El Comité Latino Condemns LAPD Attack on May 1 Immigrant and Worker Rights Rally

El Comité Latino issues a press release denouncing LA police violence.

Take action now:

Call Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa: 213-978-0600

Demand that he reprimand the L.A. Police Chief, while seeking the full force of justice to prosecute commanding and field police officers responsible for the violence, the physical abuse and gross violations of civil rights perpetrated against hundreds of community members participating in the May 1 rally.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media contact: Dagoberto Flores, 503-358-3768

Portland group Comité Latino denounces LAPD for attack on peaceful immigrant May Day marchers

Who gave the order?

With profound consternation we have observed the brutality that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) attacked a peaceful International Workers' Day March.

In response to a supposed attack by unidentified people, the police attacked the marches with excessive brutality, beating whoever was in front of them with their batons, whether they were children, women, elderly people, reporters or simply observers, and indiscriminately fired over 250 rubber bullets.

Who gave the order? Who, without regard for the presence of children, had the nerve to shoot at a defenseless crowd? Who, seeing a journalist on the ground, had the cowardice to beat her and step on her camera? Who answered a reporters question with a beating? Who unleashed so much hate and fury upon poor defenseless people?

While the Chief of the LAPD, William J. Bratton, has promised an exhaustive investigation of the incidents, it must be recognized that while this may find those who were responsible for giving and following these orders, the investigation will not penalize the hate that certain members of this security force feel against immigrants. And this is dangerous, because if this hate is not removed from the heart of the police department, we will never have police that are effective in protecting the community.

The actions demonstrated by the LAPD are a flagrant violation of basic human rights: the right to protest and the right to expression.

The Comité Latino expresses its deep condemnation of the actions undertaken by the LAPD against the protesters. We demand an exhaustive investigation of the actions and that the policies regarding this unit are revised. We demand that any and all police involved in attacking demonstrators be prosecuted and brought to justice. We also request that Portland Police Chief Rosie Sizer analyze the case and so as to prevent similar incidents from happening in our city.

We also express our strongest sense of solidarity with all of the organizations that fight so that workers’ and immigrant rights are respected. We invite all community members—citizens, residents, and those on the path to legalization—to join community organizations so that through these organizations we can move forward in claiming our rights. We ask that all other community organizations pronounce themselves against these acts.

The Comité Latino organizes community members to fight for immigrant rights and social justice in the Portland area. The Comité Latino is a project of the Portland Central America Solidarity Committee (PCASC).

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