SantaAnaCA &mdash; Fight Back! News https://fightbacknews.org/tag:SantaAnaCA News and Views from the People's Struggle Fri, 28 Mar 2025 10:31:47 +0000 https://i.snap.as/RZCOEKyz.png SantaAnaCA &mdash; Fight Back! News https://fightbacknews.org/tag:SantaAnaCA Santa Ana protests police killing of Noe Rodriguez https://fightbacknews.org/santa-ana-protests-police-killing-of-noe-rodriguez?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Santa Ana protest demands justice for Noe Rodriguez. Santa Ana, CA - On March 18, over 45 people gathered at El Centro Cultural de Mexico and marched half a mile to the Santa Ana Police Department with the family of Noe Rodriguez to protest his unjust killing. !--more-- On December 1, 2024, Rodriguez, who was unarmed, was shot over 30 times. The protesters held signs reading “Justice for Noe Rodriguez” and “24/48. Release the names, release the tapes” as they chanted “SAPD you can’t hide! We charge you with homicide!” while they made their way to the front of the police station. The protest was kicked off by Abraham Quintana from Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC), who stated, “ We are here today to raise the demands of families impacted by police violence, as well as raise demands for our 24/48 campaign, to make a change in police policy regarding officer-involved shootings.” Quintana went on to explain how Santa Ana PD has not released any sort of police report or officer names to the family of Noe Rodriguez; instead, the information they have released are attempts to slander Rodriguez by discussing his old criminal cases out of context. CSO OC member Rain Mendoza read and translated Erika Armenta’s speech on the impact this killing has had on their daughters, “Since Noe’s life was taken by Santa Ana PD, our daughters are deprived of the joy of growing up next to their father, of living moments with him. They are deprived of the possibility of their father seeing them as accomplished women and seeing their triumphs. My daughters cry for the loss of their father because he will never return, nothing can bring him back, but we can take comfort in the fact that justice can be served in his memory.” Armenta ended with some of her demands, saying, “We need to demand that these police killings stop and that they really try to de-escalate. Families like mine are left to pick up the pieces and we have to balance the fight for justice with the fight to stay alive. The police need to take responsibility for their actions, and we need to demand transparency.” CSO OC speaker Manaal Subhani shed light on other crimes committed by the Santa Ana PD, stating, “In 2017 SAPD falsely claimed that 18-year-old Steve Salgado was armed when Detective David Prewett shot and killed him. They tried to justify that killing by saying Salgado was a gang member at a complex where families and children were present, even though it was the police who did the shooting!” Subhani also spoke on sexual assault crimes and cover-up committed by Santa Ana PD, recounting the Culichi Town incident. “In August of 2020, a family including two 15-year-old girls went out to dinner at the Culichi Town restaurant. Off duty police officers including Oscar Lizardi, Jonathan Perez, Dorin Buchanan, Jonathan McKee and Mark Campi sat a few tables away. We know from 911 calls that the family made that each time the girls got up to use the bathroom, one of these officers would sexually harass the girls. When the family called police to respond to the incident, investigators covered for their friends on the force. They muted their body cameras when speaking to each other, and when the family tried to show police cell phone footage of the off-duty officers, the investigators stood in ways that did not allow their cameras to pick up the footage,” said Subhani. The crowd present shouted “Shame!” in response to the crimes committed by SAPD. Gabriel Quiroz Jr. of Centro CSO's Boyle Heights chapter said, “We aren’t asking for radical things. We want transparency when a police officer kills one of our community members. These are basic things!” The protesters marched back to El Centro Cultural de Mexico chanting along the way, “When SAPD shoots to kill, families pick up the bill!” and “What do we want? Community control of the police! When do we want it? Now!” The protest was organized by CSO OC and the wife of Noe Rodriguez. Community members, activists, and Noe’s family were in attendance. CSO OC, along with working with families impacted by police violence, are working towards fighting for justice, raising the demands of impacted family members, and fighting for community control of the police. #SantaAnaCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Santa Ana protest demands justice for Noe Rodriguez.

Santa Ana, CA – On March 18, over 45 people gathered at El Centro Cultural de Mexico and marched half a mile to the Santa Ana Police Department with the family of Noe Rodriguez to protest his unjust killing.

On December 1, 2024, Rodriguez, who was unarmed, was shot over 30 times. The protesters held signs reading “Justice for Noe Rodriguez” and “24/48. Release the names, release the tapes” as they chanted “SAPD you can’t hide! We charge you with homicide!” while they made their way to the front of the police station.

The protest was kicked off by Abraham Quintana from Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC), who stated, “ We are here today to raise the demands of families impacted by police violence, as well as raise demands for our 24/48 campaign, to make a change in police policy regarding officer-involved shootings.”

Quintana went on to explain how Santa Ana PD has not released any sort of police report or officer names to the family of Noe Rodriguez; instead, the information they have released are attempts to slander Rodriguez by discussing his old criminal cases out of context.

CSO OC member Rain Mendoza read and translated Erika Armenta’s speech on the impact this killing has had on their daughters, “Since Noe’s life was taken by Santa Ana PD, our daughters are deprived of the joy of growing up next to their father, of living moments with him. They are deprived of the possibility of their father seeing them as accomplished women and seeing their triumphs. My daughters cry for the loss of their father because he will never return, nothing can bring him back, but we can take comfort in the fact that justice can be served in his memory.”

Armenta ended with some of her demands, saying, “We need to demand that these police killings stop and that they really try to de-escalate. Families like mine are left to pick up the pieces and we have to balance the fight for justice with the fight to stay alive. The police need to take responsibility for their actions, and we need to demand transparency.”

CSO OC speaker Manaal Subhani shed light on other crimes committed by the Santa Ana PD, stating, “In 2017 SAPD falsely claimed that 18-year-old Steve Salgado was armed when Detective David Prewett shot and killed him. They tried to justify that killing by saying Salgado was a gang member at a complex where families and children were present, even though it was the police who did the shooting!”

Subhani also spoke on sexual assault crimes and cover-up committed by Santa Ana PD, recounting the Culichi Town incident.

“In August of 2020, a family including two 15-year-old girls went out to dinner at the Culichi Town restaurant. Off duty police officers including Oscar Lizardi, Jonathan Perez, Dorin Buchanan, Jonathan McKee and Mark Campi sat a few tables away. We know from 911 calls that the family made that each time the girls got up to use the bathroom, one of these officers would sexually harass the girls. When the family called police to respond to the incident, investigators covered for their friends on the force. They muted their body cameras when speaking to each other, and when the family tried to show police cell phone footage of the off-duty officers, the investigators stood in ways that did not allow their cameras to pick up the footage,” said Subhani. The crowd present shouted “Shame!” in response to the crimes committed by SAPD.

Gabriel Quiroz Jr. of Centro CSO's Boyle Heights chapter said, “We aren’t asking for radical things. We want transparency when a police officer kills one of our community members. These are basic things!”

The protesters marched back to El Centro Cultural de Mexico chanting along the way, “When SAPD shoots to kill, families pick up the bill!” and “What do we want? Community control of the police! When do we want it? Now!”

The protest was organized by CSO OC and the wife of Noe Rodriguez. Community members, activists, and Noe’s family were in attendance.

CSO OC, along with working with families impacted by police violence, are working towards fighting for justice, raising the demands of impacted family members, and fighting for community control of the police.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/santa-ana-protests-police-killing-of-noe-rodriguez Tue, 25 Mar 2025 03:40:24 +0000 Santa Ana rallies for International Women’s Day https://fightbacknews.org/santa-ana-rallies-for-international-womens-day-5gwr?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[ Santa Ana, CA - On March 8, over 80 people gathered at Santa Ana’s Memorial Park to rally for International Women’s Day. The attendees raised flags and signs in support of LGBTQ rights, Palestinian liberation, and reproductive rights. !--more-- The crowd erupted in chants of “When women’s rights are under attack what do we do? Stand up! Fight back!” and “Mujeres unidas jamas seran vencidas!” as emcee and Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) member, Rain Mendoza, kicked off the rally. Mendoza opened the event by saying, “It is important for us to continue commemorating this day as we continue to fight for our rights and for our lives. That is why you will always find us, working-class women and queer people, in the heart of the struggle.” The stage was lined with signs called for supporting the women of Gaza, stopping the deportation of mothers, and protecting trans rights. Erika Armenta, wife of Noe Rodriguez, who was killed by the Santa Ana Police Department on December 1, 2024 spoke about his murder. Armenta stated, “Since his life was taken, I have to act as a mother and father to my daughters. They will never see their father again because the Santa Ana police chose violence instead of de-escalation.” Armenta continued, “When you look at the families fighting for justice across the country, you will see wives, daughters, mothers, sisters. We are left to pick up the pieces of police killings. We are left to balance being mothers and fighters for justice.” Armenta also raised her demands for the unedited police report and the body cam footage of Rodriguez’s killing to be released, along with new police policies of de-escalation and bilingual instructions from officers. She has been asking SAPD for the report since his killing and they have not given it to her. Rodriguez spoke only Spanish, but SAPD gave orders only in English and shot him over 30 times. CSO OC is supporting her with these demands as a part of their 24/48 Police Accountability campaign. Maria Torres from Nuestras Manos started with “Arriba las mujeres!” She spoke about being a mother to three wonderful children and being an organizer for domestic workers for more than 25 years. Torres stated, “I am a leader and community organizer. I am a proud member of Nuestras Manos. We are here to help you with any situation you may be dealing with your employer, like wage theft or any other issue. We will walk with you through the issue and teach you your rights as a worker.” She read a poem dedicated to women field workers, saying that she wanted to read it to honor women field workers who, like her grandmother, barely learned how to read or write. She ended with “Fuck you Trump, we are here, and we are not going anywhere!” FRSO’s speaker, Diana Terreros, then spoke on Trump’s attack on women and trans rights through executive orders and court cases that eradicate reproductive healthcare for women, narrowly define sex and gender and ban trans women from women’s sports. She linked these actions to the ruling class defending their interests as capitalists: “The U.S. ruling class will continue to repress and punish anything that does not fit into the patriarchal, heterosexual nuclear family model that is essential to capitalism. We cannot rid the world of patriarchy and LGBTQ oppression while there is still a ruling class to benefit from it.” With a rallying call to the attendees, she concluded “the path forward for true women’s liberation, true LGBTQ liberation, and an end to national oppression is socialist revolution!” Speaking on the Trump administration's attacks on trans women and trans rights, Michelle Darmary from Alianza Translatinx said that these policies “create a climate of fear where every step outside feels like a perilous journey.” She stated, “They may try to bury us, but they do not know that we are seeds, seeds planted in the fertile soil of resistance, watered by the tears of our ancestors, nourished by our unwavering love of our community, we will rise.” She ended with a powerful stance as a trans woman. “We will not be silenced, we will not be erased, we will not be denied, we are women, we are trans and we are here to stay.” Then, Folk for Falastin, who strive to embody the Palestinian resistance through the preservation of their culture, gave a powerful and beautiful musical performance interspersed by chants of “Free! Free! Palestine!” Manaal Subhani from CSO OC spoke on immigration by saying that the state needs immigrants as a labor force, but “immigrants cannot be reduced to workers for the United States. Immigrants contribute to innovation, culture and society. Immigrants are people, that’s why they matter! That’s it.” Subhani also spoke on the work of the Orange County Rapid Response Network, which significantly reduced the number of transfers from county jails to ICE custody, from 492 people in 2019 to just 17 in 2022, adding, “this is what we can do when we act united for change.” The rally presented a strong call of solidarity among the different areas of struggle for women’s liberation. CSO OC will continue to fight for Chicana liberation through the fronts of community control of the police and immigration. Follow them on Instagram at cso.oc, Facebook at Orange County CSO, or reach them through email at orangecountycso@gmail.com. The event was organized by CSO OC and featured speakers from the domestic workers group, Nuestras Manos, Orange County’s first trans-led organization; Alianza Translatinx, Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) and CSO OC along with a musical performance from Folk for Falastin. Resources and know your rights cards were shared at a table by OC Rapid Response Network. #SantaAnaCA #CA #WomensMovement #InternationalWomensDay #CSOOC div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]>

Santa Ana, CA – On March 8, over 80 people gathered at Santa Ana’s Memorial Park to rally for International Women’s Day. The attendees raised flags and signs in support of LGBTQ rights, Palestinian liberation, and reproductive rights.

The crowd erupted in chants of “When women’s rights are under attack what do we do? Stand up! Fight back!” and “Mujeres unidas jamas seran vencidas!” as emcee and Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) member, Rain Mendoza, kicked off the rally.

Mendoza opened the event by saying, “It is important for us to continue commemorating this day as we continue to fight for our rights and for our lives. That is why you will always find us, working-class women and queer people, in the heart of the struggle.”

The stage was lined with signs called for supporting the women of Gaza, stopping the deportation of mothers, and protecting trans rights. Erika Armenta, wife of Noe Rodriguez, who was killed by the Santa Ana Police Department on December 1, 2024 spoke about his murder. Armenta stated, “Since his life was taken, I have to act as a mother and father to my daughters. They will never see their father again because the Santa Ana police chose violence instead of de-escalation.”

Armenta continued, “When you look at the families fighting for justice across the country, you will see wives, daughters, mothers, sisters. We are left to pick up the pieces of police killings. We are left to balance being mothers and fighters for justice.”

Armenta also raised her demands for the unedited police report and the body cam footage of Rodriguez’s killing to be released, along with new police policies of de-escalation and bilingual instructions from officers. She has been asking SAPD for the report since his killing and they have not given it to her. Rodriguez spoke only Spanish, but SAPD gave orders only in English and shot him over 30 times. CSO OC is supporting her with these demands as a part of their 24/48 Police Accountability campaign.

Maria Torres from Nuestras Manos started with “Arriba las mujeres!” She spoke about being a mother to three wonderful children and being an organizer for domestic workers for more than 25 years.

Torres stated, “I am a leader and community organizer. I am a proud member of Nuestras Manos. We are here to help you with any situation you may be dealing with your employer, like wage theft or any other issue. We will walk with you through the issue and teach you your rights as a worker.” She read a poem dedicated to women field workers, saying that she wanted to read it to honor women field workers who, like her grandmother, barely learned how to read or write. She ended with “Fuck you Trump, we are here, and we are not going anywhere!”

FRSO’s speaker, Diana Terreros, then spoke on Trump’s attack on women and trans rights through executive orders and court cases that eradicate reproductive healthcare for women, narrowly define sex and gender and ban trans women from women’s sports. She linked these actions to the ruling class defending their interests as capitalists: “The U.S. ruling class will continue to repress and punish anything that does not fit into the patriarchal, heterosexual nuclear family model that is essential to capitalism. We cannot rid the world of patriarchy and LGBTQ oppression while there is still a ruling class to benefit from it.” With a rallying call to the attendees, she concluded “the path forward for true women’s liberation, true LGBTQ liberation, and an end to national oppression is socialist revolution!”

Speaking on the Trump administration's attacks on trans women and trans rights, Michelle Darmary from Alianza Translatinx said that these policies “create a climate of fear where every step outside feels like a perilous journey.” She stated, “They may try to bury us, but they do not know that we are seeds, seeds planted in the fertile soil of resistance, watered by the tears of our ancestors, nourished by our unwavering love of our community, we will rise.” She ended with a powerful stance as a trans woman. “We will not be silenced, we will not be erased, we will not be denied, we are women, we are trans and we are here to stay.”

Then, Folk for Falastin, who strive to embody the Palestinian resistance through the preservation of their culture, gave a powerful and beautiful musical performance interspersed by chants of “Free! Free! Palestine!”

Manaal Subhani from CSO OC spoke on immigration by saying that the state needs immigrants as a labor force, but “immigrants cannot be reduced to workers for the United States. Immigrants contribute to innovation, culture and society. Immigrants are people, that’s why they matter! That’s it.” Subhani also spoke on the work of the Orange County Rapid Response Network, which significantly reduced the number of transfers from county jails to ICE custody, from 492 people in 2019 to just 17 in 2022, adding, “this is what we can do when we act united for change.”

The rally presented a strong call of solidarity among the different areas of struggle for women’s liberation. CSO OC will continue to fight for Chicana liberation through the fronts of community control of the police and immigration. Follow them on Instagram at cso.oc, Facebook at Orange County CSO, or reach them through email at orangecountycso@gmail.com.

The event was organized by CSO OC and featured speakers from the domestic workers group, Nuestras Manos, Orange County’s first trans-led organization; Alianza Translatinx, Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) and CSO OC along with a musical performance from Folk for Falastin. Resources and know your rights cards were shared at a table by OC Rapid Response Network.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #WomensMovement #InternationalWomensDay #CSOOC

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/santa-ana-rallies-for-international-womens-day-5gwr Sat, 15 Mar 2025 21:48:46 +0000 Educadores de Santa Ana protestan contra el plan de despidos https://fightbacknews.org/educadores-de-santa-ana-protestan-contra-el-plan-de-despidos?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Educadores de Santa Ana, California, protestan contra los despidos. Santa Ana, CA – Más de 200 educadores se manifestaron en la Cámara de Comercio de Santa Ana el martes 29 de enero para protestar contra los recortes presupuestarios y los despidos de hasta 546 empleados. Maestros de primaria y secundaria, consejeros, especialistas en currículo y trabajadores sociales, así como miembros de sindicatos locales, padres y niños llenaron la cámara. Incluso más personas se vieron obligadas a entrar en la sala de desbordamiento y el pasillo del edificio del distrito. El mes pasado, el Distrito Escolar de Santa Ana (SAUSD) aprobó un “Plan de Estabilización Presupuestaria” que amenazaba con despedir a muchos de estos trabajadores. El superintendente del distrito, Jerry Almendarez, dijo que la decisión era un sacrificio necesario que no afectaría gravemente a los estudiantes y las familias. Al mismo tiempo, no se consideraron puestos gerenciales para los despidos: Almendarez recibió $447,561 en compensación en 2022, y la agenda de la reunión originalmente incluía un aumento salarial propuesto del 3% y una bonificación única del 3% para él antes de que la reacción de la comunidad cambiara la opinión de la junta. Irónicamente, a pesar de esta crisis, no fueron los educadores públicos sino los activistas de las escuelas charter los primeros en hablar. Los defensores de Compass Charter School se quejaron del gran tamaño de las clases en las escuelas públicas y elogiaron la enseñanza híbrida y la educación en el hogar, que son modelos poco realistas para las familias de clase trabajadora en Santa Ana. El padre Max Page dijo que se sentía “seguro” al dejar a sus hijos en Compass, insinuando que las escuelas del SAUSD son peligrosas. Todos los estudiantes y maestros de Compass Charter eran blancos en una ciudad que es 77% latina/chicana según los datos del censo de 2020. Mientras tanto, el maestro de escuela pública Vladimir Benítez dijo en español, “En primer lugar, a todas las familias inmigrantes, ¡los vemos! Los amamos. Estamos aquí para apoyarlos. Sé lo que está sucediendo en sus vidas – mis padres también fueron inmigrantes indocumentados en los años 90 cuando teníamos a Pete Wilson, ¡pero todavía estamos aquí! ¡Y vamos a permanecer aquí!” Benítez continuó: “Reducir la cantidad de maestros que quieren recortar en este momento histórico – la historia va a ver, ‘¿Qué hicimos?’ Si no sienten vergüenza de recortar los recursos para estos niños, entonces no sé por qué están aquí”. Los educadores en el salón de desbordamiento vitorearon y exigieron “¡Sin despidos! ¡Sin recortes!” a pesar de las advertencias de la junta para que se mantuvieran en silencio. La maestra de educación especial Edith Esqueda dijo: “Estoy aquí esta noche como una maestra preocupada, profundamente comprometida con el futuro de nuestro distrito”. A los miembros de la junta y a los superintendentes, les dijo: “Un día ustedes empacarán sus cosas y se mudarán a la siguiente mejor opción; ¡estamos aquí para quedarnos!” Esqueda dijo: "El corazón de nuestro distrito no está en las oficinas, sino en nuestras aulas donde están todos nuestros estudiantes". Los manifestantes en la audiencia sostenían carteles que decían “351 despidos es lo inimaginable”, una referencia al lema del SAUSD “imagina lo inimaginable” que se colocó en los materiales promocionales del distrito este año. Tanya Guzmán, maestra del SAUSD durante 31 años, dijo: “Mientras reflexionaba sobre la magnitud de las eliminaciones propuestas ante nosotros, no pude evitar reflexionar sobre el tema de ‘imagina lo inimaginable’ para este año escolar. Este tema ha adquirido un nuevo significado al imaginar las consecuencias inimaginables que estos recortes crearán. Es inimaginable que el aprendizaje no se vea afectado por las reducciones propuestas”. Erica González habló como exalumna y madre del SAUSD, y reforzó los puntos del orador anterior Albert Castillo sobre “los $10.4 millones de dólares anuales que se destinan a los 85 oficiales del Departamento de Policía de Santa Ana que están en el campus las 24 horas del día, los siete días de la semana, incluso durante el verano”. Dijo: “SAUSD tiene la tercera agencia de policía escolar más grande de toda California”. La trabajadora social Luz González habló sobre el apoyo vital que ofrece a los estudiantes, dando ejemplos de la vida real de su trabajo: “La tercera estudiante del día entra a su sesión, confiando sus temores de deportaciones masivas inminentes. ¿Su plan familiar? Sus padres dejarían a su hermana de 18 años a cargo de ella y su hermano de 11 años. Está abrumada y aterrorizada”. Mirando directamente a Almendarez y en respuesta a los posibles despidos de los trabajadores sociales, preguntó: “¿Cuánto está dispuesto a arriesgar?”. La presión pública obligó a que la reunión terminara cerca de la medianoche sin una votación sobre los despidos de maestros. La junta programó una reunión especial para decidir sobre el Plan de Estabilización el viernes 31 de enero. Entre los manifestantes en la reunión se encontraban educadores de SAUSD, miembros de la Asociación de Educadores de Santa Ana (SAEA), miembros del sindicato National Union of Health Care Workers y miembros del Local 9510 de Communication Workers of America (CWA). #SantaAnaCA #CA #Labor #ImmigrantRights #CWA div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Educadores de Santa Ana, California, protestan contra los despidos.

Santa Ana, CA – Más de 200 educadores se manifestaron en la Cámara de Comercio de Santa Ana el martes 29 de enero para protestar contra los recortes presupuestarios y los despidos de hasta 546 empleados.

Maestros de primaria y secundaria, consejeros, especialistas en currículo y trabajadores sociales, así como miembros de sindicatos locales, padres y niños llenaron la cámara. Incluso más personas se vieron obligadas a entrar en la sala de desbordamiento y el pasillo del edificio del distrito.

El mes pasado, el Distrito Escolar de Santa Ana (SAUSD) aprobó un “Plan de Estabilización Presupuestaria” que amenazaba con despedir a muchos de estos trabajadores. El superintendente del distrito, Jerry Almendarez, dijo que la decisión era un sacrificio necesario que no afectaría gravemente a los estudiantes y las familias. Al mismo tiempo, no se consideraron puestos gerenciales para los despidos: Almendarez recibió $447,561 en compensación en 2022, y la agenda de la reunión originalmente incluía un aumento salarial propuesto del 3% y una bonificación única del 3% para él antes de que la reacción de la comunidad cambiara la opinión de la junta.

Irónicamente, a pesar de esta crisis, no fueron los educadores públicos sino los activistas de las escuelas charter los primeros en hablar. Los defensores de Compass Charter School se quejaron del gran tamaño de las clases en las escuelas públicas y elogiaron la enseñanza híbrida y la educación en el hogar, que son modelos poco realistas para las familias de clase trabajadora en Santa Ana. El padre Max Page dijo que se sentía “seguro” al dejar a sus hijos en Compass, insinuando que las escuelas del SAUSD son peligrosas. Todos los estudiantes y maestros de Compass Charter eran blancos en una ciudad que es 77% latina/chicana según los datos del censo de 2020.

Mientras tanto, el maestro de escuela pública Vladimir Benítez dijo en español, “En primer lugar, a todas las familias inmigrantes, ¡los vemos! Los amamos. Estamos aquí para apoyarlos. Sé lo que está sucediendo en sus vidas – mis padres también fueron inmigrantes indocumentados en los años 90 cuando teníamos a Pete Wilson, ¡pero todavía estamos aquí! ¡Y vamos a permanecer aquí!”

Benítez continuó: “Reducir la cantidad de maestros que quieren recortar en este momento histórico – la historia va a ver, ‘¿Qué hicimos?’ Si no sienten vergüenza de recortar los recursos para estos niños, entonces no sé por qué están aquí”.

Los educadores en el salón de desbordamiento vitorearon y exigieron “¡Sin despidos! ¡Sin recortes!” a pesar de las advertencias de la junta para que se mantuvieran en silencio.

La maestra de educación especial Edith Esqueda dijo: “Estoy aquí esta noche como una maestra preocupada, profundamente comprometida con el futuro de nuestro distrito”. A los miembros de la junta y a los superintendentes, les dijo: “Un día ustedes empacarán sus cosas y se mudarán a la siguiente mejor opción; ¡estamos aquí para quedarnos!”

Esqueda dijo: “El corazón de nuestro distrito no está en las oficinas, sino en nuestras aulas donde están todos nuestros estudiantes”.

Los manifestantes en la audiencia sostenían carteles que decían “351 despidos es lo inimaginable”, una referencia al lema del SAUSD “imagina lo inimaginable” que se colocó en los materiales promocionales del distrito este año.

Tanya Guzmán, maestra del SAUSD durante 31 años, dijo: “Mientras reflexionaba sobre la magnitud de las eliminaciones propuestas ante nosotros, no pude evitar reflexionar sobre el tema de ‘imagina lo inimaginable’ para este año escolar. Este tema ha adquirido un nuevo significado al imaginar las consecuencias inimaginables que estos recortes crearán. Es inimaginable que el aprendizaje no se vea afectado por las reducciones propuestas”.

Erica González habló como exalumna y madre del SAUSD, y reforzó los puntos del orador anterior Albert Castillo sobre “los $10.4 millones de dólares anuales que se destinan a los 85 oficiales del Departamento de Policía de Santa Ana que están en el campus las 24 horas del día, los siete días de la semana, incluso durante el verano”. Dijo: “SAUSD tiene la tercera agencia de policía escolar más grande de toda California”.

La trabajadora social Luz González habló sobre el apoyo vital que ofrece a los estudiantes, dando ejemplos de la vida real de su trabajo: “La tercera estudiante del día entra a su sesión, confiando sus temores de deportaciones masivas inminentes. ¿Su plan familiar? Sus padres dejarían a su hermana de 18 años a cargo de ella y su hermano de 11 años. Está abrumada y aterrorizada”.

Mirando directamente a Almendarez y en respuesta a los posibles despidos de los trabajadores sociales, preguntó: “¿Cuánto está dispuesto a arriesgar?”.

La presión pública obligó a que la reunión terminara cerca de la medianoche sin una votación sobre los despidos de maestros. La junta programó una reunión especial para decidir sobre el Plan de Estabilización el viernes 31 de enero.

Entre los manifestantes en la reunión se encontraban educadores de SAUSD, miembros de la Asociación de Educadores de Santa Ana (SAEA), miembros del sindicato National Union of Health Care Workers y miembros del Local 9510 de Communication Workers of America (CWA).

#SantaAnaCA #CA #Labor #ImmigrantRights #CWA

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/educadores-de-santa-ana-protestan-contra-el-plan-de-despidos Fri, 14 Feb 2025 22:57:50 +0000 Santa Ana protesta contra la agenda de Trump https://fightbacknews.org/santa-ana-protesta-contra-la-agenda-de-trump?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Protesta contra la agenda de Trump en Santa Ana, California. Santa Ana, CA – Más de 100 miembros de la comunidad, activistas y organizadores se congregaron en Santa Ana para protestar contra la inauguración de Donald Trump el 20 de enero. A pesar de las frías ráfagas de viento, la multitud llenó la intersección de S Bristol Street y W McFadden Avenue, un lugar en el que la gente se ha congregado durante años, como en la primera inauguración de Trump o durante la Rebelión de George Floyd. !--more-- Erica González de Chicanxs Unidxs (CU) dijo: “Estuve en estas calles en septiembre de 2017 con mis cuatro hijos, todos menores de 14 años, para manifestarnos contra la administración Trump por poner a los niños en jaulas y separar a las familias en la frontera. Fue durante esa manifestación que sentí el poder de la comunidad por primera vez. Aquí estamos todos estos años después, excepto que esta vez estamos mucho más organizados y mejor preparados”. Rachael Pozos de TransLatinx habló sobre el peligro que representa Trump para la comunidad LGBTQ y afirmó: “Somos parte de esta comunidad. Quieren segregarnos y silenciarnos, pero nosotros también alzamos la voz. Exigimos que se siga aplicando la terapia de reemplazo hormonal. No vamos a dar marcha atrás: al contrario, ¡vamos a luchar!”. En su segundo gobierno, Trump probablemente aumentará el gasto policial y la represión de los movimientos populares. Durante su campaña sugirió una dura represión del movimiento de solidaridad con Palestina, y en su primer gobierno respondió a la Rebelión de George Floyd con una fuerte represión. La semana pasada, el Departamento de Justicia de Trump sugirió detener los decretos de consentimiento que exigen reformas en los departamentos de policía de todo el país. Donna Acevedo-Nelson habló sobre su hijo, Joel Acevedo, que tenía solo 21 años cuando fue asesinado por el Departamento de Policía de Anaheim, y afirmó: “Mi hijo Joel fue arrastrado, golpeado, esposado y luego fue dispararon en la parte de atrás de la cabeza. La policía cambió su historia varias veces. Ellos mienten. Ellos van a los medios. La gente cree lo que lee en el periódico y siempre hay más en la historia”. Los manifestantes, visibles para los autos que pasaban, sostenían carteles que decían: “¡Acusen! ¡Condenen! ¡Manden a estos policías asesinos a la cárcel! ¡Todo el maldito sistema es culpable!”. Emma Gottfried de la Organización de Servicio Comunitario (CSO) habló sobre la ola de asesinatos perpetrada por la policía de Anaheim y Santa Ana a lo largo de los años. En diciembre, el SAPD mató a Noe Rodríguez momentos después de llegar a la escena, dando órdenes solo en inglés y disparando al menos 30 balas incluso mientras él se desplomaba. Gottfried dijo: “CSO ha lanzado nuestra campaña de rendición de cuentas policial ‘24/48’. Estamos luchando por una mayor transparencia, exigiendo la divulgación pública de los nombres de los oficiales cuando están involucrados en mala conducta o en un tiroteo dentro de las 24 horas, y por la publicación de imágenes sin editar del incidente dentro de las 48 horas. ¡Las familias merecen ver lo que sucedió y saber quién estuvo involucrado para que podamos hacerlos responsables!”. Los manifestantes ondeaban carteles que decían: “Justicia para Noe Martínez Rodríguez”. El activista laboral Manaal Subhani advirtió sobre el legado de Trump de atacar a los trabajadores, afirmando: “Durante su presidencia, Donald Trump debilito sistemáticamente las protecciones de los trabajadores y los sindicatos. Su Junta Nacional de Relaciones Laborales se puso repetidamente del lado de las corporaciones en detrimento de los trabajadores, lo que dificultó la formación de sindicatos y facilitó su descertificación”. Subhani continuó, “¡Los trabajadores construyeron esta ciudad, los trabajadores dirigen esta ciudad y los trabajadores lucharán contra la administración Trump y la administración policial!” Abraham Quintana, de la Organización Socialista Camino de la Libertad (OSCL), reforzó la importancia de la lucha de la clase trabajadora, dijo, “Los multimillonarios dependen de nuestro trabajo para sus ganancias. No es Elon Musk en la línea de ensamblaje construyendo esas camionetas feas y explosivas. No es Gavin Newsom ahí fuera combatiendo incendios forestales. ¡Son los trabajadores!”. Quintana habló de la tarea de la OSCL de construir un partido político de la clase trabajadora multinacional, diciendo: “En lugar de vivir en un mundo donde vivimos para hacer ganancias para los multimillonarios, podemos construir una sociedad que satisfaga las necesidades de todos y ponga el poder en manos de la clase trabajadora en lugar de las manos del 1%”. Sandra de Anda, coordinadora de la Red de Respuesta Rápida del Condado de Orange (OCRRN), animó a la multitud a llamar a su línea directa si se detecta ICE en Santa Ana (714-881-1558). Advirtió a las personas que verifiquen correctamente los avistamientos para evitar el pánico y compartió sobre su trabajo de defensa participativa para detener y reducir las detenciones, deportaciones y encarcelamientos. Sandra de Anda dijo: “Estamos aquí para recordar que la gente común puede organizarse: madres, hermanos, todos pueden aprender cómo sacar a sus seres queridos de las jaulas. ¡Ahora es el momento de que la gente común haga cosas valientes!”. Los manifestantes ondeaban carteles que decían “No a las deportaciones”, “Protejan a los inmigrantes” y “No muerdan la mano que los alimenta”. La multitud gritaba: “¡Arriba, arriba con la liberación! ¡Abajo, abajo con la deportación!”. Vinny Mansoor, de la Red Comunitaria Palestina de los Estados Unidos (USPCN) destacó la importancia de la solidaridad entre los diferentes movimientos y dijo a la multitud: “¡No logro ver la diferencia entre un niño en una jaula en California y un niño en una jaula en Gaza! ¡Nos están arrebatando a nuestros hijos y tenemos que permanecer unidos!” Erick Landeros, de Guerrero, una organización solidaria que apoya la Revolución Democrática Nacional en las Filipinas, conectó la lucha entre los inmigrantes de Santa Ana con los pueblos oprimidos de todo el mundo: “Desde aquí en Santa Ana, con las familias migrantes de la clase trabajadora, hasta Palestina, México y las Filipinas, todos nos enfrentamos a un enemigo común: el imperialismo estadounidense”. Jensen Walsh, de los Socialistas Democráticos de América del Condado de Orange (OCDSA), llamó a la audiencia a la acción y dijo: “En este momento, estamos movilizados, pero lo que debemos hacer es organizarnos para una mayor movilización en el futuro”. La multitud marchó alrededor de la intersección, levantando carteles en el aire y gritando por encima del fuerte viento y el tráfico. El ánimo estaba alto mientras la gente protestaba contra la administración de Trump. La manifestación destacó la importancia de la solidaridad entre todas las luchas populares y la importancia de unirse a una organización para una lucha organizada a largo plazo contra esta administración. El evento fue organizado por CSO OC en coalición con CU, OCEJ, USPCN, OSCL, OCDSA, TransLatinx, Guerrero y OCRRN. #SantaAnaCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #CSOOC #USPCN div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Protesta contra la agenda de Trump en Santa Ana, California.

Santa Ana, CA – Más de 100 miembros de la comunidad, activistas y organizadores se congregaron en Santa Ana para protestar contra la inauguración de Donald Trump el 20 de enero.

A pesar de las frías ráfagas de viento, la multitud llenó la intersección de S Bristol Street y W McFadden Avenue, un lugar en el que la gente se ha congregado durante años, como en la primera inauguración de Trump o durante la Rebelión de George Floyd.

Erica González de Chicanxs Unidxs (CU) dijo: “Estuve en estas calles en septiembre de 2017 con mis cuatro hijos, todos menores de 14 años, para manifestarnos contra la administración Trump por poner a los niños en jaulas y separar a las familias en la frontera. Fue durante esa manifestación que sentí el poder de la comunidad por primera vez. Aquí estamos todos estos años después, excepto que esta vez estamos mucho más organizados y mejor preparados”.

Rachael Pozos de TransLatinx habló sobre el peligro que representa Trump para la comunidad LGBTQ y afirmó: “Somos parte de esta comunidad. Quieren segregarnos y silenciarnos, pero nosotros también alzamos la voz. Exigimos que se siga aplicando la terapia de reemplazo hormonal. No vamos a dar marcha atrás: al contrario, ¡vamos a luchar!”.

En su segundo gobierno, Trump probablemente aumentará el gasto policial y la represión de los movimientos populares. Durante su campaña sugirió una dura represión del movimiento de solidaridad con Palestina, y en su primer gobierno respondió a la Rebelión de George Floyd con una fuerte represión. La semana pasada, el Departamento de Justicia de Trump sugirió detener los decretos de consentimiento que exigen reformas en los departamentos de policía de todo el país.

Donna Acevedo-Nelson habló sobre su hijo, Joel Acevedo, que tenía solo 21 años cuando fue asesinado por el Departamento de Policía de Anaheim, y afirmó: “Mi hijo Joel fue arrastrado, golpeado, esposado y luego fue dispararon en la parte de atrás de la cabeza. La policía cambió su historia varias veces. Ellos mienten. Ellos van a los medios. La gente cree lo que lee en el periódico y siempre hay más en la historia”.

Los manifestantes, visibles para los autos que pasaban, sostenían carteles que decían: “¡Acusen! ¡Condenen! ¡Manden a estos policías asesinos a la cárcel! ¡Todo el maldito sistema es culpable!”.

Emma Gottfried de la Organización de Servicio Comunitario (CSO) habló sobre la ola de asesinatos perpetrada por la policía de Anaheim y Santa Ana a lo largo de los años. En diciembre, el SAPD mató a Noe Rodríguez momentos después de llegar a la escena, dando órdenes solo en inglés y disparando al menos 30 balas incluso mientras él se desplomaba.

Gottfried dijo: “CSO ha lanzado nuestra campaña de rendición de cuentas policial ‘24/48’. Estamos luchando por una mayor transparencia, exigiendo la divulgación pública de los nombres de los oficiales cuando están involucrados en mala conducta o en un tiroteo dentro de las 24 horas, y por la publicación de imágenes sin editar del incidente dentro de las 48 horas. ¡Las familias merecen ver lo que sucedió y saber quién estuvo involucrado para que podamos hacerlos responsables!”. Los manifestantes ondeaban carteles que decían: “Justicia para Noe Martínez Rodríguez”.

El activista laboral Manaal Subhani advirtió sobre el legado de Trump de atacar a los trabajadores, afirmando: “Durante su presidencia, Donald Trump debilito sistemáticamente las protecciones de los trabajadores y los sindicatos. Su Junta Nacional de Relaciones Laborales se puso repetidamente del lado de las corporaciones en detrimento de los trabajadores, lo que dificultó la formación de sindicatos y facilitó su descertificación”.

Subhani continuó, “¡Los trabajadores construyeron esta ciudad, los trabajadores dirigen esta ciudad y los trabajadores lucharán contra la administración Trump y la administración policial!”

Abraham Quintana, de la Organización Socialista Camino de la Libertad (OSCL), reforzó la importancia de la lucha de la clase trabajadora, dijo, “Los multimillonarios dependen de nuestro trabajo para sus ganancias. No es Elon Musk en la línea de ensamblaje construyendo esas camionetas feas y explosivas. No es Gavin Newsom ahí fuera combatiendo incendios forestales. ¡Son los trabajadores!”.

Quintana habló de la tarea de la OSCL de construir un partido político de la clase trabajadora multinacional, diciendo: “En lugar de vivir en un mundo donde vivimos para hacer ganancias para los multimillonarios, podemos construir una sociedad que satisfaga las necesidades de todos y ponga el poder en manos de la clase trabajadora en lugar de las manos del 1%”.

Sandra de Anda, coordinadora de la Red de Respuesta Rápida del Condado de Orange (OCRRN), animó a la multitud a llamar a su línea directa si se detecta ICE en Santa Ana (714-881-1558). Advirtió a las personas que verifiquen correctamente los avistamientos para evitar el pánico y compartió sobre su trabajo de defensa participativa para detener y reducir las detenciones, deportaciones y encarcelamientos.

Sandra de Anda dijo: “Estamos aquí para recordar que la gente común puede organizarse: madres, hermanos, todos pueden aprender cómo sacar a sus seres queridos de las jaulas. ¡Ahora es el momento de que la gente común haga cosas valientes!”.

Los manifestantes ondeaban carteles que decían “No a las deportaciones”, “Protejan a los inmigrantes” y “No muerdan la mano que los alimenta”. La multitud gritaba: “¡Arriba, arriba con la liberación! ¡Abajo, abajo con la deportación!”.

Vinny Mansoor, de la Red Comunitaria Palestina de los Estados Unidos (USPCN) destacó la importancia de la solidaridad entre los diferentes movimientos y dijo a la multitud: “¡No logro ver la diferencia entre un niño en una jaula en California y un niño en una jaula en Gaza! ¡Nos están arrebatando a nuestros hijos y tenemos que permanecer unidos!”

Erick Landeros, de Guerrero, una organización solidaria que apoya la Revolución Democrática Nacional en las Filipinas, conectó la lucha entre los inmigrantes de Santa Ana con los pueblos oprimidos de todo el mundo: “Desde aquí en Santa Ana, con las familias migrantes de la clase trabajadora, hasta Palestina, México y las Filipinas, todos nos enfrentamos a un enemigo común: el imperialismo estadounidense”.

Jensen Walsh, de los Socialistas Democráticos de América del Condado de Orange (OCDSA), llamó a la audiencia a la acción y dijo: “En este momento, estamos movilizados, pero lo que debemos hacer es organizarnos para una mayor movilización en el futuro”.

La multitud marchó alrededor de la intersección, levantando carteles en el aire y gritando por encima del fuerte viento y el tráfico. El ánimo estaba alto mientras la gente protestaba contra la administración de Trump. La manifestación destacó la importancia de la solidaridad entre todas las luchas populares y la importancia de unirse a una organización para una lucha organizada a largo plazo contra esta administración.

El evento fue organizado por CSO OC en coalición con CU, OCEJ, USPCN, OSCL, OCDSA, TransLatinx, Guerrero y OCRRN.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #ImmigrantRights #CSOOC #USPCN

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/santa-ana-protesta-contra-la-agenda-de-trump Fri, 14 Feb 2025 01:24:18 +0000 Santa Ana says no to deportations https://fightbacknews.org/santa-ana-says-no-to-deportations?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Santa Ana, California protest against deportations. Santa Ana, CA - On February 3, roughly 1000 people took to the streets to fight Trump’s racist agenda, gathering in front of the Ronald Reagan Federal Building. Immigrant families and their allies marched around the city from morning to night, demanding an end to deportations, waving Mexican and other Latin American flags, and sending Santa Ana police scrambling to redirect traffic. !--more-- Despite Trump’s many attacks on the immigrant community, they showed no fear and chanted to remind him that “El pueblo está en la lucha.” They held signs reminding people “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you,” referring to the fact a large percentage of farm workers are immigrants. Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda is moving quickly. He already suspended asylum for those at the border with Mexico, a devastating move that further strains the overloaded courts and harms those who have been travelling for weeks, sometimes months. He’s sent the first plane of immigrant deportees to Guantanamo Bay, a facility known for using extreme methods of torture on prisoners. Many cities around the United States are actively cooperating with ICE and other federal agencies to crack down on immigration, resulting in overcrowded facilities and families living in fear. Many youths were in the crowd, some holding signs stating, “I am the voice for my family.” In response to this, the immigrant community of Santa Ana and its allies stand strong. At the time of writing, students across the region are taking part in a walkout to show their support for family and friends directly impacted by the racist attacks being made by Trump and his gang. Immigrant working-class communities across the country are organizing more protests as Trump plan to millions of undocumented people currently in the country. As immigrants stand up, the message to Trump and his administration is clear - we are saying no to deportations and we are here to stay! #SantaAnaCA #Immigrantrights #ChicanoLatino div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Santa Ana, California protest against deportations.

Santa Ana, CA – On February 3, roughly 1000 people took to the streets to fight Trump’s racist agenda, gathering in front of the Ronald Reagan Federal Building. Immigrant families and their allies marched around the city from morning to night, demanding an end to deportations, waving Mexican and other Latin American flags, and sending Santa Ana police scrambling to redirect traffic.

Despite Trump’s many attacks on the immigrant community, they showed no fear and chanted to remind him that “El pueblo está en la lucha.” They held signs reminding people “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you,” referring to the fact a large percentage of farm workers are immigrants.

Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda is moving quickly. He already suspended asylum for those at the border with Mexico, a devastating move that further strains the overloaded courts and harms those who have been travelling for weeks, sometimes months. He’s sent the first plane of immigrant deportees to Guantanamo Bay, a facility known for using extreme methods of torture on prisoners. Many cities around the United States are actively cooperating with ICE and other federal agencies to crack down on immigration, resulting in overcrowded facilities and families living in fear. Many youths were in the crowd, some holding signs stating, “I am the voice for my family.”

In response to this, the immigrant community of Santa Ana and its allies stand strong. At the time of writing, students across the region are taking part in a walkout to show their support for family and friends directly impacted by the racist attacks being made by Trump and his gang.

Immigrant working-class communities across the country are organizing more protests as Trump plan to millions of undocumented people currently in the country. As immigrants stand up, the message to Trump and his administration is clear – we are saying no to deportations and we are here to stay!

#SantaAnaCA #Immigrantrights #ChicanoLatino

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/santa-ana-says-no-to-deportations Sat, 08 Feb 2025 23:00:30 +0000 Santa Ana educators protest layoff plan https://fightbacknews.org/santa-ana-educators-protest-layoff-plan?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Santa Ana, California educators stand up to layoffs. Santa Ana, CA – Over 200 educators rallied to the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce Tuesday, January 29 to protest budget cuts and layoffs of up to 546 employees. Elementary and secondary school teachers, counselors, curriculum specialists and social workers, as well as local union members, parents and children filled the chamber. Even more were forced into the overflow room and hallway of the district building. !--more-- Last month Santa Ana School District (SAUSD) approved a “Budget Stabilization Plan” that threatened to cut many of these workers. District Superintendent Jerry Almendarez said the decision was a necessary sacrifice that would not severely impact students and families. At the same time, no management positions were considered for layoffs: Almendarez received $447,561 in compensation in 2022, and the meeting agenda originally included a proposed 3% salary raise and one time 3% bonus for him before community backlash changed the board’s mind. Ironically, despite this crisis, it was not public educators but pro-charter school activists who were first to speak. Compass Charter School advocates complained about large class sizes in public schools and praised hybrid and homeschool teaching, which are unrealistic models for working-class families in Santa Ana. Parent Max Page said he felt “safe” dropping his kids off at Compass, insinuating that SAUSD schools are dangerous. All of the Compass Charter students and teachers were white, in a city which is 77% Latino/Chicano according to 2020 census data. Meanwhile, public school teacher Vladimir Benitez said in Spanish, “First of all, to all the immigrant families, we see you! We love you. We are here to support you. I know what is happening in your lives - my parents were also undocumented immigrants in the 90s when we had Pete Wilson, but we are still here! And we are going to remain here!” Benitez continued, “Cutting the number of teachers that they want to cut in this historical moment - history is going to see, ‘What did we do?’ If you don’t feel any shame for cutting resources to these children, then I do not know why you are here!” Educators in the overflow room cheered and demanded “No layoffs! No cuts!” despite warnings from the board to be silent. Special education teacher Edith Esqueda said, “I’m here tonight as a concerned teacher, deeply invested in the future of our district.” To the board members and superintendents, she said, “One day you guys are gonna pack your stuff and move to the next best thing; we are here to stay!” Esqueda said, “The heart of our district is not in offices, but in our classrooms where all our students are at.” Protesters in the audience held signs that read “351 layoffs is the unimaginable,” a reference to SAUSD slogan “Imagine the unimaginable” plastered on district promotional materials this year. Tanya Guzman, a teacher with SAUSD for 31 years, said, “As I pondered the magnitude of the proposed eliminations before us, I couldn’t help but ponder the ‘imagine the unimaginable’ theme for this school year. This theme has taken on a new significance as we imagine the unimaginable consequences that these cuts will create. It is unimaginable that learning will not be impacted by the proposed reductions.” Erica Gonzalez spoke as an SAUSD alumni and parent, and she reinforced the previous speaker Albert Castillo’s points about “the $10.4 million dollars annually that goes to the 85 Santa Ana Police Department officers that are on campus 24 hours a day, seven days a week, even during the summer.” She said, “SAUSD has the third largest school police agency in all of California.” Social worker Luz Gonzalez spoke on the vital support she offers to students, giving real-life examples of her work, “Third student of the day walks into her session, confiding her fears of looming mass deportations. Her family plan? Her parents would leave her 18-year-old sister in charge of her and her 11-year-old brother. She’s overwhelmed and terrified.” Looking directly at Almendarez and in response to potential social worker layoffs she asked, “How much are you willing to risk?” Public pressure forced the meeting to end near midnight without a vote on teacher layoffs. The board scheduled a special meeting to decide on the Stabilization Plan on Friday, January 31. Protesters at the meeting included SAUSD educators, Santa Ana Educators Association (SAEA) members, National Union of Health Care Workers union members, and Communication Workers of America Local 9510 members (CWA). #SantaAnaCA #CA #Labor #Teachers #SAEA #CWA #Layoffs #Feature div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Santa Ana, California educators stand up to layoffs.

Santa Ana, CA – Over 200 educators rallied to the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce Tuesday, January 29 to protest budget cuts and layoffs of up to 546 employees.

Elementary and secondary school teachers, counselors, curriculum specialists and social workers, as well as local union members, parents and children filled the chamber. Even more were forced into the overflow room and hallway of the district building.

Last month Santa Ana School District (SAUSD) approved a “Budget Stabilization Plan” that threatened to cut many of these workers. District Superintendent Jerry Almendarez said the decision was a necessary sacrifice that would not severely impact students and families. At the same time, no management positions were considered for layoffs: Almendarez received $447,561 in compensation in 2022, and the meeting agenda originally included a proposed 3% salary raise and one time 3% bonus for him before community backlash changed the board’s mind.

Ironically, despite this crisis, it was not public educators but pro-charter school activists who were first to speak. Compass Charter School advocates complained about large class sizes in public schools and praised hybrid and homeschool teaching, which are unrealistic models for working-class families in Santa Ana. Parent Max Page said he felt “safe” dropping his kids off at Compass, insinuating that SAUSD schools are dangerous. All of the Compass Charter students and teachers were white, in a city which is 77% Latino/Chicano according to 2020 census data.

Meanwhile, public school teacher Vladimir Benitez said in Spanish, “First of all, to all the immigrant families, we see you! We love you. We are here to support you. I know what is happening in your lives – my parents were also undocumented immigrants in the 90s when we had Pete Wilson, but we are still here! And we are going to remain here!”

Benitez continued, “Cutting the number of teachers that they want to cut in this historical moment – history is going to see, ‘What did we do?’ If you don’t feel any shame for cutting resources to these children, then I do not know why you are here!”

Educators in the overflow room cheered and demanded “No layoffs! No cuts!” despite warnings from the board to be silent.

Special education teacher Edith Esqueda said, “I’m here tonight as a concerned teacher, deeply invested in the future of our district.” To the board members and superintendents, she said, “One day you guys are gonna pack your stuff and move to the next best thing; we are here to stay!”

Esqueda said, “The heart of our district is not in offices, but in our classrooms where all our students are at.”

Protesters in the audience held signs that read “351 layoffs is the unimaginable,” a reference to SAUSD slogan “Imagine the unimaginable” plastered on district promotional materials this year.

Tanya Guzman, a teacher with SAUSD for 31 years, said, “As I pondered the magnitude of the proposed eliminations before us, I couldn’t help but ponder the ‘imagine the unimaginable’ theme for this school year. This theme has taken on a new significance as we imagine the unimaginable consequences that these cuts will create. It is unimaginable that learning will not be impacted by the proposed reductions.”

Erica Gonzalez spoke as an SAUSD alumni and parent, and she reinforced the previous speaker Albert Castillo’s points about “the $10.4 million dollars annually that goes to the 85 Santa Ana Police Department officers that are on campus 24 hours a day, seven days a week, even during the summer.” She said, “SAUSD has the third largest school police agency in all of California.”

Social worker Luz Gonzalez spoke on the vital support she offers to students, giving real-life examples of her work, “Third student of the day walks into her session, confiding her fears of looming mass deportations. Her family plan? Her parents would leave her 18-year-old sister in charge of her and her 11-year-old brother. She’s overwhelmed and terrified.”

Looking directly at Almendarez and in response to potential social worker layoffs she asked, “How much are you willing to risk?”

Public pressure forced the meeting to end near midnight without a vote on teacher layoffs. The board scheduled a special meeting to decide on the Stabilization Plan on Friday, January 31.

Protesters at the meeting included SAUSD educators, Santa Ana Educators Association (SAEA) members, National Union of Health Care Workers union members, and Communication Workers of America Local 9510 members (CWA).

#SantaAnaCA #CA #Labor #Teachers #SAEA #CWA #Layoffs #Feature

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/santa-ana-educators-protest-layoff-plan Fri, 31 Jan 2025 21:07:51 +0000 Santa Ana protests Trump's agenda https://fightbacknews.org/santa-ana-protests-trumps-agenda?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Protest against Trump agenda in Santa Ana, California. Santa Ana, CA - Over 100 community members, activists and organizers rallied in Santa Ana to protest the inauguration of Donald Trump on January 20. !--more-- Despite cold gusts of wind, the crowd filled the intersection of S Bristol Street and W McFadden Avenue, a location people have rallied at for years, such as on Trump’s first inauguration or during the George Floyd Rebellion. Erica Gonzalez of Chicanxs Unidxs (CU) said, “I stood on these streets in September 2017 with my four kids, all under the age of 14, to rally against the Trump administration for putting kids in cages and separating families at the border. It was during that rally that I felt the power of community for the first time. Here we are all these years later, except this time we’re much more organized and better prepared.” Rachael Pozos of TransLatinx spoke on the danger posed to the LGBTQ community by Trump, stating “We are part of this community. They want to segregate and silence us, but we are raising our voices too. We demand that hormone replacement therapy continue to be carried out. We are not going to back down: on the contrary, we are going to fight!” In his second administration, Trump will likely ramp up police spending and repression of the people’s movements. During his campaign he suggested harsh crackdowns on the Palestine solidarity movement, and in his first administration he responded to the George Floyd Rebellion with heavy repression. Last week Trump’s Department of Justice suggested halting consent decrees requiring reforms of police departments around the country. Donna Acevedo-Nelson spoke about her son, Joel Acevedo, who was only 21 years old when he was killed by Anaheim Police Department, stating, “My son Joel was dragged, beaten, handcuffed and then shot in the back of the head. The police changed their story a few times. They lie. They go into the media. People believe what they read in the newspaper and there’s always more to the story.” Protesters visible to passing cars held signs that read, “Indict! Convict! Send these killer cops to jail! The whole damn system is guilty as hell!” Emma Gottfried from Community Service Organization (CSO) spoke about the killing spree by Anaheim and Santa Ana police over the years. In December, SAPD killed Noe Rodriguez moments after arriving at the scene, giving commands only in English and firing at least 30 bullets even as he collapsed. Gottfried said, “CSO has launched our ‘24/48’ police accountability campaign. We are fighting for more transparency, demanding the public releasing of officer names when they are involved in misconduct or a shooting within 24 hours, and for releasing unedited footage of the incident within 48 hours. Families deserve to see what happened and know who was involved so we can hold them responsible!” Protesters waved signs saying, “Justice for Noe Martinez Rodriguez.” Labor activist Manaal Subhani warned of Trump’s legacy of attacking workers, stating, “During his presidency, Donald Trump systematically undermined worker protections and unions. His National Labor Relations Board repeatedly sided with corporations over workers, making it harder to form unions and easier to decertify them.” Subhani continued, “Workers built this city, workers run this city, and workers will fight back against the Trump administration and the cop administration!” Abraham Quintana of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) reinforced the importance of the working class struggle, stating, “The billionaires depend on our labor for their profits. It's not Elon Musk on the assembly line building those ugly, explosive trucks. It's not Gavin Newsom out there fighting wildfires. It’s workers!” Quintana spoke of FRSO’s task of building a political party of the multinational working class, saying, “Instead of living in a world where we live to make profits for the billionaires, we can build a society that meets everyone’s needs and puts the power in the working class's hands instead of the hands of the 1%.” Sandra de Anda, coordinator of the Orange County Rapid Response Network (OCRRN), encouraged the crowd to call their hotline if ICE is spotted in Santa Ana (714-881-1558). She cautioned people to correctly verify sightings to avoid panic and shared about their participatory defense work to stop and reduce detentions, deportations and incarcerations. Sandra de Anda said, “We are here as a reminder that everyday people can organize: mothers, hermanos, everybody can learn how to get their loved ones out of cages. Right now is the time for regular people to do courageous things!” Protesters waved signs that read “No to deportations,” “Protect Immigrants” and “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” The crowd shouted, “Up, up with liberation! Down, down with deportation!” Vinny Mansoor of the US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) stressed the importance of solidarity across different movements, telling the crowd, “I find myself for the life of me unable to see the difference between a child in a cage in California and a child in a cage in Gaza! Our children are being taken from us and we have to stand united!” Erick Landeros of Guerrero, a solidarity organization supporting the National Democratic Revolution in the Philippines, connected the struggle between immigrants in Santa Ana with oppressed peoples around the world: “From here in Santa Ana with migrant, working class families, to Palestine, to Mexico, to the Philippines, we all face a common enemy: U.S. imperialism.” Jensen Walsh of Orange County Democratic Socialists of America (OCDSA) called the audience to action, stating, “Right now, we are mobilized, but what we must do is organize for greater mobilization in the future.” The crowd marched around the intersection, hoisting signs in the air and shouting over the gusty wind and traffic. Spirits were high as people raged against the Trump administration. The rally highlighted the importance of solidarity between all of the people’s struggles and the importance of joining an organization for long-term organized struggle against this administration. The event was organized by CSO OC in coalition with CU, OCEJ, USPCN, FRSO, OCDSA, TransLatinx, Guerrero and OCRRN. #SantaAnaCA #PeoplesStruggles #Immigrantrights #InJusticeSystem #LGBTQ #Palestine #AntiWarMovement #Environment #CSOOC #CU #OCEJ #USPCN #FRSO #TransLatinx #Guerrero #OCRRN div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Protest against Trump agenda in Santa Ana, California.

Santa Ana, CA – Over 100 community members, activists and organizers rallied in Santa Ana to protest the inauguration of Donald Trump on January 20.

Despite cold gusts of wind, the crowd filled the intersection of S Bristol Street and W McFadden Avenue, a location people have rallied at for years, such as on Trump’s first inauguration or during the George Floyd Rebellion.

Erica Gonzalez of Chicanxs Unidxs (CU) said, “I stood on these streets in September 2017 with my four kids, all under the age of 14, to rally against the Trump administration for putting kids in cages and separating families at the border. It was during that rally that I felt the power of community for the first time. Here we are all these years later, except this time we’re much more organized and better prepared.”

Rachael Pozos of TransLatinx spoke on the danger posed to the LGBTQ community by Trump, stating “We are part of this community. They want to segregate and silence us, but we are raising our voices too. We demand that hormone replacement therapy continue to be carried out. We are not going to back down: on the contrary, we are going to fight!”

In his second administration, Trump will likely ramp up police spending and repression of the people’s movements. During his campaign he suggested harsh crackdowns on the Palestine solidarity movement, and in his first administration he responded to the George Floyd Rebellion with heavy repression. Last week Trump’s Department of Justice suggested halting consent decrees requiring reforms of police departments around the country.

Donna Acevedo-Nelson spoke about her son, Joel Acevedo, who was only 21 years old when he was killed by Anaheim Police Department, stating, “My son Joel was dragged, beaten, handcuffed and then shot in the back of the head. The police changed their story a few times. They lie. They go into the media. People believe what they read in the newspaper and there’s always more to the story.”

Protesters visible to passing cars held signs that read, “Indict! Convict! Send these killer cops to jail! The whole damn system is guilty as hell!”

Emma Gottfried from Community Service Organization (CSO) spoke about the killing spree by Anaheim and Santa Ana police over the years. In December, SAPD killed Noe Rodriguez moments after arriving at the scene, giving commands only in English and firing at least 30 bullets even as he collapsed.

Gottfried said, “CSO has launched our ‘24/48’ police accountability campaign. We are fighting for more transparency, demanding the public releasing of officer names when they are involved in misconduct or a shooting within 24 hours, and for releasing unedited footage of the incident within 48 hours. Families deserve to see what happened and know who was involved so we can hold them responsible!” Protesters waved signs saying, “Justice for Noe Martinez Rodriguez.”

Labor activist Manaal Subhani warned of Trump’s legacy of attacking workers, stating, “During his presidency, Donald Trump systematically undermined worker protections and unions. His National Labor Relations Board repeatedly sided with corporations over workers, making it harder to form unions and easier to decertify them.”

Subhani continued, “Workers built this city, workers run this city, and workers will fight back against the Trump administration and the cop administration!”

Abraham Quintana of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) reinforced the importance of the working class struggle, stating, “The billionaires depend on our labor for their profits. It's not Elon Musk on the assembly line building those ugly, explosive trucks. It's not Gavin Newsom out there fighting wildfires. It’s workers!”

Quintana spoke of FRSO’s task of building a political party of the multinational working class, saying, “Instead of living in a world where we live to make profits for the billionaires, we can build a society that meets everyone’s needs and puts the power in the working class's hands instead of the hands of the 1%.”

Sandra de Anda, coordinator of the Orange County Rapid Response Network (OCRRN), encouraged the crowd to call their hotline if ICE is spotted in Santa Ana (714-881-1558). She cautioned people to correctly verify sightings to avoid panic and shared about their participatory defense work to stop and reduce detentions, deportations and incarcerations.

Sandra de Anda said, “We are here as a reminder that everyday people can organize: mothers, hermanos, everybody can learn how to get their loved ones out of cages. Right now is the time for regular people to do courageous things!”

Protesters waved signs that read “No to deportations,” “Protect Immigrants” and “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” The crowd shouted, “Up, up with liberation! Down, down with deportation!”

Vinny Mansoor of the US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) stressed the importance of solidarity across different movements, telling the crowd, “I find myself for the life of me unable to see the difference between a child in a cage in California and a child in a cage in Gaza! Our children are being taken from us and we have to stand united!”

Erick Landeros of Guerrero, a solidarity organization supporting the National Democratic Revolution in the Philippines, connected the struggle between immigrants in Santa Ana with oppressed peoples around the world: “From here in Santa Ana with migrant, working class families, to Palestine, to Mexico, to the Philippines, we all face a common enemy: U.S. imperialism.”

Jensen Walsh of Orange County Democratic Socialists of America (OCDSA) called the audience to action, stating, “Right now, we are mobilized, but what we must do is organize for greater mobilization in the future.”

The crowd marched around the intersection, hoisting signs in the air and shouting over the gusty wind and traffic. Spirits were high as people raged against the Trump administration. The rally highlighted the importance of solidarity between all of the people’s struggles and the importance of joining an organization for long-term organized struggle against this administration.

The event was organized by CSO OC in coalition with CU, OCEJ, USPCN, FRSO, OCDSA, TransLatinx, Guerrero and OCRRN.

#SantaAnaCA #PeoplesStruggles #Immigrantrights #InJusticeSystem #LGBTQ #Palestine #AntiWarMovement #Environment #CSOOC #CU #OCEJ #USPCN #FRSO #TransLatinx #Guerrero #OCRRN

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/santa-ana-protests-trumps-agenda Sun, 26 Jan 2025 04:04:46 +0000 El Departamento de Policía de Santa Ana mata a un hombre en una lluvia de balas https://fightbacknews.org/el-departamento-de-policia-de-santa-ana-mata-a-un-hombre-en-una-lluvia-de-balas?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[ Santa Ana, CA — El 1 de diciembre, dos oficiales del Departamento de Policía de Santa Ana (SAPD) dispararon y mataron a un hombre en el centro de Santa Ana cerca de Broadway y calle 2. SAPD declara que la gente llamó para informar de que un hombre estaba cargando un rifle. Casi 30 agujeros de balas marcan la pared donde le dispararon por sostener lo que resultó ser una pistola de aire comprimido no letal. !--more-- El nombre de la víctima no ha sido publicado pero reportes han dicho que el hombre era “hispano”, en sus treintas y declarado muerto cuando llegó al hospital. El próximo día, miembros de la Organización de Servicio Comunitario en Orange County (CSO OC) empezaron a distribuir volantes para alcanzar la familia de la víctima y crear conciencia sobre el asesinato. Mucha gente camina en Broadway sin saber que pasan un sitio de ejecución. Menos personas saben del sitio a solo una cuadra de distancia en el estacionamiento de CVS, donde SAPD asesinó a Miguel Chavez en 2022, un inmigrante salvadoreño desarmado. Al menos ocho oficiales persiguieron su vehículo hacia el estacionamiento y lo rodearon con las armas en la mano. Los oficiales Jonathan Chavez y Sean Anthis dispararon tres balas de “poca letal” hacia Miguel Chavez, y el oficial Mark Shifflett mandó su perro policial contra él. Chavez murió dos días después por las mordidas. La muerte fue declarada un homicidio por el forense, pero los tres oficiales fueron exonerados de toda culpabilidad por el Fiscal de Orange County, Todd Spitzer, dos años después del asesinato. En Santa Ana, la policía está en gran parte protegida de la responsabilidad. Los “Reportes Criticales de Incidentes” que ellos deben compartir dentro de 45 días suelen difamar a la víctima y justifican las acciones de la policía. Aunque Miguel Chavez no tenía record criminal ni historial de consumo de drogas que pudieran usar en su contra, los oficiales decían que vieron un arma, pero no se encontró ninguna. Mientras tanto, estos reportes no requieren que se compartan los nombres de los oficiales. Como resultado, cuando las familias afectadas y el público están más desesperados por respuestas, no se enteran de qué oficiales son responsables ni de su historial de violencia. Por eso, CSO OC está en el proceso de crear una campaña para exigir que el SAPD publique los nombres de los oficiales después de que la policía mata a alguien. Rain Mendoza, miembro de CSO, dijo, “Nuestra demanda proviene de las familias afectadas y de nuestro estudio sobre la política policial en Santa Ana. La demanda es parte del proceso paso-a-paso en el que les quitamos el poder a los policías que nos reprimen y nos matan, y devolvemos ese poder al pueblo.” Para participar en la campaña de CSO OC por la rendición de cuentas de la policía, comunícate con nosotros a través de nuestras redes sociales @cso.oc en Instagram, Orange County CSO en Facebook, o envíanos un correo electrónico a orangecountycso@gmail.com. #SantaAnaCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #CSOOC div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]>

Santa Ana, CA — El 1 de diciembre, dos oficiales del Departamento de Policía de Santa Ana (SAPD) dispararon y mataron a un hombre en el centro de Santa Ana cerca de Broadway y calle 2. SAPD declara que la gente llamó para informar de que un hombre estaba cargando un rifle. Casi 30 agujeros de balas marcan la pared donde le dispararon por sostener lo que resultó ser una pistola de aire comprimido no letal.

El nombre de la víctima no ha sido publicado pero reportes han dicho que el hombre era “hispano”, en sus treintas y declarado muerto cuando llegó al hospital.

El próximo día, miembros de la Organización de Servicio Comunitario en Orange County (CSO OC) empezaron a distribuir volantes para alcanzar la familia de la víctima y crear conciencia sobre el asesinato. Mucha gente camina en Broadway sin saber que pasan un sitio de ejecución.

Menos personas saben del sitio a solo una cuadra de distancia en el estacionamiento de CVS, donde SAPD asesinó a Miguel Chavez en 2022, un inmigrante salvadoreño desarmado. Al menos ocho oficiales persiguieron su vehículo hacia el estacionamiento y lo rodearon con las armas en la mano. Los oficiales Jonathan Chavez y Sean Anthis dispararon tres balas de “poca letal” hacia Miguel Chavez, y el oficial Mark Shifflett mandó su perro policial contra él. Chavez murió dos días después por las mordidas. La muerte fue declarada un homicidio por el forense, pero los tres oficiales fueron exonerados de toda culpabilidad por el Fiscal de Orange County, Todd Spitzer, dos años después del asesinato.

En Santa Ana, la policía está en gran parte protegida de la responsabilidad. Los “Reportes Criticales de Incidentes” que ellos deben compartir dentro de 45 días suelen difamar a la víctima y justifican las acciones de la policía. Aunque Miguel Chavez no tenía record criminal ni historial de consumo de drogas que pudieran usar en su contra, los oficiales decían que vieron un arma, pero no se encontró ninguna. Mientras tanto, estos reportes no requieren que se compartan los nombres de los oficiales. Como resultado, cuando las familias afectadas y el público están más desesperados por respuestas, no se enteran de qué oficiales son responsables ni de su historial de violencia.

Por eso, CSO OC está en el proceso de crear una campaña para exigir que el SAPD publique los nombres de los oficiales después de que la policía mata a alguien. Rain Mendoza, miembro de CSO, dijo, “Nuestra demanda proviene de las familias afectadas y de nuestro estudio sobre la política policial en Santa Ana. La demanda es parte del proceso paso-a-paso en el que les quitamos el poder a los policías que nos reprimen y nos matan, y devolvemos ese poder al pueblo.”

Para participar en la campaña de CSO OC por la rendición de cuentas de la policía, comunícate con nosotros a través de nuestras redes sociales @cso.oc en Instagram, Orange County CSO en Facebook, o envíanos un correo electrónico a orangecountycso@gmail.com.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #CSOOC

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/el-departamento-de-policia-de-santa-ana-mata-a-un-hombre-en-una-lluvia-de-balas Mon, 16 Dec 2024 23:07:47 +0000 Santa Ana Police Department kills man in a spray of bullets https://fightbacknews.org/santa-ana-police-department-kills-man-in-a-spray-of-bullets?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[ Almost 30 bullet holes are still visible at the site of the killing. Santa Ana, CA – On December 1, two officers from Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) shot and killed a man in downtown Santa Ana near Broadway and 2nd Street. SAPD stated that people called about a man loading a rifle. Nearly 30 bullet holes scar the wall where he was shot for holding what turned out to be a non-lethal airsoft gun. !--more-- The name of the victim has not been released but reports state that the man was “Hispanic”, in his thirties and pronounced dead when he arrived at the hospital. The next day, members of Community Service Organization, Orange County (CSO OC) began flyering downtown Santa Ana to reach the victim’s family and to spread awareness about the killing. Many people walk down Broadway unaware they are passing an execution site. Fewer people know about the site just one block away in the CVS parking lot, where SAPD shot unarmed Salvadoran immigrant Miguel Chavez in 2022. At least eight officers chased his vehicle into the lot and surrounded him with guns drawn. Officers Jonathan Chavez and Sean Anthis fired three “less-lethal” rounds into Miguel Chavez and Officer Mark Shifflett sicced a police dog on him. Chavez died two days later from bite injuries. The death was ruled a homicide by the coroner, but all three officers were cleared of wrongdoing by Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, two years after the killing. In Santa Ana police are largely shielded from accountability. The “Critical Incident Reports” they must share within 45 days smear the victim and justify police actions. While Miguel Chavez had no criminal record or history of drug use to be used against him, officers said they saw a weapon, but no weapon was found. Meanwhile, these reports are not required to share officer names. As a result, when impacted families and the public are most desperate for answers, they don’t learn about which officers are responsible or about their history of violence. That is why CSO OC is in the process of building a campaign to demand that SAPD release officer names after police killings. Rain Mendoza, a member of CSO, said, “Our demand comes from impacted families and our study of police policy in Santa Ana. The demand is part of a step-by-step process in which we take power from the police who repress and kill us, and we give that power back to the people.” To get involved in CSO OC’s police accountability campaign, reach out to us on our social media, @cso.oc on Instagram, Orange County CSO on Facebook, or email us at orangecountycso@gmail.com. #SantaAnaCA #InJusticeSystem #ChicanoLatino #CommunityControlofthePolice #CSOOC div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Almost 30 bullet holes are still visible at the site of the killing.

Santa Ana, CA – On December 1, two officers from Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) shot and killed a man in downtown Santa Ana near Broadway and 2nd Street. SAPD stated that people called about a man loading a rifle. Nearly 30 bullet holes scar the wall where he was shot for holding what turned out to be a non-lethal airsoft gun.

The name of the victim has not been released but reports state that the man was “Hispanic”, in his thirties and pronounced dead when he arrived at the hospital.

The next day, members of Community Service Organization, Orange County (CSO OC) began flyering downtown Santa Ana to reach the victim’s family and to spread awareness about the killing. Many people walk down Broadway unaware they are passing an execution site.

Fewer people know about the site just one block away in the CVS parking lot, where SAPD shot unarmed Salvadoran immigrant Miguel Chavez in 2022. At least eight officers chased his vehicle into the lot and surrounded him with guns drawn. Officers Jonathan Chavez and Sean Anthis fired three “less-lethal” rounds into Miguel Chavez and Officer Mark Shifflett sicced a police dog on him. Chavez died two days later from bite injuries. The death was ruled a homicide by the coroner, but all three officers were cleared of wrongdoing by Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer, two years after the killing.

In Santa Ana police are largely shielded from accountability. The “Critical Incident Reports” they must share within 45 days smear the victim and justify police actions. While Miguel Chavez had no criminal record or history of drug use to be used against him, officers said they saw a weapon, but no weapon was found. Meanwhile, these reports are not required to share officer names. As a result, when impacted families and the public are most desperate for answers, they don’t learn about which officers are responsible or about their history of violence.

That is why CSO OC is in the process of building a campaign to demand that SAPD release officer names after police killings. Rain Mendoza, a member of CSO, said, “Our demand comes from impacted families and our study of police policy in Santa Ana. The demand is part of a step-by-step process in which we take power from the police who repress and kill us, and we give that power back to the people.”

To get involved in CSO OC’s police accountability campaign, reach out to us on our social media, @cso.oc on Instagram, Orange County CSO on Facebook, or email us at orangecountycso@gmail.com.

#SantaAnaCA #InJusticeSystem #ChicanoLatino #CommunityControlofthePolice #CSOOC

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/santa-ana-police-department-kills-man-in-a-spray-of-bullets Fri, 13 Dec 2024 00:12:27 +0000 Santa Ana protests after Trump election https://fightbacknews.org/santa-ana-protests-after-trump-election?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Santa Ana, California protest against Trump election. | Staff/Fight Back! News Santa Ana, CA - On Wednesday, November 6 almost 30 community members and activists united to call people to action following Donald Trump’s election. The rally was held on the intersection of Bristol and McFadden, where hundreds protested in 2020 after the killing of George Floyd. Abe Quintana of the Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) kicked off the rally by stating, “Trump’s victory is the result of the built-in failure of the two party system,” and “both the Democrats and Republicans can never bring real change to our everyday lives as working people.” David Pulido of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) then spoke about what a Trump presidency will bring, stating, “We can expect attacks on the immigrant community. We can expect attacks on labor rights. We can expect attacks on reproductive and LGBTQ rights. We can expect the use of police to repress people’s movements, and more police killings. And we can expect the administration to continue supporting Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people.” He called people to action, stating “we who live in the belly of the beast of the U.S. empire have a responsibility to all who suffer from its policies abroad” to organize and fight back. Maria Ceja from Tenants United Santa Ana (TUSA) spoke about their victory in winning rent control for Santa Ana. She emphasized that it took years of work and fighting against the police association, apartment association, and real estate association that are all backed by millions of dollars. Ceja stated, “I would like to note that this work would have not been possible if it hadn’t been for the years and years of work and dedication and the blood, sweat and tears of community members here in Santa Ana.” Patricia Flores from OC Environmental Justice (OCEJ) urged people to act without waiting for help from politicians and non-profits, stating, “My only hope is that the people who were waiting for a savior still in 2024 will use this opportunity to organize in their communities to make sure we never have to wait for a savior again.” Protesters then picketed intersections, chanting “Not another nickel, not another dime! No more money for Israel’s crimes!” and “Don’t let cops run this city!” as cars passing by honked in support. Emma Gottfried of CSO OC spoke of Trump’s election and the likelihood of the expansion of police power and repression. She spoke of CSO OC’s campaign to hire an Independent Oversight Director (IOD) for the Santa Ana Police Oversight Commission. The commission was established two years ago but has not performed any investigations due to the lack of an IOD. Gottfried stated “Santa Ana deserves better! When the police commit crimes, they need to be held accountable. The people of Santa Ana deserve a functioning police oversight body. That is why we are demanding that the city council appoint an independent oversight director.” Protesters then chanted “SAPD, KKK, IDF they’re all the same” and “La migra, la policia, la misma porqueria!” Stef Dorantes of CSO OC closed out the rally with a strong call to action, “We cannot let them weaken our resolve. We have to let our fierce love for one another drive us to struggle. We must unite and struggle for liberation for all of us because politicians won’t do that for us! We must come together to fight for an end to the genocide! We need to come together and fight for our rights! We need to come together and fight for police accountability! So please join us at CSO OC and we can struggle together!” The rally was organized by CSO OC and endorsed by TUSA, OCEJ, US Palestinian Community Network, FRSO, OC Environmental Justice, and more. To get involved in CSO OC’s campaign for police accountability, email orangecountycso@gmail.com or contact us on Instagram @cso.oc. #SantaAnaCA #CA #PeoplesStruggles #Trump #CSOOC div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Santa Ana, California protest against Trump election. | Staff/Fight Back! News

Santa Ana, CA – On Wednesday, November 6 almost 30 community members and activists united to call people to action following Donald Trump’s election. The rally was held on the intersection of Bristol and McFadden, where hundreds protested in 2020 after the killing of George Floyd.

Abe Quintana of the Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) kicked off the rally by stating, “Trump’s victory is the result of the built-in failure of the two party system,” and “both the Democrats and Republicans can never bring real change to our everyday lives as working people.”

David Pulido of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) then spoke about what a Trump presidency will bring, stating, “We can expect attacks on the immigrant community. We can expect attacks on labor rights. We can expect attacks on reproductive and LGBTQ rights. We can expect the use of police to repress people’s movements, and more police killings. And we can expect the administration to continue supporting Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people.” He called people to action, stating “we who live in the belly of the beast of the U.S. empire have a responsibility to all who suffer from its policies abroad” to organize and fight back.

Maria Ceja from Tenants United Santa Ana (TUSA) spoke about their victory in winning rent control for Santa Ana. She emphasized that it took years of work and fighting against the police association, apartment association, and real estate association that are all backed by millions of dollars. Ceja stated, “I would like to note that this work would have not been possible if it hadn’t been for the years and years of work and dedication and the blood, sweat and tears of community members here in Santa Ana.”

Patricia Flores from OC Environmental Justice (OCEJ) urged people to act without waiting for help from politicians and non-profits, stating, “My only hope is that the people who were waiting for a savior still in 2024 will use this opportunity to organize in their communities to make sure we never have to wait for a savior again.”

Protesters then picketed intersections, chanting “Not another nickel, not another dime! No more money for Israel’s crimes!” and “Don’t let cops run this city!” as cars passing by honked in support.

Emma Gottfried of CSO OC spoke of Trump’s election and the likelihood of the expansion of police power and repression. She spoke of CSO OC’s campaign to hire an Independent Oversight Director (IOD) for the Santa Ana Police Oversight Commission. The commission was established two years ago but has not performed any investigations due to the lack of an IOD. Gottfried stated “Santa Ana deserves better! When the police commit crimes, they need to be held accountable. The people of Santa Ana deserve a functioning police oversight body. That is why we are demanding that the city council appoint an independent oversight director.”

Protesters then chanted “SAPD, KKK, IDF they’re all the same” and “La migra, la policia, la misma porqueria!”

Stef Dorantes of CSO OC closed out the rally with a strong call to action, “We cannot let them weaken our resolve. We have to let our fierce love for one another drive us to struggle. We must unite and struggle for liberation for all of us because politicians won’t do that for us! We must come together to fight for an end to the genocide! We need to come together and fight for our rights! We need to come together and fight for police accountability! So please join us at CSO OC and we can struggle together!”

The rally was organized by CSO OC and endorsed by TUSA, OCEJ, US Palestinian Community Network, FRSO, OC Environmental Justice, and more. To get involved in CSO OC’s campaign for police accountability, email orangecountycso@gmail.com or contact us on Instagram @cso.oc.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #PeoplesStruggles #Trump #CSOOC

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/santa-ana-protests-after-trump-election Wed, 13 Nov 2024 03:13:31 +0000 Santa Ana commemorates one-year anniversary of Al-Aqsa Flood https://fightbacknews.org/santa-ana-commemorates-one-year-anniversary-of-al-aqsa-flood?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Santa Ana, California pro-Palestine event marks one year of resistance to genocide. | Staff/Fight Back! News Santa Ana, CA - On October 6, activists and community members gathered for a film screening of The Night Won’t End: Biden’s War on Gaza followed by a discussion on the U.S.’s role in the ongoing genocide against Palestinians. The event began with Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) member Diana Terreros explaining the significance of the Palestinian resistance operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023 and the subsequent brutal attacks Israel launched against Palestine. !--more-- On the role U.S. companies play in the genocide, Terreros said, “U.S. companies such as Disney fund and support Israel, and many of them, like Amazon and Google have contracts with Israel and therefore profit from it. Without the support from the U.S., Israel could not keep this genocide going on this massive scale.” This was followed by chants of “Free free Palestine!” and “Not another nickel, not another dime, no more money for Israel's crimes!” After the film, CSO OC member Stefanie Dorantes spoke on why Israeli officials’ approach after Al-Aqsa Flood was “a complete siege on Gaza” to ensure it would not return to what it was before, explaining that genocide was always part of the Israeli project. “Israel's mission from the beginning was always to eradicate Palestine. They don’t want Palestine to exist,” said Dorantes. David Pulido, member of Freedom Road Socialist organization, stated, “The U.S. doesn’t support Israel for moral reasons. Israel is a projection of U.S. power in the region. The U.S. tries to control the flow and stability of resources like oil all around the world, including in the Middle East. It also wants to suppress challenges to its power in the region, not only from other capitalists but also from countries trying to exercise control over their own governments and economies, such as Iran or Yemen.” CSO OC member Rain Mendoza made the connection between Israeli armed forces and the police in the U.S., stating, “The way Israeli armed forces act with impunity reminds me of the way cops in the U.S. kill working-class and nationally oppressed people while rarely facing any legal repercussions. Also, whenever police kill people, the first thing the department and media do is smear the victim and create a narrative of how the murderous officer handled the situation appropriately and feared for their life. This is the same narrative the Israel government has taken up, always claiming that they have a right to defend themselves.” As the event came to an end Terreros closed out the discussion stating, “The resistance shown by the people of Palestine, the Palestinian liberation movement, and protesters around the world has been inspiring and has made it clear that the people will not stand by while this genocide continues, adding, “The resistance to this genocide across the globe and especially in Palestine is led by brave people who are willing to lose everything fighting for the liberation of Palestine and this resistance will be successful!” #SantaAnaCA #CA #AntiWarMovement #Palestine div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Santa Ana, California pro-Palestine event marks one year of resistance to genocide. | Staff/Fight Back! News

Santa Ana, CA – On October 6, activists and community members gathered for a film screening of The Night Won’t End: Biden’s War on Gaza followed by a discussion on the U.S.’s role in the ongoing genocide against Palestinians.

The event began with Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) member Diana Terreros explaining the significance of the Palestinian resistance operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023 and the subsequent brutal attacks Israel launched against Palestine.

On the role U.S. companies play in the genocide, Terreros said, “U.S. companies such as Disney fund and support Israel, and many of them, like Amazon and Google have contracts with Israel and therefore profit from it. Without the support from the U.S., Israel could not keep this genocide going on this massive scale.” This was followed by chants of “Free free Palestine!” and “Not another nickel, not another dime, no more money for Israel's crimes!”

After the film, CSO OC member Stefanie Dorantes spoke on why Israeli officials’ approach after Al-Aqsa Flood was “a complete siege on Gaza” to ensure it would not return to what it was before, explaining that genocide was always part of the Israeli project. “Israel's mission from the beginning was always to eradicate Palestine. They don’t want Palestine to exist,” said Dorantes.

David Pulido, member of Freedom Road Socialist organization, stated, “The U.S. doesn’t support Israel for moral reasons. Israel is a projection of U.S. power in the region. The U.S. tries to control the flow and stability of resources like oil all around the world, including in the Middle East. It also wants to suppress challenges to its power in the region, not only from other capitalists but also from countries trying to exercise control over their own governments and economies, such as Iran or Yemen.”

CSO OC member Rain Mendoza made the connection between Israeli armed forces and the police in the U.S., stating, “The way Israeli armed forces act with impunity reminds me of the way cops in the U.S. kill working-class and nationally oppressed people while rarely facing any legal repercussions. Also, whenever police kill people, the first thing the department and media do is smear the victim and create a narrative of how the murderous officer handled the situation appropriately and feared for their life. This is the same narrative the Israel government has taken up, always claiming that they have a right to defend themselves.”

As the event came to an end Terreros closed out the discussion stating, “The resistance shown by the people of Palestine, the Palestinian liberation movement, and protesters around the world has been inspiring and has made it clear that the people will not stand by while this genocide continues, adding, “The resistance to this genocide across the globe and especially in Palestine is led by brave people who are willing to lose everything fighting for the liberation of Palestine and this resistance will be successful!”

#SantaAnaCA #CA #AntiWarMovement #Palestine

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/santa-ana-commemorates-one-year-anniversary-of-al-aqsa-flood Wed, 09 Oct 2024 19:44:34 +0000 Orange County commemorates the 54th Chicano Moratorium https://fightbacknews.org/orange-county-commemorates-the-54th-chicano-moratorium?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Orange County commemoration of the Chicano Moratorium. | Staff/Fight Back! News Santa Ana, CA - On August 10, nearly 40 people packed into the Studio of El Centro Cultural de México to hear five panelists speak on a wide range of topics affecting Chicanos. This event, commemorating the 54th Chicano Moratorium, was organized by Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC). Before the panel began, Diana Terreros, a founding member of CSO OC, led a chant to honor and remember the name of Abigail Lopez, who was tragically murdered at the hands of Anaheim Police Department in 2023. !--more-- A special video presentation from Frank Chapman, executive director of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR), kicked off the panel, where he went over the history of the struggle for community control of the police and how to build a mass movement to fight for it. As part of that struggle, he stressed the importance of working with impacted families by saying “most families victimized by police crimes aren’t calling for abolition. They want justice right now. We fight with the families to achieve that justice. They are demanding that the police are held accountable.” The panelists covered topics ranging Chicano self-determination, community control of the police, the struggle for Palestinian liberation, the working-class and immigration struggles. When the panel was asked “Why do some of us use ‘Chicano’ and not ‘Latino’ or ‘Mexican American’?” Rain Mendoza, a member of CSO OC, spoke on her personal experiences growing up with Mexican parents, stating that she did not “connect with Mexican culture in that way, I didn’t grow up there” and she uses the term Chicano as “it’s more political, there is a history of struggle there, a people’s struggle.” When asked about the demand for Chicano self-determination she stated, “As a people we are so very oppressed and historically have been so, culturally, economically and politically - we need self-determination and the political power to live our lives the way we want to live them.” On the question of working-class struggles through history, Michelle Sanchez, former chair of MEChA de UCI, traced the rights of workers to their current status. She explains that workers had to “fight for the right to be considered human.” When asked why most U.S. politicians continue to unwaveringly support Israel, Sylvia Hernandez of Nuestras Manos, a domestic workers’ rights advocacy group, emphasized, “War is and always has been a business; our communities gain nothing from this transaction.” It is crystal clear to workers that while the U.S. supports a genocide, we are the ones stuck with the bill. This event was CSO OC’s first local Chicano Moratorium event and was composed of panelists from Nuestras Manos, MEChA de UCI, Centro CSO, CSO OC and Chicanxs Unidxs. CSO OC is looking forward to hosting more forums of public discussion to aid in the fight for Chicano self-determination and community control of the police. If you are interested in joining in these fights join CSO OC. Follow them on Instagram at cso.oc, Facebook at Orange County CSO, or email at orangecountycso@gmail.com. #SantaAnaCA #CA #OppressedNationalities #ChicanoLatino #ChicanoMoratorium #CentroCSO #CSOOC #NAARPR #feature div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Orange County commemoration of the Chicano Moratorium. | Staff/Fight Back! News

Santa Ana, CA – On August 10, nearly 40 people packed into the Studio of El Centro Cultural de México to hear five panelists speak on a wide range of topics affecting Chicanos. This event, commemorating the 54th Chicano Moratorium, was organized by Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC).

Before the panel began, Diana Terreros, a founding member of CSO OC, led a chant to honor and remember the name of Abigail Lopez, who was tragically murdered at the hands of Anaheim Police Department in 2023.

A special video presentation from Frank Chapman, executive director of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR), kicked off the panel, where he went over the history of the struggle for community control of the police and how to build a mass movement to fight for it. As part of that struggle, he stressed the importance of working with impacted families by saying “most families victimized by police crimes aren’t calling for abolition. They want justice right now. We fight with the families to achieve that justice. They are demanding that the police are held accountable.”

The panelists covered topics ranging Chicano self-determination, community control of the police, the struggle for Palestinian liberation, the working-class and immigration struggles.

When the panel was asked “Why do some of us use ‘Chicano’ and not ‘Latino’ or ‘Mexican American’?” Rain Mendoza, a member of CSO OC, spoke on her personal experiences growing up with Mexican parents, stating that she did not “connect with Mexican culture in that way, I didn’t grow up there” and she uses the term Chicano as “it’s more political, there is a history of struggle there, a people’s struggle.” When asked about the demand for Chicano self-determination she stated, “As a people we are so very oppressed and historically have been so, culturally, economically and politically – we need self-determination and the political power to live our lives the way we want to live them.”

On the question of working-class struggles through history, Michelle Sanchez, former chair of MEChA de UCI, traced the rights of workers to their current status. She explains that workers had to “fight for the right to be considered human.”

When asked why most U.S. politicians continue to unwaveringly support Israel, Sylvia Hernandez of Nuestras Manos, a domestic workers’ rights advocacy group, emphasized, “War is and always has been a business; our communities gain nothing from this transaction.” It is crystal clear to workers that while the U.S. supports a genocide, we are the ones stuck with the bill.

This event was CSO OC’s first local Chicano Moratorium event and was composed of panelists from Nuestras Manos, MEChA de UCI, Centro CSO, CSO OC and Chicanxs Unidxs. CSO OC is looking forward to hosting more forums of public discussion to aid in the fight for Chicano self-determination and community control of the police. If you are interested in joining in these fights join CSO OC. Follow them on Instagram at cso.oc, Facebook at Orange County CSO, or email at orangecountycso@gmail.com.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #OppressedNationalities #ChicanoLatino #ChicanoMoratorium #CentroCSO #CSOOC #NAARPR #feature

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/orange-county-commemorates-the-54th-chicano-moratorium Fri, 30 Aug 2024 22:48:07 +0000 Santa Ana rallies for International Workers Day https://fightbacknews.org/santa-ana-rallies-for-international-workers-day?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[International Workers Day march Santa Ana, California. | Fight Back! News/staff Santa Ana, CA - On Wednesday, May 1, over 100 people gathered to rally and march for International Workers Day at El Centro Cultural de Mexico. The event brought forth demands such as legalization for all of the undocumented, community control of the police, solidarity with Palestine, permanent rent control, and more. !--more-- The rally began with community members hearing about the origins and the significance of May Day. It started in Chicago in 1886 when workers were striking for an eight-hour workday, among other demands. They were attacked by police and four strike organizers were publicly executed. After the opening rally, the march began as the crowd took to the streets chanting, “Free Palestine!” and “la migra, la policia, la misma porqueria!” The first stop was in front of the Santa Ana Police Department where David Pulido, a member of Community Service Organization, Orange County (CSO OC) brought attention to a police gang that is forming in the Major Enforcement Team. Pulido stated, “MET officers sexually assaulted a fifteen-year-old girl at a family restaurant. The Department of Internal Affairs sabotaged the investigation, and no officers were held accountable.” Daniel Jimenez, another member of CSO OC, talked about the Santa Ana Police Officers Association (POA) and the funding they provide to council members’ campaigns, including $209,332 for Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua. A cardboard cutout of her with devil horns and a “for sale” sign could be seen in the crowd as Jimenez stated, “If councilmembers don’t vote the way the POA likes, they fund recall campaigns against those members.” He and Pulido underscored the need for community control of the police to prevent this corruption and lack of police accountability. Diana Terreros, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), spoke about the connection between May Day and immigrant rights struggles. Torreros stated, “The more rights immigrant workers have, the less the capitalists will be able to exploit them and other workers. To fight this super exploitation, we must demand legalization for all of the undocumented. This will give immigrants rights and protections without requiring them to become citizens of a country who is responsible for the destabilization of their home countries.” At a stop in front of Black Panther Park, Maria Torres, a speaker from Nuestra Manos, a domestic workers organization, stated, “I invite you to not forget this day as the beginning of the fight for workers. Join local organizations to continue standing up for and learning our rights. If we do not fight, we do not win.” Carlos Perea, a speaker for Harbor Institute for Immigrant & Economic Justice, spoke about the recent wins the residents of Santa Ana have acquired, including rent control, a police oversight commission and more, despite the corrupt councilmembers. He shouted “Shame on Mayor Amezcua for selling out her community! Are we going to stand for that?” and the crowd enthusiastically responded “No!” Another stop was made in front of a statue of Alex Odeh, a Palestinian-American activist who was killed in Santa Ana in 1985 after a Zionist-planted pipe bomb detonated when he opened the door to the office of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. At this stop, a statement from the Palestinian Youth Movement was shared where they stated, “We appreciate those who have taken action in any ways that they could to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people and the Palestinian cause,” and called for continuing to boycott and disrupt U.S. companies that are funding and aiding Israel. The crowd returned to El Centro Cultural de Mexico to enjoy live entertainment that consisted of baile folklorico and poetry readings. One poem from CSO OC member Rain Mendoza addressed the recent collapse of a Baltimore bridge leading to the death of six immigrant workers, highlighting again the connection of International Worker’s Day and immigrant rights. The event was put on by a coalition of organizations including: El Centro Cultural de Mexico, Colectivo Tonantzin, CSO OC, Orange County Environmental Justice, Chicanxs Unidxs, VietRISE, FRSO, and others. #SantaAnaCA #CA #Labor #ImmigrantRights #MayDay #FRSO #CentroCSO #CSOOC div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> International Workers Day march Santa Ana, California. | Fight Back! News/staff

Santa Ana, CA – On Wednesday, May 1, over 100 people gathered to rally and march for International Workers Day at El Centro Cultural de Mexico. The event brought forth demands such as legalization for all of the undocumented, community control of the police, solidarity with Palestine, permanent rent control, and more.

The rally began with community members hearing about the origins and the significance of May Day. It started in Chicago in 1886 when workers were striking for an eight-hour workday, among other demands. They were attacked by police and four strike organizers were publicly executed.

After the opening rally, the march began as the crowd took to the streets chanting, “Free Palestine!” and “la migra, la policia, la misma porqueria!”

The first stop was in front of the Santa Ana Police Department where David Pulido, a member of Community Service Organization, Orange County (CSO OC) brought attention to a police gang that is forming in the Major Enforcement Team. Pulido stated, “MET officers sexually assaulted a fifteen-year-old girl at a family restaurant. The Department of Internal Affairs sabotaged the investigation, and no officers were held accountable.”

Daniel Jimenez, another member of CSO OC, talked about the Santa Ana Police Officers Association (POA) and the funding they provide to council members’ campaigns, including $209,332 for Santa Ana Mayor Valerie Amezcua. A cardboard cutout of her with devil horns and a “for sale” sign could be seen in the crowd as Jimenez stated, “If councilmembers don’t vote the way the POA likes, they fund recall campaigns against those members.” He and Pulido underscored the need for community control of the police to prevent this corruption and lack of police accountability.

Diana Terreros, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), spoke about the connection between May Day and immigrant rights struggles. Torreros stated, “The more rights immigrant workers have, the less the capitalists will be able to exploit them and other workers. To fight this super exploitation, we must demand legalization for all of the undocumented. This will give immigrants rights and protections without requiring them to become citizens of a country who is responsible for the destabilization of their home countries.”

At a stop in front of Black Panther Park, Maria Torres, a speaker from Nuestra Manos, a domestic workers organization, stated, “I invite you to not forget this day as the beginning of the fight for workers. Join local organizations to continue standing up for and learning our rights. If we do not fight, we do not win.”

Carlos Perea, a speaker for Harbor Institute for Immigrant & Economic Justice, spoke about the recent wins the residents of Santa Ana have acquired, including rent control, a police oversight commission and more, despite the corrupt councilmembers. He shouted “Shame on Mayor Amezcua for selling out her community! Are we going to stand for that?” and the crowd enthusiastically responded “No!”

Another stop was made in front of a statue of Alex Odeh, a Palestinian-American activist who was killed in Santa Ana in 1985 after a Zionist-planted pipe bomb detonated when he opened the door to the office of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. At this stop, a statement from the Palestinian Youth Movement was shared where they stated, “We appreciate those who have taken action in any ways that they could to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people and the Palestinian cause,” and called for continuing to boycott and disrupt U.S. companies that are funding and aiding Israel.

The crowd returned to El Centro Cultural de Mexico to enjoy live entertainment that consisted of baile folklorico and poetry readings. One poem from CSO OC member Rain Mendoza addressed the recent collapse of a Baltimore bridge leading to the death of six immigrant workers, highlighting again the connection of International Worker’s Day and immigrant rights.

The event was put on by a coalition of organizations including: El Centro Cultural de Mexico, Colectivo Tonantzin, CSO OC, Orange County Environmental Justice, Chicanxs Unidxs, VietRISE, FRSO, and others.

#SantaAnaCA #CA #Labor #ImmigrantRights #MayDay #FRSO #CentroCSO #CSOOC

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/santa-ana-rallies-for-international-workers-day Wed, 08 May 2024 22:06:34 +0000 Santa Ana rallies for International Women's Day https://fightbacknews.org/santa-ana-rallies-for-international-womens-day?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Some to the participants in Santa Ana, California International Women's Day event. | Fight Back! News/staff Santa Ana, CA - “Capitalism has no interest in ending women’s oppression because it benefits from it! We must eradicate gender-based oppression at its source,” declared Rain Mendoza to over 30 attendees at Community Service Organization Orange County’s (CSO OC) first International Women’s Day on Saturday, March 9. !--more-- Chants of “When women’s’ rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!” and “Si tocan a una, respondemos todas!” filled the park as community members and leaders alike gathered around the stage. Speakers addressed their demands for International Women’s Day including reproductive rights, LGBTQ liberation, equal pay for equal work, ending gender violence, and standing in solidarity with the women of Palestine. Emma Gottfried, member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), spoke on the history of International Women’s Day, explaining how it originally commemorated the labor struggle of garment and needle workers of New York City in 1908. Gottfried also spoke on reactionary attacks on LGBTQ people across the country and in California, explaining that recently defeated bill AB 1314 “would have forcibly required teachers and faculty members to out children to their parents if, while they are in school, they identify with a different gender then they were assigned or engage in activities designed for the opposite sex”. Similar bills have since passed, endangering trans youth. Gottfried ended with a call to action, “We have to fight for systematic change for full LGBTQ liberation!” Diana Terreros, member of CSO OC spoke of a California law that until 2010 legally allowed forced sterilizations of countless Chicana, African American and other oppressed nationality women. She ended her speech with a demand, “We need comprehensive reproductive rights that include not only the right to abortion but also the right to have children without economic barriers and an end to forced sterilizations.” Jenny Bekenstein, shop steward and active member of the Teamsters union, bridged the roots of International Women’s Day in the labor struggle to the present. She spoke about the recent UPS contract fight. “Because we posed a credible strike threat, the company gave into almost all of our demands a week before the strike was going to happen.” She explained the significance for women, pointing out “the part-time classification has the most women because they have to take care of their families and take on the household work. We were at minimum wage and we won a 50% wage increase over the next five years.” Noor Aljawad, member of the US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), described how islamophobia paints Muslim men to be “barbaric oppressive creatures,” and Muslim women to be “agentless, powerless and oppressed.” She pointed out the hypocrisy stating, “there is fake concern for humanity and liberation of Muslim women that has historically been used to justify killing Muslim people.” Referring to Israel, she asked, “If they care about queer rights and women’s rights, why are they so willing to kill them en masse?” The event went on with more chants, “When Palestinian women are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” Jay Perez recounted heroic stories of women in her personal life defending other women from male violence, statiang, “May we all fight for each other the way my mom fought for a stranger. May we be as fearless and unstoppable as the woman that protected my mom. May we not hesitate to scream and shove and fight back at the forces oppressing us with everything we have!” The event was organized by CSO OC and included attendees and speakers from USPCN, OC Environmental Justice, Sullivan en Accion, and FRSO. #SantaAnaCA #OCCA #CA #WomensMovement #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #InternationalWomensDay #Palestine #CSOOC #USPCN #OCEJ #FRSO div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Some to the participants in Santa Ana, California International Women's Day event. | Fight Back! News/staff

Santa Ana, CA – “Capitalism has no interest in ending women’s oppression because it benefits from it! We must eradicate gender-based oppression at its source,” declared Rain Mendoza to over 30 attendees at Community Service Organization Orange County’s (CSO OC) first International Women’s Day on Saturday, March 9.

Chants of “When women’s’ rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!” and “Si tocan a una, respondemos todas!” filled the park as community members and leaders alike gathered around the stage. Speakers addressed their demands for International Women’s Day including reproductive rights, LGBTQ liberation, equal pay for equal work, ending gender violence, and standing in solidarity with the women of Palestine.

Emma Gottfried, member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), spoke on the history of International Women’s Day, explaining how it originally commemorated the labor struggle of garment and needle workers of New York City in 1908. Gottfried also spoke on reactionary attacks on LGBTQ people across the country and in California, explaining that recently defeated bill AB 1314 “would have forcibly required teachers and faculty members to out children to their parents if, while they are in school, they identify with a different gender then they were assigned or engage in activities designed for the opposite sex”. Similar bills have since passed, endangering trans youth. Gottfried ended with a call to action, “We have to fight for systematic change for full LGBTQ liberation!”

Diana Terreros, member of CSO OC spoke of a California law that until 2010 legally allowed forced sterilizations of countless Chicana, African American and other oppressed nationality women. She ended her speech with a demand, “We need comprehensive reproductive rights that include not only the right to abortion but also the right to have children without economic barriers and an end to forced sterilizations.”

Jenny Bekenstein, shop steward and active member of the Teamsters union, bridged the roots of International Women’s Day in the labor struggle to the present. She spoke about the recent UPS contract fight. “Because we posed a credible strike threat, the company gave into almost all of our demands a week before the strike was going to happen.” She explained the significance for women, pointing out “the part-time classification has the most women because they have to take care of their families and take on the household work. We were at minimum wage and we won a 50% wage increase over the next five years.”

Noor Aljawad, member of the US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), described how islamophobia paints Muslim men to be “barbaric oppressive creatures,” and Muslim women to be “agentless, powerless and oppressed.” She pointed out the hypocrisy stating, “there is fake concern for humanity and liberation of Muslim women that has historically been used to justify killing Muslim people.” Referring to Israel, she asked, “If they care about queer rights and women’s rights, why are they so willing to kill them en masse?”

The event went on with more chants, “When Palestinian women are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”

Jay Perez recounted heroic stories of women in her personal life defending other women from male violence, statiang, “May we all fight for each other the way my mom fought for a stranger. May we be as fearless and unstoppable as the woman that protected my mom. May we not hesitate to scream and shove and fight back at the forces oppressing us with everything we have!”

The event was organized by CSO OC and included attendees and speakers from USPCN, OC Environmental Justice, Sullivan en Accion, and FRSO.

#SantaAnaCA #OCCA #CA #WomensMovement #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #InternationalWomensDay #Palestine #CSOOC #USPCN #OCEJ #FRSO

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/santa-ana-rallies-for-international-womens-day Fri, 15 Mar 2024 17:36:31 +0000 California: Gaza walkout rally in Orange County https://fightbacknews.org/california-gaza-walkout-rally-in-orange-county?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Orange County walkout in solidarity with Palestine. | Fight Back! News/staff Santa Ana, CA - On Wednesday, October 25, chants of “When people are occupied, resistance is justified!” and “Not another nickel! Not another dollar! No more money for Israel’s slaughter!” filled the streets of Santa Ana as over 50 people rallied outside the Ronald Reagan Federal Building to protest Israeli occupation of Palestine. !--more-- This rally occurred as part of a national student walkout for the following demands: for the University of California system to divest from weapon’s manufacturers arming Israel’s genocide in Gaza; for Israel to end its siege on Gaza, and for the U.S. to end its funding for Israel. A representative of SoCal Students for Justice in Palestine put the bombing of Gaza in historical context, going back to 1948, when “the violent expulsion of indigenous Palestinian people displaced over 600,000 Palestinians.” She also called out the UC school system for its complicity in funding Israel’s genocide in Gaza, which includes the use of “internationally prohibited weapons such as white phosphorus shells and new chemical weaponry, burning victims beyond recognition.” An organizer with the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition supported student demands for universities to divest from the weapons manufacturers that profit from Israeli occupation, stating, “These same weapons manufacturers produce tools to police and surveil our communities here and at the U.S./Mexico border.” A member of Anakbayan Long Beach spoke in solidarity with Palestine, stressing that they support “the people of Palestine as they fight for liberation from the U.S.-backed Zionist settler-colonialist state.” The speaker underscored not only the U.S. role in maintaining the occupation of Palestine, but also of the resistance of the Palestinian people, who continue to “fight resolutely for their land and liberation, even in the face of the unrelenting Israeli military siege in Gaza.” The rally concluded with chants such as, “From the belly of the beast! No justice, no peace!” and “Free, free, free Palestine!” #SantaAnaCA #Palestine #SJP #Anakbayan div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Orange County walkout in solidarity with Palestine. | Fight Back! News/staff

Santa Ana, CA – On Wednesday, October 25, chants of “When people are occupied, resistance is justified!” and “Not another nickel! Not another dollar! No more money for Israel’s slaughter!” filled the streets of Santa Ana as over 50 people rallied outside the Ronald Reagan Federal Building to protest Israeli occupation of Palestine.

This rally occurred as part of a national student walkout for the following demands: for the University of California system to divest from weapon’s manufacturers arming Israel’s genocide in Gaza; for Israel to end its siege on Gaza, and for the U.S. to end its funding for Israel.

A representative of SoCal Students for Justice in Palestine put the bombing of Gaza in historical context, going back to 1948, when “the violent expulsion of indigenous Palestinian people displaced over 600,000 Palestinians.” She also called out the UC school system for its complicity in funding Israel’s genocide in Gaza, which includes the use of “internationally prohibited weapons such as white phosphorus shells and new chemical weaponry, burning victims beyond recognition.”

An organizer with the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition supported student demands for universities to divest from the weapons manufacturers that profit from Israeli occupation, stating, “These same weapons manufacturers produce tools to police and surveil our communities here and at the U.S./Mexico border.”

A member of Anakbayan Long Beach spoke in solidarity with Palestine, stressing that they support “the people of Palestine as they fight for liberation from the U.S.-backed Zionist settler-colonialist state.” The speaker underscored not only the U.S. role in maintaining the occupation of Palestine, but also of the resistance of the Palestinian people, who continue to “fight resolutely for their land and liberation, even in the face of the unrelenting Israeli military siege in Gaza.”

The rally concluded with chants such as, “From the belly of the beast! No justice, no peace!” and “Free, free, free Palestine!”

#SantaAnaCA #Palestine #SJP #Anakbayan

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/california-gaza-walkout-rally-in-orange-county Sun, 29 Oct 2023 02:08:09 +0000 Santa Ana rallies in solidarity with the Tampa 5 https://fightbacknews.org/santa-ana-rallies-solidarity-tampa-5?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Rally in Santa Ana, CA demands justice for the Tampa 5.") Santa Ana, CA - On August 9, chants of “When the Tampa 5 are under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!” filled the Plaza Calle Cuatro in downtown Santa Ana. A group of activists from Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC), MEChA University of California Irvine (UCI), Brown Berets, Anakbayan UCI, and community members rallied as part of a national call to protest for the Tampa 5 who are facing felony charges and up to a decade of incarceration for protesting on the University of South Florida campus. !--more-- Jay Perez, CSO OC member, kicked off the rally by speaking about the right-wing attacks on education, stating, “If schools aim to teach ethnic studies - the study of our own people's cultures and movements of resistance, like the Chicano movement and United Farm Workers that were fought for to be taught in classes - this is labeled critical race theory with conservatives making the claim that these topics are divisive and should be erased from the classroom.” “They don’t want us to know we can fight and win against our enemies, and they want to take away the gains the people have made for oppressed students at universities,” David Pulido, member of CSO OC, stated about the reason these attacks on education are taking place. He also discussed the role of the police in these struggles for equality. “As seen in the case of the Tampa 5, the police have never been on the side of the people or our struggles for freedom and equality. Despite this, city budgets are swallowed up by police departments. That’s the case here in Santa Ana, where so-called ‘Public Protection’ claimed almost 60% of the budget last year.” Michelle Sanchez, co-chair of MEChA at UCI, stated “You’re likely wondering at this point, why Chicanos like us are protesting against DeSantis and efforts to remove diversity programs in Florida. We too have experienced centuries of repression, decades of attempted removal, and years of mistreatment for seeking so much as respect.” She then recounted stories of Chicano oppression from the Zoot Suit Riots to the Chicano Walkouts to the murder of Ruben Salazar at the Chicano Moratorium in 1970. “We are still unequal. We see this in action with DeSantis and his reign of anti-POC policy making.” She ended by saying that “We cannot allow this man’s anti-diversity rhetoric to permeate more Chicano communities statewide and nationally.” Rain Mendoza, member of CSO OC, recalled an incident at UCI where the campus police brutalized and arrested an African American woman for attempting to enter the admissions building where a wildcat strike was being held. “This all goes back to police repression. So it’s important that we stand up for the Tampa 5 today and for all people who have been arrested for simply trying to find their path towards liberation.” The Tampa 5 will be going on a national speaking tour later this year leading up to their next pretrial hearing in December. You can support the Tampa 5 by signing the petition at peoplespetitions.org/tampa5. #SantaAnaCA #PoliticalRepression #Tampa5 div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Rally in Santa Ana, CA demands justice for the Tampa 5.

Santa Ana, CA – On August 9, chants of “When the Tampa 5 are under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!” filled the Plaza Calle Cuatro in downtown Santa Ana. A group of activists from Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC), MEChA University of California Irvine (UCI), Brown Berets, Anakbayan UCI, and community members rallied as part of a national call to protest for the Tampa 5 who are facing felony charges and up to a decade of incarceration for protesting on the University of South Florida campus.

Jay Perez, CSO OC member, kicked off the rally by speaking about the right-wing attacks on education, stating, “If schools aim to teach ethnic studies – the study of our own people's cultures and movements of resistance, like the Chicano movement and United Farm Workers that were fought for to be taught in classes – this is labeled critical race theory with conservatives making the claim that these topics are divisive and should be erased from the classroom.”

“They don’t want us to know we can fight and win against our enemies, and they want to take away the gains the people have made for oppressed students at universities,” David Pulido, member of CSO OC, stated about the reason these attacks on education are taking place. He also discussed the role of the police in these struggles for equality. “As seen in the case of the Tampa 5, the police have never been on the side of the people or our struggles for freedom and equality. Despite this, city budgets are swallowed up by police departments. That’s the case here in Santa Ana, where so-called ‘Public Protection’ claimed almost 60% of the budget last year.”

Michelle Sanchez, co-chair of MEChA at UCI, stated “You’re likely wondering at this point, why Chicanos like us are protesting against DeSantis and efforts to remove diversity programs in Florida. We too have experienced centuries of repression, decades of attempted removal, and years of mistreatment for seeking so much as respect.” She then recounted stories of Chicano oppression from the Zoot Suit Riots to the Chicano Walkouts to the murder of Ruben Salazar at the Chicano Moratorium in 1970. “We are still unequal. We see this in action with DeSantis and his reign of anti-POC policy making.” She ended by saying that “We cannot allow this man’s anti-diversity rhetoric to permeate more Chicano communities statewide and nationally.”

Rain Mendoza, member of CSO OC, recalled an incident at UCI where the campus police brutalized and arrested an African American woman for attempting to enter the admissions building where a wildcat strike was being held. “This all goes back to police repression. So it’s important that we stand up for the Tampa 5 today and for all people who have been arrested for simply trying to find their path towards liberation.”

The Tampa 5 will be going on a national speaking tour later this year leading up to their next pretrial hearing in December. You can support the Tampa 5 by signing the petition at peoplespetitions.org/tampa5.

#SantaAnaCA #PoliticalRepression #Tampa5

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/santa-ana-rallies-solidarity-tampa-5 Fri, 11 Aug 2023 15:04:29 +0000 Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela visits Orange County for Nakba 75 Tour https://fightbacknews.org/nkosi-zwelivelile-mandela-visits-orange-county-nakba-75-tour?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela in LA.") Santa Ana, CA – In commemoration of Nakba 75 - 75 years of Palestinian resistance against Israeli occupation and apartheid - the U.S. Palestinian Community Network and the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression organized a U.S. Nakba Day 75 tour in six cities around the U.S. !--more-- On the fourth day of the tour, May 18, Chief Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, grandson of the late Nelson Mandela, arrived in Southern California, where he was greeted by over 200 people who hailed from Arab, Chicano, Black and Native communities at Santa Ana High School in Orange County. Mandela shared his thoughts and strategies on Palestinian liberation with an energized crowd, including allies Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles, Centro CSO, CSO Orange County, Palestinian Youth Movement, and others that co-sponsored the event. “Today South Africa is free, tomorrow it will be Palestine,'' Mandela said. “We will keep telling the stories of Palestinians who lost their lives, their homes, and their villages. We will tell the story of the Nakba - the catastrophe - that continues to this very day!” People chanted “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” and brought a timely, renewed commitment to Palestine and deep solidarity among community members. Both before and after the main event, USPCN gathered organizers, activists and others to share a more intimate space for important political conversations with Mandela. Kareem Youssef from the US Palestinian Community Network emceed the event and led opening chants. ”For those of us who are Palestinian and in solidarity, we don't just know it as a time of catastrophe but as a time as a year of resistance, coming together,” Youssef said. Luis Sifuentes, member of Centro CSO and executive chair for the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR) spoke about the connection between the Zionist occupation in Palestine and the police terror that happens in the U.S., stating, “It is known that the Israeli Defense Forces are training police departments all throughout the United States. The existence of Israel is negatively impacting us here at home because they are giving material support to our oppressors. All the teargas, rubber bullets and surveillance technology that the LAPD, LASD, and the Border Patrol are receiving are all coming from Israel. That's why as Chicanos and all oppressed people here we must demand a complete end to all U.S. financial, military, diplomatic, political, cultural and social aid to Israel’s racist apartheid regime.” After the Farha Youth Dabkeh dance group performed, Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter-LA spoke about the solidarity between the Black lives matter movement and the Palestinian movement. “You can’t fight for freedom here in the United States and not fight for freedom in Palestine,'' she said “We are here as black people, as global black people, to say that our fight is your fight. And we are committed to fighting until we win.” #SantaAnaCA #Palestine #nakba #MiddleEast div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela in LA.

Santa Ana, CA – In commemoration of Nakba 75 – 75 years of Palestinian resistance against Israeli occupation and apartheid – the U.S. Palestinian Community Network and the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression organized a U.S. Nakba Day 75 tour in six cities around the U.S.

On the fourth day of the tour, May 18, Chief Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandela, grandson of the late Nelson Mandela, arrived in Southern California, where he was greeted by over 200 people who hailed from Arab, Chicano, Black and Native communities at Santa Ana High School in Orange County.

Mandela shared his thoughts and strategies on Palestinian liberation with an energized crowd, including allies Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles, Centro CSO, CSO Orange County, Palestinian Youth Movement, and others that co-sponsored the event.

“Today South Africa is free, tomorrow it will be Palestine,'' Mandela said. “We will keep telling the stories of Palestinians who lost their lives, their homes, and their villages. We will tell the story of the Nakba – the catastrophe – that continues to this very day!”

People chanted “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” and brought a timely, renewed commitment to Palestine and deep solidarity among community members. Both before and after the main event, USPCN gathered organizers, activists and others to share a more intimate space for important political conversations with Mandela.

Kareem Youssef from the US Palestinian Community Network emceed the event and led opening chants. ”For those of us who are Palestinian and in solidarity, we don't just know it as a time of catastrophe but as a time as a year of resistance, coming together,” Youssef said.

Luis Sifuentes, member of Centro CSO and executive chair for the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (NAARPR) spoke about the connection between the Zionist occupation in Palestine and the police terror that happens in the U.S., stating, “It is known that the Israeli Defense Forces are training police departments all throughout the United States. The existence of Israel is negatively impacting us here at home because they are giving material support to our oppressors. All the teargas, rubber bullets and surveillance technology that the LAPD, LASD, and the Border Patrol are receiving are all coming from Israel. That's why as Chicanos and all oppressed people here we must demand a complete end to all U.S. financial, military, diplomatic, political, cultural and social aid to Israel’s racist apartheid regime.”

After the Farha Youth Dabkeh dance group performed, Melina Abdullah, co-founder of Black Lives Matter-LA spoke about the solidarity between the Black lives matter movement and the Palestinian movement. “You can’t fight for freedom here in the United States and not fight for freedom in Palestine,'' she said “We are here as black people, as global black people, to say that our fight is your fight. And we are committed to fighting until we win.”

#SantaAnaCA #Palestine #nakba #MiddleEast

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/nkosi-zwelivelile-mandela-visits-orange-county-nakba-75-tour Wed, 28 Jun 2023 14:01:08 +0000 Mother calls for justice for son killed by police https://fightbacknews.org/mother-calls-justice-son-killed-police?pk_campaign=rss-feed <![CDATA[Enter a descriptive sentence about the photo here. Santa Ana, CA - A press conference was held October 20 to denounce the brutal killing of David Sullivan after a traffic stop by Buena Park Police on August 19, 2019 in Orange County. Chicano attorney Humberto Guizar called for the Orange County District Attorney to reopen the investigation and file charges of murder against the two involved officers. !--more-- After the press conference Guizar, Dianne Sullivan, her daughter Samantha and supporters gave public comments at the Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting calling for justice and charges against the police. Centro CSO organizer Carlos Montes called for a new investigation by the district attorney and not another cover-up. The video linked below shows that victim David Sullivan was moving slowly, unarmed, and not threatening any person when he was shot a total of seven times: https://youtu.be/4pkS2IrxR5o. Centro CSO will continue to work with families who have been victims of police killings and demand the police be charged. Centro CSO also raises the demand of community control of the police. On October 25 Centro CSO, along with Black Lives Matter-LA, will have a District Attorney Jackie Lacey must GO OUT rally and get out the vote canvassing at 10 a.m. at El Sereno Community Garden. The GOTV effort will also urge voters to vote for funding for Public Schools state initiative 15 and funding for LA County for services not police  YES on Measure J. #SantaAnaCA #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #CentroCSO #DavidSullivan div id="sharingbuttons.io"/div]]> Enter a descriptive sentence about the photo here.

Santa Ana, CA – A press conference was held October 20 to denounce the brutal killing of David Sullivan after a traffic stop by Buena Park Police on August 19, 2019 in Orange County. Chicano attorney Humberto Guizar called for the Orange County District Attorney to reopen the investigation and file charges of murder against the two involved officers.

After the press conference Guizar, Dianne Sullivan, her daughter Samantha and supporters gave public comments at the Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting calling for justice and charges against the police. Centro CSO organizer Carlos Montes called for a new investigation by the district attorney and not another cover-up.

The video linked below shows that victim David Sullivan was moving slowly, unarmed, and not threatening any person when he was shot a total of seven times: https://youtu.be/4pkS2IrxR5o.

Centro CSO will continue to work with families who have been victims of police killings and demand the police be charged. Centro CSO also raises the demand of community control of the police.

On October 25 Centro CSO, along with Black Lives Matter-LA, will have a District Attorney Jackie Lacey must GO OUT rally and get out the vote canvassing at 10 a.m. at El Sereno Community Garden. The GOTV effort will also urge voters to vote for funding for Public Schools state initiative 15 and funding for LA County for services not police  YES on Measure J.

#SantaAnaCA #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #CentroCSO #DavidSullivan

]]> https://fightbacknews.org/mother-calls-justice-son-killed-police Fri, 23 Oct 2020 12:52:08 +0000