California Greens join celebrities, tree-sitters in 'solidarity' with South Central LA farmers trying to save nation's largest urban farm
GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA NEWS RELEASE
LOS ANGELES (May 25, 2006) - Scores of Greens - including a Green Party candidate for Congress and a former Santa Monica mayor - have joined thousands of people who have formed a growing resistance movement here to save the largest urban farm in the U.S. Among threats of eviction and arrests, people - including environmentalist Julia "Butterfly" Hill - are "tree-sitting" and have put up a "tent city" for supporters.
A land developer is planning to evict 360 Latino and indigenous families from the 14-acre plot at Alameda and 41st streets in South Central Los Angeles, which has allowed them to supplement their incomes with healthy crops of fruits, vegetables and medicinal plants
In response the eviction notice, hundreds of people - including celebrities Joan Baez, actresses Daryl Hannah and Laura Dern, and slide guitar ace Ben Harper - have gathered at the farm to demand environmental justice for the farmers.
"We are putting out a call to Green Party members and others across the state and nation, to come to Los Angeles and stand in solidarity with the farmers against a developer and city government who refuse to save this community farm. If they evict and jail them, they'll have to evict and jail us too," said Michael Feinstein, former Santa Monica mayor.
"The Green Party demands that developers not be allowed to dictate to the government of and for the people. This is not the government of and for the dollar. We are not going to let this farm be destroyed," said Green Party congressional candidate Byron DeLear, (28th CD, Los Angeles/San Fernando) , one of many Greens who has camped out overnight at the site. He said the city should use the power of "eminent domain to protect this national treasure."
"I am appalled that instead of ensuring that people are able to subsist, the City of Los Angeles is selling out the people to build on a property already financed by the taxpayers," said Donna Warren, a native of South Central and candidate for Lt. Governor in June on the Green Party ticket.
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Contacts:
Crescenzo Vellucci, State Press Office,
916.996.9170,
Sara Amir (Los Angeles),
310.270.7106,
Dr. Bob Vizzard (Sacramento),
916.206.8953,
Daniel Brezenoff (Southern California),
310.422.2211,
Susan King (San Francisco),
415.823.5524,
The Green Party of California
PO Box 2828
Sacramento, CA 95812
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