Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

Chicano

By staff

Los Angeles, CA – On Monday, September 7, Los Angeles Police Department officers shot a 44-year-old Chicano man named Zimran Canas in Boyle Heights. LAPD claimed Zimran was holding a tree trimming tool and walked towards the police officers. LAPD, like most police departments, is known to lie and try to villainize who they kill in an attempt to cover up their murders.

Centro CSO members mobilized to the area after the shooting in an attempt to talk to family members and neighbors. Some neighbors directly contradict the claims made by LAPD; a witness said they did not see LAPD officers offer any medical attention to Zimran Canas.

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By staff

Santa Ana, CA – On August 21, members of Community Service Organization, Orange County (CSO OC) joined families whose loved ones were killed by police to demand justice for Victor Lopez. 16 people marched from El Centro Cultural de Mexico carrying signs that demanded, “Justice for Victor Lopez” and “Release all unedited footage.” As marchers passed a soccer game, they drowned out the U.S. national anthem with cries of “What do we want? Justice! And when do we want it? Now!”

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By staff

Tucson, AZ – On Saturday, August 29, a dozen people attended a brief presentation and documentary screening of Chicano! A Quest for Homeland to commemorate the 56th Chicano Moratorium. Hosted by Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), the event was held at Southside Presbyterian Church, known as the birthplace of the Sanctuary Movement of the 1980s. The Church served as a home for volunteers who provided aid and shelter for thousands of Central American immigrants. The Church continues to be an important pillar in the immigrant rights movement.

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By Andrew Marquetalia

Aurora, CO – On Saturday, August 29, 70 community members and activists gathered at Del Mar Park in Aurora, Colorado for the anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium and to oppose deportations. The event commemorated the anniversary of the original Chicano Moratorium in 1970. This anniversary, observed yearly by communities across the country, is also known as Chicano Liberation Day.

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By staff

Santa Ana, CA – On Saturday, August 29, approximately 80 people gathered at El Centro Cultural de Mexico to commemorate the 56th Chicano Moratorium. As the event kicked off, the crowd chanted, “Chicano power!”

Griselda Ruiz, a member of Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) started, “This event is held every year to commemorate the Chicano Moratorium of the 1970s in East LA. On August 29, 1970, over 20,000 Chicanos and Chicanas marched peacefully to protest the Vietnam War and the large number of Chicanos dying in it. The protest turned violent when sheriff's deputies attacked, causing chaos, several injuries, and three deaths, including journalist Ruben Salazar, who was killed by a tear gas canister fired by police. So, we are united here and throughout the Southwest to honor all the past Chicanos and Chicanas who have fought for our rights.”

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A U.S. participant at the International People’s Assembly for Sovereignty and Peace of our Americas.

Venezuela, Caracas – When we arrived in Caracas, we had a 30-minute bus ride from the airport to the hotel where we were staying. Watching the city go by and the beautiful mountains in the background, there were dozens of beautiful murals painted for Bolívar, Chavez and Maduro celebrating the Bolivarian revolution.

During the International People’s Assembly for Sovereignty and Peace of our Americas conference, there were many chants from all over Latin America -¡Viva Bolívar! ¡Viva Maduro! ¡Viva Diaz-Canales! ¡Viva Sheinabum!

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By David Pulido

Altar at angelversary for Noe Rodriguez.

Santa Ana, CA – The curbside of Casa Linda Furniture was transformed as community members and activists gathered to honor Noe Rodriguez on December 1, the anniversary of his death. Last December Santa Ana Police Officers Luis Casillas and Isaac Ibarra confronted Rodriguez while he was having a mental health crisis, gave three commands in English only, and fired 29 bullets at the unarmed Chicano.

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By staff

Protesters outside racist  district attorney town hall meeting.

East Los, CA — On the evening of September 4, Chicanos from East Los Angeles mobilized to disrupt a local town hall hosted by racist, right-wing Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman at a Chicano restaurant called East Los Tacos.

Hochman's reactionary policies like gang enhancements and his “tough on crime” approach have been proven to not make anyone safer. In fact, they deeply and disproportionately target and harm Black and Chicano neighborhoods. In general, crime in Los Angeles has been decreasing for years.

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By staff

A flyer for the Chicano Moratorium event in Los Angeles for August 30th, starting at 3pm at Sounds of Music on Whittier Blvd

Los Angeles, CA – On August 30, at 3 p.m., Chicanos, impacted families of police brutality, people raided by ICE and the FBI, along with supporters will in East Los Angeles, for a march, marking the 55th anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium.

The march will begin at Sounds of Music record store, the site of what was once the Silver Dollar; a bar where many including LA Times reporter Ruben Salazar took refuge after LAPD and Los Angeles sheriffs mercilessly beat and attempted to disperse participants in the August 29, 1970 Chicano Moratorium. Salazar was killed by LA sheriffs. The moratorium’s demands were ending the Vietnam occupation and equality for Chicanos.

Tomorrow, a large coalition will be commemorating the 55th anniversary of this event and uplifting current demands such as stand with Palestine, ICE out of LA, Chicano self-determination, community control of police, and defend public education.

The coalition is made up of Centro CSO, Union del Barrio, Black Lives Matter: Los Angeles, Jewish Voice for Peace, About Face LA, UTLA, Teamsters, SEIU, Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), and United Families for Justice, which consists of police killing impacted families of Jeremy Flores, Francisco Núñez and Hugo Cachua.

“I believe it is important to commemorate the 55th Chicano Moratorium, because we once again find ourselves, as a people, in a crucial moment, where staying silent is complicity,” says Centro CSO member and security lead Derek Mejia, “People should be out in the streets on Saturday August 30, standing up against the ICE raids and with Palestine! It is important that we continue and maintain the long history of the Chicano struggle.”

The 55th commemoration will begin at 3 p.m. at the Sounds of Music record store, where attendees will begin marching, and ending at Salazar Park for a rally and entertainment starting at 4:30 p.m. That part of the event will take place at the Whittier Boulevard/Alma Avenue side of the park. The family-friendly event will have free food, water and entertainment.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #Chicano #ChicanoMoratorium #ImmigrantRights #OppressedNationalities #CentroCSO #UniondelBarrio #BlackLivesMatter #JVP #AboutFace #SEIU #Teamsters #UTLA

By Gabriel Quiroz Jr.

Large group marches through the street. They carry signs, flags, and banners. Palestinian flags are prominent. The banners at the front of the march read “The Community Self-Defense Coaliation”, “Union del Barrio”, and “Lucha Contra Trump. Legalizacion, no deportaciones. Facebook.com/CentroCSO”.

Los Angeles, CA – On February 17, over 1000 Chicanos gathered at Placita Olvera in downtown Los Angeles to protest against ICE deportations and to fight back against Trump's racist, right-wing agenda.

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By staff

Students march in street. Students at front hold two banners, one in saying “LUCHA CONTRA TRUMP, LEGALIZACION, NO DEPORTACIONES” and the other reading “FIGHT TRUMP, LEGALIZATION, NOT DEPORTATIONS”.

Los Angeles, CA – Chicano high school students took to the streets, February 20, to protest Trump's ICE raids, arrests, and deportations. All over the city, LAUSD students walked out of school chanting “Stop Donald Trump” and “Raza si, migra no.”

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By staff

Centro CSO protest at LA's National Night Out.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

Los Angeles, CA – A dozen local activists disrupted a National Night Out event held at Boyle Heights’ Hollenbeck Police Station on Tuesday, August 6. The determined Chicano activists are part of Centro CSO, a local grassroots organization that mobilized to disrupt LAPD’S propaganda event. Centro CSO demanded accountability and to “jail killer cops.”

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By Alex Orellana and Henry Cornejo

A crowd of individuals, small groups, and families hang out under an overpass that has intricate graffiti art depicting Chicano history and points of pride.

San Diego, CA – On April 20, thousands of people descended on Chicano Park, located in the Barrio Logan neighborhood of San Diego, California. The scene was lively, with vendors selling food and refreshments and music playing throughout the park. The colorful murals were complemented by a variety of low riders and customized vehicles.

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By staff

Seattle SDS demands the University of Washington increase oppressed nationality student enrollment.  | Fight Back! News/staff

Seattle, WA – On Thursday, October 5, the Progressive Student Union at the University of Washington held a rally to begin a campaign to increase enrollment of Black, Latino and native students at the university. Over 20 students gathered at the steps of Suzzallo Library to demonstrate their support for the demands.

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By staff

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Los Angeles, CA – Carlos Montes, a longtime leader in the Chicano movement, spoke out about the vicious massacre in Texas, stating, “We must condemn this mass killing in El Paso as a hate crime against Mexicans and Chicanos. President Trump's racist attacks have emboldened white supremacists to commit violent crimes against Blacks, Muslims and now Brown people.”

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By staff

Carlos Montes speaking at event commemorating Chicano walkouts.

Los Angeles, CA — An event commemorating the 50-year anniversary of the East L.A. Chicano walkouts was held at the Benjamin Franklin Library on March 3, 2018. Organized by adult librarian Patty Alvarado and Centro CSO, dozens attended the historic commemoration. Among those in attendance were Sal Castro’s son Gilbert Castro. Sal Castro was a Chicano public-school teacher who helped organized the walkouts.

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By staff

Los Angeles, CA – Veteran Chicano leader Carlos Montes will be back in court March 27. The LA Committee to Stop FBI Repression urges activists to join them at the Superior Courts Building to picket and pack the court hearing. They will raise the demand, “Drop the charges against Carlos Montes.”

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