Greens denounce "heinous" targeting of "marginalized, disenfranchised" at May Day immigrant rights rally, call for "community commission" to probe LAPD
GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA NEWS RELEASE
LOS ANGELES (May 7, 2007) - Members of the Green Party of California are calling for an "independent community commission" to investigate the "heinous" attacks by the Los Angeles Police Department at last week's peaceful immigration rights march here where demonstrators - and members of the news media - were clubbed and shot by rubber bullets.
Greens are urging any investigation of the May 1 incident should be truly independent, organized by members of the community, and separate from LAPD, FBI and other already announced probes. Greens also said members of the news media should either be included, or be allowed to monitor all aspects of all investigations.
In addition, Greens are asking for the immediate disclosure of all LAPD officer names who gave the orders to attack, and who inflicted bodily harm during the incidents. Those identified individuals should be, at minimum, placed on administrative leave until all investigations are completed.
"The heinous attacks by the police are a signal, and end result of a system denial of human rights to the immigrant community in this country. The LAPD police officers are soldiers of that policy," said civil rights professor Jeff Kravitz, former GPCA candidate for Congress (5th CD).
"The brazen police brutality of the LAPD is yet another example of the erosion of our civil liberties as we slide more and more into a police state, with the poor, immigrants, people of color, the marginalized and disenfranchised the targets of institutionalized violence and repression...and used, by police, as target practice," said Los Angeles Green spokesperson Linda Piera-Avila.
"The LAPD action was outrageous," said Peter Thottam, a Los Angeles attorney and former Green Party candidate for Assembly in the 53rd District, who has offered his help to those involved in the attacks by police.
-30-
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
Phone: (916) 448-3437
Web: http://www.cagreens.org
EMail: