LAPD brutality targets [ILLEGAL]immigrant rights movement - email from ANSWER [Chunky hurl alert]

email from ANSWER | July 11, 2006 | ANSWER

[upchuck]

Poster's note:

This past Saturday, July 8, 2006, there was a pro-illegal alien/anti-illegal alien protest in LA. Some of the protesters were arrested and a LAPD officer was injured.

To fully understand the context of the email I've posted below, go to this link first and read the original article and the FReeper comments. Then come back here and read this email from ANSWER.

And now, for something completely different, ANSWER's version this event:

On Saturday, July 8, the LAPD showed its true racist and reactionary character when it viciously attacked immigrant rights activists who were protesting against the anti-immigrant Minuteman Project in Hollywood. More than 300 pro-immigrant protestors gathered in a militant demonstration - led by the ANSWER Coalition and other progressive immigrant rights organizations - to counter a Minuteman hate march down Hollywood Boulevard. Hollywood Boulevard is the traditional route for anti-war and other progressive demonstrations. The Minutemen march was an open attack on the immigrant rights movement that has gripped the nation over the past four months. In addition to beating anti-racist demonstrators and at least one passer-by the LAPD arrested six activists.

After nearly two hours of peaceful protest, dozens of LAPD police in full riot gear instigated a wave of unprovoked violence on the progressive crowd. They pushed protestors, struck them with batons and wrestled several people to the ground while beating them brutally. Several ANSWER activists were brutalized and one was arrested because his friend was attempting to take photographs of riot police slamming a bystander against the back of a truck and hitting him with a baton. Top police brass later tried to justify their violence by saying protestors provoked the beatings by “crossing police lines" - an outright lie.

A Spanish-language media reporter from KPFK radio was shoved to the pavement, smacked hard and arrested for attempting to document the repression. The cops were attacking so wildly that even an elderly woman getting of a Metro bus was clubbed for being too close to the protest.

People from the surrounding neighborhood stopped and shouted at the police to stop their rampage against the protest.

LAPD and Minutemen collaboration

The police arrested around six people without cause while the fascist Minutemen chanted “L-A-P-D,” cheering them on. It was a naked display of police and fascist collaboration. The outraged anti-immigrant crowd stood their ground and defended their demonstration while chanting “Cops and the Klan go hand in hand!” Carlos Alvarez, an organizer with the ANSWER Coalition, then gave an impassioned speech to denounce the LAPD's brutality and defend the rights of the protestors to demonstrate against the Minutemen.

Hundreds of cops escorted around 150 Minutemen down Hollywood Boulevard in their racist march, which was followed by progressive pro-immigrant rights demonstrators. Despite the efforts of the LAPD to impede the several hundred progressive demonstrators, including another wave of police violence, protestors outlasted the Minutemen and held a brief victory rally before marching to the ANSWER office less than one block away. Activists felt a sense of accomplishment and struggle after fending off police violence and maintaining an organized, successful action against the Minutemen.

We need your help to defend free speech and assembly rights and the rights of immigrants. Around the country the ANSWER Coalition has worked in support of the immigrant rights movement and to openly and directly challenge the rise of neo-fascist movements like the Minutemen. [Per FR rules, shameless request for cash deleted.]

Organizing to fight back

The ANSWER Coalition has vowed to respond swiftly to this vicious police attack. Along with its partners in the National Lawyers Guild and Latino Movement USA, ANSWER will host a press conference on Tuesday, July 12 (see below). Featured speakers will include immigrant rights organizers, ANSWER organizers and lawyers, victims of police brutality at the protest and others. There will be video footage shown that depicts the outrageous brutality of the cops that day. ANSWER and the NLG are vigorously defending the rights of the anti-racist protestors and plan to file a civil suit against the LAPD and the city - helmed by pro-police mayor Antonio Villaraigosa - because of this flagrant assault on people’s civil rights.

Muna Coobtee, member of the ANSWER steering committee in Los Angeles said: “This unprovoked, terrible assault on a peaceful protest violates our civil rights and is aimed at the heart of the immigrant rights movement. The police came to this demonstration today, in an alliance with ultra-right-wing elements, to try to beat back the struggle for equality. We can’t look at this incident in isolation from the overall political climate. We know that it is related to the racist raids launched by the federal government targeting undocumented workers. It is related to the bigotry being whipped-up by the immigration hearings happening all over the United States . Because these connections are clear, we can be clear in saying that these intimidation tactics won’t work­they will backfire. The immigrant workers’ movement will remain stronger and more united than ever before.”

The independent people’s movement will not tolerate the LAPD’s criminal behavior. Police repression and the Minutemen are part of the right-wing's ploy to defeat the just struggle of immigrants for amnesty and full legalization. All charges leveled at any anti-racist protestor must be dropped immediately. The LAPD and the city must be held accountable.

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Press Conference to Denounce LAPD Brutality Against Immigrant Rights Protestors in Hollywood Plus: Call for Video, Photos & Witnesses

Tuesday, July 11, 10 am
National Lawyers Guild Office at the Peace Center
8124 W Third St, Los Angeles
(Corner of Crescent Heights and Third)

Join the National Lawyers Guild, ANSWER Coalition, Latino Movement USA and other progressive organizations for a press conference to denounce last weekend's attack by the Los Angeles Police Department on the immigrant rights movement. Speakers will include Jim Lafferty and Carol Sobel, National Lawyers Guild; Juan Jose Gutierrez, Director, Latino Movement USA; Ian Thompson, Attorney, ANSWER Coalition; victims of police violence at the protest and other guests.

Shocking video footage will also be shown of anti-Minutemen protestors being brutally beaten by LAPD officers without provocation. The video shows a deliberate, violent attack on peaceful protestors exercising their First Amendment rights. Please come to the press conference to show solidarity with the immigrant rights movement and people who were brutalized by the police attack. Take a stand for civil rights and free speech.

ANSWER is also putting out a call to all progressive people who attended Saturday's anti-Minutemen protest for video footage, photos and eyewitness reports of police brutality. Please contact us at [phone number and email address removed] to find out how to get us your video, photos or witness statements. This will help those who were unjustly arrested. In addition, ANSWER and the National Lawyers Guild are planning to file a lawsuit against the LAPD and the city for their despicable behavior against the demonstration.

[upchuck]

Here's a link to info about the press conference.

[wolfcreek]

I'm not going to feel sorry for a bunch of Commies finally getting what they deserve. WTG LAPD!

[kingu]

Great. Now I need to buy another twenty pack of barf bags.

[BerniesFriend]

Let me see if I got this right..this group were trying to infringe the free speech rights of their opponents..and then claim that their free speech rights were denied by not being able to stop others..my head hurts...

[TexasCajun]

Hey Karl Rove is down the street talking to those La Raza folks, maybe he can stop by and lend his support to ANSWER?

[Personal Responsibility]

I think I've gone crosseyed.

[lost-and-found]

Guys, ANSWER is an ugly beast, and they're spreading like the plauge. Remember, they were the major funding source for the May 1st protests. They're a radical, communist, hateful group with major funding.
I'm an officer in my university's Collge Republicans club. During the spring quarter we ran a poster stating "Illegal immigrants are criminals" with the infamous "pedestrians crossing" sign that's all around San Diego. We were openly called racist (the usual song), even though I myself am an immigrant (a LEGAL immigrant). Our letters to the editor of the uni's news paper explaining our position were never published. We also received a response that ANSWER will start it's own chapter on campus. Let me give you a couple of quotes from the e-mail:

"It is my intention to create an anti-war, anti-imperialist, and anti-racist movement at Cal Poly Pomona. You may have heard of the ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) and now this vital organization will come to Pomona with the great leadership and skills of the masses. It is my goal to inform the truth about the ravages of capitalism and the destruction that US imperialism sets forth worldwide."

" ... The next goal is, of course, support among youth and students. Things like military recruiters, racism, war, anti-labor sentiment, homophobia, sexism, and other forms of bigotry will be our base of focus. This group will not be the typical passive organization, this group will talk and make a lot of noise and take a lot of action. "

"...this group will support AMNESTY FOR ALL IMMIGRANTS. We will support full rights for all these workers and will fight for a different world, as Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez talk about. So, don't be surprised of this new change at Cal Poly. We will be ready to spread the struggle and challenge the reactionary and conservative elements, in particular, the College Republicans. "

[L98Fiero]

Yes, they honestly think it is within their free speech rights to prevent others from exercising their free speech rights.

[L98Fiero]

"Things like military recruiters, racism, war, anti-labor sentiment, homophobia, sexism, and other forms of bigotry will be our base of focus."

So military recruitment and anti-union sentiment is now "bigotry". Hilarious if it wasn't so scary.

[sdillard]

If you want to know all about ANSWER, they are a front group of the Workers World Party, one of those lingering Stalinist groups that, believe it or not, are still around. Go to Discoverthenetwork.com and do a search for International ANSWER. You will find out all the sordid details of these people.

[L98Fiero]

Thanks for the tip but I already know. Once I started seeing their signs at every protest there is, I checked into them. Communist subversives seeking nothing short of the overthrow of the American system.

[upchuck]

Great. Now I need to buy another twenty pack of barf bags.

Hey, don't come bitching to me. You wuz warned J

[buccaneer81]

I just gave them a call. I don't think they like me.

[upchuck]

I just gave them a call. I don't think they like me.

Made your day, I bet!

[buccaneer81]

Made your day, I bet!

Absolutely. Being called a fascist and a racist by some dyke affirms my faith in Diversity! ;-)

[Arizona Carolyn]

and they support illegal immigration as does a whole lot of other supposed conservatives. I feel like I've entered a twilight zone.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Ping

[upchuck]

LOL! Diversity BUMP!

[OKIEDOC]

If a person reads between the lines you can see just how scary these people can become.

This is the same kind of inflammatory rhetoric used by racists hot heads in many South American countries to incite the poor and ignorant to do their dirty deeds.

I think before this immigration debacle is put to bed many of these hot heads in the Open Borders Crowd will try to incite the poor ignorant illegals.

Incite them into thinking that this is their new country of Assland and all they have to do is make life so miserable for Americans that we will just roll over and say uncle.

[La Enchiladita]

...their new country of Assland

LOL. I saw some videotape of this event on local news the night of and it clearly showed one of the pro-illegals gals going after a cop and trying to beat on him.

Another tape I just saw on local news (they announced the lawsuit) showed one of the Zapatistas running into the line of Minutemen marchers and the police chasing him back.

The Zapatistas welcome the cops coming after them. It's like payday. The media cooperates so well in their cause.

Looks like the cops did a good job. Go, LAPD.