Los Angeles, CA – On Saturday, August 30, hundreds of Chicano activists and community members gathered in East Los Angeles to commemorate the 55th Chicano Moratorium. Organized by Centro CSO along with a coalition of activist organizations, the day’s march and rally centered the fight for Chicano self-determination, an end to Trump’s ICE attacks, and solidarity with Palestine.

The Chicano Moratorium is known as the Chicano Liberation Day, honoring August 29, 1970 when 30,000 Chicanos marched in East LA to protest the Vietnam War, the high casualty rate of Chicanos in that war, and racist conditions. The rally was attacked by the Los Angeles Police Department and LA Sheriff’s Department whose officers swung batons and teargassed the entire community. Hundreds were arrested and three killed, including Ruben Salazar, a well-known journalist who had become critical of police and immigration abuses. Many believe he was targeted for assassination.

The police attack caused the community to rebel and fight back against the police and many police went down. This historic day is part of the longtime struggle of Chicanos for self-determination. Since the Mexican-American War, Chicanos in the Southwest have faced fierce oppression, but have always resisted. That march and rally brought in a new generation of fighters for Chicano Liberation.

55 years later, the demands of Chicano activists are similar. For this 55th annual Chicano Moratorium, organizers hung a banner on the lead truck of the march. The banner listed the current demands: Self-determination for the Chicano Nation, solidarity with Palestine, ICE out of LA, community control over the police, defend public education, and no to U.S. wars!

The day’s activities started with a rally at the Sound of Music, formerly the Silver Dollar Bar where Salazar was murdered. Carlos Montes, member of the Central Committee of Freedom Road Socialist Organization and a long-time veteran of the Chicano Movement, kicked off the rally with a speech about how the struggle of the Vietnamese people against the U.S. military radicalized a generation of Chicanos to oppose U.S. imperialism. Other speakers at the first rally included Beña Martinez, representing About Face: Veterans Against the War, who talked about resisting wars, military recruitment, and the presence of troops in U.S. cities, and Ernesto Ayala, chair of el Partido La Raza Unida, who noted the long history of Chicano resistance.

Derek Mejia, a leader of CSO’s Police Accountability Committee, introduced a block of speakers against police crimes. Stating, “Much like the IDF, LAPD and LASD are instrumental in the United States’ attacks and continued suppression of the right toward self-determination of the oppressed Chicano people of Aztlan.”

Mejia’s speech also focused on how Centro CSO has taken up a campaign to win justice for Jeremy Flores who was killed by LAPD’s Hollenbeck Division in June. Cindy Nuñez, a member of United Families for Justice and the sister of Francisco Nuñez, shared about the fight to expose LASD brutality while Arienne Duncan demanded justice for Jimmy Lopez, who was beaten to death by the Hemet Police Department.

Angelica Reyes, a member of Union del Barrio and a LAUSD teacher, gave a speech about fighting for her students and families against the brutal ICE raids. Liza Peña from La Mesa Brown Berets closed the rally with a speech about how the Brown Berets continue the fight for Chicano power.

After the kickoff rally, over 500 people began marching down the historic Whittier Boulevard with energetic chants like “Chicano power!” “Fuera la Migra!” “Viva, viva Palestina!” and “Aqui estamos y no nos vamos.” The public responded with yells, raising fists and honking horns. 90-plus degree weather did not stop the loud, energetic political chanting, denouncing Trump’s racist attacks.

As the marchers arrived at Salazar Park, they were met with cheers as they joined the crowd. The main rally began with a speech by Sol Marquez of FRSO LA, who said, “We named our nation Aztlan in 1969, and we will continue to organize with the multi-national working class to overthrow Trump!”

Then Art and Terry Navarrete followed by sharing about Centro CSO’s immigration work, which includes barrio walks and the victory of having the charges dropped on Alejandro Orellana. Sabrina Medina talked about getting raided by the ICE and FBI, which included having the Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Dr. Phil in her home. “They have been terrorizing my family! Don’t let the FBI and ICE agents harass your family or our neighborhood,” said Medina. Her mother Lisa Medina, a street vendor activist, was arrested and deported.

Dr. Rocio Rivas, LAUSD board member, spoke about the importance of education and defending students and families, stating, “Solo el pueblo salva al pueblo, adelante mi gente!” Longtime UFW/SEIU organizer Eliseo Medina said, “When people stand up and fight, they will always win!”

Sergio Flores, brother of Jeremy Flores, stated, “They get to go home and continue on with their everyday activities, while we get to never see my brother again, love him again, laugh with him again. And that’s not right!” Sergio gave his speech with his mother and sisters standing beside him. Black Lives Matter-LA Grassroots leader Baba Akili gave an energetic speech about uniting Black and Chicano people to fight Trump’s attacks.

United Teachers Los Angeles Vice President Gloria Martinez spoke about the struggle to defend public education. Juan Parrino of Los Rucos talked about the original Chicano Moratorium issues and how we are fighting similar struggles today. Lupe Carrasco Cardona of the Association of Raza Educators talked about promoting and defending ethnic studies and how the association is part of the community defense against ICE raids.

Sammy Carrera, a member of Centro CSO and a Teamster Local 396, stated, “ICE agents are kidnapping and terrorizing the working class while the monopoly capitalists are getting rich off the prison industrial complex.” He also said Chicanos know how to fight back and will do so against ICE attacks.

The 55th Chicano Moratorium reinforced the fight for self-determination for the Chicano nation, solidarity with Palestine and the ongoing fight against ICE attacks. It also stressed the importance of fighting against police killing with the demand of community control of police and the key fights to defend and promote public education against privatization.

Vera Topete, a Centro CSO member and emcee concluded the rally by encouraging people to join Centro CSO.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #ChicanoMoratorium #OppressedNationalities #ImmigrantRights #CSO

San Jose – On Thursday, August 2, dozens of people attended the Santa Clara County Housing, Land-Use, Environment, and Transportation (HLUET) subcommittee meeting and the San Jose City Council Public Safety, Finance, and Strategic Support (PSFSS) subcommittee meetings to demand that they divest from companies complicit in genocide.

At the HLUET subcommittee meeting people spoke to the County Supervisors Margaret Abe-Koga and Sylvia Arenas, calling on them to divest from fossil-fuel companies and to introduce and pass an ethical investment policy.

Tim Samson, member of San Jose Against War, spoke to the supervisors saying, “Chevron is one of the largest producers of fossil fuels for Israel with a significant stake in Israel’s energy sector. As a resident of this county, I see the human rights abuses of Palestinians as a local issue. The county has a moral obligation to divest from companies such as Chevron.”

A dozen more in-person and a handful of virtual attendees spoke of the people’s demand to divest from Chevron and their desire to see an ethical investment policy introduced and passed by the county.

At the San Jose PSFSS subcommittee, around two dozen people showed up to give public comment that is only available in-person. San Jose City has upwards of $50 million invested in companies complicit in Israel’s genocide in Palestine including Alphabet, Microsoft and Caterpillar.

This mobilization was a follow up from a previous city council meeting where Councilmember Peter Ortiz directed Finance Director Maria Oberg to provide report to present at the PSFSS meeting.

Drusie Kasanova, a member of San Jose Against War, spoke to the subcommittee saying, “I’m disappointed to hear the investigation on the city’s investment portfolio were not presented. But we are still here to mobilize and raise that concern and express our support for divestment in-line with the city’s ethical investment policy and to support divestment from Alphabet, Microsoft and Caterpillar.”

San Jose community member and Palestinian American Dina Saba stated, “The 2% of the city’s funds in these companies are investments supporting genocide, the mass slaughter of over 20,000 children, and intentional starvation by Israel and that is 1000% unacceptable.”

Saba continued, “I don’t want my beloved city’s investments supporting the mass slaughter of my family and my people.”

Two dozen more people spoke on supporting the moral obligation of divestment from companies complicit in enabling genocide in Palestine.

There are plans to continue the divestment campaign through applying pressure to the finance director and councilmembers to support divestment.

#SanJoseCA #CA #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #SJAW

San Jose, CA – Dozens of San Jose community members attended San Jose Against War’s educational mini-series for Black August, honoring Black resistance and liberation struggles around the world. The series consisted of two educational programs, one focusing on Haiti and the other focusing on the Confederation of Sahel States.

The educational event about Haiti was on August 24. Guest speakers from Haiti Action Committee gave a presentation covering an extensive history of Haiti from its colonial exploitation by Spain and France, to the current role that the U.S. has played in toppling progressive governments.

“[Haiti] is poor, but like many countries, it’s been made poor,” said Judith Mirkinson from Haiti Action Committee. “At the time when they overthrew the French, it was France’s richest colony in itself. It generated more wealth than all the other colonies. It’s estimated that like 20% of the French economy came from Haiti.”

“When we look at the situation in Haiti today, it has its genesis in the long history of colonialism, but specifically it has its genesis in the 2004 coup,” said Mirkinson, referring to the coup against President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

“This was the most progressive government that Haiti ever had,” Mirkinson stated about Aristide’s time in office. “More schools were built in Haiti than in its entire history. He did literacy campaigns; he introduced hospitals and clinics.”

“Aristide was overthrown and a U.S.-UN occupation came in,” said Mirkinson. “The U.S., Britain, France, and Canada have bankrolled paramilitary death squads. This is a strategy to destroy society. They want the gold, they want minerals. They just want people to leave or die or whatever.”

On August 27, over two dozen community members gathered for the educational event about the Confederation of Sahel States, an anti-imperialist alliance between Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. The event featured guest speakers Inem Richardson of the All-African Women’s Revolutionary Union and the Thomas Sankara Center, and Akubundu Amazu Lott of the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party.

“The first coup that led to the Alliance of Sahel States happened in Mali in 2021,” said Richardson. “For several years before the coup happened there was this emerging budding anti-imperialist movement that kept growing. The people first called for the alliance. In July of last year, the three countries became the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States.”

“For the first time in a long time Burkina Faso is nationalizing its gold reserves,” stated Richardson. “Niger is nationalizing its uranium deposits. Africa’s largest solar power field is being built right now in Mali. It’s this massive transformation.”

“These countries ended a lot of different forms of collaboration with countries in the NATO bloc and started to move towards collaborating more with countries like Russia, Iran, China, Venezuela and Cuba,” Richardson continued. “Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger share a lot in common with these countries in terms of how they’ve been targeted by imperialists.”

“There are U.S. sanctions on Mali right now. The European Union is sanctioning Mali and Niger,” Richardson said. “The propaganda war is enormous, adding that Western media “has come down really hard against these three countries.”

“There’s been reports stating that AFRICOM, the U.S. military, now that it’s been chased out of Niger, is working to create a drone base in the Ivory Coast. The U.S. is trying to move to the border of the Alliance of Sahel States,” stated Richardson. “In this moment, we really need to focus on protecting and defending these revolutions.”

#SanJoseCA #CA #International #Haiti #Sahel #Africa #OppressedNationalities #HAC #AAWRU #AAPRP