Showing posts with label Carol Schatz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carol Schatz. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

L.A. asks U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on Skid Row injunction

L.A. Times: L.A. Now ‏@LANow

L.A. asks U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on skid row injunction

http://lat.ms/XDXSNK
Retweeted by Anoni


http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2013/02/la-asks-us-supreme-court-to-weigh-in-on-skid-row-injunction.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&dlvrit=649324

Citing an immediate public health threat, the city of Los Angeles will ask the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to overturn a lower court ruling preventing the random seizure and destruction of belongings that homeless people leave temporarily unattended on public sidewalks.

If the court takes up the matter, a ruling could have broad implications for cities across the state and nation grappling with how to keep streets clean and safe while respecting the property rights of those who live there.

The Supreme Court filing comes after two years of legal wrangling between Los Angeles officials and homeless advocates over a controversial campaign to clean up downtown’s skid row, which has the highest concentration of homeless people in the city.

“We have an obligation to the homeless, as well as to the other residents and businesses on skid row, to ensure their health through regularly cleaning skid row’s streets and sidewalks,” City Atty. Carmen Trutanich said in a statement. “The current outbreak of tuberculosis among that most vulnerable population should serve as a stern reminder to us all of just who and what is at risk in this matter.” 

More at the link.

I have reported here regarding LA's Skid Row and LA's true seat of power, ccala.org, who are desperate to remove the homeless so that they can continue gentrifying downtown as well as expanding their corporate policing force. LA has been attacking this ruling forever, constantly at work against it, which forces police to put a note on property they suspect may be abandoned, with a 24-hour window. This was fought for to stop them from simply taking whatever they want at will, because a person's medication, ID, legal papers, and personal belongings may be involved and lost, and it's obvious the city doesn't care at all. Skid Row is walking distance from City Hall. Also, this definitely affects other cities. This is horrible, it is terrible. There are true monsters involved.

What are cca's corporate police, which they seek to expand? This is LAPD during one of their many attacks upon OccupyLA marches. Note the ones in purple. They are cca corporate security, acting as police alongside LAPD.

Purple shirts and lapd occupy

Photo credited in LA Weekly article, to youtube:

Here are red shirts on Skid Row trying to create a reason to call LAPD:



I have video not yet edited of one of them saying he's an "enforcer". What is this corporation telling them?

When OccupyLA found that cca HATED water-soluble children's sidewalk chalk (or more specifically, its use for what they call "intelligence-based graffiti", which in their future plans PDF they mention intending to eliminate from downtown), some took to documenting it. Music artist Michelle Shocked made this short video which at the end features one of cca's purple shirts in true form. Remember, these shirts are hired by a business lobby, and they police the city streets:



I've seen purple shirts harassing the homeless, driving them away. I've seen the red shirts on Skid Row calling LAPD for no reason. I've seen LAPD seizing all of a person's property after arresting them for no reason, including the Catholic Worker shopping carts, which by law no one is supposed to touch. I've heard Skid Row residents say the red shirts are there every morning, looking to torment them. They are certainly ever-present, I've seen it myself.

The head of the cca has stated they have a definite plan regarding the homeless, and this brazen, monstrous attempt to use a TB outbreak to petition the courts to end laws protecting the homeless is certainly proof.

Carol Schatz of cca, 2004: "We have a very specific agenda related to homelessness." In early 2012, cca stopped their street-cleaning and garbage collection services in an area of Skid Row where Occupy Skid Row activists had set up camp. This was alongside their call for a study of the entire area to determine health risks. This study did NOT include the area of the OSR encampment. OSR activists said that the city came through several times to take photos of any resulting garbage but OSR were cleaning things on their own. When the call came down through the study to create change in certain areas of Skid Row (again, NOT including OSR's area), LAPD =first= attacked the OSR street, and forced them out, telling them not to come back. Which they promptly did, causing another police attack, and another re-encampment in the same day. LAPD chief Charlie Beck was seen in in a cruiser which then slowly went past, showing cca's reach and depth. And now cca could be hurting the homeless in other cities, through their unlimited selfishness.

Read more, mostly via Dan Bluemel's excellent articles:

Carol Schatz of the CCA and their outright war against the homeless

http://occupyobservations.blogspot.com/2012/06/carol-schatz-of-cca-and-their-outright.html

---

LA CAN's take:


Media, LAPD Misrepresent TB Outbreak in Skid Row Creating Unnecessary Fear by


"In the video below, officers justified private security guards illegally going through private property by saying it was 'for your own safety' considering 'all the stuff that has been in the news' about 'people getting sick.' LAPD sits by as BID guards cut open people’s bags – even those clearly marked with Not Abandoned signs."



Saturday, September 22, 2012

Los Angeles City Hall Lawn FAIL! OccupyLA!

Exactly two months after City Hall park reopened, video of the clearly dying lawn, which was part of the excuse used to kick out OccupyLA.


Wednesday, July 18, 2012

The CCA are forcing the homeless out of downtown into surrounding areas.

Today in South Los Angeles, a homeless man tells of having been forced out of downtown. This is the trend CCA are establishing.

"My name is Jay; I got pushed out of downtown. I just doing my recycling, trying to find a place to stay, don't bother anybody.

...but it's wrong because they're supposed to protect and serve and we're citizens and we're somebody. And I don't like the way they go harassing people. I'm in the newspaper for Rodney King, when we had a memorial for him. And officers just come around, harass, and look at you, and minorities, and look at those they don't have (anything). And we're still somebody. They're doing a lot of wrong. And that's all I'm saying; they do a lot of wrong. And downtown Los Angeles, they're pushing everybody out of downtown LA, trying to build up for the Lakers or Staples Center, whatever; the Haves and the Have Nots. So the Have Nots, we gotta suffer. Why? And it's the United States; you're supposed to take care of your country(men). And that's my message. God Bless."

Sunday, July 15, 2012

The truth about LAPD's violent attack upon the downtown Artwalk.

There are two things police could have done: Not shown up at all or simply left upon seeing it was CHALK.


[Quote] via Laurel Sylvanus - #OWS #ChalkWalk #DTLA

"You see, NO, the answer is not: "But it was just rubber buillets and beanbags." The answer is "OMG professionals trained in crowd control and crisis management tasked with protecting and serving the PUBLIC made a conscious decision to take aim and FIRE WEAPONS AT THE SAME PUBLIC for peaceful, ARTISTIC PROTEST in the 2nd largest city in the United States of America. I must stand up and be heard on this terrifying, horrible action by SEVERAL MEMBERS of the LAPD!" ~ Occupy Los Angeles


It is entirely about the CCA and their belief that they own and run downtown LA. And that they at least run city hall and the police department, so this is not far from being a complete truth. This is also about Occupy being the cockroach in their tinseltown, and an insane interpretation of the "Broken Windows Theory". And water-soluble childrens' "sidewalk chalk" which is designed to be easily washed off.

LAPD Officer Karen Rayner said it (chalk) is "not vandalism because it's not permanent."

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/los-angeles-artwalk-turns-violent-clash-police-occupy-article-1.1114068#ixzz20XxHB6Hr


Why not sign the petition for an investigation into their brutality and over-reaction?

http://www.change.org/petitions/mayor-villaraigosa-governor-jerry-brown-attorney-general-eric-holder-investigate-lapd-use-of-force-on-angelenos-at-art-walk-on-7-12-12


There were probably 20 Occupiers at Chalkwalk/Artwalk. The =hundreds= of Artwalkers and locals who stood up to LAPD did so of their own will because LAPD were blatantly WRONG. I was not there; I watched livestream from when tweets went out about the police line. An Occupier who was there is saying there were 10 OccupyLA people present. Here is OLA's press release:

https://www.facebook.com/notes/occupy-los-angeles/lapd-push-shoot-kick-man-in-face-arrest-him-at-artwalk-lapd-arrested-and-harm-mo/467166763296113

Artwalk/Chalkwalk early in the evening, sans police:

Chalkwalk before the riot police

Photo by Dan Bluemel of LA Activist; see his story linked right after the videos.

Cops arrive including area supervisor Captain Frank, and begin confiscating chalk. Notice the cop in the first video takes out his baton at about 31 seconds. With this attitude and disproportion, it is no wonder they took things so far out of hand.





Arrests for water-soluble chalk drawings, including one saying "(Heart) the police"; people in disbelief, children crying:


Video by PeteyK

Shot in the chest ("foam baton"), arrested...said to have been kicked in the head by cops, see below:



Young woman violently arrested to the crowd's disbelief and upset:


Video by pouyan1 on youtube

Man violently arrested for no reason, with no warning:


Video by Marco Siguenza

Three arrests, woman shoved by cops:


Video by on youtube

Above view, start at 4:45. Taser can be heard at 4:57; not very audible here but I've heard it clearly on other video near the street. I've been reading that they kicked the man in the face and this confirms it repeatedly:



Taser sound is clearly audible at 7:38. Occupy did not tag the truck. Locals were out by then due to police over-presence and police violence....against chalk.



LAPD aggressively block people into the Alexandria Hotel:



This young man was shot four times; displays his wounds:


Video by Sam Slovick

Video of police firing three times; This man was shot once:


Video by Sam Slovick

Occupiers speak truth to LAPD panel, OUTSTANDING:


Video by PeteyK


Police arrests over chalking leads to uprising | l.a. activist
http://www.laactivist.com/2012/07/14/police-arrests-over-chalking-leads-to-uprising/


Art Walk Vendor Slams the LAPD's Tactics Against Occupy L.A.
http://laist.com/2012/07/13/art_walk_vendor_speaks_out_against.php


LATimes article. Note they are spray-painting over water-soluble chalk.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0714-artwalk-20120714,0,7994058.story
Also note the space given to CCA head Carol Shatz, attempting to create a "We good, they bad" dynamic.

Image by Todd Blose:
Chalk walk rubber bullets by Todd Blose

Photo by Damon:

DSC_0400

Chalkwalk Ch7 crops out rubber bullet injury
Ch7 have on Facebook offered an apology and links to other videos. Occupy the media!

From an above video; I believe this occurred at Main and 4th:

Chalkwalk man arrested violently for filming police


Damon's photoset:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nohodamon/sets/72157630560888092/with/7563452964/


Amber Stephens @amberjamie99pct

Eyewitness: "Many non-occupiers began using chalk and creating their own art, which is when riot police attacked." @Occupyla #ows #ola
Retweeted by Jeff K. (#OYSlive)


"Due to unusual occurance in central division. The city of Los Angeles is on tactical alert status."

Severity:
    Minor - Minimal to no known threat to life or property

https://local.nixle.com/alert/4855473/


RyanRiceLA

[ChalkWalk] #OWS
http://t.co/Gm6i95aG
has compiled several good report-backs on the ArtWalk Uprising in #DTLA
http://t.co/FhiIS0f2 


CHALK WALK ACCUSES MAYOR OF ‘CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR’ 
Participants of Chalk Walk Respond to Mayor’s Statement & Selective Enforcement

http://occupylosangeles.org/?q=node%2F10110


Just a day or so before this attack, Michelle Shocked made a quick video on the subject. Note her being confronted by a CCA korporate kop:




Just a day after their attack upon Artwalk, LAPD are driving motorcycles into crowds of Occupiers:




Do not forget what LAPD did to citizens when the Kings won Lord Stanley's Cup:

LAPD fires less lethal rounds on Kings fans


ENORMOUS SURPRISE: LAPD SAY

the department "overall responded appropriately."

http://mobile.latimes.com/p.p?m=b&a=rp&id=2424335&postId=2424335&postUserId=7&sessionToken&catId=6978&curAbsIndex=2&resultsUrl=DID%3D6&DFCL=1000&DSB=rank%23desc&DBFQ=userId%3A7&DL.w&DL.d=10&DQ=sectionId%3A6978&DPS=0&DPL=3

Is there enough facepalm? I think not!


Live report thread of the incident as it happened; thank you to all who contributed!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002939669

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Carol Schatz of the CCA and their outright war against the homeless

The best parts of this are from the work of Dan Bluemel of LA Activist; articles are linked at the end.


Why do Carole Schatz and the CCA hate the homeless?

In 2011, LA Downtown News released its list of the 42 most powerful people downtown:



6. Carol Schatz, Central City Association

Mayor Villariagosa is listed as number 5.

http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/the-most-powerful-people-in-downtown/article_8073260a-f08b-5e90-87e6-93dd4ebe7529.html


Carol Schatz said in 2004:

"We have a very specific agenda related to homelessness."

"So, what stands in the way of realizing these aspirations over the next year or two?

Again, we need a supportive policy environment. We need attention paid by the city and county to the issue of homelessness, because we are ground zero here for the United States in terms of the numbers of encampments. Our job is to continue to make the case for why it is extremely important that policymakers focus on these issues, and focus attention on the continued revitalization of downtown. The success of downtown has wide-ranging impacts, spreading wealth and benefits to every part of the city."


http://www.planningreport.com/2004/01/23/la-central-city-associations-carol-schatz-housing-and-need-place-making 

When you look at the events truthfully depicted in the film and book "The Soloist", you will note that the homeless were forced out of an area CCA wished to turn into Profit. 


Did Carol Schatz write an LA Times opinion piece against the homeless?

Enabling homelessness on L.A.'s skid row

Allowing the homeless to keep any and all possessions on sidewalks protects unlawful conduct for a few and ignores the ramifications for most of society.


http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-schatz-skid-row-deterioration-20120409,0,6118841.story

Edit: Uh-oh! That story is no longer found! So here is the archive:

https://web.archive.org/web/20120713220527/http://articles.latimes.com/2012/apr/09/opinion/la-oe-schatz-skid-row-deterioration-20120409


Take screenshots; they're obviously nervous about people seeing them for who they are! 

Again:

"We have a very specific agenda related to homelessness."


Did the CCA, who are contracted to sweep the streets of Skid Row, empty their trash cans, and power wash twice-weekly cease these contractual services in mid/early May? 

Yes, at minimum at Towne street.


Did the city pass an ordinance against camping/tents in May of this year, seemingly an anti-Occupy bill but is now apparent as an attack upon the homeless city-wide? 

City Hall Moves To Ban Tents, Overnight Camping After Occupy LA Damage

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/05/30/city-hall-moves-to-ban-tents-overnight-camping-after-occupy-la-damage/ 

 


Where is money meant for the homeless actually going?

Last year, we saw homeless monies taken by the city and handed over to the developer Gensler:

Huge Subsidy for Stadium Architect

Villaraigosa quietly plans to hand Gensler $1 million meant for the poor

How did Los Angeles city leaders turn $1 million intended to help downtown’s homeless and low-income denizens into a proposed subsidy for the global architecture firm designing downtown’s proposed NFL football stadium?

http://www.laweekly.com/2011-04-21/news/huge-subsidy-for-stadium-architect/

and after a flurry of propaganda articles in the LA Times and LA Downtown News against the homeless[1], and a Health Department report skewed by CCA's own refusal to continue their contracted sweeping, garbage collection, and power-washing of Skid Row, genuine attacks began upon the homeless. 


Regarding profitable housing versus homeless housing, their agenda is:

"How much housing is in production, Carol? 

As of December 31, 1998, which is when we first began to see the spike in activity, 12,809 units existed. The grand total now, at the end of 2003, is 14,996 units. There are currently 3,200 units under construction, 812 permitted units, 794 units under plan check, and over 3,000 units under consideration."

That would make 2, 187 active units with 7,806 under way, making a total in of

9,993 units. 

How about for the homeless?

ACLU/City of Los Angeles Settlement Agreement

"A settlement was reached, requiring the city to build 1,250 new permanent supportive housing units, 50 percent of which must be located in Skid Row, in order to enforce an ordinance that prevents street encampments."

http://ccala.org/3-05-achievements.asp

(Click PUBLIC SAFETY, HEALTH AND HOMELESSNESS")

That means 625 units for Skid Row homeless, total, forever, out of a population of many multiple thousands, while in 2004 alone they were working on 9,993 units for profit. In exchange for an ordinance that prevents street encampments. And:

"CCA is monitoring the progress of the new housing units, and will work with the city and community to ensure a balanced approach to any new housing in Downtown."

Yeah, that is shining through.


How about laws involving the homeless?

"Safer Cities Initiative
CCA is a strong supporter of the Safer Cities Initiative (SCI), a crime-reduction program established in Downtown Los Angeles in 2006 under former Chief of Police Bill Bratton. The program has added 50 additional patrol officers to target narcotics-related crime and misdemeanor offenses such as illegal vending, littering, dumping, and vandalism. CCA credits the SCI for dramatically reducing crime and blight in the area."

* $5.7 million dollars are spent a year for homeless services for the entire city, not merely Skid Row.
* $6 million dollars a year are spent on those 50 extra police on Skid Row.
* The SCI allows arrests for anyone sitting or sleeping on the sidewalk between 6AM and 9PM, but that is not mentioned in CCA's description.
* Neither is the fact that the homeless will be arrested for not taking down their tents during this time. [2]
* "Blight" = "The homeless".
*  Littering and dumping? Here is where this money is going...into nice new sports cars:

GEDC0191


What about corporations and the rich influencing city government policy and decisions?

"Naturally, our membership includes business leaders from across Los Angeles. We give them access to the policies and people that are shaping the future of Los Angeles and in return, they know CCA is the business organization that gets things done."

Advocating for the business community before the Los Angeles City Council, the County Board of Supervisors and the State Legislature. 

http://ccala.org/

http://ccala.org/3-01-mission.asp

What did Benito Mussolini have to say about exactly this?

"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power."

Benito Mussolini seen here with a friend:

mussolini_hitler


Corporate police the purple shirts with batons alongside LAPD at an Occupy action. Corporate police! When did corporations get their own thug force and when exactly was the public vote?

 Purple shirts and lapd occupy

http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2011/12/occupy_la_lapd_assisted_private_security.php


Safe and Clean Teams
The DCBID's Safe & Clean team, our "Purple Patrol", is committed to assisting those who work, live, and play in the Downtown Center and Historic Downtown. This highly visible team of purple-shirted safety officers and maintenance staff provide daily, 24-hour supplemental services to maintain safety and cleanliness within the district. The Purple Patrol is highly trained to ensure that your visit to the Downtown area is memorable and safe. 


Hmm:

"The operation, requested by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa..."

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jun/20/local/la-me-skid-row-cleanup-20120620

Now the attack upon Skid Row has officially begun:


Does CCA openly brag about their influence at city hall?
Yes, although this once-public post is now only viewable through the archive:


CCA PAC Scores Successes at City Hall


"The results are in! CCA was the resounding winner in yesterday’s election."



Where will the homeless go if they are forced out of Skid Row? 

There are no safe directions. There are no "public commons" in which they may rest or sleep, or stop moving for a minute without facing arrest. This has been by design. As well as the recent City Hall ruling against tents in public parks, which worked against Occupy but was now obviously with the homeless in mind as well.

Here are real housing solutions for the homeless:

And the Health Department report recommends long-term housing, with zero word about forcing them out or arresting them!

"Working with people who are homeless and experiencing mental illnesses and other health problems is not easy. Society has at times given up on this vulnerable population and incorrectly concluded nothing can be done to address their issues, or to solve the cycle of despair resulting in long-term homelessness.
We at the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) and many other advocates know differently - there are proven solutions that work. Effective, cost-efficient models that move vulnerable people like Ayers off the streets and into affordable, permanent housing where they can receive the support they need to heal and build better lives."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deborah-de-santis/what-emthe-soloistem-tell_b_188776.html
 

Housing project for hard-core homeless pays off

A study of homeless adults housed by L.A. County's Project 50 suggests providing permanent housing to vulnerable populations saves local governments money.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0608-homeless-savings-20120608,0,5536032.story


Project 50: Anatomy of a photo essay

http://framework.latimes.com/2010/11/18/project-50-anatomy-of-a-photo-essay/

And at minimum, this falls directly into the Health Department's recommendations:


Portable shower and toilet trailers

http://www.amsglobal.us/


Here is a most brilliant article summing up the entire issue:

Harsh Skid Row policies driven by business lobby, say advocates

http://www.laactivist.com/2012/06/24/harsh-skid-row-policies-driven-by-business-lobby-say-advocates/


What does Occupy and the LA Community Action Network and Catholic Workers have to say about all of this? 

Arrests & Terror at #626Wilshire

State Violence Increases as Occupiers Lay Siege to Perfect Villain

http://ryanricela.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/arrests-and-terror-at-626wilshire/ 


Occupiers on Skid Row were evicted a few days earlier, and re-Occupied:

Occupy Skid Row, Evicted and Re-Occupied!

http://occupyobservations.blogspot.com/2012/06/occupy-skid-row-evicted-and-re-occupied.html



[1]

Major cleanup of L.A. skid row, prompted by health report, begins  

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jun/20/local/la-me-skid-row-cleanup-20120620


LA County finds health-code violations in Skid Row

http://news.yahoo.com/la-county-finds-health-code-violations-skid-row-234033525.html
  

Editorials: Bad to Worse in Skid Row

(Guess what? There no name attached to this article!)

http://www.ladowntownnews.com/opinion/bad-to-worse-in-skid-row/article_798ece2c-b1b3-11e1-b098-0019bb2963f4.html

Editorials: Trouble on Skid Row Sidewalks

(Nope, no name on this one either.)

http://www.ladowntownnews.com/opinion/trouble-on-skid-row-sidewalks/article_1563c8fa-a13a-11e1-861f-0019bb2963f4.html

A plan to make L.A.'s homeless problem worse?

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-ol-homeless-problem-worse-20120613,0,4335768.story

The hilarious thing about the great Ted Rall cartoon in the above article is that under the CCA's strongly supported "Safer Cities Initiative", the homeless person depicted would be arrested for sitting on the sidewalk.



[2] Homeless man threatened with arrest for not taking down his tent between 6AM and 9PM:






Councilman Jose Huizar, whose district will include Skid Row thank to redistricting

This is my understanding from what I have read and been told. All errors are errors.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

F20: Occupy Skid Row Los Angeles

I must preface by saying that I am not educated about Skid Row. I have only visited, recently, and can only repeat what I have heard. I am not a satisfactory representative regarding being able to discuss it, yet I will attempt to, from my admittedly limited perspective.

Please see a recent update as police are now attacking the Row, and we know who is behind it. June 22, 2012:

http://occupyobservations.blogspot.com/2012/06/occupy-skid-row-evicted-and-re-occupied.html

Los Angeles is the homeless capital of the world.

GEDC0019 s+

Downtown Los Angeles' Skid Row is the last stop for many hit by addiction and even simple chronic unemployment, and the issues of foreclosure scams, and mainly, the sad, disturbing overall lack of opportunity and support in the inner city. There are an estimated 5,000 people living on the streets in this area, in abject poverty. You can easily walk to the Los Angeles City Hall from Skid Row. (Passing City Hall today, I saw several homeless people living in the "park" kitty-corner to City Hall, in plain view of any looking out their window on that side of the building.)

This is not the entirety of the issue.  When I was in college in the mid 1980s, my psychology professor told of Reagan destroying national funding for mental health care. Many in the institutes had no family and no ability to care for themselves. Winter would kill them. Many in charge took the remaining care monies and purchased bus tickets to Los Angeles (specifically, Santa Monica, Regean's home town), so that at minimum, the ill would not freeze to death.

There are an estimated 40,000 total homeless in all of LA County.

What do our elected officials do about this? It is said that you may judge a society by how it treats its weak.

Watch "The Soloist" for one example of how the homeless were forced out of one downtown area so that developers could create lofts and housing for the ritzy. It is a true story.

Look at this link as well:

Villaraigosa quietly plans to hand Gensler $1 million meant for the poor 

"Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has decided to spend $1 million in federal grants — money that had been avidly sought by residents of Skid Row — to instead help out San Francisco–based Gensler, a 2,800-employee giant that enjoyed $463 million in revenue last year."

In other words, Skid Row is to them, both an obstacle and an opportunity to siphon monies. The human element does not enter into the equation. Apparently, not at all. And it gets even worse.

To add insult to injury, legislation far too loosely based upon the "broken window" theory, that a single broken window is like an invitation to rabble-rousers to destroy even more, has been enacted in the form of the "Safer City Initiative". What happens is that police drive past all residents at 6-ish AM and inform them that they must tear down any tents and neither sit nor lay on the sidewalk until the end of the day's curfew.

GEDC0051 s

GEDC0078 s

(Suffice to say, any "clean-up" would only be of homeless persons' property; I did not take any photos of the urine and fecal stains on the sidewalk near these signs, but obviously, they are both old and new and are most definitely not "cleaned-up". As evidenced by the overall aroma. This is not a knock against the homeless, this is a hit against the city, which provided porta-potties for Occupy; why can they not provide the same for those in horrible, desperate need? Hmm? There is plenty of money to pay for police in the area...)

And what happens to your property if you are seeing a social worker, eating, finding a bathroom, etc.? It can be confiscated and thrown away. Even your ID and medication.

You will be arrested if you do not comply with the tent take-down morning order. Occupy the Hood Los Angeles member Bilal Ali was arrested two days ago for just this (he and others have been camping on Skid Row, battling this "law"). And please note that few if any Skid Row residents actually completely pack up and leave each day, at least to this novice's experience; they flatten their tents and stay in place.



This law does nothing to "remove" any supposedly damaging influences or people; all it accomplishes is to demonize and inconvenience those already suffering too much. It removes dignity and human comfort and is unacceptable.

A "No tent take-down day" was declared and Occupy Los Angeles moved into Skid Row, joining Occupy the Hood LA, LA Community Action Network, and others against the SCI.

GEDC0023 s

Per the observations in the Shadowmedia video, a call was put out for attendance from Occupiers and supporters with cameras and video equipment.

Police passed through to rouse everybody:



And they crept by twice an hour or more after that:



Police did at least five passes to observe before sending in the "redskirts", who are evidently hired by the local rich as a private security force. Meaning, they call the cops when they see anything they don't like. Basically, they are corporate enforcers. Corporations and business making law...

TC tells the truth about them to their faces:

GEDC0116 s+



The above video also explains about something interesting: a group called Catholic Workers give shopping carts to the homeless and there is law that they be left alone. Thank you Catholic Workers! What you are doing is the real deal! (Click the photos twice for larger versions, then your browser's "Back" button twice to return to this page.)

GEDC0118 s

The Catholic Workers

Offensive presence grew to four redskirts and two police:



When about six redskirts were gathered at the site, police finally left their vehicles to personally address "our leader" (we laughed, as whenever we are asked that question). "Hidden" in a mass of meaningless questions was the kicker: "How long are you considering staying?"



So TC and Jojo explain the situation on Skid Row, and the inner city:



 GEDC0047 s

The campaign to rescind LAPD Special Order 11:

http://www.stoplapdspying.org

Please note that the homeless on this street DID comply with the take-down order; what goes on when there are no cameras? 

Later in the day, there was a march to the "Twin Towers" incarceration facility to protest inhuman treatment of inmates:

http://occupyobservations.blogspot.com/2012/02/f20-occupy-solidarity-with-prisoner.html


It was not all tension; Occupy Los Angeles demands to have fun:

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A little rock and roll air guitar to accompany the boom box:

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Kicking back:

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A group of students from Canada dropped by to learn:

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And of course:

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Check out Occupy the Hood, Occupy the Hood LA, and more on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/OccupyTheHood

https://www.facebook.com/OccupyTheHoodLosAngeles


Check the occupyshadowmediala channel on youtube for reports:

http://www.youtube.com/user/Occupyshadowmediala


Photo slideshow of all pics, more than posted here, mainly of OLA people:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11165691@N03/sets/72157629066081434/show/


And here is a far deeper article than my own, thanks Dan!

http://www.laactivist.com/2012/02/23/a-night-and-a-morning-with-occupy-skid-row/



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