City of Industry, CA – On Saturday, December 13, the family of Joseph Perez, Centro CSO, and other allies rallied outside the Industry Sheriff’s Station to demand justice for Perez, who narrowly survived a beating by at least five sheriff’s deputies on July 27, 2020. Perez required 17 staples and 19 sutures to close cuts across his face and scalp, served two years in prison for resisting arrest, and is still recovering from the trauma.

Santa Ana, CA – On the chilly evening of December 11, 100 community members came together to pray and pay homage to the patron saint la Virgen de Guadalupe. They prayed under hundreds of flowers and bright lights installed by Luis Cantabrana. He is a local Santanero, who has been turning his entire home into a beautiful altar for la Virgen de Guadalupe for 27 years. This year, despite the almost weekly raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Santa Ana, the tradition was celebrated widely.

Anaheim, CA – On Wednesday, December 10, chants of “Justice for Albert Arzola!” filled the streets in Anaheim. Members of Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) protested with friends of Albert Arzola to demand justice after he was killed by and Anaheim Police Department (APD) gang unit.

Santa Rosa, CA – On December 9, community members, faith leaders and immigrant rights organizations gathered in Santa Rosa to demand an end to all cooperation between Sonoma County law enforcement and ICE. The rally came amid heightened fear in immigrant communities due to the renewed intensification of deportations.

San Jose, CA – Since the start of December, the Starbucks Workers’ Union (SBWU) has been on a national strike. In what has been dubbed the “Red Cup Rebellion,” the aim of the workers has been to disrupt the Starbucks corporation during one of its traditionally most busy times, the holiday season.

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.

San Francisco, CA – On November 30, over 120 Filipino American activists from a variety of organizations including Bayan USA, Kabataan Alliance, Anakbayan, the Malaya Movement and League of Filipino Students held a joint action in front of the Philippine Consulate in San Francisco.

The action was part of an international call for demonstrations in solidarity with Filipinos around the world, in the wake of a series of devastating floods in the Philippines killing dozens and displacing hundreds more. The top political and economic leaders of the country, including President Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Marcos Junior and former Vice President Sara Duterte, have been involved in a vast corruption scandal in which over $10 billion worth of funds meant for flood control infrastructure were instead funneled into “ghost projects” and the pockets of corrupt politicians and businesspeople.

San Jose, CA – On the evening of Friday, November 21, 20 people gathered on the corner of King Road and Alum Rock Avenue to protest the buildup of U.S. Navy presence off Venezuela. This is in the heart of Eastside San Jose, the home to many Chicano and Latino residents.

San Jose, CA – On November 22, the San Jose People’s Pride Coalition held a vigil and march for Trans Day of Remembrance, a day commemorating the lives lost to transphobia.

“Fight Trump’s Hate, Honor Their Names” was the theme of this year's action as Trump and Republicans’ attacks on trans people and other oppressed people continue to ramp up.

Santa Ana, CA – On November 22, Santa Ana community members rallied in front of the city attorney’s office to defend the powers of the Santa Ana Police Oversight Commission. The city has been trying to gut its powers, despite incidents pointing to the need for more oversight of the police and other agencies.

San Jose, CA – On Thursday, November 6, dozens of people attended the Santa Clara County Finance and Government Operations Committee (FGOC) meeting in support of an ethical investment policy that would bar the county from investing further into fossil fuel companies.

San Jose, CA – On the evening of Thursday, November 13, around 25 people gathered at the Santa Clara County Human Rights Commission meeting to advocate for reparations for African Americans. Those present encouraged the commission to pass a recommendation on to the board of supervisors to assemble a reparations task force to research how reparations could be implemented in the county.

Santa Ana, CA – El 1 de noviembre, la Organización de Servicio Comunitario del Condado de Orange (CSO OC) respondió al llamado a la acción de la Red de Legalización para Todos y participó activamente en un gran evento del Día de los Muertos en el centro de Santa Ana. Cientos de Chicanos se reunieron para honrar a sus ancestros y construir grandes altares a lo largo de la Calle 4, y CSO OC los acompañó para exigir la legalización de todos los indocumentados, el cese de las deportaciones, la expulsión del ICE de los tribunales, el control comunitario de la policía y el encarcelamiento de los policías asesinos.

San Jose, CA – On October 23, over 200 community members rallied together at San Jose City Hall to protest the Trump administration’s deployment of over 100 ICE and CBP agents into the San Francisco Bay Area, and to demand an end to the terror inflicted on Chicano and immigrant families by ICE.

Los Angeles, CA – On November 1, after the Los Angeles Dodgers’ winning Game Seven of the World Series, thousands of Chicanos took to the streets of their city to celebrate. The celebrations were met with extreme force by the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol.

Santa Ana, CA – On November 1, Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) responded to a call to action of the Legalization for All Network and agitated at a huge Dia de los Muertos event in downtown Santa Ana. Hundreds of Chicanos came to honor their ancestors and build huge altars along 4th Street, and CSO OC was with them to demand legalization for all of the undocumented, stop the deportations, ICE out of the courts, community control of the police, and jail killer cops.

San Jose, CA – On October 29 in downtown San Jose outside the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, about 30 people gathered to protest Israel’s violation of the ceasefire. The days before the action have been the deadliest of Israel’s violations, with over 100 Palestinians murdered in Gaza, almost half of them children, and with at least 250 more injured.

Lincoln Heights, CA — In the early hours on November 4, an ICE raid took place at the Cypress Park Home Depot in Lincoln Heights. After the first sweep, more agents returned to do another. Only this time, Centro CSO members and other members and organizations with the Community Self Defense Coalition had arrived to protest the ICE presence.

Los Angeles, CA – On November 1, Centro CSO participated in the building of a community ofrenda (altar) at the Self Help Graphics’ 52nd annual Dia de Los Muertos Celebration in East Los Angeles. CSO’s altar honored the memories of community activists, victims of police brutality, and immigrants who have died while in ICE custody.

Los Angeles, CA – On October 22, 200 took to the streets of downtown Los Angeles for a protest against police brutality.

Melissa Miramontes is from United Families for Justice. Miramontes is a family member of Hugo Cachua, an Amazon driver who was killed this year by Ontario Police. She stated, “But this reality is every day for us impacted families. Every day that killer cops are allowed to be free is another day our families’ heartbeats are weakened more and more. Bless all stolen lives, may this evil system crumble and be weakened by our strength and may we hold on and never lose hope.”