Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

losángelesca

By Carlos Montes

Family speaking on stage

Los Angeles, CA – Fernando Suarez Del Solar, from Escondido, father of Jesus Aleberto Suarez del Solar Navarro, a U.S. Marine killed in Iraq, spoke at a rally Aug. 30, in Hollenbeck Park in the heart of Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles. Mr. Solar has been an active vocal critic of the U.S. war on Iraq and the high casualty rate of Latinos in the war.

Read more...

By Ray Sosa

Los Angeles, CA – Demanding “Escuelas si, guerra no!” – yes to schools no to war – one hundred parents, students and teachers attended a teach-in and rally, June 4. Latinos Against the War, El Centro CSO and the Roosevelt Revolutionary Students group of East L.A.'s Roosevelt High School sponsored the event.

Read more...

By Carlos Montes

LAWII march against war in Iraq, in East Los Angeles.

Los Angeles, CA – The Latino community has taken a strong stand against the Bush war drive and invasion against the people of Iraq. Here in Los Angeles, a new group, named Latinos Against War In Iraq – LAWII – was formed and immediately plunged into a series of demonstrations.

Read more...

By staff

Carlos Montes around 1970

Fight Back! interviewed Carlos Montes, one of the founders and former Minister of Information of the Brown Berets National Office in East Los Angeles from 1967 to 1970. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Brown Berets emerged as one of the most powerful and militant organizations in the Chicano liberation movement. Like the Black Panther Party, the Brown Berets were hit hard by government repression. This interview brings out a part of our history that is rarely taught in schools and some lessons for today’s activists from our movement’s past.

Read more...

By George Iechika McKinney

Marching against new wars

Los Angeles, CA – Marking the anniversary of the 1970 Chicano Moratorium Against War, hundreds of people took to the streets of Highland Park on Aug. 24, chanting “Raza Si, Guerra No!” – bringing life to a popular chant from the Viet Nam War era. They marched in one of Los Angeles's oldest communities, which is dotted by monuments to those who died in past U.S. wars. Throughout Aztlan (the southwestern United States), commemorations of the massive Aug. 29 Chicano Moratorium Against War took place. Thousands participated in events, many of which were covered by mainstream newspapers and television stations during the 2 weeks surrounding Aug. 29

Read more...

By Viviana Montes

Centro CSO contingent at historic April 20 anti-war march in San Francisco

Los Angles, CA – Aug. 29 marks the 32nd anniversary of the historic Chicano Moratorium. A little more than three decades ago, the largest Chicano/a mobilization ever took place to protest the Vietnam War. Large numbers of Chicanos were sent to fight the people of Vietnam. The people's movement challenged U.S. foreign policy, the high casualty rate of Chicanos in Vietnam and the negative effects that the war had on our community at home.

Read more...

By Jose Gonzalez

Los Angeles, CA – An important anti-war conference, titled “Community Conference Against The War: Building Community Power and International Solidarity” was held at the Hollenbeck Park Recreation Center on Feb. 23.

Read more...

By staff

People displaying signs

Los Angeles, CA – A room full of determined Boyle Heights parents and community leaders faced down 2 bureaucrats from the Los Angeles schools, demanding decent conditions for the education of their children. The meeting, at the El Centro Community Service Organization (CSO) office on Dec. 21, was the latest in a string of actions taken by the group in the Clean Schools and Quality Education campaign.

Read more...

By Carlos Montes

Picketing outside a school

Los Angeles, CA – Parents here were fed up with garbage covered school grounds. So along with the Community Service Organization, they decided to do something about it. “Our schools should be as clean as those in the west side or as those of the rich,” said a CSO parent member. “Let's see their children digest education from a dirty, filthy plate.”

Read more...

By Carlos Montes

Los Angeles, CA – It was a great jam session, with Los Lobos playing their original songs, traditional Mexican music, some rock and Chicano blues till 12 a.m., May 7, at our own East L.A. College.

Read more...