Occupy LA - Day 4

After the struggle following the first Occupy LA General Assembly in which a small group of protesters balked at the police demand, insisted upon by the Occupy LA Security Committee, that all tents be moved to the sidewalk after 10:30pm, this group congealed into what they begin calling themselves the “Police Brutality Committee.” They did this without seeking or receiving approval of the GA.

On Sunday, the 2nd day of the occupation, this group met together the better part of the day in preparation for the evening GA. When they met as the Police Brutality Committee, they resolved to call for the disbanding of the Security Committee, which they said acted like police and took orders from the police.

Even through the LAPD has so far been exceptionally helpful and courteous, this group wants Occupy LA to refuse any cooperation with them. For example, Sunday a single police car monitored the the protest camp at city hall from across the street that at times had close to a thousand people in it. There have been no arrests and no reported incidents. When people marched on a bank Monday and went into the lobby and passed out flyers, the police didn't try to stop them. When asked why they were there by one protester, she was told they were just there to make sure the protesters didn't do something like writing on the wall. I wish I had been there. I would have told him the writing was already on the wall and that's why we are camped out on the city hall lawn.

In more personal conversations many have expressed support for our cause. This is quite understandable because the economic crisis effects them doubly. First, the impoverishment of the people means doing their job on the streets is all the harder and more dangerous. This is true whether you call it “suppressing the masses for the Man” or by any other name. Secondly, the cut backs in city budgets puts them in danger of losing even that job.

In spite of this real world situation, members of this self-appointed committee stated frankly that they didn't consider police to be part of the 99% and they wanted to be more confrontational with the police. Although their stated purpose was to raise awareness about police brutality, they have been spoiling for a fight with the police.

They were particularly steamed that protesters didn't “confront” the police when the protesters went to Occupy Metro. At the metro station the cops were also very supportive. The members of the “Police Brutality Committee” objected to the the chant “You are the 99%” being directed at the police. At their meeting many said they never would have gone if they knew it was going to be a “police love feast.”

Some of these same people dominated the facilitators meeting that set the agenda and choose the chairs for the third occupation GA. It would also appear they had influence on picking the stackers because some people had undo trouble getting on the speakers list, But when they got to the part of the agenda they had been waiting for, the report of the “Police Brutality Committee” there was such strong opposition to their proposals that they quickly tabled them without allowing discussion.

Afternoon General Assembly - Day 4

The next day, at the General Assembly, they pushed a much more limited agenda, but then they didn't have the control of the process that they had the day before. Also, someone pointed out that this committee had never been sanctioned by the General Assembly and they were forced to petition for approval. There was much opposition to approval and the matter was tabled again.

They also put up a facebook page with the misleading title “End Police Brutality at Occupy LA.” That was also met with growing opposition, so more struggle around this issue was expected at this evening's General Assembly. But that GA was facilitated by an entirely new group and with many first time attendees both from the public and the media, it wasn't dealt with then either. It is planned to work on that issue at a quieter time Wednesday.

Occupy Los Angeles with SEIU Janitors

Also Tuesday, Occupy LA did a joint demonstration with members of SEIU janitors local. About a hundred union members and an equal number from Occupy LA members marched in front of the post office on Temple Ave several blocks from city hall for about an hour. On the way back to city hall, they stopped at Michael Jackson's doctor's trial and serenaded the media camped out there with chants. Local media coverage has been growing in the past few days with TV trucks parked near the encampment most of the time. This is addition to the army of satellite trucks at the Murray trial. This local news coverage is bringing a growing number of Angelenos out to the protest.
Occupy LA protesting with the Janitors Union Two Los Angeles councilmen, Eric Garcetti and Bill Rosendahl came out of the building to talk to the protesters and hold press conferences, naturally. Tomorrow they are joining Richard Alarcon in introducing a support resolution for Occupy Los Angeles in the city council on Wednesday. The protesters plan to pack the chamber.

Also Tuesday, a representative from LA Union, the LA County AFL-CIO came by to ask our support for a joint protest of energy giant SEMPRA on October 13th. A General Assembly was called on the spot and the action was endorsed. Thursday they have another labor action planned with SEIU.

Only four days into Occupy Los Angeles and they already have gotten great labor support and significant major media coverage. The outpouring of support from the Los Angeles community has been incredible. They have not lacked for food or water or anything as so much is being sent to them by the public, everything from tents and sleeping bags to baby wipes. They received no less than three pizzas deliveries today, one was about three dozen pizzas. One protester/journalist tweeted that they had better plan a lot more actions or he was going to start gaining weight.

More and more people are joining Occupy Los Angeles everyday and this makes the growing pains like those associated with the Police Brutality committee a relatively minor concern.

It always feels like spring in Los Angeles, but this is starting to feel like an "Arab Spring."

Occupy LA – Day 3

Rain is promised later in the week but today is a another beautiful Southern California day. Today should be especially interesting because it is the first regular week day for Occupy Los Angeles. City hall will be working, downtown will be bustling and the banks will be open.

The trial of Micheal Jackson's doctor also resumes today with all the international media coverage that befits a Hollywood show trial. Satellite trucks are parked all up and down the street just a few blocks from city hall and Monday's first action, at 6:00am was a march and rally in front of the courthouse. It was very effective. The Occupy Los Angeles story stole the lead from Jackson in the local morning news cycle.

Also Monday the protest camp was obliged to move from the south lawn to the north lawn so that a film production that has scheduled a permitted shoot on the south side of city hall you proceed on schedule. This is Los Angeles after all and they have their priorities.

This afternoon. a head of the evening General Assembly, Occupy Together is leading a march through the financial district to show solidarity with the protesters arrested on Wall St. Fortunately for us, the LAPD is determined not to repeat the mistakes on the NYPD and as a result many cops already see themselves as part of the 99%.

Occupy Los Angeles is relocated to North Lawn of City Hall


The Newest Library in Down Town LA


People Hanging Out


Power to the People


The Sign Depot


Even the 1% is coming by to visit and help out

Occupy LA Day 2

328 people spent their first night camped out at Los Angeles City Hall last night. At the General Assembly on Saturday evening there was a long discussion, that got quite heated at times, about whether to camp out on the grass or to move to the sidewalk as requested, under threat of arrest by the police. In the end almost everyone moved to the sidewalk last night but they are back in the City Hall park today.

In the end, the threatened police crackdown never materialized. As it turned out, the LAPD had bigger fish to fry. The entire department was put on a citywide tactical alert Saturday night but that had nothing to do with Occupy Los Angeles. Two undercover narcotics cops got shot in a drug deal gone bad in Korea Town. As of this afternoon, the suspects were still at large so the police presence at city hall has been relatively light.

Actually so far, the LAPD has been very accommodating to the march. Although they had no permit for the march Saturday and they marched on the sidewalk, the police stopped traffic at every intersection so that the eight minute procession could be out of everyone's way as much as possible. They could have made them bunch up at every red light and written tickets for anyone that missed the cue. A single police car was posted on the street across from the protest all day Sunday but apart from the fact that it happened to be parked in front of the LAPD headquarters, which is also across the street from the city hall, there wasn't much of a police presence. No cops were even seen to be patrolling the grounds surrounding city hall. Those familiar with the LAPD's response to mass protests in the past knows that this has not always been the case.


Sunday was a most pleasant day at Los Angeles City Hall. Sunny and in the mid 70's with a slight breeze. There was coffee in the morning and various kinds of food all day. Either in the morning or sometimes doing the night, everyone who had pitched tents, moved then from the sidewalk back to the grassy part.

There are many committees, too many to name in a short article, and there were meetings all day preparing for the General Assembly in the evening. There was food preparation and distribution, others distributed water, making sure dehydration wasn't a problem in the sun, although most people stayed under the ample shade of the trees there. In the morning someone gave CPR training, complete with dummies and certification. There were generators brought in for power Sunday and the media team kept the live streaming webcam going all day. Internet access was also better today.

The porta potties were the best ever seen at a protest, not the usual plastic blue jobs that reek of chemicals and what they are trying to disguise. These were the type used on film sets with light, air, soap, regular toilets, wash basins and art work on the walls. One protester was heard to remark "We may sleep like we're on skidrow but we pee like we're in Beverly Hills."

An information and welcome tent was setup for the constant stream of newcomers that came to visit or stay. A lost and found was established and a place around the block made its restrooms available to the protesters 24/7. People came from as far way as Ojia and Orange County. In the space of 48 hours a new Los Angeles community was taking shape in the park surrounding city hall.

Unlike Occupy Wall St. or most of the occupy everywhere movements, the one in Los Angeles got major TV coverage on the first day, KABC came out late Sunday night and interviewed some of the people camping out. They ran those with the morning news cycle. This and other reports assured them of many new vistors.

Once again the Los Angeles movement showed its superb sense of timing. The major US media had boycotted Occupy Wall St. for two weeks already and was nearing the limit of that tactic. The bust of 700 on the Brooklyn bridge Saturday gave them the kind of story they could run with but that also meant they could not avoid covering the local protest also. These events cause this writer to tweet "#OccupyLA 1st day & night, no arrests. Did #OccupyWallSt go a bridge too far?"

In the morning a group from OccupyLA noticed a parade or march nearby and went to investigate. They found it was a group doing some good works but sponsored by Bank of Amerca. When this procession arrive at its rally point, the OccupyLA group started leading anti BoA chants and most of the neighborhood people BoA was sponsoring joined in on. That was not a schedule action.

Occupy Metro, on the other hand, was a scheduled action in which a lot of protesters rode the metro from city hall and back, all the while agitating for OccupyLA and Occupy Wall St. The transit cops also seemed to be sympathetic and helpful. Many of the protesters told them they were part of the 99% and should be in the park with them.

Others, however didn't agree. They saw all police, even all transit cops as simply agents of the capitalist state without a dual character, i.e., without a human side, without an identity as workers. They had sharp difference with those that thanked the transit cops for their consideration.

They also objected to the security team's strong suggests the night before that all those staying the night move to the sidewalk to avoid the arrests the LAPD had promised for those insisting on sleeping on the grass.

This is a relatively small group of less than a hundred young people in their twenties, many with a preference for dark clothes and faces hidden behind bandannas that see the need for a conflict with the police. They also insist upon their individual right to take whatever actions they think appropriate, either legal or illegal, regardless of whether it is sanctioned by the larger group.

They have been allied by some members of a much more sophisticated left group that have not been a part of the creation of OccupyLA but now want "in" to what is probably the most important movement in the past decades in Los Angeles. They see a way to build a following by appealing the the "militancy" of these youth.

All day the coalition met, first one place, then another. First in the "facilitation committee", then as the self-created "police abuse or brutality committee" to discuss their grievances with the police, the security committee and the larger group as a whole. They accused the security committee of acting like police and taking orders from the police. They were of a mind to disband the security committee and make security the task of everyone.

Although they generally expressed a freedom to ignore group decisions even if arrived at democratically, they felt that the group process had been very undemocratic and had many suggests on how to fix that, such as having breakout sessions before votes on most questions.

When one veteran activist, who was a named plaintiff in the 1984 ACLU/LAPD police spying case and spent his first months in jail for anti-war protests more than four decades ago, joined one of these discussions, he was told by a member of the "left" group that this wasn't a discussion for those that loved the police. This same activist was told the by his "stack keeper" that the facilitators "probably wouldn't let him speak" the second time he asked to be listed to comment at the evening General Assembly even though his first comments to the GA were met with strong applause. There were many other problems with the way this meeting was conducted.

So Sunday with the bright Los Angeles sun beaming down on them, some dark clouds also formed over occupy LA. Some of those that had provided the most leadership to this "leaderless" group and done the most in the last week to make this thing happen weren't at or active in this meeting, possibly because of other obligations or perhaps shear exhaustion.

Others, with an agenda that may not even be clear to themselves have stepped to the fore and are attempting to utilized the leaderless nature of this movement to enforce there own. They would like to see a confrontation with the police even though the police have been on their best behavior and they hold in their hands the power to destroy Occupy Los Angeles.

UPDATED w' Pixs & Video: The Arab Spring Comes to Los Angeles! #OccupyLA

Thousands of people marched from Pershing Sq to the Los Angeles City Hall this afternoon. The shear numbers have forced the LAPD to backoff of their hardline attitude and allow us to occupy both the lawn and the sidewalk on all sides of city hall. Even the march was made without a city permit, the police stopped traffic so that the march could move efficiently through the downtown city streets. At the General Assembly last night the decision had been made to march down Broadway, normally filled with shoppers on a Saturday, rather than the normally empty financial district. The reception of the shoppers on Broadway was fantastic and the honking of passing cars has never stopped since we arrive at city hall hours ago.

Since the marchers arrived at city hall, it has been one grand celebration. Many more have joined their ranks. Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic spoke and so did Marcy Winograd and many others. Dozens of pizzas where delivered and passed around as many ate their first meal of the occupation. Water was declared the official soft drink of the revolution. Anons in Guy Fawkes masks carried a sign with saying “No Wat but Class War.” Now folks are gathering on the South lawn listening to poetry readings as a trumpet plays softly in the background. Soon they will be having the first General Assembly.

The city council is now said to be “99%” in support of Occupy Los Angeles but it remains to be seen how the LAPD responses after scheduled activities end at 10:30pm and people begin to bed down because nothing has been set for sleeping arrangements.

So stay tuned for updates.

Saturday morning, people gather in Pershing Sq.


It took more than seven minutes for marchers to leave Pershing Sq.


Occupy LA - day 1, marchers arrive at City Hall


Occupy Los Angeles, day 1 South Lawn of City Hall


Sitting on the South Lawn


Occupy Los Angeles, day 1 North Lawn of City Hall


Occupy Los Angeles, day 1 Poetry Reading


Occupy Los Angeles @ City Hall



Anonymous @ Occupy LA


Piggie speaks at Occupy Los Angeles


Night falls on Day One of Occupy LA

UPDATED: Occupy Los Angeles Starts Tomorrow!

There was a spirited 3 hour meeting Thursday evening in Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles that was attended by about 200 activist to plan Occupy Los Angeles which will begin 10:00am Saturday morning, October 1st with a peaceful occupation at the Los Angeles City Hall. This was the latest in a series of planning General Assemblies that have been meeting in the park regularly at 7:00PM to plan the Los Angeles movement in solidarity with the Occupy Wall St. action against corporate greed and the many other occupations that are taking place around the world that also include Occupy Boston, Occupy Chicago, Occupy Denver and dozens of others right here in the United States. Minutes for the four previous GAs can be read here. The last pre-occupation General Assembly will take place at Pershing Sq. Friday, September 30th and all who are interested are invited to attend.


This is the official Occupy Los Angeles website. Look here for all kinds of info about the protest in LA. Staring Saturday morning you will be able to see streaming video of the protest at City Hall here also. You may follow Occupy Los Angeles on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube and Delicious.

Unions Join Wall Street Protests!

As the action nears the start of its third week, unions and community groups are eager to jump on board. They are motivated perhaps by a sense of solidarity and a desire to tap into its growing success, but undoubtedly by something else too-embarrassment that a group of young people using Twitter and Facebook have been able to draw attention to progressive causes in a way they haven't been able to in years. [...]

Some of the biggest players in organized labor are actively involved in planning for Wednesday's demonstration, either directly or through coalitions that they are a part of. The United Federation of Teachers, 32BJ SEIU, 1199 SEIU, Workers United and Transport Workers Union Local 100 are all expected to participate. The Working Families Party is helping to organize the protest and MoveOn.org is expected to mobilize its extensive online regional networks to drum up support for the effort.
"We're getting involved because the crisis was caused by the excesses of Wall Street and the consequences have fallen hardest on workers," a spokesman for TWU Local 100 said.

Community groups like Make the Road New York, the Coalition for the Homeless, the Alliance for Quality Education and Community Voices Heard are also organizing for Wednesday's action, and the labor/community coalitions United New York and Strong Economy For All are pitching in as well.

The Huffington Post also has a good piece on the growing union support for Occupy Wall St.

NYC Transit Union Joins Occupy Wall Street

New York City labor unions are preparing to back the unwieldy grassroots band occupying a park in Lower Manhattan, in a move that could mark a significant shift in the tenor of the anti-corporate Occupy Wall Street protests and send thousands more people into the streets.

The Transit Workers Union Local 100's executive committee, which oversees the organization of subway and bus workers, voted unanimously Wednesday night to support the protesters. The union claims 38,000 members. A union-backed organizing coalition, which orchestrated a large May 12 march on Wall Street before the protests, is planning a rally on Oct. 5 in explicit support. And SEIU 32BJ, which represents doormen, security guards and maintenance workers, is using its Oct. 12 rally to express solidarity with the Zuccotti Park protesters.

UPDATE 2:38PM PST: In the face of the LAPD's apparent refusal to make a legal place for the occupation, a number of people from Occupy Los Angeles have been in contact with members of the city council in an effort to remove barriers to a peaceful protests. It was raised at the city council meeting earlier today and as I write this we are awaiting the outcome of an inter-Departmental meeting between the LAPD, General Services and the City Attorney's office to see what accommodation the City of Los Angeles will make for its citizens.

Much earlier today Sarah Brennan from Councilmember Richard Alarcon's office called me asking how the Councilmember could show his support. I said the best thing he could do now would be to help us secure the legal right to peacefully protest at city hall. I have just received a copy of the letter below which makes me very happy and frankly, it's not often that I am happy with a Los Angeles City Councilmember.

However, we await the outcome of the meeting.



Check back for more stuff later.