Los Angeles Indymedia : Activist News

Farmers call for immediate actions:

• Slow down or stop access to Farm
• Protest at City Council
• Call the Mayor, Jan Perry, Horowitz, and Sherrif's: Jan Perry 323-846-2651 or 213-473-7009; Mayor Villaraigosa 213-978-0600, Ralph Horowitz office 310 440-7878

10:00 pm. At a meeting, it was decided that there will be daylong monitoring of the situation. Support is requested. If you can take lunch at (and to) the farm, please do so. Bring water and support during the day. The big effort is to turn out for the 7 o'clock vigil. Bring as many people as possible. Meetings planning next steps are to be held throughout the day.
4:00 p.m. The Farm plots are being Bulldozed. Farmers and supporters are crying as their gardens are turned into rubble. There will be two candle light vigils at 7pm tonight. One at the farm (41st and Alameda or Long Beach blvd.) where organizers are calling on people to respect the police barriers. The other at the "Mayor's Mansion" 605 S. Irving St. in Hancock Park. Bring candles and food to share.
1:30 p.m. Daryl Hannah and John Quigley are among the estimated 45 arrests so far. Sheriffs will allow the farmers to return within 15 days to claim property they left on the farm. Tezozomoc from the SCF reports that Horowitz will immediately proceed with bulldozing the farm though this could not be confirmed. Mayor Villaraigosa will be staging a press conference at 3 pm in front of city hall. Update: link to audio interview with Leslie Morava by Free Radio Santa Cruz
12:10 p.m. Farmers and supporters stopped traffic at 41st and Alameda. Police declared unlawful assembly and cleared the streets. Reports of a dozen arrests at this incident. Supporters are asked to come to 41st and Long Beach.
10:30 a.m. Bulldozers are on the farm. Cherry pickers coming in to farm now. Daryl & John still in tree. People still locked down around tree. About 300 supporters protesting outside now.
10:15 a.m. Bulldozers are breaking down the fences, and the tree is being cut. Traffic is bottlenecked around Alameda.
9:00 a.m. Jake writes: 1) The sheriffs had already broken open the lockboxes that people were using to lock themselves down to prevent their removal from the farm.
2) About 10 people had been dragged out, and two people were sent away in ambulances. We don't know what happened to them or how they are doing.
3) Bulldozers were lined up outside the fences, ready to come in.
5:20 a.m. The sherrifs are at the farm. The eviction process is starting now. Farmers are calling all activists to converge to the farm for a massive protest (Alameda & 41st Street). The eviction might take up to 3 to 4 hours or longer.

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