I'm guessing I'm the only person here in the LA area but over here in southern california, we just had the second biggest civil disobedience in the history of Los Angeles. What happened you may ask? A protest on Century Blvd (the location of all the big name hotels for the LAX airport) because of hotel workers working below the poverty line and having to work in hard conditions in order to make a life for their families. Martin Sheen, Ben Harper, Tom Marrillo of Audioslave, and people from all over Southern California where there for the same cause. At the end, around 300 people were arrested for civil disobedience for blocking the road. All agreed to being arrested ahead of time with pledges to the police department. I first heard about this event from a very progressive friend of mine whose active in a lot of protests and invited me to come. I didn't think it would be as big but I went. Living in Orange county, as well as having to go through rush hour, it was a long drive there. It was an amazing event. We sat around the road singing songs, chanting, waiving our signs, and displaying the right that workers in those hotels have to live above the poverty line. One worker I was talking to had four children and the hilton was only paying her nine dollars and fifty cents per hour. She now has a second job at Chile's and is still barely getting by. Many of the people there were in fact students. It reminded me that young people are at the center and lead the charge in every political movement and that a group of us, collected together, can make a real change. In this case, blocking a road and singing will hopefully make the Hilton and other hotels on the block think twice. Long live the union.
If it that were to have happened to me, you could gauruntee I'd be on of the first protestors on the street. I think it unfair to people to be taken advantage of like that, and if it were me, I'd do something about it. For now, I think it'd be nice if I could find time to look up similar issues in my city, disagree or agree, and if I agree, do something to help that cause. Whether it be making signs, or just letting others become aware, I think we should all help a cause that we support. What do others think?
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SammySingally : Hey Activists! how are you all? I've been doing quite a bit of activist work back here. How bout you? Here's a reminder that you can post journal entries of activists things you've done on here and you can support or give your opinion about causes or people's journal entries.
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