That’s right, even LAPD chief William Bratton was appalled by the thuggish behavior of his own troops towards immigration rights protesters and members of the media yesterday in L.A. But then, Bratton has said this kind of thing before, but nothing ever seems to change, does it?

As one who lived in L.A. for thirty years and recently moved, hey, I’ve been in lots of cities, and police elsewhere just don’t have the RoboCop aura of menace that LAPD does, something that doesn’t contribute to effective policing or good relations with the public. But then, LAPD hardly ever seems concerned with that.

This kind of noxious police brutality happens every day in L.A. The only difference this time is that it was video’ed multiple times, including by tv stations, so Bratton couldn’t deny it happened. That they will launch a phony investigation where no cop is disciplined, much less goes to prison, is a given.

Express your outrage. Send a fax to L.A. Mayor Villaraigosa that Bratton be fired.

And Hell yes this is personal, some of my friends were shot at with rubber bullets and beaten.

Update: Full information now online at ANSWERLA.org

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Even when wrong, they never admit wrong and never change.

LAPD is not disciplining an officer who killed 13-year-old Devin Brown - even though his family has been awarded 1.5 million and a civilian review board ruled the shooting violated policy.

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Fri., Dec. 15, 8 pm
Remy’s On Temple
2126 W. Temple St., L.A.

ANSWER LA is holding a benefit to defray unrecoverable bail costs and other expenses associated with the unprovoked beating by LAPD of two ANSWER LA volunteers on July 8, one of whom was arrested for a felony. LAPD has decided to not file charges, but bail expenses were $5000.

Join us in Los Angeles on Friday, Dec. 15 for a night of speakers, music, spoken word poetry, food and discussion to benefit the victims of police brutality. The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition is hosting events taking place across the country to raise money for the struggle against police brutality, racism and for free speech. The Los Angeles event will feature:

Los Kache: Progressive Latino ska band from Los Angeles

Solidarity greeting from Tom Morello: Former Rage Against the Machine and current Audioslave guitarist

Victims of police brutality & anti-racist activists, including Jose Villa and Christen Westberry

Spoken word poetry by Joneric Concordia of KmB Pro-People Youth and Alliance for Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines

How police brutality can be stopped: From LA to NYC to Atlanta, no more victims!

Tribute to Mumia Abu-Jamal: African American political prisoner on the 25th anniversary of his arrest

On July 8, 2006, the Los Angeles Police Department viciously attacked immigrant rights activists who were protesting against the anti-immigrant Minuteman Project in Hollywood. The protest of 300 people was called by the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition to counter a Minuteman hate march down Hollywood Boulevard, a traditional route for anti-war and other progressive demonstrations.

The police launched a coordinated attack on the protesters, striking people with clubs and pushing them to the ground. The protesters were simply exercising their free speech rights. A.N.S.W.E.R. activists Jose Villa and Christen Westberry were two of the protesters badly beaten. They were pushed to the ground and clubbed repeatedly by cops as they tried to photograph the police falsely arresting another protester. All of this was captured on video.

Villa was then falsely arrested and outrageous felony charges carrying the possibility of a long jail sentence were slapped on him. Villa was held in jail for nearly two days on $50,000 bail. He was released after paying a $5,000 unrecoverable bond. Villa and Westberry had to be treated at a local hospital for their wounds.

In response to the police riot against the protesters, A.N.S.W.E.R. held a press conference and waged a prolonged political struggle against the LAPD, showing the video of the incident on media outlets and at political gatherings. More than 320,000 people have viewed the video online. Now, in a major victory, the charges against Villa have been dropped. This comes on the heels of additional videos of LAPD brutality surfacing on the internet.

A.N.S.W.E.R. is hosting the Dec. 15 LA benefit, along with benefits in other U.S. cities, to defray the costs of the bond paid to free Villa, and to continue the struggle against police brutality and racism.

View the video of the beating

(I posted three versions of the beating video on YouTube. They’ve been viewed an amazing 320,00+ times, something which certainly demonstrates the power of video. I also posted videos of the press conference announcing the lawsuits against LAPD.)

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On July 8, 2006, ANSWER Coalition activists Jose Villa and Christen Westberry were badly beaten by LAPD at an anti-Minutemen protest. The video, which I posted in three versions on YouTube, have now been viewed over 310,000 times and unquestionably played a big part in the very good news that the bogus felony charges against Villa have been dropped.

Videos from the press conference announcing the lawsuits against LAPD are also online.

Villa’s bail had been an outrageous $50,000, which means $5,000 is unrecoverable. The ANSWER Coalition will be holding several events nationwide to help defray that cost. More details coming ASAP.

Update: It now appears LAPD will file administrative rather than criminal charges against the officers involved.

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Excerpts from several videos showing unprovoked beatings by LAPD officers, including the one we posted, will air on CNN’s American Morning on Monday as part of their report on what’s up at LAPD with all the beating videos.

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William Cardenas was beaten savagely by LAPD while lying on the ground. Someone video’ed it. Now it’s on YouTube. And all over the media.

This happened Aug. 8 in Hollywood. On July 8 in Hollywood, LAPD savaagely beat two protestors at an anti-Minutemen counter-protest and we got it on video and posted it on YouTube.

Last night, after getting at least a dozen people subscribing to my YouTube videos in that day, I checked the stats for the July 8 beating video and it showed 37,000 viewings which was way up. A few hours later it was 82,000. This morning it’s a mind-boggling 132,000. People must be looking for the Aug. 8 video and finding this one too.

And why two beatings by Hollywood LAPD a month apart?

PS There are so many hits happening so fast on the videos now that depending on which way you view the link, YouTube gives a different number of total views. For example, one screen is currently showing 132,000 while another is at 83,000.

William Cardenas beating YouTube video

Anti-minutemen beating You Tube video

[tags]William Cardenas, LAPD beating[/tags]

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This just-uploaded version is on Google video. They allow uploading larger files than YouTube (where the other versions are) thus this version is way larger and better quality than previous ones.

From the counter-protest called by ANSWERLA.org to protest a Minutemen march in Hollywood on July 8, 2006. LAPD officers clubbed two videographers to the pavement then kept clubbing them.

Watch the video on Google Video.

The three versions on YouTube have now been viewed over 16,000 times.

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Jose Villa, who was arrested July 8 at an anti-Minutemen protest in Hollywoood, will not have charges filed against him for 2 months while LAPD conducts an internal investigation.

Villa and Christen Westberry were video’ing LAPD when they were clubbed to the sidewalk, then clubbed at least four more times while lying there motionless. The video speaks for itself.

Two things: 1) That LAPD is conducting an internal investigation means they are taking this seriously. 2) The criminal investigation has been transferred from Hollywood division to Robbery/Homicide (the most experienced) in the downtown division. It is unusual for investigations to be moved from where they happened, another signal LAPD is watching this from the highest levels.

The criminal investigation can not start until the internal investigation, which is being done by the Professional Standards Bureau of LAPD, has completed.

Villa was arrested on the ludicrous charge of “attempted lynching”, a felony, and his bail was $50,000. KPFK reporter Liliana Sunn was arrested on a misdemeanor after she stepped into the street and was clubbed to the ground. Her bail is $20,000, extremely high for a misdemeanor, and upon release she discovered her tapes had been erased.

All of the above is from conversations with Bill Paparian, Jose Villa’s lawyer.

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This Sat., July 22, 2-4 pm
Gather at corner of Hollywood & Argyle, L.A.
(Metro Red Line stop Hollywood & Vine.)

All anti-racist, progressive people are encouraged to participate in a People’s Speak Out against racism and police brutality. The speak out will be at the corner of Hollywood Blvd. and Argyle Ave. to show the LAPD that protesters and the community will not be intimidated by police terror.

On July 8, the LAPD viciously attacked a peaceful, multinational crowd of hundreds who had gathered to demonstrate against the racist, anti-immigrant “Minuteman Project” and their supporters. Without any provocation, the police beat dozens and falsely arrested six people, all of them anti-Minutemen protesters. Just before the police riot, top LAPD brass on the scene were chumming around with the fascist Minutemen on the other side of the street.

Lawsuits are pending, and the video clearly shows the savage, unprovoked beating. We are returning to precisely the same street corner to speak out against police brutality. I expect it to be quite peaceful. LAPD would be insane to club people again, given the repercussions from what happened July 8.

BTW, Street corner protests like this one are completely legal. You do not need a permit.

And I’m looking to buy my first video camera.

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This is a higher resolution and better quality version of the LAPD beating video. I’ve now watched the full footage several times and will have more to say later!

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The video of Westberry and Villa being beaten by LAPD has now been viewed over 5,000 times.

Look at the still of the officer backing off the Sgt. who had just clubbed them (for the fourth time) while they were lying on the pavement. That officer is looking directly at the video camera. I’m no mind reader, but I’m guessing he’s was thinking something along the lines of ‘Houston, we have a problem.’

Without the video, we’d still be trying to explain what happened. At the press conference announcing the lawsuits, Jim Lafferty of the National Lawyers Guild said, we don’t have to explain much, the video speaks for itself. And so it does.

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Jim Lafferty of the National Lawyers Guild details the lawsuits to be filed against LAPD by ANSWER LA and those injured on July 8, 2006 when LAPD beat protestors and blocked ANSWER from having a lawful sidewalk rally. (47 sec.)

Three more videos follow. I’ve posted twelve videos from the press conference on YouTube Here’s the full list.

All are from the press conference held July 11.

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Westberry and Jose Villa were beaten by LAPD, as is shown in the video (45 sec.)

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Villa and Christen Westberry were beaten by LAPD, as is shown in the video. (1:01 min.)

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Becker is western regional coordinator of the ANSWER Coalition. “The severity of the charges is correlated to the severity of the beating.” (1:05 min.)

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After repeated watching of the video, it appears most of the beating of Villa and Westberry was done by an LAPD sergeant.

Villa and Westberry were standing on the street videoing. An officer on bicycle comes behind them, picks up his bike, slams it into them, pushing them into the Sgt., who pushes back. They get pushed again, and the Sgt. hits them once while standing, then more four times after they are lying on the sidewalk. The final hit (photo 1) was after a pause of a few seconds, and another officer then backs him off (photo2).

[tags]police brutality[/tags]

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Jose Villa was videoing LAPD during the anti-Minutemen protest called by ANSWER LA last Saturday. As the YourTube video shows, he and Christen Westberry were standing still when an LAPD officer on a bicycle stopped next to them, picked up his bike, slammed it into them, pushing them into other police who then clubbed until they were lying on the pavement - then continued beating them.

For this Villa has been charged with “lynching”, a felony.

From the Wikipedia definition of “lynching.”

Many states now have specific anti-lynching statutes. California, for example, defines lynching, punishable by 2-4 years in prison, as “the taking by means of a riot of any person from the lawful custody of any peace officer,” with the crime of “riot” defined as two or more people using violence or the threat of violence.

At a press conference Tuesday the National Lawyers Guild and ANSWER LA announced they would file multiple lawsuits. Richard Becker of the ANSWER Coalition summed up situations like this up perfectly, “the severity of the charges is always in direct correlation to the severity of the beating”. LAPD knows they are in trouble, hence the grotesque charge of lynching because a man hugged his girl friend to protect her from thugs with badges who beat them both to the sidewalk and continued to assault them while they were motionless.

Becker continued, “we demand the charges be dropped,” saying the behavior of the police could only be called “fascist.”

Reaction from other parts of the country and world is, those LAPD cops are animals, aren’t they? My 88 year old father, a retired lawyer, said the video was ’sickening.’ A friend, Wood, who lives in Wales contrasted the video to the “comforting idea of the provincial British bobby.” Imagine, a country where the police are not known for violent behavior or for clubbing innocents. Wood concludes “Those aren’t policemen. Those are thugs in uniforms.”

Does LAPD even learn? No. That’s why the National Lawyers Guild successfully forced LAPD into a consent decree against precisely this kind of brutal behavior during the 2000 DNC. LAPD is undoubtably now in violation of that agreement. You better believe they’re worried about the coming lawsuits.

Read the full report of the press conference on ANSWER LA.

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Opening statements by Jim Lafferty of the National Lawyers Guild.

The NLG and ANSWER LA will file multiple lawsuits and complaints against LAPD for their outrageous conduct during the anti-Minutemen protest on Saturday, including their unprovoked beating of demonstrators - even after they’d been clubbed and were lying on the sidewalk - and for not allowing ANSWER to have a constitutionally-protected protest on the sidewalk.

Some history. The NLG sued LAPD for their conduct during the 2000 Democratic National Convention police riot and were instrumental in forcing a consent decree upon LAPD as well as financial damages.

Muna Coobtee of ANSWER LA details the sequence of events at the protest.

Statements from three who were beaten without cause; they are Christen Westberry, Jose Villa, and Natividad Carerra. Westbury and Villa were viciously clubbed while lying on the sidewalk, as documented in the video.

Then came statements of support and outrage from:
Angelina Corona, Executive Director Hermandad Mexicana Nacional
Juan Jose Gutiérrez, Latino Movement USA
Richard Becker, West Coast Coordinator, ANSWER Coalition

Ending with discussion and questions.

mp3 (34:49,11.6 mb)

[tags]LAPD, police brutality[/tags]

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The National Lawyers Guild and ANSWER LA announced today they will file numerous lawsuits and complaints against LAPD for their brutal behavior at the anti-Minutemen protest Saturday, clubbing people, even after they were prone on the sidewalk motionless. (See the two videos following this post.)

Several TV news reporters were at the press conference, and there were gasps from the audience when the video was shown.

The NLG has successfully sued LAPD before, winning two million, and forcing LAPD to abide by a consent decree, one whose terms they appear to have now broken.

Watch the videos, they speak for themselves.

[tags]LAPD, police brutality[/tags]

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Unprovoked attacks by Los Angeles police. From the counter-protest called by ANSWERLA.org to protest a Minutemen march in Hollywood on July 8, 2006.

Man in white shirt on left walks towards police, is clubbed. Others are clubbed, person in wheelchair knocked over. Screams of “he’s mentally retarded.” Officer on bike deliberately smashes into two people standing there videoing. Other cops club them, even after they’re on the ground. After several seconds of them not moving, cop clubs them again and is pushed back by another cop.

Watch the video on YouTube

[tags]LAPD, police brutality[/tags]

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Slow motion of unprovoked Los Angeles police clubbing of protesters. From the counter-protest called by ANSWERLA.org to protest a Minutemen march in Hollywood on July 8, 2006.

As it starts, officer on bike smashes into two people videoing. Other police them club them. At the end, another officer beats them as they are lying motionless on the sidewalk - and is then pushed back by another officer.

Watch the video on YouTube

[tags]LAPD, police brutality[/tags]

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As mentioned, the press conference is today, 10 am. ANSWER LA and the National Lawyers Guild will be filing suit against LAPD for police misconduct (beating people who were lying on the ground) at the Saturday counter-protest against the Minutemen.

I’ll have more to report after the press conference.

[tags]LAPD,police brutality[/tags]

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LAPD clubs peaceful immigrant rights protestors in Hollywood
Plus: call for video, photos & witnesses

This Tuesday, July 11, 10 am
National Lawyers Guild Office at the Peace Center
8124 W Third St, Los Angeles (Corner of Crescent Heights and Third)

ANSWER LA and the National Lawyers Guild are planning to file a lawsuit against LAPD for their despicable actions, beating passers-by, continuing to club people who were lying on the sidewalk (after being beaten for no reason.) I’ve watched multiple videos of what happened. This was unprovoked brutality from the thugs of LAPD. But then, this is the same violent police force that beat Rodney King.

From the ANSWER LA homepage

Shocking video footage will also be shown of anti-Minutemen protestors being brutally beaten by LAPD officers without provocation. The video shows a deliberate, violent attack on peaceful protestors exercising their First Amendment rights. Please come to the press conference to show solidarity with the immigrant rights movement and people who were brutalized by the police attack. Take a stand for civil rights and free speech.

ANSWER is also putting out a call to all progressive people who attended Saturday’s anti-Minutemen protest for video footage, photos and eyewitness reports of police brutality.

From the ANSWER LA eyewitness account

After nearly two hours of peaceful protest, dozens of LAPD police in full riot gear instigated a wave of unprovoked violence on the progressive crowd. They pushed protestors, jabbed them with batons and wrestled several people to the ground while beating them brutally without any cause or concern. Several ANSWER activists were brutalized and one was arrested because his friend was attempting to take photographs of riot police slamming a bystander against the back of a truck and hitting him with a baton. Top police brass later tried to justify their violence by saying protestors provoked the beatings by “crossing police lines” - an outright lie.

A Spanish-language media reporter from KPFK radio was shoved to the pavement, smacked hard and arrested for attempting to document the repression. The cops were attacking so wildly that even an elderly woman getting of a Metro bus was clubbed for being too close to the protest.

As I mentioned yesterday, LAPD does nothing to stop counter-protestors from entering ANSWER LA anti-war marches, and LAPD sure lets them walk on the sidewalks and follow the march. Yet they blocked the sidewalks so we couldn’t follow the Minutemen march. (We went down another street instead!) Clearly, LAPD has a double set of standards. But then they’re notorious for being ultra-right wing, racist, and violent.

The police arrested around six people without cause while the fascist Minutemen chanted “L-A-P-D,” cheering them on. It was a naked display of police and fascist collaboration. The outraged anti-immigrant crowd stood their ground and defended their demonstration while chanting “Cops and the Klan go hand in hand!”

The National Lawyers Guild has successfully sued LAPD a number of times. This time will be no different.

[tags]police brutality, LAPD, Minutemen[/tags]

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The role of the police is often to protect and defend the extreme right. Yesterday in Hollywood demonstrated that clearly.

The Minutemen, the racist anti-immigrant group, marched in Hollywood on Saturday. ANSWER LA called a counter-demo across the street from them on the sidewalk. As usual, there were more of us than them.

LAPD went out of their way to be deliberately nasty to us, the counter-demonstrators. If a counter-demonstrator stepped into the street, accidentally or not, they got their head cracked. Yet LAPD repeatedly let Minutemen get in the middle of the street and scream at or video us. No head cracks for them. Just a gentle escort back.

As the Minutemen started their march, we followed them on the sidewalk. LAPD then blocked the sidewalk, preventing us from continuing! Yet during every ANSWER LA march in Hollywood, LAPD has done nothing to prevent counter-demonstrators from trying to invade our march - which meant we had to keep them out (and did.) But they sure did an exemplary job of keeping counter-demonstrators away from their buddies in the extreme right.

Isn’t walking on the sidewalks legal? I guess not in Hollywood if you’re protesting the racist right. So, after being blocked by LAPD, we marched down another street, headed them off at the pass, and were there when the Minutemen passed by. LAPD then declared us an illegal assembly. We marched back, did a mini-rally and waited for the Minutemen to return. After they did, LAPD began making threatening moves against us (never, ever against their pals, the Minutemen, of course) so we told LAPD we would march out en masse and did so. When police act like thugs, leave in a group, this protects everyone.

Several heads were cracked by LAPD, for apparently minor actions, if indeed they had any justification at all. At least one person went to the hospital. There were a couple of arrests.

The contrast is obvious. LAPD in Hollywood does nothing to stop counter-demonstrators when there’s an anti-war march. But let the lunatic fringe right march in Hollyood and LAPD will crack skulls to stop the counter-protestors.

[tags]Minutemen, anti-Minutemen, police brutality[/tags]

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