Los Angeles, CA – On Sunday, July 26, over 100 activists from different organizations came together to celebrate the launch of Bulosan – a network fighting for the labor movement in the United States and international solidarity with unions and workers in the Philippines.

“The core of our organization is made up of union organizers and workers who understand the importance of building genuine trade unions, building solidarity between workers in the Philippines and workers in southern California, and organizing overseas Filipino workers to contribute to the struggle back home. Before launching our organization, we grew to include several more organizers and workers and we are now growing every week,” said one of the Bulosan organizers.

The program started with report-backs from U.S. union members who recently went on a labor solidarity trip to the Philippines and saw firsthand the militancy and discipline of the KMU trade unionists. They noticed that workers in the Filipino labor movement are connected and involved across different industries and unions. “When there is a labor action in the Philippines, everybody comes out for it,” said Ryan Calbreath of the United Electrical Workers.

Then a panel of workers who traveled to Crockwell, California shared their experiences on the picket lines of the C&H refinery strike. C&H ILWU Local 6 workers have been on strike since June 15 over proposed cuts to health care, overtime and sick days. The workers have refused to unload the sugar from the ports where it arrives from sugar plantations of Negros Island in the Philippines.

The panel summated that workers in the Philippines and workers in the United States have more in common with each other than with their bosses. And sometimes, like with C&H sugar, they even have the same bosses.

The program ended with solidarity statements from other organizations including Migrante USA, International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines, International Women’s Alliance, and Centro CSO.

Leilani Gonzalez, executive co-chair of Centro CSO, shared a solidarity statement supporting the labor movement in the Philippines. “It's important to continue to organize and raise the political consciousness of workers, to question the systems of oppression and connect it back to imperialism and join organizations like Bulosan. We look forward to working together more against our shared enemy.”

To learn about how you can support Bulosan, follow them on Instagram: @BulosanLA

#LosAngelesCA #CA #Labor #International #Philippines #Bulosan

Los Angeles, CA – On July 30, Centro CSO’s Police Accountability Committee held an emergency rally to demand justice for Corey Ruiz, a 34-year-old African American man who was killed by the police on July 22 in Madison, Wisconsin. Over a dozen community members gathered at Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights.

The protest in Los Angeles was a part of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression week of action to demand justice for Corey Ruiz. The rally-goers held signs that uplifted the demands coming out of Madison, including “Jail killers cops” and “Community Control of police.” They also held posters with Corey Ruiz’s face on them.

Derek Mejia, the Centro CSO’s Police Accountability Committee co-chair, was the emcee. He started the program with, “We are here answering the national call put out by the National Alliance against Racist and Political Repression to demand justice for Corey Ruiz.”

Verita Topete, Centro CSO’s Immigration co-chair, also spoke at the rally, saying, “Justice for Corey Ruiz means more than words. It means a full, independent investigation. It means accountability for every officer involved. It means no more cover-ups. And it means putting power back into the hands of the people through community control of the police.”

Sammy Carrea, a Teamster and FRSO member said, “How many more lives need to be ripped away from their loved ones? How many more police killings before we organize for justice, before we organize to jail all killer cops, before we demand community control over the pigs, before we fight for Chicano self-determination, before we fight for self-determination for the Black Belt South? Justice for Corey Ruiz.”

Baba Akili from BLM LA Grassroots was the final speaker, “Too often what happens is the police kill us and we may not even see a blurb in the news and we just move on as if that's how it is in the world today. That is not how it is! What happened in Madison is a continuation of the war on Black people. What's happening with ICE is a continuation of the war on Latinos and immigrants.”

After the program, folks gather on the corner of First street and Vicente Fernandez Avenue, where Derek Mejia led the crowd in chants like “Justice for Corey Ruiz” and “When killer cops are on patrol

what do we want?” as the crowd yelled back “Community control!”

Luis Sifuentes, a longtime Centro CSO member said, “We’re here today to protest the killing of Corey Ruiz. This is another example of the police violence our communities continue to face in this country, especially Black communities. We’re standing in solidarity because what’s happening there is connected to what’s happening here in Los Angeles. Our struggles are connected, and that’s why we’re calling on people to come together, stand with one another, and demand justice.”

#LosAngelesCA #CA #InjusticeSystem #CoreyRuiz #KillerCop #CentroCSO

Los Angels, CA – On July 25, in downtown Los Angeles a coalition of over 50 organizations and faith leaders gathered for a funeral procession to honor the lives of those murdered by ICE. This action was organized under the slogan “Justice for All.”

The procession started at LA City Hall and marched through the streets carrying handmade cardboard coffins and pictures of those killed by ICE, including Keith Porter, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti.

No Camps CA and NELA for Democracy were the two main groups that organized this vigil demanding a full, independent investigation, the release and protection of those who witnessed the murder of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, an end to local collaboration with ICE, and for immediate action by Congress.

Marylinda Moss from NELA for Democracy told the crowd, “It was powerful and moving to have more than 50 grassroots groups here in LA and all across the country come together in unity in just over a week, for [the] ‘Justice for All Day of Action and Accountability’ to stand in solidarity against the brutality and the senseless killings enacted by this government. Thanks to the many hands and hearts it took to make over 70 coffins in a week, paired with the ‘Killed by ICE’ placards; it was an undeniable visual of what is being done to our people.”

Los Jornaleros Del Norte, a band that is known for leading protests with cumbias and “Music that accompanies the struggle and celebrates the dignity of the immigrant and working-class community,” guided the procession from Los Angeles City Hall to Placita Olvera.

Brianna Mosqueda from Centro CSO said, “Being able to be a pallbearer was an honor. But it also made me think about the 73-plus families that have to carry their fathers, mothers, or children to rest. These families suffer because of modern day ethnic cleansing. We see the warnings and if we don’t do anything now, this will become a genocide.”

Michelle Arkin with No Concentration Camps CA said, “At the Justice for All vigil in downtown Los Angeles we gathered to mourn lives that should never have been lost: Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, Johan Sebastian Guerrero, and the more than 70 people who have died in ICE custody or murdered on our streets. Our grief is real, but it is not the end of the story. Standing and processing with 73 coffins in solidarity, we transformed mourning into a powerful reminder that no one stands alone. Unity is our greatest strength.”

Verita Topete, the co-chair of Centro CSO’s Immigration Committee, read a statement of accountability and ended with, “We can say ‘abolish ICE’ but what happens when ICE is abolished? Before ICE there was INS. The people in power will just start over and build another agency to oppress and kill us. This is why we need legalization for all 11-plus million undocumented immigrants.”

#LosAngelesCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #ICE

Los Angeles, CA – On July 25 in the City of Industry, 50 people protested outside the Industry Sheriff’s Station to demand justice for Joseph Perez and for his immediate release from jail.

On July 27, 2020, nearly six years ago, Joseph Perez was brutally beaten by sheriffs in the City of Industry, which is located about 30 minutes east of downtown Los Angeles. Some of those sheriffs were later involved in the beating of teens outside of a Montclair bowling alley, where the deputies were arrested. The deputies admitted to internal affairs that they were tattooed deputy gang members and part of the “Industry Indians.” No deputies have faced discipline over the brutal beating of Joseph Perez.

Families who have lost their loved ones to either LAPD or LASD were present to speak in solidarity with Vanessa Perez’s fight for justice for her son Joseph. The families of Jeremy Anthony Flores, Eric Rivera, Anthony Vargas and John Horton III and others were at the rally.

The rally also featured a united front of organizations fighting for police accountability, like Check The Sheriff Coalition, Justice LA, Power Now, SV DEBUG and Centro CSO.

The crowd chanted, “Ban! Ban! Deputy gangs!” and “Say his name: Joseph Perez!”

Luis Sifuentes of FRSO stated, “We have to keep fighting, we have to keep fighting these officials that are protecting these pigs, we have to fight these police associations!”

Katherine Palma spoke about her brother, Jeremy Anthony Flores, who was shot and killed by LAPD, “The cops just shoot they don't stop and think about other solutions, it’s not fair that they can laugh and enjoy time with their loved ones when they took one of ours.”

Emiliano Martin Del Campo of Centro CSO stated, “These killings, beatings and wrongful convictions of our community members will not stop until we have community control of the police implemented here and all over this country. Our neighborhoods will never be safe until we have a say in who polices them and how they do so.”

Deanna Brock, the mother of Emmett Brock, told the crowd, “My son Emmet Brock, a 23-year-old teacher, was brutally assaulted by an LA County Sheriff deputy My son used his First Amendment right to flip off a cop, that cop got in his car and followed Joseph and pulled him over in a parking lot where he brutally beat him.”

Deputy Joseph Benza lll was eventually federally charged for violating the civil rights of Emmet Brock, and will be sentenced at the end of this year.

Vanessa Perez closed the rally by saying, “To every family here: our pain has connected us but so has our strength. I stand with each and every one of you in whatever capacity I can, because your fight is my fight. CSO! We made history again in Joseph’s name.”

The rally ended with chants and a sign-waving on the main dtreet near the sheriff’s station. There is an ongoing civil lawsuit against LASD in the name of Joseph Perez, and Centro CSO will be on the ground to support the fight for justice.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #JosephPerez #CentroCSO

Los Angeles – On July 14, Centro CSO and the family of Jeremy Anthony Flores, along with allies, gathered at Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights to honor Jeremy's life on his one year Angelversary. Flores, a 26-year-old Chicano, was shot and killed by officers from LAPD’s Hollenbeck Division on July 14, 2025.

The vigil for Flores began with setting out flowers, photos, candles and handmade posters It was followed by a small program of speakers from local organizations and other impacted families.

Magda Gutierrez, a member of CSO’s Police Accountability Committee, spoke out against the LAPD Board of Police Commissioners recent ruling that the killing of Flores was “within LAPD policy.” Gutierrez further spoke on the need for Community Control of the Police in Los Angeles saying, “We can follow in the footsteps of cities like Chicago and demand community control of police. We have the right; we should have the right to hire and fire police. We should have the right to hold these officers accountable for their actions.”

Karina Lopez of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) spoke of the killing of Flores and other Chicanos in the Southwest as a symptom of national oppression, “What we are seeing today with police brutality, with the deportations, and with ICE killing our community members is a continuation of national oppression. With that we have to fight for our liberation. We have to fight for the liberation of Chicanos. We have to fight for community control of the police.”

Isabella Rivera, mother of Jeremy Flores, speaking about the vigil and the effects of her son’s killing a year later she said, “Marking the first anniversary of Jeremy’s passing, beyond reliving the pain of his absence, was a celebration of his life featuring the food he loved and how he would have wanted it to be. I felt a sense of fulfillment having accomplished this with the help of my children, Centro CSO, and the community. We will continue to fight for Justice for Jeremy Flores.”

Throughout the program, speakers and community members chanted, “Justice for Jeremy Flores!” and “Jail killer cops!”

DeAnna Sullivan, mother of David Sullivan, killed by Buena Park police in 2019, shared words and condolences with Isabella Rivera, the mother of Jeremy Anthony Flores. Speaking about the lack of police accountability she said, “Who is holding the police accountable? Not the chief, not the DOJ. Police are not held accountable at all.”

Afterwards, community members were invited to share Jeremy’s favorite foods with the Flores family. These included tamales and panes con pollo, a traditional Salvadorian dish.

Centro CSO has been on the ground in Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles fighting back against police crimes for over ten years. To stay updated, follow them on social media under the handle “CENTROCSO”

#LosAngelesCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #CentroCSO

Los Angeles, CA- On Friday July 17, over 100 community members in Boyle Heights gathered at Mariachi Plaza for a vigil and press conference protesting the recent ICE killings of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Joan Sebastian Guerrero. This event was one of many held across the country as part of the Legalization for All national week of action.

“Now that these two fathers have lost their life, their children are going to have to deal with the grief and trauma for the rest of their lives,” said Antonieta Garcia from the CSO education committee.

On July 7, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was killed while on his way to work by ICE agents who apparently mistook him for someone else. Then, on July 13, Joan Sebastian Guerrero was fatally shot in the face in front of his wife and three-year-old daughter. During the past year, over 30 people have died while in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody and over ten fatally shot and killed during enforcement operations.

“For the past two years Trump and his cronies have repeatedly used ICE and DHS to disrupt and destroy the working class. Our oppressors invest billions into these violent agencies instead of funding our communities or raising our wages,” said Henry Cornejo, a Teamster and member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

These recent deaths have sparked outrage amongst people from across the country from all walks of life. Organizers and activists everywhere are demanding accountability. However, the administration also wants to crack down on those that are fighting on the front lines for these causes. One such activist, Nadia Topete, has recently become the target of FBI repression.

“They want to intimidate activists and silence our movement, but we will not back down. CSO and L4A stands in solidarity with our sister Nadia and all organizers facing political repression,” said Verita Topete, co-chair of the CSO immigration committee.

As ICE continues to spread terror and violence through their enforcement actions, we cannot allow these murderers to operate with impunity in our communities. Derek Mejia from the CSO police accountability committee told the crowd, “Whether it’s ICE, LAPD or LASD, we need killer cops off our streets!”

#LosAngelesCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #KillerICE #InJusticeSystem #CentroCSO

Santa Ana, CA – On the morning of July 8, immigrant rights activist Nadia Topete went before a grand jury at the Ronald Reagan Federal Courthouse. Topete was inside for a short time before reappearing out of the courthouse to state that she exercised her Fifth Amendment right to stay silent.

The crowd of over 50 supporters from Los Angeles and Orange County cheered her on, chanting, “DOJ: Hands off Nadia!” and “What do we want? Hands off Nadia! When do we want it? Now!”

Nadia Topete is a 21-year-old who twice had FBI agents show up at her door. Topete is a proud Chicana and immigrant rights activist. She has done nothing wrong and continues mobilizing to beat the attacks the Trump administration is enacting on immigrants.

Among those gathered outside were members of Centro CSO in Los Angeles and CSO Orange County. Others present were also with the Committee to Stop FBI Repression, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Gabriela – LA, ILPS, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE), and others.

“We applaud the tremendous strength of my sister Nadia Topete and will be ready to fight back for her if she is summoned once again,” said Verita Topete, a member of Centro CSO and chair of the CSO immigration committee.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #OrangeCounty #LosAngelesCA #ImmigrantRights #NadiaTopete #PoliticalRepression #GrandJury #CentroCSO #Featured

La Organización Socialista Camino de la Libertad está en solidaridad con Nadia Topete, una activista chicana por los derechos de los inmigrantes y organizadora comunitaria de Centro CSO. Nadia ha sido citada y ordenada a comparecer ante un juez y un gran jurado el miércoles 8 de julio.

El año pasado en febrero, Los Ángeles fue el epicentro de una rebelión masiva contra la ocupación de ICE y las deportaciones masivas. En julio, Alejandro ‘Alex’ Orellana fue allanado por el FBI, y el Estado intentó presentar cargos en su contra por el supuesto delito de dar cubrebocas a manifestantes que estaban siendo atacados con gas lacrimógeno y proyectiles. El movimiento se movilizó en su defensa y sus cargos fueron retirados.

Ahora el gobierno de Trump y el Departamento de Justicia (DOJ) van tras Nadia y Centro CSO para intentar nuevamente armar un caso contra organizadores de derechos de inmigrantes. ICE y la maquinaria de deportación son los verdaderos criminales aquí, y cuando van contra activistas, nosotros los respaldamos.

Los grandes jurados son una trampa: no te permiten un abogado en la sala; no puedes presentar testigos. No se te permite presentar una defensa, y el fiscal controla toda la narrativa. Son una herramienta diseñada para obligar a las personas a implicar a otros bajo la amenaza de ir a la cárcel. Las personas que resisten a los grandes jurados y a la represión del FBI son héroes.

Nadia Topete no hizo nada malo. El gobierno de Trump quiere acabar con la resistencia contra ICE y asustar a los activistas para que se sometan.

No nos vamos a echar para atrás y hacemos un llamado a todos los que creen que protestar contra ICE no es un delito a que se solidaricen con Nadia y con todos los que enfrentan la represión del FBI y del DOJ. La defensa de Nadia Topete debe ser una prioridad. Hagan que su organización publique una declaración en apoyo a ella y envíen una copia al Comité para Detener la Represión del FBI. Respondan a los llamados del Comité para Detener la Represión del FBI para las jornadas de llamadas telefónicas y los días nacionales de protesta.

Podemos y vamos a derrotar estos ataques.

¡Manos fuera de Nadia Topete!

#LosAngelesCA #CA #NadiaTopete #PoliticalRepression #ImmigrantRights #ICE

The Freedom Road Socialist Organization stands in solidarity with Nadia Topete, a Chicana immigrant rights activist and community organizer with Centro CSO. Nadia has been subpoenaed, and ordered to appear before a judge and grand jury on Wednesday, July 8.

Last year in February, L.A. was the epicenter of a massive rebellion against ICE occupation and mass deportations. In July, Alejandro ‘Alex’ Orellana was raided by the FBI, and the state tried to bring charges against him for the supposed crime of giving masks to protesters who were being tear gassed and hit with projectiles. The movement mobilized in his defense and his charges were dropped.

Now the Trump administration and the DOJ are targeting Nadia and Centro CSO to take another shot at building a case against immigrant rights organizers. ICE and the deportation machine are the actual criminals here, and when they come for activists, we have their backs.

Grand juries are a trap: you don’t get a lawyer in the room; you can’t bring witnesses. You are not allowed to present a defense, and the prosecutor controls the entire narrative. They are a tool designed to force people to implicate others with the penalty of jail. People who resist grand juries and FBI repression are heroes.

Nadia Topete did nothing wrong. The trump administration wants to snuff out the resistance to ICE and scare activists into submission.

We are not backing down and call on all those who believe that protesting ICE is not a crime to stand with Nadia and all those facing FBI and DOJ repression. The defense of Nadia Topete needs to be a priority. Have your organization publish a statement in support of her and send a copy to the Committee to Stop FBI Repression. Respond to the calls of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression for call-in days and national days of protest.

We can and will defeat these attacks.

Hands off Nadia Topete!

#LosAngelesCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #PoliticalRepression #ICE #GrandJury

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

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

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

Los Angeles, CA – On the morning of Wednesday, May 20, Nadia Topete, a Chicana organizer with Centro Community Service Organization (CSO), was served with a subpoena to appear June 3 in front of a grand jury.

The subpoena was signed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael G Wheat. Nadia Topete did nothing wrong and this is an attack on the immigrant rights movement and on Centro CSO.

In June of 2025, Centro CSO member Alejandro Orellana was raided by the FBI, National Guard and East Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. A week later, Verita Topete, the sister of Nadia Topete, was ambushed by FBI Agents and her phone was seized. The agents had a search warrant but have yet to give her phone back.

Due to a nationwide defense campaign, charges against Alejandro Orellana were dropped, Verita Topete was not charged, and Centro CSO assumed the FBI witch hunt was over. Almost a year later, Topete is now being targeted by the United States. She is being ordered to appear at the Orange County Federal Courthouse.

Carlos Montes, a longtime Centro CSO leader and Chicano activist, stated, “Nadia is actively advocating for our community, this federal subpoena is just an intimidating tactic by the Trump government.”

Centro CSO is committed to fighting back against this act of political repression and its members will not be intimidated.

Follow @CentroCSO on social media for any updates.

#LosAngelesCA #PoliticalRepression #InJusticeSystem #GrandJury #CentroCSO #Featured

Los Ángeles, CA – En la mañana de abril 20, el movimiento contra los crímenes policiales en Los Ángeles ganó una gran victoria ya que un juez dictó que el caso civil de Joseph Perez contra la Ciudad de Los Ángeles iba a proceder. Docenas – principalmente chicanos, afroamericanos, e incluso coreanos que han sufrido violencia policial y están en las calles luchando en contra – llenaron el Juzgado Stanley Mosk para exigir justicia por Joseph Perez.

En 2020, Joseph Perez fue brutalmente golpeado por miembros de pandillas de ayudantes del sheriff usando el nombre “Indians” y quienes operaban desde la estación del Sheriff de City of Industry. Una pandilla de ayudantes de sheriff está conformada por oficiales policiales que participan en golpizas, plantar evidencia, e incluso ejecuciones extrajudiciales. Los oficiales pandilleros se identifican uno al otro con un tatuaje de la pandilla, el cual consiguen cometiendo crímenes en el fomento de su pandilla. Algunas pandillas como los “Banditos” de la subestación del Sheriff del Éste de los Ángeles y los “Executioners” de la subestación de Compton son conocidos a nivel nacional e incluso internacional por sus crímenes. Los Indians de Industry son bien conocidos por aquellos que aterrorizan pero son una de las pandillas más nuevas.

El Condado de LA quería que este caso civil fuera denegado pero Vanessa Perez, la madre de Joseph Perez, y sus defensores lucharon contra el condado. El juez dictó que el caso pasará a juicio en septiembre de 2027, una gran victoria y lo que Vanessa Perez quería.

El Noticiero ¡Lucha y Resiste! entrevistó a Vanessa Perez en los escalones del juzgado inmediatamente después del fallo.

¡Lucha y Resiste!: Estamos afuera del juzgado con Vanessa Perez, ¿puedes decirnos qué ocurrió hoy?

Vanessa Perez: El juez fue y acordó que avanzaremos al siguiente paso y volveremos a la corte por Joseph. El siguiente paso que vamos a conseguir es el descubrimiento y averiguaremos qué le hicieron a Joseph.

¡Lucha y Resiste!: ¿Lo que quieren es que el Condado de los Ángeles y el Departamento de Sheriff de Los Ángeles sean llevados a juicio por lo que le hicieron a Joseph?

Perez: Sí, básicamente. Queremos la verdad.

¡Lucha y Resiste!: ¿Cómo se ve la justicia para usted?

Perez: Lo que le pedimos al juez hoy fue que dejara que el caso avanzara para mejor entender lo que le pasó a Joseph. Joseph es una persona de piel morena con problemas de desarrollo y de salud mental. Él es el tipo exacto de persona que es estadísticamente más probable de sufrir violencia policial en su vida. El sistema de justicia debería ser flexible con personas como Joseph para que estos casos puedan ser escuchados y la policía sea responsabilizada por abusar a personas vulnerables como mi hijo. Hoy estamos luchando por Joseph para que algo pueda terminar de forma diferente para otros como él, para que la próxima madre que llame al 911 buscando ayuda para su hijo en crisis no tenga que tener miedo de que algo terrible le pase como lo que le hicieron a Joseph. Vamos a continuar luchando adentro y afuera de este juzgado hasta que veamos que ese mundo sea una realidad.

¡Lucha y Resiste!: ¿Hay algo más que quisiera añadir?

Perez: Hemos estado intentando lo posible para conseguir justicia para Joseph Perez pero el sistema no está hecho para personas como él. En vez de recibir la asistencia física y mental que él necesitaba, pasó dos años encarcelado por la golpiza que recibió mientras que estos oficiales pandilleros están golpeando a otros niños allá afuera.

El oficial Shawn Merrick y el oficial Adam Nelson ambos son miembros confirmados de la pandilla Industry Indians. Ellos junto a sus aprendices Jake Adamo y Sabastian Pombal golpearon a Joseph Perez. También golpean a adolescentes jóvenes afuera de una bolera de Montclair donde los oficiales fueron arrestados y Merrick y Nelson admitieron ser parte de una pandilla. Estos cuatro agentes fueron despedidos. Vincent Rodriguez, Paul Saldana, y Abraham Rivera son otros oficiales que golpearon a Joseph Perez y siguen siendo policías.

Centro CSO – una organización comunitaria que lucha contra los crímenes policiales en Boyle Heights y el Este de los Ángeles – han apoyado a Vanessa Perez en su lucha por la justicia. En diciembre de 2025, hicieron historia juntos al tener la primera protesta afuera de la estación de Sheriff de Industry. Para seguir al tanto de esta lucha por la justicia, sigan a @JusticeforJosephPerez y @CentroCSO.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #CentroCSO

Los Angeles, CA – On Friday, May 1, 500 Chicano community members and activists gathered at Mariachi Plaza to rally and march for the 11th annual May Day protest in Boyle Heights. More than 50 different community organizations, unions and local businesses helped put on the event, and were joined by students who walked out of Roosevelt, Garfield and Ed Roybal high schools.

The organizations urged workers fight back, demanding legalization for all, an end to war and police brutality, and to fund public education.

This year’s May Day marks 20 years since the 2006 protests, La Gran Marcha, where millions of immigrants marched against the Sensenbrenner Bill (HR 4437), which aimed to criminalize undocumented immigrants.

“This is the 20-year anniversary to the 2006 mega-marches where Raza and a lot of working class immigrants walked off the job, didn’t go to school and shut the city down by taking the streets in downtown LA,” said Centro CSO immigration co-chair Verita Topete.

The event began with a blessing from Father Brendan from the Dolores Mission church, followed by a rally which included speakers from Centro CSO, Legalization for All, Proyecto Pastoral, About Face, Union De Vecinos, the People’s Care Collective, Immigo and Teamsters Local 396.

Sara Venegas, an Amazon driver who recently unionized with Teamsters Local 396 and then went on an unfair labor practice strike after Amazon retaliated against their union said, “They thought they could kill the fire in our hearts, but they’ve strengthened the flame, and now we’re on a ULP strike. Let’s hold big corporations like Amazon accountable.”

The group took to the streets to march across 1st Street Bridge, chanting “¡Se ve, se siente, el pueblo está presente!” and demands for legalization for all and an end to U.S. wars. As speakers from Black Lives Matter LA and Freedom Road Socialist Organization addressed the crowd, LAPD helicopters hovered above, telling the group to disperse and stop blocking traffic. The police also sent out an Amber Alert to everyone in the area stating that people should avoid the area because an “Unlawful assembly declared.”

Gabriel Quiroz Jr. from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization commented on the ongoing police violence against May Day protests from the Haymarket riots in Chicago, to the streets of Los Angeles today, “The first protest I ever attended was May Day in 2007 at MacArthur Park. I got to see the power of organized Raza. I also got to see political repression by LAPD.”

As the march turned back towards Boyle Heights, speakers from the Palestinian Youth Movement, ILPS, the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador, and Gabriela LA spoke on the how U.S. imperialism affects other countries and the need for working and oppressed people of the world to come together to fight back against it.

“The corrupt Philippine government sold out our country to the United States and the imperialists. They are responsible for the displacement and migration of our people. We are here in solidarity with the working class here in Los Angeles and abroad. Many migrate here for better opportunities, promised the American dream and yet they struggle,” said a member of Gabriela LA.

As the sun set over the march, the crowd danced back into Mariachi Plaza. Throughout the program the speakers encouraged the crowd to join an organization to build the fight against Trump and for an even bigger and more united May Day protest next year.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #Labor #ImmigrantRights #MayDay #FRSO #CentroCSO

Los Angeles, CA — On the morning of April 29, Centro Community Service Organization (CSO) and other organizations announced the 11th Annual May Day rally.

The press conference took place at Mariachi Plaza, with live music and speeches. Speakers announced that a celebration and march of International Workers Day is set to take place in Boyle Heights at 3 p.m., May 1, at Mariachi Plaza. The event will include live music, resource tables and a march to downtown.

Reuben Navarrete, a Teamster, stated, “We want to unite all workers on May Day. Teamsters are made up of immigrants, and we will continue to be immigrants! This is why our demands on Friday will include legalization for all as well as stop the war on Iran. Join us on May Day!”

The resonating demands of this year’s May Day in Boyle Heights include: “Workers: stand up, fight back! ¡Raza si, guerra no! Legalization for all! No kids in cages! Stop police brutality! Fund public education!”

Led by CSO members Roberto Anguiano and Verita Topete, the press conference previewed what is to come on May 1.

Gabriel Quiroz Jr, who helps lead the Police Accountability Committee of Centro CSO remembered the 2007 May Day in Los Angeles. Quiroz Jr. said, “In 2007, I was a young Chicano at my first protest. It took place at MacArthur Park. I had never seen so much Raza and I remember thinking how powerful Chicanos can be when we are organized. As a youth I knew that type of Chicano power intimidated the system and that is why LAPD repressed the peaceful protest. That continues to happen today, but we keep fighting and the Chicano movement is only getting stronger.”

Other speakers were Pat Alviso of Military Speaks Out, Takoune Norasingh of Veterans for Peace, Kathy Carreño of IMMIGO, Enrique Velasquez of Proyecto Pastoral, and Sol Márquez of Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

Enrique Velasquez with Proyecto Pastoral said, “It is important to express our anger and discontent with the current administration. We are against the terror they have inflicted on our low-income and immigrant communities. We hope to see you Friday!”

If you are interested in attending this year’s annual and peaceful May Day in Boyle Heights, join the event on Friday, May 1 at 3 p.m.. The program begins at 4 p.m. and the march is planned for 5 p.m.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #Labor #MayDay #CentroCSO #ChicanoLatino

Los Angeles, CA – On the morning of April 20, the movement against police crimes in Los Angeles won a major victory as a judge ruled that Joseph Perez’s civil case against the City of Los Angeles would proceed. Dozens – mainly Chicanos, African Americans and even Koreans who have experienced police violence and are on the ground in Los Angeles fighting back – packed the Stanley Mosk Courthouse to demand justice for Joseph Perez.

In 2020, Joseph Perez was brutally beaten by sheriff deputy gang members using the name “Indians” and who operated out of the City of Industry Sheriff's Station. A deputy gang is made up of police officers who participate in beatings, planting of evidence, and even extrajudicial executions. The deputy gangsters identify each other with a deputy gang tattoo, which they earn by committing crimes in the furtherance of their gang. Some deputy gangs like the “Banditos” out of the East Los Angeles sheriff’s substation and the “Executioners” out of Compton substation are known nationally and even internationally for their crimes. The Industry Indians are well known to those who they terrorize but are one of the newer deputy gangs.

LA County wanted this civil case to be dismissed but Vanessa Perez, the mother of Joseph Perez, and their supporters struck a blow to the county. The judge ruled that the case will move on to trial in September of 2027, a big win and what Vanessa Perez wanted.

Fight Back! interviewed Vanessa Perez on the courthouse steps immediately after the ruling.

Fight Back!: We’re outside the courthouse with Vanessa Perez, can you let us know what happened today?

Vanessa Perez: The judge went ahead and agreed that we will move forward to the next step and we’re coming back to court for Joseph. The next step we’re going to end up getting is the discovery and we will find out what they did to Joseph.

Fight Back!: What you want is that that Los Angeles County and the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department be put on trial for what they did to Joseph?

Perez: Yes, pretty much. We want the truth.

Fight Back!: What does justice look like to you?

Perez: What we asked the judge today is to allow the case to move forward so that we can understand better what happened to Joseph. Joseph is a person of brown skin with development issues and mental health issues. He is the exact kind of person who is statistically more likely to experience police violence in his lifetime. The justice system should be flexible with people like Joseph so these cases can be heard and the police can be held accountable for abusing vulnerable people like my son. Today we are fighting for Joseph so something might go differently for others like him, so that the next mother who calls 911 seeking help for their child in crisis doesn't have to be afraid that something terrible will happen like what they did to Joseph. We will continue to fight in and out of this courtroom until we see that world become a reality.

Fight Back!: Is there anything else you would want to add?

Perez: We have been trying our best to get justice for Joseph Perez but the system is not built for people like him. Instead of getting physical and mental healthcare that he needed, he spent two years incarcerated for the beating that was done to him while these deputy gang members are beating other kids out here.

Deputy Shawn Merrick and Deputy Adam Nelson are both confirmed Industry Indians deputy gang members. Together with their trainees Jake Adamo and Sabastian Pombal, they beat Joseph Perez. They also beat young teens outside of a Montclair bowling alley where the deputies were arrested and Merrick and Nelson admitted to being part of a deputy gang. These four deputies were later fired. Vincent Rodriguez, Paul Saldana and Abraham Rivera are other deputies who beat Joseph Perez and are still on duty.

Centro CSO – a community organization that fights back against police crimes in Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles – has supported Vanessa Perez in her fight for justice. In December of 2025, they made history together by having the first protest outside of the Industry Sheriff’s Station. To stay updated with this fight for justice, follow @JusticeforJosephPerez and @CentroCSO.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #JosephPerez #InjusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities #KillerCop #LASD #CentroCSO #CSO

Los Ángeles, CA – Durante las primeras horas de la mañana del 1 de abril, oficiales del Departamento del Sheriff del Este de Los Ángeles le dispararon y mataron a Erik Torres, de 29 años, mientras él atravesaba una crisis de salud mental. Aunque Torres no estaba armado y necesitaba ayuda, los oficiales lo asesinaron.

Los medios de comunicación locales reportaron incorrectamente que hubo un intercambio de disparos entre Torres y los oficiales, lo que provocó un enfrentamiento de varias horas. Sin embargo, este informe inicial de que Torres estaba armado y de que hubo un intercambio de disparos con los oficiales ha resultado ser falso.

El caso ahora está siendo investigado por el Departamento de Justicia de California y el Fiscal General Rob Bonta, conforme a la Ley 1506 de la Asamblea de California (AB 1506), la cual exige que el departamento investigue “todos los incidentes de disparos en el estado que involucren a un oficial y que resulten en la muerte de un civil desarmado”, según el sitio web de la Oficina del Fiscal General.

Incluso los oficiales del Departamento del Sheriff de Los Ángeles han tenido que admitir esto: Erik Torres no tenía un arma cuando le dispararon y lo mataron, y no hubo ningún “intercambio de disparos”. El Departamento del Sheriff de Los Ángeles asesinó a sangre fría a Erick Torres.

Después del fatal tiroteo, miembros de Centro CSO se pusieron en contacto con la familia, quienes de inmediato rechazaron la narrativa que impulsaban los medios y el departamento. El hermano de Torres dejó claro que los oficiales del Departamento del Sheriff habían respondido regularmente a llamadas en la residencia de los Torres y estaban al tanto de los problemas de salud mental de su hermano. La noche del incidente, la familia les informó a los oficiales que Torres no estaba armado, pero los oficiales ignoraron esta información y lo mataron a pesar de eso.

Chicanos en el Este de la ciudad saben muy bien que la Estación del Sheriff del Este de Los Ángeles – hogar de la pandilla Banditos – es famosa por el comportamiento agresivo y violento de sus oficiales y por su larga historia de matar a jóvenes chicanos. Oficiales de la Estación del Este de Los Ángeles han matado en el pasado a personas sufriendo crisis de salud mental, en lugar de brindarles la ayuda que merecen.

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