Los Angeles, CA – A group of people gathered at Belvedere Park in East Los Angeles, September 25, to write and draw letters. The artwork and letters are for the refugee children, mostly Central American, held at the Pomona Fairplex detention center. The event was hosted by the Immigration Committee of Centro Community Service Organization, or Centro CSO.

Los Angeles, CA – On September 18, the family of David Ordaz, Jr. held a march and rally calling for Mental Health awareness in honor of David, a 34-year-old father of three who was killed by the East LA Sheriffs on March 14, 2021. Ordaz, Jr. was having a mental health crisis, but the ELA Sheriffs responded by killing him in front of his family.

¡Lucha y Resiste! entrevista al organizador del Centro CSO y activista chicano de derechos humanos Carlos Montes y Marisol Márquez, miembra chicana de la Organización Socialista Camino a Libertad sobre el próximo 51 aniversario de la Moratoria Chicana.

Los Angeles, CA – Right-wingers, racists and proponents of anti-COVID-19 measures are leading a recall election of Governor Gavin Newson. California voters will vote Yes or No on the recall and also pick who they would prefer if the recall is successful. The last day to decide is on election day, September 14.

Los Angeles, CA – Hundreds took to the streets on August 29 to commemorate the 1970 Chicano Moratorium that took place 51 years ago. The Chicano Moratorium demanded an end to the war in Vietnam and an end to discrimination against Chicanos.

Los Angeles, CA – Local activists with the Chicanx Moratorium Committee and families who have lost loved ones to LA Sheriff's killings held a press conference on August 5, to denounce Sheriff Villanueva, call for his ouster and urge participation in a protest on August 29.

Los Angeles, CA – Black and Latino parents, teachers, students and Centro CSO: Community Service Organization held a press conference, June 14, to denounce money grabbing by the charter school industry and to defend public education. The press conference was held in front of the California Charter Schools Association office (CCSA) to protest their role in funding candidates and legislation that are pro-privatization.

Los Angeles, CA – 20,000 strong, the Palestinian community and supporters throughout Southern California descended upon the West Los Angeles Wilshire Federal Building and marched to the Israeli Consulate. Protesters demanded an end to the occupation of all historical Palestine and the dismantling of apartheid by the Israeli colonial entity responsible for the terror and mass displacement of Palestinians since 1948, and for and end the violence endured by neighboring Arab countries.

Protesters demand legalization for all, jail killer cops!

Los Angeles, CA – For the sixth consecutive year, Centro CSO held their May Day march and rally in Boyle Heights. Main demands were “Legalization for all” and “Jail killer cops.”

Los Angeles, CA – A press conference was held in front of ‘Hall of Injustice’ office of LA Sheriff Alex Villanueva, May 4, to denounce the deputy sheriffs’ harassing of grieving Chicano and Black families who have lost their sons to LA Deputy Sheriff gangs killings, like those done by the “Banditos” of the East LA Sheriff Station. A grouping called Check the Sheriff Coalition united families and several organizations for the press conference. The coalition includes the local National Lawyers Guild, American Civil Liberties Union, Black Lives Matter-LA and Centro CSO. Press conference participants also backed a motion by LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis and Holly Mitchell to establish a police complaint process separate from the LA County Sheriffs.

Los Angeles, CA – El 8 de abril, se llevó a cabo una conferencia de prensa con familias inmigrantes y Centro CSO pidiendo al presidente Joe Biden que avance con un plan para otorgar estatus legal a a los más de 12 millones de indocumentados que viven y trabajan en los Estados Unidos. Residentes indocumentados con miembros del Centro CSO se les unió Tanya Lozano, con la delegación del Derecho a la Familia de Chicago. Es hija de Emma Lozano, quien lanzó las mega marchas de 2006. También habló en la conferencia de prensa la activista por los derechos de los inmigrantes de Chicago, Elvira Arellano. Hace años, Arellano se refugió en una iglesia de Chicago para oponerse a su deportación y ayudó a iniciar el movimiento santuario en los Estados Unidos. Carlos Montes, un activista de derechos humanos Chicano local de Boyle Heights, habló y pidió marchas masivas y unidad para exigir la legalización para todos. Montes también denunció los homicidios policiales de Afro-Americanos  y Chicanos, especialmente por parte del departamento del alguacil de Los Ángeles con sus letales pandillas de agentes.

Los Angeles, CA – On April 8, a press conference was held with immigrant families and Centro CSO calling on President Joe Biden to move forward with a plan to grant legal status to the over 12 million undocumented living and working in the U.S.

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following speech delivered by Luis Sifuentes, of Centro CSO, at the March 30 “The People Speak” event.

Los Angeles, CA – Centro CSO and Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles cohosted a March 27 Zoom forum to denounce the killings of Chicanos and Blacks by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, deputy gangs like the Banditos, Executioners, and 3000 Boys that terrorize communities, and against the harassment of families who speak out against Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD). Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda Solis and Holly Mitchell attended the meeting, listened to the families’ testimonies, and committed to work with organizations to fight back against LASD and its embattled leader Sheriff Alex Villanueva.

Los Angeles, CA – A candlelight memorial took place on March 20 for 118 Japanese elders who died of COVID-19 at Pacifica Kei-Ai assisted living facility in Lincoln Heights, which is rated the worst in California. The event was organized by Save Our Seniors, a broad coalition of Japanese American groups. The vigil also brought attention to the alarming threat of evictions of these elders from Sakura Gardens which is located in Boyle Heights.

Los Angeles, CA – On March 8, Centro CSO and supporters joined the National Alliance Against Racist Political Repression (NAARPR) for a national day of action. March 8 was the first day of the trial of Minneapolis killer cop Derek Chauvin for the killing of George Floyd. Floyd's killing sparked worldwide outrage and led to the largest rebellion against police brutality in U.S. history.

Los Angeles, CA – On December 7, 2020, newly-elected Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon on his first day in office announced sweeping reforms to the LA criminal justice system. This system has a long history of mass incarceration of Brown and Black men and women, so much so that the Police Protective League (PPL) of the Los Angeles Police Department and the Association of Deputy District Attorneys have started to attack him and the progressive reforms. The pro-police Association went so far as to file a lawsuit to stop these much-needed changes.

Los Angeles, CA – February 19 is known as the “Day of Remembrance” and 2021 marks its 79th anniversary. This day also commemorates the anniversary of Executive Order 9066, signed and issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942 – a day when the U.S. government executed a legal act of racism. Executive Order 9066 forced the removal and incarceration of over 120,000 Japanese Americans, two-thirds of who were born American citizens, to internment camps throughout the U.S. Half of them were children and many were from the Los Angeles community of Boyle Heights.

Los Angeles, CA – On March 31, 1995, 23-year-old Chicana icon Selena Quintanilla was murdered by her employee Yolanda Saldivar. 25 years later, on December 4, 2020, Selena: The Series premiered on Netflix. Selena is indisputably one of the most important and influential Chicanas in the past 100 years. Executive producer for the series was eldest Quintanilla daughter Suzette; it was co-produced by Chicana Christian Serratos, who stars as Selena in the series.

Los Angeles, CA – December 5 will mark a year since the murder of UPS driver Frank Ordonez. Last year, Ordonez, while delivering on route, was kidnapped by jewel thieves and held hostage in the delivery vehicle. The truck was pursued by police for hours. The pursuit came to a slowdown at a busy intersection, where police opened fire on the vehicle. The police fired over 200 rounds, killing Ordonez, the thieves and a bystander. The bystander, Rick Cutshaw, was a business rep for OPEIU Local 100. A year later, no one has been charged for the murders, and the officers still remain on active duty. And none of the police or police departments have been held accountable for their actions. The entire murder was captured on live television via helicopter.