Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

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By Sol Márquez

High school walkout in East LA.

Los Angeles, CA – Hundreds of students from Garfield High School in East LA have walked out of their classrooms to defend DACA. The students are taking the metro train to downtown Los Angeles where participants will rally. A group of youth gathered in downtown as early as 6 a.m.

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By staff

Carlos Montes, Eloisa Galindo with Felicitas Mendez daughter in parade.

Los Angeles, CA – A joyous parade, block party and festival were held October 12 in Boyle Heights to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of the opening of Mendez High School. The parade down First Street with beautiful vintage lowriders, featured Chicano writer Luis Rodriguez, author of Always Running; the daughter of Felicitas Mendez; Eloisa Galindo of Eastside Padres Contra la Privatización; Carlos Montes of Centro CSO; Jose Huizar of Council District 14 and Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) board member Monica Garcia.

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By Luis Sifuentes

49th anniversary of Chicano Moratorium marked in LA.

Los Angeles, CA – On August 29, hundreds of community members, activists and families gathered at a local Chicano art center, Self Help Graphics, to commemorate the 49th anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium against the Vietnam War.The event marks the August 29, 1970 Chicano Moratorium, which included over 30,000 Chicanos and supporters marching against the Vietnam War in East Los Angeles. The large march ended with a rally at Laguna Park – now known as Ruben Salazar Park. The moratorium was against the Vietnam War, against the high casualty rate of Chicanos in that war, against police terror and against racism. East LA Sheriffs and LAPD attacked the peaceful rally, beating hundreds, tear gassing thousands and killing three participants. One of those killed was well-known Los Angeles Times reporter and KMEX news director Ruben Salazar.The commemoration was organized by Centro CSO, which continues to denounce police terror, President Trump's ICE raid threats against undocumented immigrants, militarization of the U.S./Mexico border, and threats of intervention in Iran and Venezuela.The event kickstarted with local indie-funk band Resonance, while everyone attending got food and refreshments. Centro CSO members Rosario Bonilla and Lupe Torres gave an introduction about Self Help Graphics.The keynote speaker of the evening was the author and longtime Chicano activist from Denver, Colorado, Ernesto Vigil. Vigil spoke about the importance of organizing the community and having the correct ideas to defeat U.S. imperialism. Lisa Vargas, the mother of Anthony Vargas, who was shot and killed by East Los Angeles Sheriffs last August, spoke about her son's legacy and her fight to seek justice.Antonia Montes, a public school teacher at Eastmont Avenue School spoke about charter schools’ devastating effects on public schools, about co-locations, and the parents, students and teachers united against privatization of education. They are currently fighting to remove Extera Charter school. Rudy Chavez, a Vietnam veteran and activist, performed an exclusive poem which included an atmospheric set up and props. Carlos Montes, a longtime Chicano activist, spoke about the Vietnam War and its high mortality rate of Chicano soldiers and about continuing the fight for public education, defeating the mega KIPP Promesa charter school and police killings.Sol Marquez, member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), spoke about different countries in Latin America and the Caribbean currently fighting back against U.S. domination. Marquez informed the crowd that FRSO trade union delegation arrived in Caracas, Venezuela for the “1st International Meeting of Workers in Solidarity with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, its Government and Its People,” which started on August 29.

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By staff

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Los Angeles, CA – A commemoration event honoring the 1970 Chicano moratorium will take place in Boyle Heights, Thursday, August 29, 6 to 9 p.m., at Self Help Graphics, 1300 E. First Street, Los Angeles.

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By Luis Sifuentes

Memorial for Paul Rea

Los Angeles, CA – On August 23, over 70 people, including the family of Paul Rea, gathered for a memorial. 18-year-old Rea was shot and killed by East Los Angeles Sheriffs on June 27, after a minor traffic infraction. The East LA sheriff's station is currently under FBI investigation. Since 2014, there have been lawsuits against and reports that there is a Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department gang called Los Bandidos. Additionally, East LA sheriffs have a long history of brutalizing and murdering Chicanos.

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By Marisol Márquez

UFCW picket line.

Los Angeles, CA – Over 40 supporters picketed outside of Ralphs grocery store on Sunset Boulevard, July 31. The store’s United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) voted overwhelmingly in favor of a strike authorization in June.

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By Marisol Márquez

LA protest agaisnt raids and deportations.

Los Angeles, CA – A protest on June 29, at the busy intersection of Soto Street and César E. Chávez in Boyle Heights, demanded an end to ICE raids and deportations. Attended by 30 people, the participants included students, parents and Centro CSO. The protest was energetic and extremely well-received by locals, people driving by, public transportation bus drivers and everyone in between.

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By Carlos Montes

Families unite to demand: Legalization for all, no Trump wall, no deportations!

May Day march in LA.

Los Angeles, CA – On the afternoon of May 1, International Workers Day, Boyle Heights families, workers and students protested the Trump anti-immigrant attacks and raised the demand “Legalization for all” and “No Wall on the Mexico border!”

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By staff

Los Angeles, CA – Boyle Heights families, workers and students will march on May 1, International Worker’s Day, to protest Trump’s anti-immigrant attacks and demand no wall on the Mexico border and no deportations. The May Day rally and march will start at 4:30 at the corner of Chavez and Mathews streets; and end at Mariachi Plaza for a rally.

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By Sol Márquez

Members of the González family.

Los Angeles, CA – An LA jury took less than 24 hours to reject the wrongful death claims of a man killed by LAPD. The civil lawsuit needed a minimum of nine jurors to rule that the killer cop used excessive force in killing victim Omar González. However, all 12 jurors rejected the claim and ruled that police did not use negligence nor excessive force. In other words, the jury unanimously accepted the lies of two-time killer cop Eden Medina and his legal team.

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