. This is why we need legalization for all 11-plus million undocumented immigrants.”

#LosAngelesCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #ICE

Los Angeles, CA – On July 25 in the City of Industry, 50 people protested outside the Industry Sheriff’s Station to demand justice for Joseph Perez and for his immediate release from jail.

On July 27, 2020, nearly six years ago, Joseph Perez was brutally beaten by sheriffs in the City of Industry, which is located about 30 minutes east of downtown Los Angeles. Some of those sheriffs were later involved in the beating of teens outside of a Montclair bowling alley, where the deputies were arrested. The deputies admitted to internal affairs that they were tattooed deputy gang members and part of the “Industry Indians.” No deputies have faced discipline over the brutal beating of Joseph Perez.

Families who have lost their loved ones to either LAPD or LASD were present to speak in solidarity with Vanessa Perez’s fight for justice for her son Joseph. The families of Jeremy Anthony Flores, Eric Rivera, Anthony Vargas and John Horton III and others were at the rally.

The rally also featured a united front of organizations fighting for police accountability, like Check The Sheriff Coalition, Justice LA, Power Now, SV DEBUG and Centro CSO.

The crowd chanted, “Ban! Ban! Deputy gangs!” and “Say his name: Joseph Perez!”

Luis Sifuentes of FRSO stated, “We have to keep fighting, we have to keep fighting these officials that are protecting these pigs, we have to fight these police associations!”

Katherine Palma spoke about her brother, Jeremy Anthony Flores, who was shot and killed by LAPD, “The cops just shoot they don't stop and think about other solutions, it’s not fair that they can laugh and enjoy time with their loved ones when they took one of ours.”

Emiliano Martin Del Campo of Centro CSO stated, “These killings, beatings and wrongful convictions of our community members will not stop until we have community control of the police implemented here and all over this country. Our neighborhoods will never be safe until we have a say in who polices them and how they do so.”

Deanna Brock, the mother of Emmett Brock, told the crowd, “My son Emmet Brock, a 23-year-old teacher, was brutally assaulted by an LA County Sheriff deputy My son used his First Amendment right to flip off a cop, that cop got in his car and followed Joseph and pulled him over in a parking lot where he brutally beat him.”

Deputy Joseph Benza lll was eventually federally charged for violating the civil rights of Emmet Brock, and will be sentenced at the end of this year.

Vanessa Perez closed the rally by saying, “To every family here: our pain has connected us but so has our strength. I stand with each and every one of you in whatever capacity I can, because your fight is my fight. CSO! We made history again in Joseph’s name.”

The rally ended with chants and a sign-waving on the main dtreet near the sheriff’s station. There is an ongoing civil lawsuit against LASD in the name of Joseph Perez, and Centro CSO will be on the ground to support the fight for justice.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #JosephPerez #CentroCSO

Gilroy, CA – On Sunday, July 19, over 250 community members of all ages and backgrounds gathered at San Ysidro Park to protest the planned ICE facility under construction in Gilroy. The strategic placement of the ICE detention center, located in the southern region of Santa Clara County in Northern California, would allow for an increase in immigration enforcement activity, threatening surrounding communities.

The four-mile march to the detention center construction site began with lively chants demanding “Legalization for all” and “Justice for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, and Juan Jairo Coronilla Durán,” the most recent lives lost at the hands of ICE agents. Two of these most recent martyrs were shot by ICE in cold blood. The community also stood in solidarity with fellow immigrant rights activists by calling for “Hands off Nadia Topete!” and repeated “Shut it down!” just mere feet from the entrance of the ICE site.

Kímberly Cortéz-Solorio, an organizer with the Community Service Organization (CSO) San José, shared that the county of Santa Clara and the state’s attorney general are engaged in legal proceedings against ICE which have temporarily halted the construction. But they reminded the community to “celebrate cautiously,” not let down their guard and to continue to demand a permanent halt.

The second CSO San José speaker, Ariya Amin, called out the hypocrisy of ICE, which labels people as “illegal,” while ICE agents regularly commit illegal atrocities with impunity. From planning the ICE facility in unincorporated Gilroy, to arresting people without warrants, to committing severe and daily human rights violations, ICE's actions have been unlawful. Amin declared that this administration has a duty to obey “the will of [the] people,” and reminded attendees that it is up to el pueblo to ensure that our consent is considered and prioritized.

The crowd also heard from Huy Tran, the executive director of Services, Immigrant Rights & Education Network (SIREN). During his speech, Tran asked the community to reflect on how well we hold accountable those in power and to remind them who is actually in charge here: the people. Tran stressed the importance of having difficult conversations, continuing the struggle, and letting others “see the activation” by being civically engaged.

Edwin Salazar from the Community Agency for Resources, Advocacy and Services asked the audience to imagine the implications of this ICE site and its proximity to beloved areas with high-immigrant populations, such as Gilroy and San José. Salazar shared how this country conditions its citizens via capitalism and urged the “community to collectivize” our resources to move forward.

Megan Sweet with Freedom Road Socialist Organization spoke about the acceleration of “large-scale invasions by the DHS” and how the brutality of operations we see on national news has already been witnessed in our streets. Sweet shared the cases of Ulises Peña López, who was left disabled after a violent encounter with ICE and ultimately deported, and Guillermo Medina Reyes, who was arrested by federal agents and is currently facing a legal battle.

Representing Working Partnerships USA, Rebeca Armendariz announced that the Santa Clara County Counsel (who had filed a lawsuit against ICE) had won their request for a temporary injunction, putting on pause any construction work for the coming weeks. Despite ICE not being prepared with the paperwork, Armendariz shared, the true threat was the mobilization of the masses.

In early September, the construction of this ICE detention center will resume and Gilroy organizers affirm they will be there to greet it. The struggle they are building will outpace and outlast anything ICE constructs.

#GilroyCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #ICE

Oakland, CA- On Saturday, July 18, 32 community members gathered at the site where the Oakland Police Department (OPD) shot and killed a man in Oakland's Fruitvale district on Monday afternoon. Mourners placed flowers and candles on a street median near a shopping center where the victim died, held moments of silence, and created protest art in the street to honor his life while demanding justice and accountability.

The vigil, organized by the Oakland Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (OAARPR) with support from POOR Magazine, Justice for Jalani, Coalition for Police Accountability, Community Service Organization, Urban Peace Movement and Black Alliance for Peace, transformed the site of the killing into a memorial and a space for community resistance. Throughout the evening, speakers condemned the police killing, criticized the growing role of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) in East Oakland, and called for the immediate release of all video evidence.

The shooting happened shortly after 2 p.m. near the 4000 block of International Boulevard, a predominantly immigrant neighborhood. According to the Oakland Police Department, CHP officers requested assistance after a man fled during an operation that began at a nearby homeless encampment. Police claim the man was “armed.”

Police have not identified the man or described the alleged weapon. Despite the shooting taking place on a busy commercial corridor with many surveillance cameras, OPD has not released body camera footage or other video evidence, fueling community demands for transparency.

“This is the third person killed by Oakland police this year,” said Romaine Charite, chair of the impacted families committee of OAARPR. “They aren't releasing the details of these killings. They haven't been releasing body camera footage, which is against California law. We have the California Public Records Act. They are going around killing people, and we are not going to put up with that.”

“If there was not a sweep, no one would have died,” Jeremy Miller from Black Alliance for Peace told the crowd. “Our homeless people are our community. Our street people are our community.”

Terry Lovett, the mother of Jalani Lovett, who has fought for justice since Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies killed her son in 2021, also addressed the vigil from a very personal place, rejecting the claim that expanding policing creates safer neighborhoods.

“We reject the false choice that says our only option is more police and more violence. We need housing, not handcuffs; mental healthcare, not punishment; education instead of fear,” Lovett said. “No one is coming to save our communities. We must save our communities. We keep each other safe.”

“He belongs to somebody,” Lovett said of the man killed by OPD. “He belongs to us if nobody else.”

Community members noted that the man killed by police has still not been publicly identified and condemned media coverage that erased his humanity. One widely circulated news report stated that “no community members were harmed.” Organizers called the language a stark example of the dehumanization of unhoused people and a life lost.

The killing is the third police shooting by OPD officers this year and the department's second fatal shooting. Although OPD says the officers involved have been placed on paid administrative leave while multiple investigations are underway, those gathered at the vigil said official investigations are meaningless without public evidence. OPD remains under federal oversight stemming from the Riders police misconduct scandal, which resulted in a court-ordered reform process that has continued for more than two decades.

As bouquets of flowers and community artwork covered the pavement where the man was killed, attendees closed the vigil by renewing their demands for the release of all available footage, the public identification of the victim, and accountability for the officers involved. The crowd ended the evening with a chant that captured the spirit of the vigil, “Who keeps us safe? We keep us safe.”

#OaklandCA #CA #InjusticeSystem #OAARPR #KillerCop

Santa Ana, CA – El miércoles por la tarde, 15 de julio, cerca de 70 manifestantes tomaron la esquina de las calles Bristol y 1st en Santa Ana con el grito de “¡Justicia para Lorenzo Salgado Araujo! ¡Justicia para Joan Sebastian Guerrero!” y “¡Manos fuera de Nadia!”. Esta protesta se llevó a cabo durante una semana de acción nacional convocada por la Red de Legalización para Todos para exigir justicia para Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, Joan Sebastian Guerrero y la activista por los derechos de los inmigrantes Nadia Topete.

“Hoy estamos aquí porque en tan solo una semana, el Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE) ha matado a tres personas. ¡Qué vergüenza!”, declaró Diana Terreros de la Organización de Servicio Comunitario del Condado de Orange (CSO OC).

Terreros continuó describiendo a los dos hombres conocidos que fueron asesinados por ICE, “Lorenzo fue asesinado en Houston y había vivido en los Estados Unidos por 35 años. Simplemente estaba en camino al trabajo después de recoger a su equipo cuando ICE decidió detenerlo y asesinarlo. Estaban en vehículos sin identificación y no llevaban cámaras corporales. Joan Sebastian Guerrero era un colombiano de 26 años que vivía en Maine. También fue asesinado después de que ICE comenzara una parada de tráfico. Le dispararon y lo mataron mientras su pareja y su hija de tres años miraban”.

Luego se guardó un minuto de silencio por todas las víctimas de ICE.

“Estamos aquí para exigir el fin de los asesinatos de ICE, el fin de las deportaciones, que ICE se vaya de nuestros barrios y la legalización para todos”, exclamó Terreros al cerrar.

“¡Sin justicia no hay paz!” y “¡Fuera ICE de Santa Ana!”, coreaban los manifestantes.

Luis Morales Pedraza Babylon, del comité de inmigración de CSO OC, declaró, “El intento de silenciar a Nadia no es solo un ataque contra ella; es una táctica calculada para mantenernos a todos en la ignorancia. Los mismos sistemas que temen la voz de Nadia son los mismos que tomaron las vidas de Lorenzo Salgado Araujo y Joan Sebastian Guerrero. Estas no son tragedias aisladas. Son el resultado de un sistema que trata a nuestras familias como desechables”.

Babylon habló sobre la represión que enfrenta Nadia Topete, activista por los derechos de los inmigrantes de Centro CSO en Los Ángeles. El FBI la ha citado en dos ocasiones para comparecer ante un gran jurado, y en ambas ocasiones ella ha resistido.

Rachel, de AlianzaTransLatinx, tomó la palabra, “Hoy alzamos la voz por las víctimas y por aquellos que aún permanecen detenidos por ICE. Nuestra humanidad no termina cuando cruzamos una frontera. ¡Exigimos transparencia y una investigación cuando una persona muere en detención o a manos de ICE!”.

“Se me rompe el corazón y me lleno de rabia cada vez que otra familia, otra vida, es destruida por la crueldad inimaginable de ICE. ¡Debemos honrar a Lorenzo, a Joan y a cada vida arrebatada por ICE presentándonos en esta lucha y ganando!”, declaró Jenna Pérez, miembro del comité de inmigración de CSO OC.

Pérez continuó, “También luchamos junto a nuestros vecinos inmigrantes de la comunidad local, aquí mismo en Santa Ana. Los residentes y las familias del parque de casas móviles Coach Royal han sufrido abusos, acoso, y los residentes inmigrantes han sido amenazados con llamar a ICE. Incluso la empresa Kingsley Corporation les ha robado ilegalmente sus hogares. ¡Únanse con nosotros para luchar junto con los residentes de Coach Royal y decir fuera Kingsley!”.

A continuación, los manifestantes marcharon alrededor de la gran intersección de cuatro vías portando pancartas que decían, “ICE asesino, fuera de nuestras calles”, “Alto a las deportaciones” y “Justicia para los asesinados por ICE”.

Rain Mendoza, de la Organización Socialista Camino de la Libertad, tomó el micrófono y declaró, “Lorenzo Salgado y Joan Sebastian son la décima y la undécima persona asesinada durante una operación relacionada con ICE bajo el gobierno de Trump. La violencia inhumana ejercida contra los inmigrantes no es nada nuevo, ya que los esfuerzos de deportación han sido históricamente fatales”.

Mendoza continuó, “Durante las deportaciones masivas de la Gran Depresión y la Operación Espalda Mojada, inmigrantes y chicanos fueron deportados y también murieron en centros de detención o durante operaciones de inmigración. Por eso soy un comunista que lucha por la revolución socialista y por derrocar a la clase dominante. Solo una revolución socialista que ponga fin a la clase dominante que nos pisa el cuello y permite que policías asesinos y agentes de ICE nos disparen puede traer un cambio”.

“¡Justicia para Lorenzo Araujo! ¡Justicia para Joan Sebastian Guerrero!”, corearon los manifestantes mientras ocupaban ambos extremos de la esquina y más autos tocaban sus bocinas en apoyo.

La acción fue organizada por la Organización de Servicio Comunitario del Condado de Orange en respuesta a un llamado a la acción de la Red Legalización Para Todos. Si desea ponerse en contacto con CSO OC, puede hacerlo a través de Instagram en CSO.OC o por correo electrónico en orangecountycso@gmail.com.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #DerechosDeLosInmigrantes #CentroCSO

Santa Ana, CA – El 8 de julio, más de 50 chicanos se manifestaron afuera de la corte federal en apoyo a Nadia Topete, una activista chicana por los derechos de los inmigrantes de Centro CSO que estuvo dentro compareciendo ante un gran jurado. Solo días antes, el 1 de julio, agentes federales llegaron a la casa de Nadia con otra citación del gran jurado, amenazándola con que, si no se presentaba, podría ser declarada en desacato.

Nadia Topete salió de la corte federal con la frente en alto y declaró que había ejercido su derecho a la Quinta Enmienda. Fue recibida con gritos de “Hands Off Nadia Topete!” [¡Manos fuera de Nadia Topete!], “¡Chinga la migra!”, y “DOJ Hands Off Nadia!” [¡Departamento de Justicia, manos fuera de Nadia!] que fueron lo suficientemente altos como para oírse dentro del edificio federal.

“¡Protestar contra ICE no es un crimen!” dijo Verita Topete, hermana de Nadia y organizadora chicana. “Nuestras comunidades son más fuertes que Trump y los intereses de la clase dominante del Departamento de Justicia. Los ataques contra Nadia son parte del patrón de represión política del gobierno federal.”

Jasia Topete, hermana mayor de Nadia y Verita dijo, “Hoy fue una acción muy conmovedora de unidad y apoyo hacia mi hermana bebé, Nadia. Ver el enorme respaldo que ha recibido a nivel nacional, a través de las convocatorias en línea de distintas organizaciones, fue muy reconfortante de ver. Ver que tantas personas tomaron el tiempo para salir y mostrar su cariño fue muy reconfortante y alentador para nuestra familia. Nosotros sabemos que ella no hizo nada malo. Amplificar la voz de nuestra gente no es un crimen. Ella seguirá con la frente en alto, como la persona segura y resiliente que es. Nadia, te queremos. Muchísimas gracias a todos los que están apoyando a Nadia.”

Mick Kelly del Comité para Detener la Represión del FBI le dijo al público, “Quiero saludar a Nadia, una mujer de valentía poco común que se está levantando por todos nosotros. Esto ciertamente no terminará aquí. Estaremos con Nadia en cada paso del camino.”

Emiliano Martin Del Campo, miembro de Centro CSO, dijo, “Veo este ataque del Departamento de Justicia y del gobierno de Trump no solo como un ataque directo contra nuestra hermana Nadia, sino como un golpe directo contra todos nosotros que luchamos contra esta administración. ¡Un ataque contra uno es un ataque contra todos!”

Participaron oradores de Centro CSO, CSO OC, CLUE, ILPS, la Organización Socialista Camino de la Libertad y Legalización Para Todos quienes hablaron en defensa de Topete y condenaron la represión política contra activistas de derechos de los inmigrantes.

No está claro qué sigue, pero si la cacería del Departamento de Justicia continúa, Centro CSO y sus aliados estarán listos para defender a los suyos, a Nadia Topete, una hija de Aztlán.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #NadiaTopete #CentroCSO

Los Angeles – On July 14, Centro CSO and the family of Jeremy Anthony Flores, along with allies, gathered at Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights to honor Jeremy's life on his one year Angelversary. Flores, a 26-year-old Chicano, was shot and killed by officers from LAPD’s Hollenbeck Division on July 14, 2025.

The vigil for Flores began with setting out flowers, photos, candles and handmade posters It was followed by a small program of speakers from local organizations and other impacted families.

Magda Gutierrez, a member of CSO’s Police Accountability Committee, spoke out against the LAPD Board of Police Commissioners recent ruling that the killing of Flores was “within LAPD policy.” Gutierrez further spoke on the need for Community Control of the Police in Los Angeles saying, “We can follow in the footsteps of cities like Chicago and demand community control of police. We have the right; we should have the right to hire and fire police. We should have the right to hold these officers accountable for their actions.”

Karina Lopez of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) spoke of the killing of Flores and other Chicanos in the Southwest as a symptom of national oppression, “What we are seeing today with police brutality, with the deportations, and with ICE killing our community members is a continuation of national oppression. With that we have to fight for our liberation. We have to fight for the liberation of Chicanos. We have to fight for community control of the police.”

Isabella Rivera, mother of Jeremy Flores, speaking about the vigil and the effects of her son’s killing a year later she said, “Marking the first anniversary of Jeremy’s passing, beyond reliving the pain of his absence, was a celebration of his life featuring the food he loved and how he would have wanted it to be. I felt a sense of fulfillment having accomplished this with the help of my children, Centro CSO, and the community. We will continue to fight for Justice for Jeremy Flores.”

Throughout the program, speakers and community members chanted, “Justice for Jeremy Flores!” and “Jail killer cops!”

DeAnna Sullivan, mother of David Sullivan, killed by Buena Park police in 2019, shared words and condolences with Isabella Rivera, the mother of Jeremy Anthony Flores. Speaking about the lack of police accountability she said, “Who is holding the police accountable? Not the chief, not the DOJ. Police are not held accountable at all.”

Afterwards, community members were invited to share Jeremy’s favorite foods with the Flores family. These included tamales and panes con pollo, a traditional Salvadorian dish.

Centro CSO has been on the ground in Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles fighting back against police crimes for over ten years. To stay updated, follow them on social media under the handle “CENTROCSO”

#LosAngelesCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #CentroCSO