Happy New Year!

It’s time to become a member of Centro CSO and to order your very own CSO shirt.

Click here for our store:

https://my-store-1007558.creator-spring.com

Save & Protect Garfield High School

Sign the petition now and join the fight:

https://www.change.org/p/supervisor-hilda-solis-protect-garfield-hs

STOP Esperanza Charter School from being built on Atlantic Blvd. and 4th Street in East Los Angeles. This construction will hurt Garfield HS. Ednovate wants to build without an environmental report or a community survey. They will bring students from other areas and cause more traffic congestion in East LA. We do not want anymore charters in East LA. We do not want anymore pollution in our community.

Centro CSO Bashes Asian Hate Crimes & Expresses Solidarity

Statement to the Chicano Movement & Our People

Statement to the Chicano Movement & Our Community
RE: Attack by Jorge H. Rodriguez on Centro CSO and Carlos Montes

Leading up to August 29, 2020, we became the victims of a series of very vicious and false accusations. These accusations targeted Centro CSO and member Carlos Montes. The fabricated accusations stated that Carlos Montes was a pedophile and a sexual predator. The attacks consisted of: posting of anonymous flyers on signal lights and on doors of local businesses. These included a close up picture of Carlos Montes. Graffiti was also on one old business and Roosevelt High School in Boyle Heights. Two large banners were placed in prominent corners of ELA and Boyle Heights.  The flyers which included a closeup picture of Montes, were strategically placed in panaderias, coffee shops, and high traffic intersections.

After an investigation into these attacks, we discovered that JORGE H. RODRIGUEZ was responsible for the attack, banners and flyers. On top of that, Jorge H. Rodriguez actually used funds from the 50th Chicano Moratorium Commemoration Organizing Committee to purchase the banners and flyers. As noted before, Jorge H. Rodriguez is the co-chair of the CMCOC and he is also the cosigner of its checking account. He is a former resident and former activist of Boyle Heights, but has resided in South Pasadena for many years. He is also self-employed.

The actions of Jorge H. Rodriguez are unconscionable and an attack on the Chicano movement as a whole. Fabricated accusations of such heinous crimes have no place in our movement.  It serves to divide the movement and play into the hands of our enemies.  The Chicano Movement should use this nightmarish attack to learn and educate, but also to expel Jorge H. Rodriguez from participating in future movement activities.

In closing we have to emphasize that this is an attack against our Chicano Movement for self-determination. Fabricating an accusation like this can destroy valuable organizations struggling for Chicano liberation. The actions by Jorge H. Rodriguez and his small clique were carried out to stop Centro CSO and C. Montes from playing a leading role in the 50th Chicano Moratorium protests. It plays into the hands of the police and State who seek to neutralize and destroy legitimate organizations that fight against the racist power structure. 

CSO Condemns LAPD SWAT Swarming of BLM Leader’s House

– Statement by Centro Community Service Organization (Centro CSO)

The morning of August 12, 2020 the private residence of Black Lives Matter – Los Angeles co-founder Dr. Melina Abdullah was swarmed by an LAPD SWAT team. With their semi-automatic rifles pointed at her home, the team stood surrounding her home in tactical gear.

“We looked out the front window, and two officers stood and put their assault rifles and pointed them directly at us,” Abdullah said at a Cal State L.A. press conference. “And I realized they came for me. And they called out my address, said everyone needed to come out with their hands up.”

On the evening of August 12, Abdullah went live on her Instagram account thanking the over 300 people who privately messaged her after the swarm attack by LAPD SWAT. Abdullah stated on Instagram live that the police lie and aren’t to be believed, regarding any of the particulars of the attack.

In the early hours of August 12th, an 911 call falsely reported that there was a hostage situation at Abdullah’s home. To this alleged call, LAPD SWAT responded by showing up at the residence.

We Condemn This Attack
Those of us who are supporters and allies of BLM and Black liberation activists understand that intimidation, threats, and terror are commonplace by authorities. Recently District Attorney of Los Angeles’ husband David Lacey was charged with three misdemeanors after pointing a gun at BLM activists including Abdullah when they protested outside of the Lacey residence. The misdemeanor charges were placed on August 3rd by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra.

One of our own CSO members, longtime Chicano revolutionary Carlos Montes, had his home raided by the FBI and LA County Sheriff’s SWAT on May 17, 2011. In another act of terror, the FBI could have seriously injured Montes. Carlos has also been the victim of threats of bodily harm, false accusations, rumors, and insults.

Additionally family members of those killed by LASD and LAPD have been repeatedly harassed by LA County Deputies when they fight back. A sister of Paul Rea, who was killed by East LA Sheriffs, was arrested and kidnapped by deputies when she was visiting the memorial site for her brother. On other occasions, other families like Anthony Daniel Vargas’ (also killed by East LA Sheriffs) have been stalked by the same deputies Nikolis Perez and Jonathan Rojas who killed Vargas.

As we continue our struggle, we expect attacks. However, we will not let them quash our fight for justice. An attack on one of us, is an attack on all of us.

We will not allow for this attack to go unnoticed or unopposed. Whoever gave the false tip must be held accountable. We demand LAPD SWAT and District Attorney Jackie Lacey issue apologies now to Dr. Melina as well as Black Lives Matter. Continuing with our mission to fight for and defend survivors as well as victims of police terror, we will never shy away from fighting back. Enough is enough!

Aftermath
One of our members drove past the Hall of Justice where Lacey’s office is located and noticed various LA Sheriff’s patrol vehicles surrounding the building. This practice is not commonplace on a regular business day. We are left to wonder: Are they thinking the people will fight back after their terrorist act on Black Lives Matter?

Every Wednesday starting at 3:00 pm Black Lives Matter holds weekly protests outside of Lacey’s office located at 211 W Temple St. Los Angeles, CA 90012. We urge you to attend today, and every Wednesday to show your solidarity! Not one more killing by LASD or LAPD, and not one more life taken by authorities and justified as “within policy” by Lacey!

Aug 29th – Chicano National Day of Action!

August 29th, 2020:  Chicano National Day of Action!

By Sol Marquez

Los Angeles, CA — Past Chicano political parties like the La Raza Unida Party and Chicano organizations like the Denver-based Crusade for Justice, declared August 29th as Chicano Liberation Day. In Boyle Heights, Centro Community Service Organization (CSO) has commemorated the day for many years. Centro CSO is calling for a Chicano National Day of Action on August 29th, 2020. The day coincides with the 50th year anniversary of the mass protest in East LA on August 29th 1970 recognized today as the Chicano Moratorium. Those who wish to participate must unite with this call and organize a protest in their cities, or join us in East LA on August 29th, 2020. The time is now to push for Chicano self-determination!

The Chicano Moratorium & Chicanos against U.S. Wars & Police Brutality
August 29, 1970 over 30,000 Chicanos from all over the U.S. united in East Los Angeles to protest against the high casualty rate of Chicanos in the Vietnam War. The protest also denounced the racist military draft, police brutality of Chicanos, as well as racism in general. LAPD and LASD brutally attacked the peaceful rally at Laguna Park, beating and tear gassing hundreds and arresting scores of people. The people fought back and many police went down, as the rebellion continued on Whittier Boulevard in East LA. The police killed event attendees, Angel Diaz and Ruben Salazar. Ruben Salazar was a KMEX News Director and LA Times news reporter covering the historic event. Lynn Ward, a Brown Beret, also died during the rebellion.

What you can do:

A protest or caravan for a Chicano/a victims of police brutality
From Carlos Ingram-Lopez killed in Tucson, Arizona, Sean Monterrosa killed in Vallejo, California, to Daniel Hernandez killed in South Central Los Angeles, Chicanos continue to die even after the brutal and racist murder of our African American brother in Minnesota, George Floyd. While organizations like CSO in Los Angeles have been leading the fight for Chicano liberation against police brutality, you can start your own action too. Our deaths are disproportionately high like our Black siblings. They happen all the time, and if you’re in an area with high populations of Chicanos, do a quick search of the words “officer involved shooting” and the name of your town or city to find the victims police create.

An event for the undocumented
Chicanos are of many mixed roots, and many of us are also undocumented, or have family who is. We must remain united with those who are haunted and terrorized by Border Patrol, ICE, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Since COVID-19 occurred, refugees in detention centers have not been protected against becoming infected by the virus. Before COVID-19 the country was shocked when many refugees were dying of fevers, diabetic attacks, and from wounds inflicted by agents. The abuses and horrors have not stopped, and in fact they are only increasing. Many have died of COVID-19 like 57-year-old Salvadoran, Carlos Escobar-Mejia, who had been living in the U.S. for over 40 years, before he was detained.

The Eloy Detention Center in Arizona has reported this week that 127 employees have tested positive for COVID-19.  One guard has died, as well as 14 detained refugees. Putting the blame on the virus, Eloy is using excuses to justify not hiring more employees, properly sanitizing the detention center, not equipping the refugees with masks, hand sanitizer, nor clean cells, nor allowing refugees access to basic necessities like showers, and laundry! These conditions are completely deplorable and we must stand up against them! Demand the refugees to be released now, and demand legalization for all of them now.

Chicanos and Latinos have one of the highest groups of people hit by COVID-19. Chicano states like Arizona, Texas, and California (the LA area) have become very high-risk areas for the virus. In Florida, the population of Latinos is 25% but those who have COVID-19 are 44.5% Latino! Meanwhile right-wing politicians like DeSantis, Florida Governor, have been reopening their states. Florida’s economy heavily depends on tourism, but instead of tackling the root of the issue, DeSantis decided to instead blame the increasing number of cases on “Hispanic farm workers.” Boyle Heights, predominantly a Chicano and Latino neighborhood, is experiencing some of the highest numbers in COVID cases in the city of Los Angeles, due to many businesses reopening, and most service workers coming out of this area.

A protest or vigil demanding justice for Vanessa Guillen
A Chicana Army soldier named Vanessa Guillen was brutally murdered and disappeared after she reported sexual harassment by her superiors. Guillen was on duty when she disappeared and until now, the Army refuses to give concrete evidence of what truly happened to Guillen. Cover-ups, lies, and misogyny have long been the standing rule within the U.S. military ranks. Events around the country and directly outside of military recruitment centers have demanded justice for Guillen. A protest or vigil for Vanessa Guillen would be a perfect place to start.

Connecting to the national call
In Los Angeles, we will be taking to the streets with the 50th Chicano Moratorium Organizing Committee and we will be helping lead a caravan to commemorate the day. We will be making posters demanding justice for countless Chicano/a victims of LAPD and LASD, for Vanessa Guillen, and demanding legalization for all of the undocumented.

Once you have organized your event, be sure to contact CSO with your event flyer, or details at any of their following contact locations: (323) 943-2030, CentroCSO@gmail.com, or @CentroCSO on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

All events should include the national call as well as use the #ChicanoLiberationDay #ChicanoNationalDay #LegalizationForAll tags.

CSO to Participate in the National Day of Protest: May 3Oth

National Alliance calls for National Day of Protest: May 3Oth Statement by National Alliance Against Racist and Political RepressionFight Back News Service is circulating the following call from the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. The recently re founded National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression calls upon all its members, comrades, friends and allies to join in a national day of protest on May 30th, 2020 at 3:00 PM EST. We as a movement have been agitated into taking mass, united action not by the pandemic alone but even more significantly by the Federal Government and the financial lords and barons of Wall Street who, driven by their own greed and lust for political power, are willing to sacrifice the lives, health, safety and wellbeing of the people; who deem their profits and their continuing plunder of the national treasury of our nation more important than the lives of the people. We will be protesting to stop the racist murder and violence that this administration has willfully unleashed. Not only is the government standing by as COVID-19 ravages African American, Latinx and Indigenous communities—inciting mass Black death with their calls to reopen the economy, but the police and racist vigilantes continue to brazenly hunt and kill Black folks while they sleep in their beds and on open roads in broad daylight. We are protesting the murders of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia and Breonna Taylor in Louisville because they are outrages that demand justice. This lynch style, racist terrorism must stop, and perpetrators must be punished. We are calling for this united action to protest genocidal policies of government that have allowed city and county jails, federal and state prisons, juvenile detention jails, and Immigrant detention centers to become hot beds for COVID-19 infections and death camps for millions. Who are the human beings incarcerated in these so-called correctional facilities? They are overwhelmingly oppressed Black and Brown people, LGBTQ and Trans people and poor white, working class people. They come to jails and prisons in large part from the 140 million poor people living in America. They cannot voluntarily social distance themselves. Their confinement prevents them from taking action to protect themselves from death-causing infections. Their continued imprisonment under these circumstances is an act of genocide We must help them. The prisoners of Cook County jail in Chicago managed to write on one of the windows of the jail: HELP WE MATTER 2. We are calling this united action to help protect all prisoners from COVID infections and death by demanding that all prisoners be liberated from the death camps that U.S. prisons have become. We demand that the President, Governors and Mayors, Prosecutors and Judges take immediate steps to depopulate jails, prisons and Immigrant detention centers and juvenile facilities. We are calling this united action to demand the immediate release of all political prisoners and the wrongfully convicted survivors of torture immediately. These prisoners can be released by pardons, commutation of sentences, paroles, furloughs, signature bonds and prosecutors dropping charges and judges granting probations. The federal and state governments have plenty of means for meeting our demands and no reason to deny them other than greed and profiteering off of private prisons and prison labor, the still legal form of slavery under the 13th Amendment. We will mobilize for car caravan protests and social distancing protests throughout the country. In united action we will standup, fightback and resist to exist. We will not now or ever stand in silence in the face of the crimes of government perpetrated against oppressed peoples and the working class. We must make certain that there is resistance throughout the land in order to have a new and better world after we overcome this pandemic.

Boyle Heights to Honor Working-Class Women

Los Angeles, CA – Saturday, March 7^th from 2:00 – 4:00 pm at the Benjamin Franklin Library the Boyle Heights group Centro Community Service Organization (Centro CSO) will host Día Internacional de la Mujer | 7 de Marzo Boyle Heights. CSO aims to honor and represent local women doing local work in the following areas: LGBT rights, fighting for Socialism, defending public education, fighting against police terror/brutality, and ending deportations.

Speakers participating will include a high school student from Garfield High School, Rosario Bonilla from Centro CSO, Josefina Rizo mother of 16-year-old Jose Mendez who was killed by LAPD, Vibiana Aparicio-Chamberlin who was attacked at the Chicano Moratorium in 1970 by LAPD/LASD, Eloisa Galindo of Eastside Padres Contra la Privatizacion de Educacion, and Sol Marquez from Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

WHO: working-class women of Boyle Heights

WHAT: Día Internacional de la Mujer | 7 de Marzo Boyle Heights

WHEN: Saturday, March 7, 2020 from 2:00 – 4:00 pm

WHERE: Benjamin Franklin Library, 2200 East 1^st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033

WHY: to honor and represent local women of Boyle Heights

Questions regarding the event should be directed to Centro CSO (323) 943-2030, centrocso@gmail.com, twitter.com/CentroCSO, instagram.com/CentroCSO

Chicano leader Carlos Montes condemns racist massacre in El Paso

By staff |

August 3, 2019

Read more articles in Immigrant Rights

Carlos Montes. (FightBack!News/Staff)

Los Angeles, CA – Carlos Montes, a longtime leader in the Chicano movement, spoke out about the vicious massacre in Texas, stating, “We must condemn this mass killing in El Paso as a hate crime against Mexicans and Chicanos. President Trump’s racist attacks have emboldened white supremacists to commit violent crimes against Blacks, Muslims and now Brown people.”

Montes noted, “El Paso is a special city for Chicanos and the millions of Mexicans and Central Americans who have passed through el Paso al norte in traveling North. It is affectionately referred to as el corazon de Aztlan [the heart of Aztlan] in the Chicano nation.”

El Paso has a long history of resistance against racism and of labor struggles, like the two-year Farah strike in the 1970s. El Paso and Juarez city across the border share a common bond with familial, cultural and economic bonds.

Montes stated, “Stop white supremacist attacks.”

Full house at 48th Chicano Moratorium commemoration in LA

Celebration of the 48th anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium in LA. (Fight Back! News/Staff)

Los Angeles, CA – Families, union members, teachers, activists and students filled the house at local Chicano art center, Self Help Graphics, Aug. 29, to commemorate the 48th anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium Against the War. The program honored the historic Aug. 29, 1970 Chicano Moratorium, where over 30,000 Chicanos marched in East LA to protest the high casualty rate of Chicanos in the Vietnam War. Well-known journalist Ruben Salazar was killed by a n LA sheriff deputy during the protests.

The commemoration was organized by Cento CSO, which continues to denounce President Trump’s threats of interventions and war against countries like Iran, Venezuela and north Korea. CSO also calls for U.S. Navy and troops to get out of the Philippines and stands in solidarity with the people of Palestine, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.

Eastside Parents Against Privatization member Eloisa Galindo spoke against the rash of charter school opening in East LA and Boyle Heights. United Teachers of LA (UTLA) leader Lupe Torres, a teacher and Centro CSO member, criticized the lack of public school funding, the high student classroom ratio and lack of support staff and unfair wages for LAUSD teachers. UTLA has just taken a strike authorization vote.

Raul Ruiz, former editor and photographer for La Raza newspaper, spoke as an eyewitness to the killing of Ruben Salazar.

Gloria Arellanes, a founder of the original Chicano Moratorium, Brown Berets and Las Adelitas, an anti-war woman’s group, spoke of the history of Chicanos fight against the Vietnam War and the leading role of women.

The event included a talk by Cruz Becerra, a Vietnam veteran, who delivered a message of solidarity from Bayan USA; and speeches by Dalia Jaramillo, SEIU 1000 Vice President and part of the Chicano Moratorium Organizing Committee; Sol Marquez-Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and Carlos Montes of Centro CSO.

Join Centro CSO for their public meetings the third Wednesday of every month 6 p.m. at Benjamin Franklin Library. Look for /Centro CSO on Facebook and Twitter.