Press conference condemns police brutality against protesters

In response to the Los Angeles Police Department repression of the July 8 counter-demonstration against the “Minuteman Project,” the ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), in conjunction with the National Lawyers Guild and Global Resistance Network, called a press conference against the LAPD on Tuesday, July 11. The press conference drew dozens of supporters and around eight major English- and Spanish-language media outlets, including, ABC, NBC, Fox, Telemundo, Unavision and others. Click here to read more about the July 8 anti-Minutemen protest.

Click here to listen to the press conference (34 min).
Click here to watch clips from the press conference.
Click here to send a letter demanding that all charges be dropped. 

From right: Jim Lafferty, José Villa, Christen Westberry

Speakers included victims of the police beatings and false arrests as well as representatives of progressive and immigrant rights organizations. Among the participants were: James Lafferty, executive director, National Lawyers Guild-LA; Richard Becker, western regional coordinator, ANSWER Coalition; Muna Coobtee, ANSWER-LA steering committee member; Juan José Gutiérrez, director, Latino Movement USA; Angelina Corona, executive director, Hermandad Mexicana Nacional; and Christen Westberry, José Villa, and Natividad Carrera, victims of police beatings at the anti-Minutemen protest. Villa was also falsely arrested by the cops and spent the night in jail.

Clear evidence of police brutality

Lafferty opened the press conference by denouncing the LAPD’s unprovoked brutality against protesters and its attempts to prevent ANSWER from holding a lawful demonstration against the Minutemen. He noted that repressing demonstrations is nothing new for the police but that it must be opposed and stopped. Lafferty also announced that the NLG will be filing a lawsuit on behalf of the ANSWER Coalition and those beaten by the police.

Muna Coobtee then described ANSWER’s long history of organizing peaceful protests in Los Angeles. She talked about the militant but peaceful atmosphere at last Saturday’s anti-Minutemen demonstration and what happened leading up to the police attack.

Next, José Villa, Christen Westberry, and Natividad Carrera spoke about their injuries from the police violence in Hollywood. Exclusive video footage of the vicious police attacks on Westberry and Villa was projected on the wall for the media to see. Click here to see the video.

The video clearly shows the LAPD beating and slamming a man onto the

back of a truck before arresting him. Next, Westberry and Villa are shown walking by the curb to get away from the police riot. They are hit by a cop on a bicycle from the side and propelled onto the sidewalk where five police in riot gear beat them both with nightsticks. After the first round of brutality, while they are lying on the ground, a racist cop continued to strike them with his nightstick until he is pulled off of the victims by another cop. Villa is then arrested. This outrageous arrest, as with all arrests that day, was without cause.

The video will be used to defend Villa and other protesters facing criminal charges and will also be documentary evidence of police brutality in ANSWER’s civil suit against the LAPD.

Immigrant rights and progressive leaders respond

Juan José Gutiérrez of Latino Movement USA condemned the racist Minutemen for trying to divide people on the issue of immigrant rights. Gutiérrez said that it was “unbelievable” that the LAPD would do something like this at a time “when so many millions of people have been taking to the streets around the country to stand up for human rights.” He continued, “We are hear to restate our position that we will not stand for this illegal conduct on the part of officers of the Los Angeles Police Department, who are charged with keeping us safe, not attacking us as they did last Saturday.”

Juan José Gutiérrez and Angelina Corona

Angelina Corona, leader of one of the largest immigrant rights organizations in the United States, delivered a powerful statement, expressing great shock and outrage at the police conduct on July 8. She had been present at the demonstration when the police attacked. Corona described how families with children came to the protest with her organization, Hermandad Mexicana Nacional, but feared injury due to the violent police rampage. Corona said, “All of a sudden we saw the police coming against us. Our families were frightened, they were so scared.” She praised ANSWER’s work in the anti-war and immigrant rights movement and vowed to continue working together.

Richard Becker, ANSWER Coalition, stressed that all of ANSWER’s chapters across the nation had been put on alert to mobilize to defend those arrested and present at the protest. He also pointed out that the attack by the police was planned: “I think that it is clear that there was premeditation; that there was preparation on the part of the LAPD to attack the demonstration on Saturday. … You can see, if you go to the Minutemen websites, the police amiably chatting with the Minutemen and Minutemen organizers at the time the attack is going on. This is outrageous. This is unacceptable. This has to be defeated.”

Becker unequivocally demanded that all the charges against anti-racist protesters be dropped, especially the charge against Villa. “This charge is outrageous. It was a police riot that took place.” Becker placed the blame squarely on the state for its actions: “The LAPD must be held accountable, the city council is accountable, too, and the mayor is accountable for the actions of the police department.”

Richard Becker

Fight back in the streets and in the courts

The ANSWER Coalition and the National Lawyers Guild will file a civil lawsuit against the LAPD and the city in the coming weeks. ANSWER will also be taking its campaign against police brutality to the streets. On Saturday, July 22, from 2 to 4 p.m., there will be a “People’s Speak Out Against Racism and Police Brutality” on Hollywood and Argyle, the same place where the LAPD attacked the demonstration. All progressive people are invited to participate.

The fascists and the state apparatus have always collaborated to repress workers’ movements and progressives. The KKK and, now, the Minutemen are just two examples.

Last year, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger referred to the Minutemen as “honorable citizens.” Shortly thereafter, the police attacked anti-Minutemen protesters in Santa Ana and Baldwin Park. This, too, was not a coincidence. But, despite state repression, the movement has always fought back. The July 11 press conference was a political response to the police attack in Hollywood. It helped to unveil further both the racist character of the Minutemen and the capitalist state that protects them.

Take action now – send a letter demanding that all charges be dropped against the anti-racist demonstrators falsely arrested by the LAPD.