Activists blast LAPD tactics
Calls them ‘gross’ abuse of First Amendment
Speaking Wednesday at a press conference at Crenshaw Boulevard near Stocker Street, community activists including Jim Lafferty of the National Lawyers Guild, actor Harry Lennix, (pictured) Rev. Meri Ka Ra of KRST Unity Center of African Spiritual Science, as well as writer and KPFK radio show host Michael Slate, accused the Los Angeles Police Department of utilizing illegal and intimidating tactics to prevent promotion of the premier of the movie “BA Speaks: Revolution-Nothing Less.”
The accusations stemmed from an incident that happened on March 9 and involved LAPD bicycle officers threatening to cite and arrest a group of individuals who were handing out flyers about the movie and selling copies of the Communist newspaper Revolution.
Allegedly, the police initially refused to supply the codes that were being broken, but then relented after about an hour, and came back with six codes including Loud Noise Coming From Person, Distributing Flyers on Public Street and Soliciting Donations on Public Property.
BA Speaks will be screened Saturday from 1-8 p.m. at L.A. Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles. Tickets are $20. For information, call (323) 463-3500.
A group called the Coalition to End Sheriff Violence in county jails is calling on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to look into the feasibility of permanent civilian oversight of the county jails. A town hall meeting is set for today, March 14, from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at 1006 East 28th St., in Los Angeles. Second District Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas reportedly will be in attendance.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—For a fifth year in a row, Los Angeles had more energy-saving commercial buildings than anywhere else in the country, according to a ranking released today by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The buildings carry the “Energy Star” seal, which apply to energy efficient appliances, such as refrigerators and washing machines, but also to buildings such as schools, offices and retailers that typically use 35 percent less energy than a typical building and emit 35 less greenhouse gases.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—The city’s police, fire and other departments are all in danger of being subjected to hefty budget cuts in response to voters’ rejection of a proposed half-cent sales tax, the president of the City Council said today.
Councilman Herb Wesson said that without the tax, things are “going to get ugly” for the police and other city departments.
“There will be some very hard choices,” he said. “Every department will be on the table. Nothing is sacred.”
The Lupus Foundation of America has sent out its Purple Bus to take awareness about one of the world’s more mysterious diseases to the Los Angeles-area public. Starting today, Jan. 10, the bus will be on tour in key locations until Sunday. The public is urged to come out and learn about the disease, which affects women of color primarily.
The space orbiter Endeavour last weekend zigged and zagged its way around trees, light posts, and under power lines before arriving at the California Science Center many hours behind schedule. But some residents were thrilled by the delay, because it gave many more of them time to see the space shuttle up close and personal. The delays did cause a bit of shuffling around in the schedules of planned events such as the dance presentation at Crenshaw and Martin Luther King boulevards created by Debbie Allen and featuring a variety of performers from the community.
