Two weeks ago they came for Atenco, Now they come for the South Central Farm (Los Angeles)

En español

May 23, 2006
Los Angeles, California
United States

We, members of the Autonomous People’s Collective (APC) and the Eastside Café (ESC), as subscribers to the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle and the "Other Campaign" denounce the imminent eviction of over 300 families who currently work the 14 acres of land considered the largest urban farm in the U.S., located in South Central Los Angeles, California. We also denounce the lies of the Los Angeles Mayor, who during his campaign promised to help the urban farmers retain 14 years of hard work, a medicinal treasure, a biospheric haven also known as the Lung of South Central. We denounce the constant disrespect of the L.A.City Council, particularly Jan Perry, who has from the very start attempted to sabotage and evict the farmers. Last but not least, we denounce the ongoing harassment by the Police Department aimed at terrorizing the farmers and making them quit the 14 acres they have cultivated for over 12 years, known to all as the South Central Farm (SCF).

Recently many farmers and supporters have reported what appeared to be police tactical maneuvers in preparation to take over the farm. Such military drills have included the use of trains to block the west side entrance, ostensibly to keep supporters from reaching the farm, and the possible use of a helicopter to raid the farm and evict its tenants. On Friday, May 19th, between 9pm and 11pm, during a concert in support of the SCF, an unidentified helicopter flying at an extremely low altitude flashed its search light in an intimidating manner on the main entrance to the South Central Farm on Long Beach Avenue.

This is a direct attack on the human right to autonomy and self determination. As subscribers to La Otra Campaña and the Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle, we equate this attack in Los Angeles, California, to the attacks that Mexican campesinos have suffered when defending their land in Chiapas, Oaxaca, and recently, Atenco. La Otra Campaña supports the struggle of the South Central Farmers.

Thus, as subscribers we denounce these illegitimate actions of Ralph Horowitz, the mayor and all other parties who have led to the illegitimate purchase and appropriation of the SCF. We denounce all the “legal” actions against the South Central Farmers and forcing an unjust eviction of over 300 families off the land that they have been working on for many years.

We denounce the Los Angeles City Council--especially Jan Perry--for its inability to support the farmers and come up with the funds to purchase the farm from Ralph Horowitz. They all promised to green L.A., but are unwilling to challenge big corporations’ interests on this contested piece of land. We denounce the Los Angeles Sheriff and Police departments for conducting Militarized Police Raid Tactics on and around the South Central Farm for the last several months. As the Sexta Declaración points out and as we have seen throughout La Otra Capaña, neoliberalism requires buying up everything, in addition to the destruction and demonization of all collective efforts to save the land. It requires the squelching of all commons and the privatization of everything. Neoliberalism requires the use of military force to enforce the illegitimate and unnatural processes of this spurious system. And although we don’t expect the type of violence carried out in Atenco against the campesinos who were defending their land, we do see a connection in the military force used to suppress the right of these people to work their land. After all, it was NYC Mayor Guiliani—William Bratten’s boss--, who was hired by Mexico city Mayor, Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador, as a global consultant to train this city’s police departments on the art of crushing urban protests, resistance movements and peaceful rebellions. Plus, the US government has been pouring military aid to the Mexican governments for the past 10 years with the excuse of the War on Drugs. An infamous Chase Bank memo, dated January 13, 1995, warned Mexican officials that "the government will need to eliminate the Zapatistas to demonstrate their effective control of the national territory and security policy."(http://site.www.umb.edu/faculty/salzman_g/Strate/Othr/1998-10-10Garrucha.htm). Thus, it is clear to see whose “law and order” is maintained by this low intensity warfare waged on the true owners of the land. In full agreement with La Sexta and La Otra we believe that when Emiliano Zapata verbalized his deep conviction of “la tierra es de quien la trabaja,” he wasn’t just talking about Mexico.

Lastly, we denounce, the Mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa who poses as a progressive. Villaraigosa and the rest of those in the City Council who swear they are progressive are not. They have all shown us that our system’s electoral process does not produce change. They have all shown us the degree to which this system is corrupt and with great ease they have lied to the people, particularly the poor. Antonio has shown us that there is no more listening to the people, that is—no more democracy.

As subscribers of La Sexta Declaración de la Selva Lacandona and as members of La Otra Campaña we understand and believe that it is through a broad and diverse movement of people at the bottom--utilizing civil and rebellious peaceful means-- that a new system is possible --even in the belly of the beast.

More information: http://www.southcentralfarmers.com/