Oakland, CA – On June 19, hundreds of Black Oaklanders gathered around Lake Merritt for an annual Juneteenth celebration. The National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression put out a call for a day of action to “Defend families impacted by police crimes,” which led the Oakland Alliance Against Racist and Pollical Repression to take action.

The Oakland Alliance talked to community members about Jalani Lovett, an Oakland native whose violent death in LA Men’s Central Jail was covered up. They gathered mailing list sign-ups, petition signatures, and GoFundMe donations to reopen his case.

While Oakland's Juneteenth celebrations are normally jubilant and carefree, there was a notable shift in turnout and spirit from previous festivities. A shooting two years ago on Juneteenth gave justification for the Oakland Police Department (OPD) to clamp down. Fences and shut down streets were used to discourage Black people from gathering in large crowds. But the activists mobilized anyway, flyering in response to racist harassment and treatment by OPD. A leaflet read, “This Juneteenth: Fight back against police brutality.”

Amped-up police presence at Black celebrations in Oakland is not new. Recent controversies with violence after monthly “First Friday” festivals in Oakland’s downtown district were met with racist rhetoric against Black people organizing celebrations that draw the “wrong crowd.” This June’s First Friday theme, “Black In Oakland,” drew vendors, performers and dozens of Black residents. Several hours after the event had ended, youth were seen getting rowdy and fighting, and, instead of de-escalating the situation, videos showed OPD tackling and tear-gassing Black children.

The emphasis on police presence is because the perception of Oakland as a Black, crime-ridden city, despite violent crime dropping nearly 30%, hurts the bottom line of property owners and downtown developers. It’s why Kaiser Permanente and PG&E spent nearly a million dollars to reinstate the city's police cadet program. This is not so different from what prompted Mayor Jerry Brown, elected in 1999, to begin using police to “clean up” downtown and make space for luxury projects. He got rid of the city’s first Black police chief, put a narcotics officer in, and unleashed police to attack low-income Black and brown residents.

Members of the Oakland Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression believe that the struggle between African-Americans and OPD will continue to sharpen. They want to remain prepared by meeting the people where they are and building a rapport with them as a police-crime-fighting organization.

#OaklandCA #CA #Juneteenth #OppressedNationalities #InjusticeSystem #NAARPR

Santa Ana, CA – Sixteen people, including members of Jaden Michaca’s family, lawyers with Carillo Law Firm, and members of Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) crowded outside Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) to demand justice for Jaden Michaca on Tuesday, June 23. Michaca was only 15 years old and suffering a mental health crisis when he was killed by police just nine days before.

Maribel Michaca, Jaden's mother, explained how SAPD distorted the incident. Police statements made it sound like they were responding to a call about a family disturbance that resulted in a stabbing. Maribel explained that she called 911 to respond to a mental health crisis, and that in the past she called 911 to have a psychiatric team de-escalate these situations. Additionally, Maribel said her partner was not stabbed but accidentally scratched trying to take away a knife from Jaden during his crisis.

But this time two police officers were sent. When police broke into her apartment Maribel said, “Please do not shoot! Please do not shoot! My son is having a mental health crisis!” At the press conference Maribel explained, “I was standing next to him and they did not care. They just started shooting – one bullet after another bullet. They didn’t even care about my own life being in danger.” Maribel’s hand was shot and her right thumb was immobilized in a brace. She said, “I was not in danger from my son. I was more in danger from the police shooting at me and killing my son.”

Michael Carillo, one of the lawyers representing the family, said they were filing a government claim against the city of Santa Ana and SAPD, accusing the officers of negligence and a failure to de-escalate the situation. The way SAPD responded to Jaden Michaca was similar to other police killings, such as that of Henry Gonzalez Junior and Noe Rodriguez, who were also suffering a mental health crises and then criminalized and killed by police.

Family members held large photos of Michaca, where he was shown cradling his pet cat, embracing family in front of a cake for his birthday, and standing with his mother. Others held CSO OC signs that read, “Justice for Jaden Michaca,” “Release the body camera footage,” “Release the autopsy report” and “Jail killer cops.”

Jasmine Michaca, Jaden’s aunt, said “Jaden was always such a loving kid. I spent most of my childhood growing up with him. Jaden started developing a liking for Pokémon, and every time he would come home, he would show me his collection.”

In the last two years Jaden began experiencing bipolar disorder. His mother pulled him from public school, and he began taking online classes and receiving help. Jasmine shared her last memory of her nephew, saying “I just came back recently from UC Santa Barbara. Spending the weekend together, he was just so excited to see me. He had called me two weeks prior. I remember one day we were sitting in the living room, and he was telling me he didn’t get to finish high school. He wanted to go to college and pursue a career as a mechanic. I told him if he ever needs help, I will be there with him.” She wept and embraced Jaden’s mother.

Maribel Michaca said, “What I’m asking for today is justice for my son. He did not deserve to die the way he did. He was a loving child. He had plans! He had a future!”

The crowd chanted, “Justice for Jaden! Justice for Jaden! Justice for Jaden!”

CSO OC demands community control of the police, and we fight alongside families impacted by police. If you are interested in joining our work, please reach out on Instagram or Facebook, or email at orangecountycso@gmail.com.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #OrangeCounty #CSOOC #OppressedNationalities #InjusticeSystem #JadenMichaca

Los Angeles, CA – On June 17 at approximately 2 p.m., a cold-storage facility erupted in flames. Tremendous black clouds causing a burning of the eyes and throat covered the skies of East Los Angeles and the Boyle Heights neighborhood. Confusion was observed as people stepped out of their homes to look up at the sky, initially suspecting a thunderstorm, only to discover a capitalist crime in action.

The fire was at Lineage Logistics, the headquarters to more than a dozen other, smaller Los Angeles Lineage warehouses. It was situated between the two Chicano, working-class neighborhoods of East Los Angeles and Boyle Heights. The massive building was 491,000 square feet and was built in 2018. 85 million pounds of food were being stored in this facility, making their environment danger a biohazard one.

A recent finding states that a routine testing of the thousands of solar panels on the roof of the building caused the fire. The cause of the burning sensation and hospital visits was due to a warehouse ammonia pipe off-gassing into the air. How long the off-gassing occurred is a mystery.

On the day of the fire, a very brief evacuation order was sent out to the immediate surrounding area but was removed within the hour. The nearest neighborhoods to the warehouse did not receive text alerts, but neighborhoods outside of the immediate area did. A shelter-in-place order was announced during a press conference on June 17, but not much else.

For three days, the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) attempted to put out the Lineage flames. It wasn’t until day three that LA Mayor Karen Bass finally decided to declare a state of emergency. Bass, the LAFD, and other officials have even said that the air is not toxic unless, “People have respiratory issues or come into direct contact with the ammonia.”

City council began to distribute air purifiers and organizations like Centro CSO, People’s Care Collective, Proyecto Pastoral, and the Boyle Heights Immigrant Rights Network (BHIRN), took on the task of delivering air purifiers and P100 respirators to the most vulnerable. Ammonia and plastic particles are too small to be properly filtered if using an N95 mask.

A lineage of environmental racism

The Eastside of Los Angeles and cities like Vernon are no stranger to environmental disasters. East LA has a neighborhood population of 112,000, Boyle Heights 85,000, and while Vernon itself only houses about 300 residents, during working hours there are 55,000 employees on its industrial grounds.

Starting in the 1940s, investors and developers built five major freeways through Boyle Heights: I-5, I-10, US-101, and SR-60. Their construction displaced about 15,000 working-class people and destroyed over 2000 homes.

The area is a Superfund site. Superfund sites are areas declared as highly polluted, requiring long-term (sometimes permanent) cleanup. This is due to the highly hazardous materials, as designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The reason this area became a Superfund site was because of the former Exide Technologies plant in Vernon. For more than 90 years, the battery recycling facility caused plumes of lead and arsenic emissions that rained all over the residents in the surrounding areas. These plumes heavily contaminated the surrounding soil and groundwater and any recent efforts to clean up the hazardous materials have been found to be ineffective.

In 2020, jet fuel from Delta Flight 89 rained on five elementary schools and one high school. Park Avenue Elementary School in Cudahy called 911 and during their call the children cried out in agony and reported that they “Could feel the fuel on their clothes, flesh, eyes and skin” and it caused them “to feel sick, dizzy and nauseated.” Over 60 children were hospitalized and treated and crews rushed to clean the jet fuel from the schools. Cudahy is located in southeastern Los Angeles.

Also in 2020, after an accident at the Lineage warehouse (the one that is currently on fire), Cal/OSHA cited Lineage for 12 violations. Four violations were regarding failure to create/maintain emergency action plans and inadequate safety training for ammonia refrigeration, and other hazardous materials. In the past five years, Lineage has had over 40 Cal/OSHA violations.

In 2024, the same Lineage warehouse first caught fire. It was put out within 48 hours. Also in 2024, another Lineage warehouse in Finley, Washington burned for over 60 days. Only there, the immediate surrounding residents were evacuated for more than a day and residential streets were closed down. The smell of rotting meat and food filled the air for months as the warehouse was bulldozed, debris shoveled and transported away.

An underground crude oil pipeline exploded in East Los Angeles on May 22, 2026, when a construction crew installing a fiber optic line struck a pipe near East Cesar Chavez and North Eastern Avenues. The accident spilled thousands of gallons of crude oil, for days, onto the streets, forcing road closures. The oil seeped into the Los Angeles River and residents reported dizziness and strong chemical odors in the area.

The truth is that none of this environmental racism happens to folks who don’t live in impoverished, Chicano neighborhoods of SoCal. And if it did, a state of emergency would not have been declared three long days later. Lawsuits riddled Lineage as it departed from Finley, Washington. The fire caused permanent damage to the airways and lungs. But what will happen to the gente residing directly next to the current Lineage fire?

If you want to join the air purifier and respirator distribution, reach out to Centro CSO. They are gearing up to hold a community meeting to put pressure on the corporation responsible for the situation: Lineage. Proyecto Pastoral is accepting monetary donations so that they can acquire more air purifiers, and without the bureaucratic stops that government officials’ distributions always have.

Billionaire corporations like Lineage will continue building similar warehouses and causing havoc in their paths. The only way to make them fully pay is to overthrow the rich in this country and seize control of the means of production and distribution – and that includes their warehouses.

Sol Marquez is a longtime member of the Freedom Socialist Organization (FRSO). To join, go to FRSO.org/join to become a member.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #PeoplesStruggles #OppressedNationalities #ChicanoLatino #FRSO #Environment #Fires #EnvironmentalRacism

Santa Ana CA – The afternoon of Saturday, June 19, 25 people, including members of Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) and concerned community members, gathered to demand accountability and transparency after yet another resident was killed by Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) earlier that week.

Chants of “Justice for Jaden Michaca!” and “¡Basta policías asesinos!” could be heard over rush hour traffic at the intersection of the apartment complex where Jaden Michaca was killed.

Michaca was only 15 years old when SAPD officers shot him to death the night of June 14. Early reports from the department offer no details of the officer-involved shooting but justified the officer’s actions by stating that the “suspect” had a knife and was under the influence when they responded to a domestic call. Community members immediately called out SAPD’s statements online and in person, condemning the department for the killing and advocating for stronger community oversight of the department.

David Pulido, a member of CSO OC, opened the event with “We’ve seen enough of these police statements and met enough of their victims to know that we should not trust the police! They criminalize the victim by focusing on drug use and property damage to mark them for death!”

A school counselor who knew Jaden Michaca attended the protest and countered early attempts by police to paint him as a criminal. She stated Michaca “had the biggest heart of any kid I’ve worked with, he was sweet and kind, but he happened to be in a body that looked a little bit older, and that of a Chicano male. I can’t deny that that was a factor in what happened.” Michaca’s death is one of many cases of Chicanos being killed by police across Orange County, including three teenage police shooting victims in the last seven months.

The protesters waved signs that demanded justice for the victim, including others that read “Release the names! Release the tapes!” They demanded the immediate publication of all unedited body camera footage, the full autopsy report, and the names of the officers who killed Michaca.

Attendees marched around the intersection of South Main and West Macarthur Boulevard, chanting “Jail killer cops!” while people driving by honked in support. A white cross decorated with fresh flowers and handwritten messages from the family had been set up near the intersection earlier that week to honor Jaden Michaca’s life.

Family members of Albert Arzola, a 19-year-old killed by Anaheim Police Department (APD) in December 2025, attended to show their support for Jaden Michaca’s family. Albert’s sister Pearl Arzola emphasized, “Jaden Michaca was a young kid, and instead of de-escalating the situation, the cops chose more violence! We need more accountability over Santa Ana PD, a young 15-year-old boy should not die because cops are trigger-happy.”

“I don’t know if you saw that the mayor of Santa Ana, she brushed this shooting off like it was nothing. What the fuck?” yelled CSO OC member Luis Herrera. The community booed and responded “Shame!” He then encouraged the crowd, “We need to unite and organize ourselves to fight for justice, because only through organized struggle can we win community control of the police!”

Abe Quintana of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) brought a historical perspective, stating “We know that there is a long history of racist police killings and violence that targets Chicano communities and immigrants from Mexico and Central and South America. The racism and exploitation we experience exist because they are rooted in the oppression of Aztlan, so we need to fight for our self-determination!”

CSO OC organized the protest, which was also attended by PSL, members of Union Del barrio (UDB), and community members who knew Jaden Michaca. CSO is a grassroots, working-class organization that fights for community control of the police and legalization for all the undocumented. They hold general meetings every third Thursday in Santa Ana and can be reached on Instagram @cso.oc or on Facebook, CSO Orange County. Their police crimes hotline is 714-367-6350.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #OrangeCounty #CSOOC #JadenMichaca #OppressedNationalities #InjusticeSystem

Dublin, CA – On June 8, at around 5 p.m., over 100 participants of the three-day “Caminata for Immigrant Rights” arrived at the corner of Arnold Road and Gleason Drive, next to FCI Dublin, a closed federal women’s prison that ICE plans to reopen as an immigrant detention center.

“This action shows just how united the Bay Area is against ICE. Across all three days, covering dozens of miles, we received only honks of support and cheers from folks. No one wants Trump’s ICE thugs here. Those who joined us, including families with young children, grandmothers, immigrants and allies from Santa Rosa to Napa to San Francisco and beyond, demonstrate how far people are willing to go to oppose new detention centers in the Bay,” said Danny Celaya from CSO Oakland.

Over three days, from Saturday, June 6, at Napa High School to Monday, June 8, in Dublin, marchers covered nearly 70 miles.

“As a member of the vehicle support team, this action was inspiring. People are committed to stopping Trump’s agenda and fighting ICE. Everyday working-class people organized this massive action, that quite literally united forces from every corner of the Bay to collectively say ‘Hell no!’ to the proposed detention centers. This demonstrates what we can achieve through organizing, so let’s be clear, we are going to win! Down with immigrant detention centers! Power to the people’s movements!” said Brandon Cavins from the Oakland chapter of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

The march made a powerful impact, garnering press coverage and over 15 news articles in both Spanish and English. It made the front page of both the East Bay Times and Mercury News, the largest newspapers in both East Bay and South Bay, respectively.

The four key demands were legalization for all; ICE out of the Bay; no to immigrant detention centers in Dublin, Alcatraz and Gilroy, and stop deportations and repression.

Peyton Leone, representing Centro del Pueblo in Humboldt County, said, “We hear stories of people being sent to very faraway places when they are detained, and to hear that a new detention center could be opened closer to where I live; that’s something that I would show up every day, any time to protest. That’s why I’m here joining the caminata for all three days.”

Through the organizers’ efforts, families and participants of all ages were able to join as organizers secured lodging, three meals a day, and portable restrooms transported via a truck bed along every mile of the route. Additionally, a team of over 20 medics tended to the walkers, and more than 40 safety volunteers kept people safe across the four counties the march traversed: Napa, Sonoma, Contra Costa, and Alameda.

Over 40 organizations took part in this three-day action including Raizes Collective, Almas Libres, Sonoma County Sanctuary Coalition, CSO North Bay, CSO Oakland, Mujeres Unidas y Activas, Human Agenda, National TPS Alliance, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, American Indian Movement, CodePink Sonoma County, North Bay Jobs with Justice, North Bay Organizing Project, Bay Resistance, Tsuru for Solidarity, Services, Immigrant Rights & Education Network (SIREN), the ICE out of Dublin Coalition, and dozens more.

#DublinCA #CA #OaklandCA #ImmigrantRights #ICE #DetentionCenter #CSONorthBay #CSOOakland #Featured

San Jose, CA – On June 20, 200 members of the LGBTQ community and allies gathered at Saint James Park for the third annual San Jose’s People’s Pride. People’s Pride is a grassroots-organized event meant to celebrate community and fight back against the current attacks transgender people are facing from the Trump administration. Unlike some other Pride events in the Bay Area, Peoples Pride does not have any corporate sponsors, recognizing the rampant pinkwashing by corporations that are complicit in human rights abuses.

Throughout the festival portion of the event, small business vendors sold queer art and goods. Bands and DJs brought people together to dance and celebrate queer culture. This People’s Pride was the first year hosting a drag show, featuring Diane and Nikky Nicole.

People’s Pride also featured a silent auction with donated items from vendors. Items included art prints, jewelry and more. All of the proceeds went to compensate the performers, completely supplanting the need for corporate sponsors.

Along with the festivities, local organizations tabled. One such organization, South Bay Queer Solidarity, currently has a letter writing campaign to local hospitals that have not reinstated gender affirming care to youth after Trump threatened to punish hospitals that provided life-saving treatments to trans youth.

After the festival, attendees took to the streets of downtown San Jose. They marched from Saint James Park to Post Street, gathering support from onlookers along the way. Together, the protesters shared one common goal: to defend the queer community from Trump's anti-trans agenda.

Lyla Salinas of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization stated, “Attacks on trans healthcare have taken center stage in Trump’s anti-LGBTQ agenda. While 27 states have already enacted laws to limit gender affirming care for trans youth, Trump intends to ban this healthcare nationwide.”

Salinas continued, “This was never about protecting children. Attacks on trans youth chip away at the bodily autonomy of all trans people.”

Protesters chanted, “Trans rights are human rights, that's why we must fight!” as they marched through the streets. Em Tran, a member of Students for a Democratic Society at San Jose State University, stated that permission is not needed to stand against the transphobic attacks levied by the Trump administration, saying, “That’s why Pride is important. Pride started as a riot. Do you think Marsha P. Johnson asked for permission to start Pride?”

Tran continued, “It's not called the Stonewall ‘Wait-for-Permission-To-Do-It,’ it's called the Stonewall Riot.”

Tran further emphasized the importance of young people in this fight, saying, “I think it’s important especially for young people, for students, for us to stand united together against what the Trump administration has been doing against our queer siblings. Against our queer classmates.”

The event ended with cheers and a call for those interested in getting organized to get involved for next year.

#SanJoseCA #CA #Pride #LGBTQ #PeoplesStruggles

Adelanto, CA – On Saturday, June 13, immigrant rights organizations from around Southern California held a caravan and rally outside of the Adelanto Detention Center. The rally was led by Centro CSO, alongside CSO Orange County, NELA for Democracy, Defend Migrant Alliance – SOCAL, and No Camps California. The rally took place as part of the Legalization for All Network’s Weekend of Action with the main demand being to shut down all detention centers.

For weeks, detained immigrants have carried out hunger strikes at the Adelanto Detention Center in Adelanto, California and the Delaney Hall Detention Center in New Jersey. To show their solidarity, dozens of protesters outside the Adelanto Detention Center waved signs, and chanted “Free them all!” The hunger strikes were called by immigrants due to the lack of medical treatment and the inhumane treatment within the centers.

Verita Topete, co-chair of Centro CSO’s immigration committee, said, “Six years ago, I stood outside the Adelanto protesting while my father was detained inside. A hunger strike was happening at the time as people risked everything in order to demand dignity, safety and humane treatment. Six years later, history is repeating itself. We are back here in solidarity with the hunger strikers at Adelanto and Delaney Hall in New Jersey.”

The protesters hung posters of detainees who have died while in ICE custody, with several of those lives being taken inside the Adelanto Detention Center. Speakers emphasized just how inhumane the conditions are, and the lack of medical treatment detainees face.

Centro CSO in particular uplifted their campaign to free Alex Hernandez who has been wrongfully detained in Adelanto for months. CSO has led call-in days and other actions to demand Hernandez be freed and reunited with his family.

Rain Mendoza from CSO Orange County stated, “It's important to show solidarity with the courageous striking detainees and all immigrant detainees in detention centers. The treatment they are facing inside the detention centers is absolutely unacceptable. People are dying inside! We demand all detention centers be shut down. Free our people now”

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 #CentroCSO #ImmigrantRights #DetentionCenter #Adelanto

Santa Ana, CA – On Monday, June 15, Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) served a demand letter to the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) and the city of Santa Ana threatening to sue if they do not immediately start producing records of the in-custody death of Freddie DeAngelo Washington.

Despite multiple public records act requests, SAPD has only produced a tiny handful of records, and none in over a year. This is far fewer records than SAPD has released in other cases. These delays give the impression that SAPD is hiding something, because what the public already knows about the brutality of the case is shocking.

Back on January 15, 2025, six SAPD officers broke into Washington’s hotel room and arrested him. As two officers pinned him to bed, one officer punched Washington in the back of the head twice. Police wrestled him to the ground, threatened to tase him, and tied down his arms and legs using a restraint device called “the wrap.” According to the police report, later that night Washington was put in a restraint chair and placed in a cell at Santa Ana Jail.

At least one officer with a prior history of violence can be identified in the arrest footage: Isaac Ibarra, who helped with the arrest and helped prepare the restraint device for Freddie Washington. Ibarra was one of the officers who killed unarmed 31-year-old Noe Rodriguez in 2024, shooting him 11 times and lying about what Rodriguez was doing before the shooting.

In Santa Ana Jail the day after Freddie Washington’s arrest, he fainted and officers placed him on his side. When Washington woke and flailed his legs, police violently pinned him to the tile floor with their knees for almost four minutes. Washington was tied down to a restraint chair, hooded with a spit mask and put back in a cell. Public Information Officer Natalie Garcia said that “at some point, jail staff determined the suspect did not appear to be breathing.” He was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead.

As of Tuesday June 16, SAPD Records Division deleted public messages from the website, but CSO OC members preserved these records beforehand.

Meanwhile, the family of Freddie Washington has been left in the dark. Washington’s sister, Moesha Hightower, described him as “a country boy from Aitken, South Carolina who loved to cook, to travel, and to take care of his daughter.” In fact, SAPD incorrectly stated Washington was from Ventura County when he was in California to fight for custody of his daughter.

Washington’s mother, Beatrice Hightower, said he was “a family man and an honest child who helped Beatrice and his sisters.” She misses him bitterly and said she had to bury Washington on his birthday. Washington’s family demands justice for his death and for the officers involved to be held accountable.

Six years since the racist killing of George Floyd by killer cop Derek Chauvin, the brutality of Washington’s arrest and death by SAPD speaks for itself. This was another racist killing, and SAPD cannot be trusted to carry out investigations into their own officers.

This is why CSO OC fights for community control of the police. The public has a basic right to decide on police matters where they live, including how in-custody deaths are investigated and how police are held accountable for acts of brutality.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #OrangeCounty #FreddieWashington #InjusticeSystem #PoliceAccountability #CSO #CSOOC #Featured

Gilroy, CA – On June 14. around 300 protestors hit the streets in Gilroy to protest against ICE’s plans to open a detention and processing center in the southern part of Santa Clara County near Gilroy, California. At around a million residents, San Jose is the largest city in Santa Clara County, one of the nine counties of the San Francisco Bay Area. Local activists say the detention center will impact all Bay Area residents.

ICE’s plans to build a detention center in Gilroy began circulating amongst the San Francisco Bay Area residents earlier this year. Now that blueprints of the facility have come out, confirming that the 20,000 square foot facility will have the capability to hold detainees, local organizations are mobilizing to hit the streets and protest the construction site.

Huy Tran of the Services, Immigrant Rights, and Education Network warned, “The expanded facilities here in Gilroy are going to make ICE a worse threat by providing more holding cells and training more ICE agents to attack us.”

The construction of the Gilroy detention center comes at a time when detainees are launching hunger strikes in Delaney and Adelanto detention centers, in New Jersey and California.

Uriel Magdaleno of Community Service Organization San Jose condemned the conditions of the centers. “The Legalization for All network stands in unwavering solidarity with the hunger strikes,” stated Magdaleno. In the past year, there have been over 50 detainees’ deaths confirmed.

Magdaleno continued, “Conditions inside these facilities worsen daily, people are denied basic human rights.”

The day before the protest, Community Service Organization Oakland participated in a car caravan to California City in coordination with the Legalization for All network’s weekend of action against detention centers. At the Gilroy protest, Danny Celaya with CSO Oakland spoke to attendees about the previous day’s caravan.

“The conditions there [in California City detention center] are grotesque, inhumane and reports of guards dehumanizing detainees as dogs,” stated Celaya. “We need to continue to fight for immigrant rights and say down with detention centers.”

The protesters marched to the detention center construction site in Gilroy with banners that read “Stop ICE’s detention centers,” “Legalization for all,” and “Free Guillermo now,” referring to local community member Guillermo Medina Reyes who has been in detention since February of this year. The march concluded with a rally where Rebeca Armendariz of Community Agency for Resources Advocacy and Services stated, “We will be back.”

#SanJoseCA #CA #ImmigrantRights

San José, CA – On May 30, over 250 people gathered outside the Mexican Heritage Plaza in East San Jose to protest plans of an ICE processing and detention center in Gilroy and the reopening of FCI Dublin as an immigrant detention center.

“We haven’t seen as much ICE activity as we have seen in places like Minneapolis, Chicago and Los Angeles,” said Jonathan Soria from Community Service Organization San Jose. “This is because there isn’t a detention center to hold our families here in the Bay Area.”

Since September of last year, the Trump administration has used Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agents to carry out immigration enforcement operations across the country. As of November, the number of operations increased and their tactics became increasingly violent, with the deaths of community members seeing a sharp spike. Among these dead are Ismael Ayala Uribe, Oscar Duarte Rascón, Lorenzo Antonio Batrez Vargas, and twelve more.

ICE and CBP activity reached its height during Operation Metro Surge, when agents were sent to Minnesota, culminating in the killing of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

ICE and CBP operations in the Bay Area have included the detentions of Guillermo Medina Reyes and Ulíses Peña López, who were both taken into custody violently. Since then, reports of their holdings detail inhumane treatment, such as denial of medical attention, food, water and access to legal assistance.

“We’ve brought out hundreds outside of the San Francisco Immigration Court to demand that Guillermo be free, to demand that Guillermo be returned to his community in San Jose, because he deserves to be with his family, with his loved ones,” stated Dani Celaya, of Community Service Organization Oakland, to the people protesting at the Mexican Heritage Plaza.

Community-oriented organizations, including CSO San Jose, CSO Oakland, and WCO for the People, a student-led activist group at San Jose’s WC Overfelt High School, rallied together to denounce the ongoing campaign against immigrants and the Chicano community in the Bay Area and across the country. The organizations have also mobilized people to turn out to San Jose City Hall and the San Francisco Immigration Court with these same demands.

The crowd marched from the Mexican Heritage Plaza all the way to the corner of Story and King, delivering chants, cheers,and speeches, highlighting the resistance towards an administration that is hostile towards and actively targets immigrants and the Chicano community.

#SanJoseCA #CA #ImmigrantRights

Santa Ana, CA – The Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) shot and killed an unnamed 16-year-old inside his own apartment on Sunday, June 14. SAPD released multiple statements to justify the killing hours before caution tape came down or police had even left the scene. This killing happened just four and a half months after the last teenager, 18-year-old Chicano Victor Lopez, was killed by SAPD.

On Monday, June 15, Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) members investigated the apartment complex to learn more about the victim.

Police said they were called about a family disturbance. Reports said the 53-year-old boyfriend of the “suspect’s” mother reported that the 16-year-old had stabbed him with a knife, was “under the influence” and was “vandalizing property.” When they arrived, police said they told the teenager to drop the knife and when he refused, they shot him.

But the public has a right to be skeptical. Police often use these reports to justify their killings, calling their victims suspects, emphasizing how dangerous they are, and focusing on drug use and property damage to mark people for death. The public never gets the bigger picture behind the story. And police never ask if they could solve the problem without violence.

CSO OC members went door to door to learn what happened from neighbors and to connect with the impacted family. Multiple neighbors said they heard police breaking down a door. One said she heard between ten and 20 gunshots, and a mother crying out, “You killed my baby!” CSO OC met members of the family weeping just feet away from their taped-off complex. These details start to paint a different picture from the story the police project in their social media and local news outlets.

CSO OC will be having a protest on behalf of the family and all victims of police crimes in Santa Ana on Friday, June 19 at 6 p.m. at the intersection of W McArthur Boulevard and S Main Street.

These victims include people like 18-year-old Victor Lopez, who just four months earlier was chased by SAPD into a parking structure. But what SAPD failed to mention was that it was his own apartment complex, or that they shot Lopez three times in the back while he was attempting to surrender. They do not mention that Lopez was driving with his fiancé and one-year-old son. Instead, they focus on a firearm he dropped while exiting the vehicle, which is not a death sentence, and the firearm was not used. SAPD claims it does not need to release more body camera footage to the public but faces yet another civil rights lawsuit for the police killing.

All of this is why CSO OC fights for community control of the police. We have a basic right to decide on all police matters where we live. That includes the ability to have independent and transparent investigations into these killings, and the ability to hold police accountable for killing our children. If you would like to meet us or would like our support as an organization, please reach out at Instagram, Facebook, or email at orangecountycso@gmail.com.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #OppressedNationalities #ChicanoLatino #CSOOC

Sacramento, CA – Dozens of community members showed up to disrupt a city council budget hearing on June 9 in protest of the council’s failure to provide real protections for immigrants.

A coalition of grassroots organizations, nonprofits, and even a choir came out to leave comments during the city budget hearing, protesting the recently submitted “Community Action Plan” proposal that excludes key demands from months of community advocacy to provide real protections for immigrants.

Taylor Davis from the Sacramento Immigration Committee commented, “From where I am standing, the city increasing funds to the police, while cutting its oversight programs and other immigrant rights programs, is the city doing DHS's dirty work for free,” as the city council prepared to pass a new budget inflating the police budget while cutting social services.

Frances Lu from Decarcerate Sac, noted that city council “is denying the very people you acknowledged for your ‘Immigrant Appreciation Month’ photo op, the ability to understand what is happening in their city because of the cuts to civil services promoted in this budget.”

Folks attending the hearing felt strung along by city council members who want to appear in solidarity with the mass movement against Trump’s racist, anti-worker anti-immigrant policies. However, the coalition is not giving up on defending their community.

At the end of the comment period, the Peace and Justice choir, along with coalition members, began chanting and forced the council to take a recess. Throughout the hearing and in concert with folks in the courthouse, protesters outside conducted a noise demo in support of the interruption.

#SacramentoCA #CA #ImmigrantRights

San Jose, CA – On Thursday June 11, San Jose Against War called an emergency action in response to Trump’s escalated bombing of Iran. The group of over 20 gathered outside of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library in San Jose with signs reading “No to war on Iran, Lebanon, & Palestine” and “Money for people’s needs, not for war and genocide!” Participants waved Palestinian and Iranian flags in solidarity with the people and counties targeted by U.S.-Israeli forces.

Drusie Kazanova, a member of SJAW stated, “It has been 100 days since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, killing thousands, including over 100 schoolgirls in an attempt to topple the only state in the region capable of resisting their ceaseless violence and imperial aims.”

Kazanova continued, “Part of why negotiations have taken so long is due to Iran’s refusal to back down to Israeli terror that the United States continues to fund with our tax dollars.”

“We pushed the city council to vote on divestment in March of this year, and four city council members voted to keep using our city funds to fund these atrocities. [Council members] George Casey, Michael Mulcahey, David Cohen, and Anthony Tordillos. Just like Trump and Netanyahu, just like war profiteering corporations, these council members have blood on their hands!” said Kazanova.

John Duroyan of Students for a Democratic Society at San Jose State University (SDS SJSU) spoke on the students’ struggle for divestment from war profiteers saying, “Here at SJSU’s campus, they opened a ‘Campus Center for Civic and Social Good,’ but we call it ‘Campus Center for War and Genocide.’”

Duroyan continued, “Companies like Open AI are just one of the many companies that aid and abet Zionism, aid and abet U.S. invasion, U.S. war mongering, aid and abet Trump and his billionaire cronies. But we, the working people of America, the students of this campus, the students of campuses all across the world, just as we fought for Palestine in 2024, we’re continuing to fight now, and that fight doesn't stop until we’ve shut down those companies, kicked them off our campuses, kicked them out of our cities, until we’ve shut this brutal war machine down!”

Jack McCann of Freedom Road Socialist Organization reflected on the strength of the resistance to U.S. and Israeli aggression, and the weakness of Trump and his allies, saying, “Today, as we condemn U.S. aggression, let us honor the strength of the resistance, the bravery of people who stand strong in the face of overwhelming force, to assert their right to human dignity by any means necessary.”

McCann continues, “Trump is gambling our future for his own personal gain, and he is failing. The working people of the U.S. and the people of oppressed nations around the world share a common enemy: the monopoly capitalist class. In their desperation to secure resources, they sacrifice us all upon the altar of war to sacrifice for their selfish goals. The time is now to unite all who can be united to resist Trump and the ruling class’s attacks on the people of the world!”

Donna Wallach of SJAW described the nature of the abuses of the U.S. and Israel in the region. “Iran did not attack Israel. However, Israel has attacked Iran on numerous occasions. Bombing their nuclear facilities, assassinating scientists and government officials. And the USA has had horrendous sanctions on Iran for over a decade! [The] U.S.A and Israel target hospitals, medical people, journalists, homes, infrastructure. Iran targets military bases and installations.”

Wallach continued, “Israel is trying to steal more land, now from Lebanon to make Israel bigger of stolen land. Israel is attacking Iran because they want to devastate the Iranian economy. Also, the Israelis have this stupid notion that if the infrastructure and homes of the Iranian people are bombed, the Iranian people will blame their government, and they will try to overthrow their government. Iran has the right to defend itself, and it has the right to help Lebanon defend itself.”

#SanJoseCA #CA #AntiWarMovement #Iran #SJAW

Los Angeles, CA – On the morning of June 11, a Chicano man was shot and killed by the California Highway Patrol. The homicide occurred on a stretch of the 101 Freeway in Boyle Heights. The freeway closed for several hours. The person who was shot was later reported to be dead. Video of the shooting surfaced online showing a CHP cop with a gun drawn on a man.

Also, on June 9, a Chicano man was also shot in Boyle Heights, this time by LAPD. Video showed the man lying on the ground in need of medical attention after being shot, while the cops were just standing around. This person was finally taken to a hospital where they were reported to be in critical condition. As always with police shootings, little is known as cops delay and withhold releasing information.

Two shootings by police in two days is alarming, especially when LAPD is the most murderous police force in the United States, killing at least 166 people in the period of 2013-2022. LAPD is particularly deadly in Boyle Heights, where LAPD has shot at least 20 people since 2016. In 2016, LAPD shot and killed five Chicanos in Boyle Heights.

Centro CSO, alongside the impacted Chicano families, have been on the frontlines fighting back against police terror. The murder of the man who was shot on June 11 by California Highway Patrol officers is now being investigated by the Attorney General under Assembly Bill 1506, which investigates police shootings of unarmed people.

Centro CSO will continue to keep a close eye on these two shootings and will report any new information they find.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #OppressedNationalities #ChicanoLatino #CentroCSO

Los Angeles, CA – On June 3, Centro CSO held a press conference at Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights demanding that the state keep its hands off Nadia Topete. On May 20, Topete, a Chicana immigrant rights activist with Centro CSO, was served a subpoena by the FBI demanding that she testifies in front of a grand jury. She did not appear at the grand jury proceedings, which were set for the same day.

Press conference organizers state, “Nadia bravely refused to rat on her fellow activists who did nothing wrong, risking serious jail time. Cases of blatant political repression like this one have continued to intensify in the wake of Trump’s racist, reactionary agenda. Nadia Topete’s determination is a strong example of the people’s refusal to back down.”

At the press conference, Centro CSO member Verita Topete, Nadia’s sister and herself a victim of FBI repression, led attendees in chants of “When we fight, we win!”

“Our enemies are trying to find ways to attack us, but we won’t stand down. This is a fight we are willing to take. We will win,” said Henry Cornejo, a Teamster at UPS and member of Centro CSO.

Carlos Montes, a longtime Chicano activist and member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization who has experienced political repression over the decades, said, “Federal grand juries have been used by the Trump administration to go after immigrant rights activists. We are united to denounce the use of the grand jury and the FBI by the Trump administration and the U.S. Attorney’s office to harass and intimidate activists who oppose Trump’s attacks on our immigrant community.”

In order to support Topete, the Committee to Stop FBI Repression is requesting donations: tinyurl.com/csfrdonate.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #CSFR #CentroCSO #NadiaTopete #Featured

Los Angeles – May 30 marked the two-year angelversary for Hugo Cachua, an Amazon driver who was shot six times and murdered on May 30, 2024, in Ontario, California, after a fender-bender with off-duty LAPD officer Victor Corral.

Two years have passed and no criminal charges have been filed against Corral for the killing of Cachua, despite the California Department of Justice opening a case regarding the shooting, as required under AB 1056 for all officer-involved shootings of unarmed civilians. The case remains “under investigation” and Corral was allowed to return to active duty.

The angelversary was organized by United Families for Justice and held at LAPD headquarters in downtown Los Angeles. The angelversary started with a picket where impacted family members and allies held up signs and banners demanding justice for Hugo Cachua and for charges to be brought against Corral.

Afterwards, members from the Cachua family and other impacted families gave speeches in solidarity. Melissa Miramontes, sister of Hugo Cachua said, “Two years is too long. 24 months and this year on Hugo's angelversary our family, impacted families, Centro CSO and other advocates took our fight for justice to LAPD HQ. We chose to uplift Hugo's name where the heartless LAPD commissioners and Chief of Police McDonald have considered Hugo Cachua's murder justified and in policy.”

Miramontes asked, “How, when Victor Corral was off duty and an inactive police officer for over 1.5 years, what policy did he really fall under? He broke policy engaging in mutual combat and the truth is his discriminating action will be exposed. No matter the rulings, even after the courts, we will still fight for what's right, demanding accountability and justice for Hugo Cachua and all impacted loved ones whose lives were ripped away at the hands of law enforcement. The LAPD is one of the dirtiest and heartless departments in America and needs to be exposed.”

Other speakers included Patricia de Arman, sister of Chris de Arman, who was killed by San Diego PD in 2023; Diana Sullivan and Sam Sulllivan, mother and sister of David Sullivan, who was killed by Buena Park PD in 2019; and Sharon Watkins, mother of Philip Watkins, who was killed in 2015 by San Jose PD pigs. The family of Fransico Nunez who was killed by LASD were there in solidarity.

Members of Centro CSO, an organization in Boyle Heights that fights against the crimes of LAPD and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department also showed up in support. The protest included chants of “Victor Corral, lock him up!” Dozens of drivers honked in support as they passed by including city bus drivers.

Luis Cachua, Hugo’s younger brother, spoke of the need for accountability, saying, “We need to hold the people accountable for this.” He promised to keep fighting until justice is served, stating, “This day will never stop until we find justice.”

#LosAngelesCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #CentroCSO

Anaheim, CA – On Saturday, June 6, Community Service Organization, Orange County (CSO OC) along with friends and family of Albert Arzola, held a protest and vigil on the six-month anniversary of his killing by Anaheim PD Officer Nathan Garcia.

The energy was high as the protest began in front of the Anaheim City Hall with chants of “Justice for Albert Arzola!” Attendees' voices echoed far and wide as spectators from the streets stopped to watch. As the march began with chants of “Nathan Garcia, lock him up!” Anaheim residents driving by honked their horns in support. The match went from Anaheim City Hall to the front of the Anaheim Police Department.

There, CSO OC police accountability committee member Matthew Compton opened with, “We are here today to demand Anaheim Police Chief Manuel Cid fire killer cop Nathan Garcia!”

Compton described Arzola’s murder: “Officer Garcia leapt out of an unmarked police car, drew his gun, and chased Albert towards his home. He then dragged Albert backwards by his hoodie and shot him in the back.” As Compton continued with his speech, the crowd of over 50 people yelled “Shame!” making sure the police drone that was flying around could hear them.

The next speaker came up and stated: “My name is Rosie Camacho, the mother of Albert Arzola. I’m here seeking justice, and accountability from the killer cop who murdered my son. He’s still here in the police department, harassing kids, harassing my son, and coming to my house. He tried to get me arrested.”

Camacho continued, “I want him arrested. I want transparency, we need a change. They killed my son, they murdered him in front of me. We don’t want killer cops, we need accountability.” Rosie’s emotions ran high, and that influenced the crowd for the rest of the evening.

Other family members of Arzola spoke as well.

“My name is Leslie Lopez, I’m the older cousin of Albert. The moment we received the news all I can think is, there is no way they killed my baby cousin. In those moments every memory rushes through your mind. The summers we spent together, the family quinceaneras, river trips, and all the laughter we shared. In an instant, Nathan Garcia took all those future memories away from me and my family.”

Compton wrapped up with, “That is why CSO fights for community control of the police. We all know the police can’t police themselves. They are spineless little cowards who would rather shoot first then be held accountable for their actions. They are so fucking scared of being thrown into a prison cell that they have to constantly demonize their victims in order for their murder to be seen as justified.” The protesters followed with chants of “Justice for Albert Arzola!”

As the protest neared its end, the energy was at its peak. Loud and angry chants of “Fuck Anaheim PD!” and “Fuck Nathan Garcia!” closed out the protest.

After the protest, family, friends and members of CSO OC gathered in front of the house where Albert Arzola was killed. There, memories were shared as people honored his life.

Grace Arzola, Albert’s aunt said, “He would be down for any trip, even if it meant going from here to Lake Tahoe, down to San Francisco, back to here. All in all it took us three days.” Grace then said a prayer. “Lord, we thank you for the life of Albert, we thank you for the good memories, we thank you for bringing him into our lives.”

To finish out the vigil, a moment of silence was held which was led by Arzola’s mother, Rosie. They held a balloon release while Albert’s favorite song played in the background. Overall, the vigil was somber, but with family and friends sharing laughs and funny stories as they reminisced on the life of Albert.

#AnaheimCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #CSOOC #Featured

Average prices for the working class have risen even faster, up 4.4% from a year earlier. This means that real wages, or the purchasing power of wages for U.S. workers, have fallen for the second month in a row, and are now 0.8% less than a year ago. This was enough to bring the average worker back to their purchasing power in January 2025, right before Trump took office for his second term.

Trump keeps repeating how great the economy is, which is true for him and his billionaire buddies, who own most of U.S. stocks, with the S&P 500, a broad measure of the stock market, up 22% since Trump took office.

Unfortunately for working people, more price increases are on the horizon. Prices of key commodities used in production, such as diesel fuel, fertilizer and helium, have also spiked, as much of their production was shipped through the strait of Hormuz. This will lead to higher prices for goods that are moved, food, and semiconductors. A measure of these so-called “intermediate goods,” goods that are manufactured but used to make other goods, or not sold to consumers, was up 6% year over year in April, again foretelling higher inflation to come.

In another sign of economic distress, America’s Car-Mart, Inc., a seller of used cars and lender to car buyers with limited incomes and/or poorer credit, said that it was looking for an emergency loan. The company is also preparing for a bankruptcy filing. This is just another sign that workers have been forced to buy used cars as new car prices march ever higher.

Stocks fell across the board, with the broad S&P 500 falling more than 1.5%, while the technology-heavy NASDAQ sank almost 2%. The drop in stock prices was also fed by news of renewed military clashes in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, which boosted oil prices.

#SanJoseCA #CA #CapitalismAndEconomy #Inflation

Job growth was concentrated in the hotel and restaurant industry, which added 70,000 net new jobs in May, making up 40% of the total job growth. Next came local government (excluding school jobs), with 55,000 more jobs, as healthcare added 35,000 new jobs. Together these three industries added almost 90% of net new jobs.

One problem is that this trend is not expected to last. Traveling and going out to eat are not necessities, and with more and more households being caught in a vise as prices rise faster than wages, spending, and thus jobs, are likely to slow. Local governments are facing budget pressures as cuts in federal spending trickle down to state and local governments. Finally, the Medicaid cuts in the Republican “Big Beautiful Bill” of tax cuts for the rich and service cuts for the poor will speed up after the November elections, limiting the scope of future gains in healthcare jobs.

While the job numbers were strong, the number of long-term unemployed, who have been out of work for more than six months, rose by more than a third from a year ago. These workers now make up 27.5% of all the unemployed, as compared to only 20.4% a year ago.

Wage growth also slowed. In April, the year-over-year increase in wages was 3.6%, but in May, wages only increased by 3.4% over the previous year. The inflation rate measured by the Consumer Price Index is expected to rise to a 4.2% annual rate when the newest inflation numbers come out on Wednesday. This will widen the gap between prices rising faster, while wage growth is slowing down.

The strong job creation number combined with rising inflation caused bond prices to fall and their interest rates to rise on Friday. Since bonds pay a fixed interest payment, their price and the interest rate change in opposite directions. Bond interest rates have been rising since the being of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, which in turn drives up other interest rates, including mortgages to buy homes.

The drop in bond prices and higher interest rates also spooked the stock market, with the technology-heavy NASDAQ 100 index down 5% on Friday, led by chipmaker stocks, which fell 10%. The broader S&P fell half as much, or 2.5%.

#SanJoseCA #CA #CapitalismAndEconomy #Jobs

Napa, CA – Across the San Francisco Bay Area, dozens of immigrant rights organizations and allies are preparing for a massive, multi-day march from June 6 to June 8, spanning from Napa to Oakland and ending in Dublin. The federal government is attempting to convert a closed women's prison in Dublin into an immigration detention center.

“We're doing this multi-day walk to uplift four key demands. One, legalization for all; two, ICE out of the Bay; three, no to detention centers in Dublin, Alcatraz and Gilroy; and four, stop the deportations and repression,” said Danny Celaya from the Oakland chapter of the Community Service Organization (CSO Oakland), one of the leading organizations behind the march.

This is the fourth year the walk has taken place as part of the Northern California Coalition for Just Immigration Reform's fight for immigrant rights. Each year brings out hundreds of immigrant rights activists, families and dozens of organizations and unions. Last year's walk, which ran from Vacaville to Sacramento, saw participation from over 400 people all three days combined. This year’s walk is likely to draw greater numbers as it runs across the densely populated East Bay, including cities with major immigrant populations like Richmond and Oakland.

“This is my fourth walk. I always participate with my entire family, including my children, because it always makes a difference. It has been a spiritual experience for me, and I'm always proud to contribute to such a powerful action,” said Gabriela Hernandez from ALMAS Libres.

Over 20 organizations are set to participate, including: Raizes Collective, Almas Libres, Sonoma County Sanctuary Coalition, CSO North Bay, CSO Oakland, Mujeres Unidas Y Activas, Nuevo Sol, East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, Human Agenda, National TPS Alliance, Oakland Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression, Freedom Road Socialist Organization-Oakland, Centro del Pueblo, Kehilla Community Synagogue, Beyt Tikkun Synagogue, Services, Immigrant Rights & Education Network (SIREN), and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA).

“Trump and ICE think they can scare us, but this action says otherwise. From Napa to Dublin, the people stand with immigrants,” said Aldo Solano, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization and chair of CSO North Bay.

#NapaCA #CA #BayArea #ImmigrantRights #CSO