Reports on Los Angeles World Can't Wait Actions

Mini Reports from the January 2009

Fri., Jan. 16th: Stop the U.S.-backed Israeli Massacre in Gaza!
About 100 people gathered across from the Wilshire Theatre in Beverly Hills with banners and signs to oppose the Support Israel rally that was held under the guise of a special citywide religious service, complete with a presentation on Israel's recent Gaza action, Q&A with the Israeli consul general and a 4-point action agenda of how to support Israel. Their event ran from 8 to 9:30 p.m. but protesters were out beginning at 6:00 with many staying until 10 p.m. Our posters "From Guantanamo to Gaza - Stop the U.S War OF Terror and Torture" and "Stop Thinking Like Americans and Start Thinking about Humanity" were visible to cars rushing by Wilshire, some stopping to read the signs and honking their support. A call and response was taken up; Air Strikes-War Criminals; Blockade-War Criminals, Occupation-War Criminals, Settlements-War Criminals. Even though no bullhorns or amplified noise was allowed by City of Bev Hills, the youth were key to the spirited and determined protest to the massacre being committed against the people of Gaza by the U.S. backed and funded State of Israel. Channel 7 news reported on the event that night.

While the news report that Israel entered into a cease fire so as not to detract or embarrass Obama's inauguration, Obama's and his cabinet's position on Israel doesn't differ from the Bush Administration.

Read "Team Obama and Israel - Fact Sheet" here.

Sun., Jan. 18th: "No Common Ground with Bigot Rick Warren!"

Seven of us drove down to Saddleback Church in Lake Forest to join with AllorNotatAll.org initiated protest. We took pink triangles to symbolize the historical precedent in Nazi Germany of his anti-gay message. These were taken up by the majority of the 100+ protesters there. What we learned that day was the homosexuals were kept in the concentration camps for a full year after the camps were liberated. Our posters read "No Common Ground with Bigot Rick Warren" and our banner read "No to Marriage of Church and State". People took up chants of No to 8, No to Hate, No to marriage of Church and State. There was agreement in the crowd that adding a gay minister to the Sunday service in DC does not erase the tremendous danger of having Rick Warren speak at the inauguration, though not all see him as a Christian fascist. A report on National Public Radio about Warren mentioned this protest as representing people who are not pleased with the invitation to speak.

On Monday, Sunsara Taylor, WCW National Advisory Board Member and writer for Revolution Newspaper, disrupted Rick Warren as he got up to speak at historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, shouting "Rick Warren is a bigot! No 'Common Ground' for Bigot Rick Warren". Following Sunsara, several other people turned their backs on Warren and were also forced out of the church. Earlier in the day, about 100 people protested outside the church in a demonstration initiated by Black LGBT coalition and joined by GBLT ATL, TILLT, World Can't Wait, and others. The protest was spirited and attracted a lot of media.

Mon., Jan. 19th - No to U.S. War of Terror and Torture!

About 100 people marched together as part of the Anti-War/Peace contingent during the MLK Parade. The contingent included Vets for Peace, School of Americas Watch, World Can't Wait, Topanga Peace Alliance, Aztec dancers, and more. The contingent marched with coffins, others wore black, with white masks and Palestinian scarves, two of us marched as Guantanamo detainees with placards that read: Stop U.S. War of Terror and Torture. These messages and visuals stood in stark contrast to the numerous HS ROTC groups, the military, the over 100 LAPD cadets. The law enforcement presence was overwhelming and included one cop stationed for every 10-15 people on either side of the street in addition to cops on bikes, motorcycles, and horses. The contradiction was not lost given the prevailing activity of police brutality in these communities and the recent cold-blooded murder of Oscar Grant in Oakland by a BART transit officer which was caught on cell videos and went viral quickly. However, also seen in the crowd were t-shirts celebrating Obama as the new commander-in-chief, and we got into lively discussion in the contingent about what role Obama will play (they are greatly troubled by his statements about Afghanistan and Israel, but still hold out hope).

Cheers to the hundreds of students who protested Karl Rove's lecture

Cheers to the hundreds of students who protested Karl Rove's lecture at Claremont McKenna College on Sept. 16. They braved pepper spray to detain Rove for an hour and attempt to deliver a citizen's arrest of this war criminal!

Los Angeles: Nancy Pelosi meets protest on book tour

WCW Orange resistance greeted commuters outside Nancy Pelosi's book signing in Los Angeles on August 11th. About 50 people gathered with many banners demanding impeachment and calling out Nancy Pelosi for her complicity with the Bush Administration. One activist was arrested after he spoke out inside and when released from jail the next day answered the question Was it worth it? - "Absolutely. One of the best things I've ever done. The look on her face was priceless. Deer in the headlights X 10."

LOS ANGELES - FREEZE ATTACK ON IRAN - UNION STATION - 8/6/08

Fifty-three years after the U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb on a civilian population, a group of twenty from the LA area converged on Union Station to "freeze" against an attack on Iran. Leading up to the planned meeting time, orange began to emerge through the station, with activists wearing ribbons and t-shirts getting out flagging-tape orange ribbons to bystanders eager to take up the color of resistance.

One of the participants brought his only orange t-shirt that featured Mickey Mouse, but he turned it inside out and it worked just fine. As people joined the group, preparing to initiate the "freeze," we learned that a number of the people heard came to the action from outlying areas, taking public transportation to get to Union Station.

Aug. 2 - International forces in LA say Stop War on Iran!

Saturday, August 2nd: A crowd of 150 to 200 rallied in downtown LA's Pershing Square to oppose an attack on Iran, as part of a series of actions in the area over the summer to draw people from political complacency to a principled stand against another U.S. war of aggression.

Initiated by Stop War on Iran Coalition, World Can't Wait joined the International Action Center, Union of Progressive Iranians, BAYAN-USA, and others. Despite short notice, people did come forward—with a good measure of enthusiasm. It was a very international crowd: Iranian families, Filipinos, Aztec dancers, Palestinians, Spanish-speaking immigrants from Mexico, Central America, and the Basque region of Spain, and U.S.-born people of all nationalities from different progressive or revolutionary movements. People walking through the area stopped to check things out and some stayed for the rally and march. A common view among many people was that an attack on Iran was likely at this point, "and I wouldn't be here if I didn't think so." Among the energetic youth and passers-by who joined us, there was the sense that it takes someone in the family or someone in a circle of friends who sees the importance of taking a stand, being vocal and encouraging others to be a part.

Report on the Jan 10th forum "Shut Down Guantanamo! Drive Out the Bush Regime"

Michael Rapkin
On Thursday, January 10th in Los Angeles, seventy people gathered at the Echo Park United Methodist Church to hear Michael Rapkin, an ACLU lawyer who represents a Guantanamo detainee, Dennis Loo PhD. who is a member of the World Can't Wait national steering committee, Sunsara Taylor, writer for Revolution newspaper and member of the World Can't Wait advisory board, and John Heard, a noted actor and activist, speak about the horrors of codified torture and why we must all act to put an end to it and the Bush program that seeks to justify the unjustifiable.

Michael Rapkin shared his profoundly disturbing first-hand experiences in coming face to face with atrocities visited on detainees as they languish in inhumane conditions at the prison in Guantanamo, and have little legal recourse or hope toward a day of release and return to their homes and families. The depth of the cruelty that he has uncovered toward detainees as he has worked tirelessly for their release left the audience breathless with horror at times.

Report from World Cant Wait Los Angeles - 1/6/2008

Report from World Cant Wait Los Angeles: The Annual Rose Parade Meets the White Rose Coalition

January 1, 2008 began the evening before as tens of thousands gathered in Pasadena to camp out, securing front row seats to watch the Rose Parade. World Cant Wait Los Angeles and San Francisco joined the White Rose Coalition to spread the message throughout the crowd; fascism must be repudiated and torture in our name is immoral and unacceptable.

On New Years Eve, we dressed in orange, and passed out flyers and orange flagging tape to those willing to declare their opposition to the Bush Regime. Orange was already a prominent color in the crowd as the Illinois football team scheduled to play in the Rose Bowl use orange as their team color. Our message was greeted with a variety of responses. Our brand-new Torturers: Drive Them Out! t-shirts were grabbed up by some, young and old. A few yelled at us about how they support torture. Some engaged with us about this, saying that they thought that the US should torture terrorists, and that they felt that citizens of the US were not in any danger from their own government and only from terrorists who needed to be tortured first, before they tortured us. Others we talked to had never heard of Guantanamo, nor did they have knowledge of the passage of the Military Commissions Act and its implications. These people took our flyers with interest and thanked us for informing them.

"Just Found!"

The World Can't Wait / LA rally October5 / "Cold Criminals

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVfc-P7eqLA

TOWN MEETING REPORT FROM LOS ANGELES

JULY 12, 2007 7pm

On a warm evening in Los Angeles, about 175 people gathered at their town hall meeting at the Immanuel Presbyterian Church on Wilshire Blvd.

It was mostly a middle-aged crowd, punctuated by some youth, and distinguished by a number of seniors exuding a notable and fiery stance against the Bush regime. Others seemed new to political life. The overall spirit of the crowd was high and determined as people sat listening intently, orange ribbons that had been given to them at the door bedecking their clothing in a variety of ways. Each speaker was received with applause, cheers and a few standing ovations.

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