Barry Saks

More than 150 people, mostly port drivers and warehouse workers from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, with their allies, on Tuesday, June 20, marched in downtown Long Beach from Promenade Square, at 1^st and the Promenade, to City Hall to demand the end of wage theft and that workers be considered employees and not contractors for whom they work at the two ports.

The day before the Teamsters union called a one week strike at both ports for the port drivers and the warehouse workers the union is organizing.

A Cal Cartage warehouse worker estimated about 60 of coworkers were on strike at his workplace.

Jeff Farmer, who was identified as the director of organizing for the International, said “We’re dealing with many, many companies here in the port of L.A., Long Beach.  One of the companies in a sense is a kind of the poster child for we view as U.S. corporate greed is XPO Logistics….They are also in the freight industry and warehouse industry…Their scope is worldwide…We are attempting to do is right a serious wrong…That serious wrong is essentially the misclassification of drivers, where companies claim they are independent contractors…The reality is they are not independent.  They are in fact employees.  Every (governmental) agency that has looked at this issue has come to the same conclusion.”

Marchers, Tuesday, June 20, posing for photo; Photo by Barry Saks

Farmer added XPO Logistics had lost a law suit filed by four drivers for misclassification.  The drivers were awarded $855,000.

Ernesto Rocha, an organizer for the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, led a short rally at Promenade Square, in English and Spanish.  The marchers weaved through downtown to City Hall.  In City Hall, they went up to the 14th floor, delivered a petition to a member of the mayor’s staff.

After delivery of the petition, a rally outside was held in Spanish and English, where supporters expressed their solidarity and union officials and workers expressed their determination to win.

One worker who spoke was Dwayne Wilson, 24.  Wilson, who lives in Long Beach, told the audience how at Cal Cartage the warehouse workers must pay for basic equipment, like steel-toed boots, back braces and rain vests.

Besides union members and their supporters speaking, First District Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez spoke.  She told the crowd her father is a retired teamster and that it was time to end wage theft.

2nd District Councilwoman Jeanine Pearce speaking at the rally, Tuesday, June 20, outside of Long Beach City Hall.  In background is Vice Mayor and Ninth District Councilman Rex Richardson who is about to speak and to his right is 1st District Lena Gonzalez who had spoken; Photo by Barry Saks

Besides Gonzalez speaking, Second District Councilwoman Jeanine Pearce, Eighth District Councilman Al Austin, and Vice Mayor and Ninth District Councilman Rex Richardson also spoke.  Richardson told the crowd when he got out of college he was a strike organizer for the California Faculty Association.

Part of a contingent of fast food workers show their solidarity by marching with the port workers.  Jose Paz (second on the right) spoke briefly at the march; Photo by Barry Saks

More than 20 Long Beach residents, on Thursday, June 8, outside the World Trade Center Long Beach, on the corners of Maine Ave. and West Broadway, to protest the Bisnow Boom event as a means to voice their concern regarding the lack of affordable housing, no local rent control or renter protections from unfair evictions.

The intent of the Bisnow Boom event was to encourage local real estate investment.

The protesters stood on the two southern street corners with their signs and chanted.  One chant was “Gay, straight, black, white, housing is a human right.”  A second chant was “Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho, these gentrifiers have got to go.” A third chant was “What do we want?  Affordable housing, when do we want it? Now.”  A fourth chant was “We will not give up the fight.  Housing is a human right.”

Longtime activist and Long Beach resident, John Kindred, protests while holding his sign, June 8, outside the World Trade Center; Photo by Barry Saks

While the Long Beach Chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America organized the protest, activists from the Gray Panthers, Long Beach Residents Empowered and the Service Employees International Union Local 2015, which is a statewide local representing home-care and nursing-home workers in California, participated.

Before the event by way of email, Josh Butler, the Executive Director of Housing Long Beach, said, “Housing Long Beach fully supports the demonstration. The Mayor and City Council are doing a lot to recruit new people to Long Beach, but doing nothing to mitigate the negative impacts on our current residents. Seniors, people with disabilities and communities of color are being pushed out.”

One of the protesters was Elizabeth Garcia.  Garcia, who lives and works downtown, said, “I’m here because we need to stop the gentrification of Long Beach.  It is becoming less and less affordable for the working-class community that has lived here for generations.  We are seeing developers come in and invest millions of dollars but not for the community but for their own profit and we’re here to try to stop that or at least bring light to the issue, to bring attention to the issue…It is easy for our politicians and representatives to ignore us when no one is paying attention to the issue.  So getting our community to be organized, to come together and to demand action from the people who represent us in our city council is a good way to do that.”

The Bisnow Boom investment event website said, “With many exciting developments on the horizon – including the $250M (million) proposed Queen Mary Island entertainment complex – along with over $2.6B (billion) invested in Downtown Long Beach over the past four years, come hear from all the major players in the region on the new capital coming into Long Beach, the evolving tenants, residential updates and more! All the major asset classes will be covered – mixed-use, retail, residential, office, and civic and adaptive reuse projects across downtown, Douglas Park, and the Long Beach airport.”

A flyer, which announced the protest, in part, said, “Developers and landlords have bought off the mayor and the city council and are replacing affordable housing with luxury condos.  A lack of rent control and eviction protections allows the wealthy to kick families out of their homes, replacing the diverse working class communities…with newcomers who are richer and whiter.”

Backside of a protester, on June 8, wearing her union tee shirt; Photo by Barry Saks

Bisnow, according to one of its webpages, is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and is an “educational platform for America’s $11 trillion commercial real estate industry” and publishes in “25 major metros coast-to-coast.”

Neither the Mayor, nor any of the City Councilmembers were available for comment.  Also Bisnews and Joani Weir from Better Housing Long Beach were not available for comment.

The audience waits for the program to start, Saturday, May 13, at Hellada Gallery; Photo by Barry Saks

In the small backroom of the Hellada Gallery, 117 Linden Ave., on Saturday, May 13, Marshall Bleskofsky spoke on the Recruit Awareness Project in Long Beach and Zach Medeiros spoke on Syria to about 20 people.

According to an email sent before the event, this was to be the first of a speakers’ series the Long Beach Area Peace Network would sponsor.

Videographer Marlene Alvarado as emcee, Saturday, May 13, introducing Marshall Blesofsky; Photo by Barry Saks

With videographer Marlene Alvarado emceeing, the program consisted of a short video Alvarado produced, where Blesofsky spoke at a local solidarity march and rally at the Long Beach Islamic Center, which was earlier threatened; followed with Blesfosky speaking and ending with a photographic presentation of Syria with Medieros speaking.

Marshall Blesofsky, on Saturday, May 13, Speaking on Military Recruitment in Long Beach; Photo by Barry Saks

Blesofsky said RAP is “to help students make informed choices about (joining) the military.”  He said when the military recruits someone, a contract is signed, in which language exists allowing the military to change the contract, but of course, no such language exists for the recruit.

Blesofsky pointed out, while cities like San Diego and Los Angeles have policies regarding the military recruiters in the high schools, Long Beach has none, essentially giving recruiters full access.  He added, “They (recruiters) can hang out (and) they go to lunch with the students….They get to know the kids, make relationships with the kids or the students and also recruit them.”

Zach Medeiros, Saturday, May 13, Speaking on Syria; Photo by Barry Saks

Medeiros first provided a summary of the foundations of modern Syria, followed by the non-military aspects of the Syrian revolution, followed by the internationalization of the Syrian war and followed lastly with how we in the United States can best help the Syrians in their struggle.

Medeiros said that after 400 years of foreign domination with first the Ottoman Empire and then the French Mandate, Syrians ended their foreign rule in 1946, “(i)n 1949, Syria’s young democracy was overthrown by an army colonel backed by the CIA” and in 1963 the Syrian Ba’ath Party seized power.  He characterized the Ba’athists as “espous(ing) pan-Arab nationalism, top-down statist modernization, and Arab socialism.”  He added in 1970 Hafez al-Assad, the defense minister and “de-facto leader” took complete control of the country.  Mederios characterized the regime under Hafez al-Assad as “essentially (a) fascist dictatorship.”  He explained how al-Assad was able to maintain power.  He won popular support by improving rural conditions through regime-initiated large modernization, redistributing land to peasants, expanding the state to provide the urban working and middle classes with public sector jobs and he won support of the Alawites by integrating them into the power structure. Regarding state repression, Medeiros said to enforce complete obedience to the state and dictator, the army and secret police were used.

Mederios said in 2000, Hafez al-Assad died and his son, Bahsar, assumed power through a unanimous vote in a “sham election.”  He pointed out Bashar al-Assad accelerated the market liberalization, which “led to a dramatic increase in poverty, unemployment, and the concentration of wealth in an even smaller fraction of society, often in(to) …Assad’s own family.”  Mederios claimed the accelerated market liberalization contributed to making Syria “ripe for…revolutionary fervor…in 2011.”

Regarding the non-violent revolution, Medeiros said it didn’t start as an armed rebellion for revolutionary change, “but (for) things like jobs, basic rights, and an end to corruption, discrimination, brutality, and repression” and it began “as a multi-ethnic, non-sectarian movement.”  He added a democratic awakening occurred with the creation of “scores of independent media centers, films, newspapers, and magazines, and the flourishing of street art and citizen journalism.”

Regarding the internationalization of the Syrian war, Medieros said some leftists who characterize the Syrian revolution as nothing but a US-led plot against the anti-imperialist Assad regime, is a lie.  He argued the Assad regime was not anti-imperialist by pointing out the Syrian government joined the US during the first Gulf War, allowed Israel to keep the Golan Heights, weakened Palestinian resistance and lent the CIA torture during the Bush-Cheney years.  He explained how the US provided minimal limited support to the rebels to contain their revolution.  He said, “When the US began sending aid to rebel groups, it mostly consisted of nonlethal equipment and a trickle of light weapons…The CIA aggressively intervened to stop revolutionaries from gaining access to anti-aircraft weapons…The US repeatedly turned off the minimal flow of arms and ammunition whenever the rebels proved too successful on the battlefield.”

Medieros lastly told the audience how they could help.  He told them to arm themselves with knowledge and not to forget the uprising began as a democratic awakening; to learn and listen to revolutionary-democratic Syrians; to organize solidarity by supporting the White Helmets, the Syrian Medical Society, Doctors without Borders; and to echo the demands of Syrians, such as an end to all sieges, the immediate release of all political prisoners, a massive increase in direct humanitarian aid, the removal of all foreign armies and militias from Syrian soil, accountability for war criminals and to demand rights for refugees.

According to the Dr. Marshall Blesofsky for LBCC (Long Beach Community College District) Trustee Facebook page, Marshall Blesofsky is a retired educator from the University of Southern California and taught in the Allied Health Program at Long Beach City College.

According to the publication “The Socialist,” Zach Medeiros is a history student and is the Male Co-Chair of the Socialist Party’s International Relations Committee.

Barry Saks is married to Marlene Alvarado.

To hear the audio of Marshall Blesofsky’s talk, click here.

To hear the audio of Zach Mederios’s talk, click here.

To download the transcript of Mederios’s talk, click here.

Upstairs at the Scottish Rite Event Center, on May 18, before the program begins; Photo by Barry Saks

About 150 people met on Thursday, May 18, at the Scottish Rite Event Center, 855 Elm Ave. to begin to fight for the city of Long Beach to implement anti-displacement measures, like just-cause eviction and rent control.

According to the press release for the event, this was the first Renter’s Assembly and Housing Long Beach hosted it.

Sharon MacNett, from the Long Beach GRRRL Collective, which defines itself on its Facebook About page as a feminist collective, spoke first on the program.  MacNett said, “We demand affordable housing now.  Access to housing is being stripped from our communities of color, from our immigrant communities, from our seniors, from our neighbors with disabilities, from the working-class and all historically marginalized communities who call Long Beach home….Widespread displacement is occurring while mayor  and our city council sit idly by….Housing is a human right.”

Josh Butler speaking, May 18; Photo by Barry Saks

Josh Butler, the Executive Director of Housing Long Beach, said, “The situation has become dire and time is not on our side.  Further inaction and delay from our mayor and city council will mean more people being put out of house and home.”  He then thanked the organizations who sponsored the event and thanked the Liz Waite, the student organizer, and the two community organizers, Maria Lopez and Brenda Caloca.  Butler introduced Ernesto Rocha, who is an organizer for the Clean and Safe Ports campaign for the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy.

Ernesto Rocha emceeing on May 18; Photo by Barry Saks

Rocha emceed.  Rocha put the dramatization, which was to follow, into context by talking about his own and family’s experience as newly arrived immigrants, who needed to rent.  Rocha pointed out that many times when repairs in the rental needed to be fixed, his family did the repairs because they didn’t want to inform the landlord out of fear of being deported.  Rocha introduced Lopez, who played the daughter, and Melissa Arechiga, who played the mother in the first scene of the dramatization.

The dramatization was in Spanish and English.  The daughter spoke of hearing the mice under her bed and the roaches crawling on her and one which crawled into her ear.  Her mother spoke of working two jobs.  When the daughter asks the mother when a repair will be fixed, the mother says, “Call the landlord for what?  So he can be mad at us.  So he can raise the rent another $50.  So he can get another tenant…or worse call La Migra (the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement)?”

After the first scene of the dramatization, Rocha introduced Elena Popp of the Eviction Defense Network, which according to its website under Tenants Together is a network of trial lawyers, advocates and tenants dedicated to defending the right to affordable housing and ensuring access to justice in housing matters to tenants in Los Angeles County.

Popp described how the legal clinic Housing Long Beach has grown and the use of rent strikes.  She said in August 2016 when she first came to Long Beach without any notice of a lawyer being available, 12 people were there with legal problems.  A month later, 36 people were there.  She said usually there were two reasons for the need of a lawyer.  First, the tenants were given a 30-day or 60-day notice to vacate depending on the circumstance, or second, “a huge rent increase” usually with a new landlord.  Popp spoke of using rent strikes when tenants are living in “bad conditions” and fighting the evictions when conditions are not bad.  She pointed out that these tactics without just-cause evictions, only get renters more time and saves them rent sometimes, but it is something.

Brenda Caloca, on May 18, explaining just cause eviction; Photo by Barry Saks

Caloca spoke next on renter protections or more specifically just cause, also known as a responsible renter ordinance.  She pointed out the city of San Diego also has just cause.  Caloca listed some of the most common just causes for eviction: not paying rent, causing substantial damage to the unit, refusing to provide access, the need to substantially rehab the unit, the unit is being withdrawn from the rental market and illegal use of the unit which includes drug dealing.  She also pointed out just cause would only apply to people on the lease.

After Caloca, the dramatization returned with its second scene.  The mother tells the daughter they will be going to the house daughter’s grandmother to shower, instead of at home.  The daughter objects and tells the mother she wants to shower at home where they pay the rent.  The daughter informs her mother of what she learned in a history class about the uprooting of population around what would become Dodger Stadium and identifies it as gentrification.  The mother acknowledges she doesn’t know her rights as a renter.  Finally the daughter tells the mother a Renter’s Assembly is coming up where she can learn some of her rights.   The mother says she’ll go.

Aimee Inglis, May 18, explaining rent control; Photo by Barry Saks

After the second scene of the dramatization, Aimee Inglis spoke about rent control.  Inglis, who is an Associate Director of Tenants Together, a statewide organization for renters’ rights, said, “Rent control is really just fair rent” and added 14 cities in California have some form of it.  Inglis said, “The California State Legislators, all those folk are bought off by the real estate industry….There is very little public housing.  There is very little nonprofit housing.”  She pointed out rent control is legal with each city decides how rent increases occur, as long as the landlords are allowed “a fair rate of return.”  Before Inglis spoke from the podium, while eating dinner before the program, she said her salary yearly about $60,000, including benefits.  She lives in San Francisco with her partner.

Melissa Arechiga (mother) and Maria Lopez (the daughter), on May 18, at the end of the dramatization; Photo by Barry Saks

The program ended with the third scene of the dramatization.  The daughter apologizes to her mother.  They reconcile.  The mother says, “I’ve raised you to be a strong woman…. Sometimes I feel so powerless.”  The daughter tells her mother they want us to feel powerless.  The mother and daughter realize they must struggle together to win housing justice.  The scene and the program ends with the chant, “No justice, no rent.”

One of those in the audience was Jorge Rivera, the Program Director of Long Beach Residents Empowered.  Rivera said, “We’re here because we are a housing advocacy group and so naturally we have to support anything that has to do with renters or furthering renter protections or affordable housing and we’re here to help mobilize and support, to bring renters out so that we can inform them and educate them….I think what they want to hear is what is can be done ….about the rent increases, what can be done about the unjust evictions.”  He added he was hoping the renters at the event would be motivated enough to get involved in housing justice.

One person in the audience was Bill Sive, 56.  Sive said he lives in Long Beach’s Council District 3 and rents.  Sive said, “We need to get someone…from any these organizations get themselves elected to office to create change from within.”  After getting elected, the representative then needs to make “alliances, partnerships (and) collaborations with groups that are represented here….It’s all about lobbying your fellow councilmembers to make the change.”

Another attending was Erin Foley, who is a renter and who volunteered to be an usher to help people find their seats.  Foley said once she rented a place, in which bedbugs came into her rental unit.  She gave the landlord notice she was moving.  It then took 13 days before the landlord did anything about removing the bedbugs.

Thyra Jackson eating downstairs, May 18, before the program begins; Photo by Barry Saks

A third person attending was Thyra Jackson, 55.  Jackson said she rents and lives near 8^th St. and Lime Ave. and said she heard about the event from her son, who gave her a flyer.  She was there with her son and another neighbor.  Jackson said, “The rent is getting higher and higher….They (apartment owners) can raise the rent whenever they want to and you can’t do anything about it, which is why people are moving out Long Beach.”  She said she has had friends who were forced to move to Las Vegas and further inland.  She added she was willing to go to meetings, talk to her neighbors and was willing to protest for rent control.

CSULB Student Senators Meeting of May 10; Photo by Barry Saks

After dozens of speakers, pro and con, during the public comments, with more than a hundred people, mostly students in the audience, on Wednesday, May 10,  the California State University Long Beach student representatives (senators) of the Associated Students Inc. voted 15-7 with one abstention to support a resolution urging the school administration to divest in firms doing business with the government of Israel.

One of those in the audience was Juwairiah Syed, who said she is a third-year student, who in the fall is going to declare deaf studies and American-sign language as her majors. Syed added she’s a member of the Muslim Student Association and the Vice President of the CSULB Interfaith Project, which its About Facebook page states it is “a diverse group of CSULB students – Muslims, Christians, agnostics, Jews, Buddhists, atheists, Hindus, Catholics, and more – who are committed to growing in our understanding of one another and of our spiritual and religious traditions.”  She said, “I am here today because …. the voting is done by our senators in there and they need to see  that the people on our campus support divestment.”

CSULB President Jane Close Conely in a April 26 letter to the student senators, in part, said, “The Jewish people have been the targets of suspicion, violence, discrimination, and ostracism for centuries. They have suffered institutional racism in the United States and dozens of countries across the world. Israel’s actions against the Palestinians may certainly be critiqued, but what about Syria’s actions against its own people, Brazil’s brazen violations of human rights, North Korea’s imprisonment of an entire nation, or Russia’s current war on their LGBTQ+ community? Why are only Jews picked out for condemnation? It’s worth reflecting, I think, on implicit bias when singling out only one group of people for sanctions.”

Palestine Legal, in a May 3 letter to President Conely, responded.  The letter said, “(W)e write to raise serious concerns about your public statement surrounding campus debates on Boycott Divestment and Sanction (BDS), in which you blame students concerned with Israeli human rights abuses for causing campus antisemitism, without evidence…. conflating criticism of Israeli policy with anti-Jewish hate undermines efforts to combat bigotry.  Moreover, despite your professed concern about addressing hate, your office has been silent in response to an explicit death threat targeting the campus Muslim community.”

A May 4 post on 49ers for Israel Facebook reads, “Divestment does nothing to help anyone. It does not help Palestinians, it does not help the peace process, and it does not help our campus community. What it does do is promote a hateful campaign against Israeli, Jewish, and pro-Israel students and faculty on campus. Divestment is a poisonous piece of legislation that does not belong on our campus or any campus for that matter!”

Barry Saks is a member of Jewish Voice for Peace.

CSULB Divestment Banner, May 10; Photo by Barry Saks

Rev. Michael Eagle, May 6, posing with Mexican Dancers; Photo by Barry Saks

About 50 people, mostly African-Americans and mostly from the congregation of the Grant AME (African Methodist Episcopal) Church Long Beach, at 1129 Alamitos Ave., on Sunday, May 7—heard music, poetry, testimonials and comedy—as part of a program to honor mothers who lost their children to violence.

An outside processional was planned to be included in the program of the tenth annual event, however, with the pouring rain, the Rev. Michael Eagle decided to have the processional around the inside perimeter of the church, which were led Mexican dancers, who the Reverend had invited.

District Director of Congresswoman Maxine Waters, May 7,  presenting Certificate of Special Recognition to Rev. Eagle of Grant AME Church Long Beach; Photo by Barry Saks

Following the processional, Blanca Jimenez, District Director for Congresswoman Maxine Waters, said she was honored to be there representing the Congresswoman and presented to Rev. Eagle a Certificate of Special Recognition to acknowledge the church putting on the event of “Making Mothers Matter.”

Lietenant Commander David Efferson of California Highway Patrol, on May 7, suggesting ways to stay safe when being stopped by a police officer; Photo by Barry Saks

After the church choir sang, Lieutenant Commander David Efferson, of the California Highway Patrol, spoke.  The Lieutenant Commander told audience the CHP, after evaluating its recruitment program, understood the need to recruit more minorities, including women.  He then suggested some safety tips when being stopped by a police officer: be sure to stop at a safe location, turn the lights on in the vehicle, put your hands where they are visible, preferably on the steering wheel, and tell the officer before you do something what you’re about to do.

After Efferson, the church congregation gave the mothers gifts and two mothers told their personal stories of tragedy.

Comedian Jonathan Slocumb was the master of ceremonies, church member Brenda Calhoun read one of her poems, and comedian and impressionist Jay LaMont and jazz vocalist Eloise Laws, who sang and danced, entertained.

Pastor Eddie Jones Jr. at the ‘Mothers Matter Event’ on May 7; Photo by Barry Saks

A participant was Minister Eddie Jones.  He pointed out while he is a minister and pastor, at this church he is only member.  The Minister said, “This (event) is for mothers who lost their kids because of gun and gang violence, suicides, car accidents.  He added one result of these yearly events is the mothers who have lost their children, are able to bond with each other.

Another participating church member was Kisha Frazier, who said she has been going to the church all of her life.  Frazier, who said she was there to greet people, added, “I’m here to give my contribution to the mothers and let them know they have not been forgotten by the church (and) by the community.”

May Day 2017, Long Beach, California; Photo by Barry Saks

About two hundred people, many who were youth of color, marched, Monday, May 1, from McArthur Park to Long Beach City Hall, to celebrate May Day and to highlight for Long Beach to become a sanctuary city.

Before marching at the park, a picnic table was used as a stage for the program of speeches.  The two emcees, Alex Montances from the Filipino Migrant Center and Maria Lopez from Housing Long Beach, began the  program with a chant, “Ain’t (sic) no power like the power of the people, cuz (sic) the power of the people don’t stop. Say what!”

Alex Montances, one of two emcees, speaks on the history of May Day, in Long Beach; Photo by Barry Saks

Montances and Lopez gave a brief history of May Day and described the local May Day Coalition, including the self-characterization that the coalition is “pro-immigrant, pro-worker, pro-human rights, pro-social justice and pro-Black Lives Matter,” which was followed with cheers from the audience.

Maria Lopez, the second emcee, leading a chant on May Day 2017, Long Beach; Photo by Barry Saks

Lopez pointed out that this year’s theme was “sanctuary for all.”  Montances was more specific.  He said the May Day Coalition wanted Long Beach to become a sanctuary city and defined briefly what he meant.  He said, “We demand a sanctuary city policy … for the police officers not to cooperate, not to use funding or resources for deportation and immigration enforcement.  They (the police) shouldn’t be sharing people’s sensitive information about people’s immigration status (with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement).”

Elisa Gomez, from the Greater Long Beach Interfaith Community Organization, spoke in Spanish with English translation.  She told the audience of the deportation and subsequent death of her brother-in-law, and that the local city representatives have been silent on making Long Beach a sanctuary city.  At the end of her talk, she said, “The city needs to protect us, but I say to ICE we are also observing you and your actions.”

Marabel Cruz of the Long Beach Immigrant Rights Coalition, who is bilingual, spoke in English and then Spanish.  She said she came to this country when she was two years-old and echoed the earlier statements for the need for Long Beach to become a sanctuary city.

Gabrielle Sibal recites her spoken-word poem on the need for International Solidarity, May Day 2017, Long Beach; Photo by Barry Saks

Gabrielle Sibal of Gabriela Los Angeles, who characterized her organization as a “Filipina anti-imperialist organization,” read her spoken-word poem on the need for international solidarity.

Nereyda Soto speaks on the struggle of hotel workers in Long Beach, May Day 2017; Photo by Barry Saks

Nereyda Soto of Coalition for Good Jobs and a Healthy Community also spoke.  Soto said she works in the Long Beach hotel industry and is the daughter of Salvadoran refugee.  She said, “My coworkers and I have been fighting for Claudia’s Law for two years….for a policy to protect us from sexual harassment in our workplace and overbearing workloads….and we still have not heard anything from (the Long Beach City) Council, shame.”

Three other chants, which were part of the program were “Get up, get down.  There’s a people’s movement in this town,” “I believe that we will win” and “Si se puede (Yes we can),” which was the motto of the United Farmworkers.

At the other end of the march at Long Beach City Hall, a second program of speeches began.  Montances and Lopez again emceed.  One of those who spoke was George Funmaker, who was identified as being from Red Earth Defense and who has previously organized against the Dakota Access Pipeline.  Funmaker pointed out to the crowd they were standing on Tonga land and said as indigenous people national borders aren’t recognized.  Funmaker urged the crowd to move its money from the banks, which are funding the oil pipelines, like Wells Fargo and Bank of America, to local credit unions.

Liz Waite of Housing Long Beach Marching on May Day 2017, Long Beach; Photo by Barry Saks

Liz Waite, from Housing Long Beach, spoke.  Waite said, “Housing is a human right….We are the only city on the West Coast without renter protections.”

Bruce Jefferson, from the Warehouse Worker Resource Center, also spoke.  Jefferson said he works at Cal Cartage through a temp agency.  He said the Warehouse Worker Resource Center was organizing because of low paid, the lack of respect, no health care, favoritism and racial discrimination.

Sergio Gonzales also spoke.  Gonzales said he has been a truck driver for seven years and that he and the other drivers have been misclassified as owning their business instead of as employees.

Naida Tushnet, from the Long Beach Area Peace Network, was the last to speak.  Tushnet said, “What we are fighting for did not begin with Trump’s election…Let me tell you that the war budget is part of our problem and we need make sure we argue for a peace budget that takes care of everyone.”

While marching to Long Beach City Hall, the chants were “When workers’ rights are under attack, what do we do?  Stand up fight back.  When immigrant rights are under attack, what do we do?  Stand up, fight back,” “We are people, we are not illegal,” “From Palestine to Mexico, all these walls have got to go,” “No ban, no wall, sanctuary for all,” “Sanctuary, not deportation,” “Everywhere we go people want to know who we are.  So we tell them.  We are the workers, the mighty, mighty workers” and “Black lives they matter here” and “Move ICE, get out of the way, get out of the way, get out of the way.”

One of the marchers was Stephanie Deschams, 29, said she was there to support the rights of the immigrant community and hoped Long Beach would become a sanctuary city.  Deschams, who said she got certificates in nursing and phlebotomy from Long Beach City College, pointed out Donald Trump’s grandfather had immigrated from Germany and Ivanka Trump had immigrated from Slovenia. She said, “We (should) stand united.  If one person goes down, we all go done.”

Robert Jay carrying is sign in McArthur Park, May Day 2017, Long Beach; Photo by Barry Saks

Another marcher was Robert Jay, 43.  Jay said he lives in Long Beach, works part-time in long shore and is a member of Local 13 of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union.  Jay said, “May 1^st is important to me…. (It) is the original Labor Day, which is a sign of solidarity because every society the working-class is always in the majority.”

Besides the trade unionist Jay marching, contingents of hotel workers, teamsters and teachers also marched.

According to the website for the May Day Long Beach, the event was “presented” by Anakbayan Long Beach, Black Lives Matter Long Beach, California Faculty Association, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, Coalition for Latino Advancement at Long Beach City College, DAYS, Filipino Migrant Center, Gabriela Los Angeles, Greater Long Beach Interfaith Community Organization, Justice for Port Truck Drivers Campaign, LAANE-Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, LiBRE-Long Beach Residents Empowered, Little Brown Church, Long Beach Area Peace Network, Long Beach Coalition for Good Jobs & a Healthy Community, Long Beach G.R.R.R.L. Collective, Long Beach Immigrant Rights Coalition, Palestinian Youth Movement, Semillas de Esperanza (Seeds of Hope) and Stop Fracking Long Beach.

Photo by Barry Saks

Photo by Barry Saks

Photo by Barry Saks

Antiwar Protest at Pershing Square, Los Angeles, April 2017; Photo by Barry Saks

About 25 people, many were from California for Progress and the local Green Party, marched from Pershing Square in Los Angeles, on Sunday, April 23, to the downtown Federal Building on Temple Ave. to protest the U.S. interventions in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Pakistan and Somalia.

Whether standing outside of Pershing Square on the corner of 5^th and Olive Streets or marching to the Federal Building, the protesters chanted.

Stephanie Delgado, standing on the edge of Pershing Square on April 23, 2017, with her sign, protesting; Photo by Barry Saks 

One chant was “Funds for jobs and education, not for wars and occupation.”  Another was “No war in the Middle East.” A third chant was “When the Middle East is under attack, what do we do?  Stand up, fight back.”  A fourth chant was “All we are saying is give peace a chance.”  A fifth chant was “What do we want?  Peace.  When do we want it?  Now.” A sixth chant was “Love and peace, no more war in the Middle East.”  A seventh chant was “This racist war has got to go.”

Antiwar Protesters Marching Toward the Downtown Federal Building, April 23, 2017; Photo by Barry Saks

While most of the chants, addressed peace, war and its costs, the issue of immigration was, particularly raised with the chants, “No ban, no wall, sanctuary for all. No hate no fear, refugees are welcome here” and “You build a wall, we tear it down.  From Palestine to Mexico, all the walls have got to go.”

Antiwar Protesters Listening to Speakers, April 23, 2017, Outside an Entrance to the Downtown Federal Building; Photo by Barry Saks 

On arrival to one side of the Federal Building, a pro-immigrant rights rally was taking place.  The antiwar protesters, who had early chanted a couple of pro-immigrant chants, greeted the other rally by continuing their pro-immigrant chants.  After about 10 minutes, the antiwar protesters moved to another entrance to the Federal Building, where they ended their protest with more speakers and announcements.

Tania Singh Speaking, April 23, 2017, at Downtown Federal Building; Photo by Barry Saks

The idea of the protest came initially from Tania Singh, 28, who has a bachelor’s degree in political science.  Singh said she started thinking about the need to protest two or three months ago and was aware of the U. S. bombings.  She tried to get people in the Democratic Party involved, but found no interest.  At first she was going to stand on a corner by herself in her neighborhood with a sign.  She posted her desire to protest on Facebook; she heard from California for Progress and others, which wanted to do more and this is how this protest came about.  Singh said, “There has never been a time when they (the United States) go in and that place is left better than it was before….(T)here are better ways to achieve peace.”

Allie White at Pershing Square, Los Angeles, April 23, 2017; Photo by Barry Saks

One of those who encouraged Singh to build something larger was Allie White, 29, who is with California for Progress.  White characterized California for Progress as leaderless.  She pointed out her organization supports indigenous and immigrant rights.

One of those who marched was James Carter, 24.  Carter said he was a member of the Socialist Party of Los Angeles and belongs to West Angeles Church of God in Christ.  He said he was there to oppose U.S. imperialism in the Middle East and added, “Usually we (the U.S.) say we are freeing people or liberating them from some kind of dictator, but that is rarely ever the case…. But then we occupied them for two decades or so.”

Another marcher was Jimmy Rivera.  Rivera said he was “part of the Green Party.”  Rivera, like Carter, said he was opposed to the U.S. imperialist wars.

Yolanda Gonzalez, outside Pershing Square, Los Angeles, April 23, leading chants; Photo by Barry Saks

Another marcher was Yolanda Gonzalez, 56.  Gonzales said she’s a member of the Green Party and a teacher of 25 years, who teaches in a project-based-learning classroom.  Gonzalez, said, “I want to teach my students about the militarization that has been occurring in this country since its inception and that peace has to come from each one of us.”

The Facebook page for the event said, “On April 23, 2017 the people of Los Angeles unite to denounce military interventions, wars, and war crimes the United States is culpable for…. (W)e unite to call for demilitarization, de-escalation, & diplomacy….We call on our human family around the world to join us in demanding a demilitarized world.”

Antiwar Protest April 23, 2017; Photo by Barry Saks

Antiwar Protest April 23; 2017:Photo b Barry Saks

Antiwar Protest April 23; Photo by Barry Saks

Antiwar Protest April 23, 2017; Photo by Barry Saks

Antiwar Protest April 23, 2017; Photo by Barry Saks

Hundreds of people, many of them—teachers, scientists and students—marched on the sidewalk on Saturday, April 22, north on Atlantic from San Antonio Drive to Houghton Park in Long Beach, which was part of the marches worldwide, nationally and in California, which was self-identified as the March for Science.

The Facebook page for the Long Beach event said, “We are people who value science: scientists, educators, journalists, students, neighbors, friends, and family. We come from all races, all religions, all gender identities, all sexual orientations, all abilities, all socioeconomic backgrounds, all political perspectives, and all nationalities…What unites us is a love of science, and an insatiable curiosity. We all recognize that science is everywhere and affects everyone.”

According to the Facebook page for the national event, marches were in more than 600 cities nationally and in more than 40 cities across California.

Long Beach Unified School District Board Member Megan Kerr speaking at March for Science Rally, on April 22, in Long Beach, California; Photo by Barry Saks

An organizer of the march was Megan Kerr, who is a member of Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education.  Kerr estimated just as the march began at about 400 people.

Elaine Villanueva holding a sign before speaking on April 22, at the rally before the March for Science in Long Beach; Photo by Barry Saks

Kerr introduced Elaine Villanueva Bernal, who teaches organic chemistry at Cal State University Long Beach.  Bernal said, “Today I march because chemistry is an essential science that allows us to connect to the world around us and to each other.  It is one, of the many scientific disciplines, that enables us to see that climate change is real and chemistry empowers us to advocate for cleaner air and cleaner water.”

Lisa Martin-Hansen speaking April 22 at rally before the March for Science in Long Beach, California; Photo by Barry Saks

Next to speak was Lisa Martin-Hansen, who also teaches at CSULB.  Martin-Hansen said she was speaking officially for the Association for Science Teacher Education and the National Science Teachers Association.  She said, “When the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) tells scientists not to share data with the public, science was silenced.  When the NIH (National Institute of Health) budget is cut, it affects research that directly relates to our wellbeing.  When funding for satellites to gather climate data is no longer provided, that holds back our progress.”

Chris Lowe speaking at March for Science rally before marching on April 22 in Long Beach, California; Photo by Barry Saks

The last CSULB educator to speak was Chris Lowe, who is the Director of the Shark Lab.   Lowe said, “I’m here today to march for the ocean.  So, we have made great strides improving our ocean health.  In fact, sharks have come back….Marine mammals have come back…. and, of course, our oceans are getting cleaner…. As someone who is training the next generation…we need to be here today and we need to show that we care about science.”

Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia on April 22 speaking at rally for March for Science; Photo by Barry Saks 

The last to speak before the march was Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia.  The Mayor said he wanted to thank the women because they were the ones who organized the march.

One chant was “more science less silence.”  Another was “science is discovery.”

In the parking lot of Teachers Association of Long Beach, on April 22, before the March for Science; Photo by Barry Saks

Before the march, just south of Atlantic, the Teachers Association of Long Bead hosted in the union parking lot, tables, where signs could to made before walking a couple of blocks north, where the march was to begin.

Before the march, one person who took the local bus to San Antonio and Atlantic and then walked south to the TALB parking lot was Domenica Coronel.  Coronel, who is 35 and a Licensed Vocational Nurse, said science is fundamental because “It’s in everything, it’s in medicine, it’s in technology.”  Coronel said this was not her first march and she had been at the Women’s March in Los Angeles.  She said people had to wake up, we need to hold our government account and ended that the future scares her.

Friends, Nancy Patterson and Anne Wright, on April 22, in the Teachers Association of Long Beach parking lot before the March for Science; Photo by Barry Saks 

Another marcher in the TALB parking lot was Anne Wright, 51, who said she is an unemployed secretary and lives in Long Beach.  Wright said she was scared of Betsy DeVos, the Secretary of Education, wanting to make public education heavily involved with fundamentalist Christianity.  With Wright was her longtime friend, Nancy Patterson, 52, who said she is a social worker.  She said she lives in the city Orange and drove over in her hybrid car.  Patterson said she doesn’t usually go to demonstrations, but she thought this one was important enough for her to be at.  Patterson said she was partly influenced as a child by the television program, Cosmos, with Carl Sagen, and now reads Scientific American.

Another person in the TALB parking lot was Nrapendra Prasad, 72.  Prasad, who lives in Newport Beach, said he is a scientist.  Prasad, who said he became a U.S. citizen for at least 45 years, said he has a Doctor’s degree in entomology, however, now he is a photographer.  He said, “We have one planet and we need to save this planet…People don’t realize that we have clean air, clean water and clean cars.  It’s all because of science.  It’s not because some religious propaganda.”  He said he’s not political but this last election changed his mind that he had to come out.

Barry Saks has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Cal State College at Long Beach, now CSULB.

Outside of City Hall, at a rally to urge the Long Beach City Council on Tuesday, April 18, to proclaim the third Wednesday of April, yearly, as Renters Day, Jorge Rivera, the Program Director of Long Beach Residents Empowered, local renters’ rights organization, announced the other agenda item on the council, called the Rental Application Credit Report Reform, was pulled from the agenda, without stating his source, because of pressure from the Apartment Association of Southern California Cities and from some property owners.

The agenda item which was pulled was sponsored by 2^nd District Councilwoman Jeanine Pearce, 7^th District Councilman Roberto Uranga, and Vice Mayor and 9^th District Councilman Rex Richardson.

If the agenda item passed, it would have required the City Manager to work with the Department of Development Services, housing groups and property owners to draft a report on streamlining and making the rental credit check more affordable through a third-party, which would be presented in 60 to 90 days.

Rivera, after his announcement, urged the crowd to tell the City Council that they needed credit check reform.

Daryl Supernaw, who represents the 4^th District, in an email after the meeting, said, “I have absolutely no knowledge of any such allegation nor any idea of why the item was pulled from the agenda.”

Celina Luna, who is the Chief of Staff for 7^th District Councilman Roberto Uranga, in an email after the meeting, said, Councilman Uranga has had no communication with either the Apartment Association of California Southern Cities or with Better Housing  for Long Beach.

Alyssa Gutierrez, who is the Business and Community Relations Manager for Vice Mayor and 9^th District Councilman Rex Richardson, in an email after the meeting, said, “Vice Mayor Richardson’s wife just delivered their second child this morning, which is why he was not at the council meeting last night” and added, “Vice Mayor Richardson was not the sponsor of the item. He is in no position to pull or withdraw the proposal. This item was brought to council by Councilmember Jeannine Pearce’s office, and pulled by Councilmember Pearce’s office.”

Joani Weir, who is the President of Better Housing for Long Beach, said she volunteers her time for the organization.  She didn’t deny Better Housing for Long Beach lobbied to pull the item off of the agenda.  Weir, who admitted she is a property owner and manages her rental units herself, said she and other members of her organization were concerned about the liability associated with credit checks because of personal information being confidential.  She said, “Me personally, I get my credit reports done with one agency and I wouldn’t want to move from one agency to different agency and have them hold all of my prospective tenants’ credit reports.  So yes, we weren’t in favor of the 90-day credit report having (the Apartment Association of California) Southern Cities holding all the credit reports.”

Josh Butler, who is the Executive Director of Housing Long Beach and who said his salary is $60,000 each year before benefits, said, “Items are regularly pulled from the agenda and this item will come back and Housing Long Beach looks forward to that conversation.”

The vote on making the third Wednesday April, Renters Day passed 7-0, with 5^th District Councilwoman Stacy Mungo and Vice Mayor Richardson absent.

The Apartment Association of Southern California Cities was not available for comment.  Mayor Garcia, 1^st District Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez, 2^nd District Councilwoman Jeanine Pearce, 3^rd District Councilwoman Suzie Price, 5^th District Councilwoman Stacy Mungo, 6^th District Councilman Dee Andrews and 8^th District Councilman Al Austin were also not available for comment.