For Immediate Release 5 August 2019
Press Contact: Mari Matsuoka, 323.574-3997
What Press conference: Drop the Charges Against the Freeway9 and UCLA5.
Stop the LAPD’s Political Harassment of Refuse Fascism and the Revolution Club
When Tuesday August 6 9:00 am
Where: LAPD Headquarters 100 W. 1st St. LA 90012
Tuesday 9 am Refuse Fascism to address Police Commission on harassment and spying
At 9:30am, Refuse Fascism will address the Police Commission meeting.
Speakers include Rev. Frank Wulf, Isabel Cardenas (a co-initiator of Refuse Fascism), Annie Day, the Revolution Club, Hamid Khan, Stop LAPD Spying and Chantelle Hershberger, a defendant in the #Freeway9 case.
Members of Refuse Fascism are going to trial for multiple misdemeanor charges for protests aimed at sounding the alarm about the Trump/Pence fascist regime – facing 3 years in jail and thousands of dollars in fines. Through these trials, it was discovered the LAPD was spying on Refuse Fascism, sending in an infiltrator to several Refuse Fascism meetings at the Echo Park United Methodist Church to record meetings and private conversations.
In response to a public outcry, LAPD Chief Moore went on the attack to not just justify the LAPD spying but to spread disinformation, lies and slander about Refuse Fascism. He said “members that identified themselves as being within this group had traveled to other parts of the country, and that in other parts of the country, there had been criminal acts including vandalism, assault with a deadly weapon or arson.” In addition to the utter outrageousness and unconstitutionality of these claims, Moore’s comments intimate there may be a much bigger spying operation that began much earlier than stated in police reports that have been released thus far.
Chantelle Hershberger, one of the Freeway 9 defendants, said, “Trump is fomenting violent white supremacists. This regime has blood on it hands – of the people from the Pittsburgh synagogue, in Gilroy and now El Paso. In addition to the immigrants tortured and dying in concentration camps. Trump openly discusses outlawing protest and the Republicans are working to classify anti-fascists as ‘domestic terrorists.’ Meanwhile, the LAPD is spying on, criminalizing and now defaming Refuse Fascism in a coordinated campaign of political persecution targeting Refuse Fascism because we are calling for people to stop waiting for a savior and get in the streets. This is a fascist regime. This is why we blocked the Freeway to stop business as usual and sound the alarm a year and a half ago. This is one more reason why millions must stop being complicit and get in the streets to demand: This nightmare must end! The Trump/Pence regime must go!”
Tuesday, August 6 marks the end of the two week period wherein which Moore promised to publicly publish a “top to bottom” review of the LAPD’s Major Crimes Division/Counter Terrorism Group’s use of a confidential informant at public meetings of Refuse Fascism. Miguel “Alex” Antonio, another of the Freeway9 defendants and member of the Revolution Club said, “The idea of the LAPD investigating itself is ludicrous. The LAPD is part of the bloodsoaked, repressive apparatus of this system – a system that is giving rise to fascism here, and all around the world. An illegitimate system wherein which the war-criminal Democrats are collaborating with the fascist Republicans to suppress the kind of protest and dissent that is needed right now.”
Refuse Fascism is demanding that City Attorney and Democratic Party politician Mike Feuer drop all the charges against the Freeway9 and UCLA5. That the political harassment of Refuse Fascism stop and that the LAPD make public the full scope of their spying operation on Refuse Fascism and the Revolution Club.
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RefuseFascism.org is a movement of people coming from diverse perspectives, united in our recognition that the Trump/Pence Regime poses a catastrophic danger to humanity and the planet, and that it is our responsibility to drive them from power through non-violent protests that grow every day until our demand is met. This means working and organizing with all our creativity and determination to bring thousands, eventually millions of people into the streets of cities and towns, to demand: This Nightmare Must End: The Trump/Pence Regime Must Go! RefuseFascism.org welcomes individuals and organizations from many different points of view who share our determination to refuse to accept a fascist America, to join and/or partner with us in this great cause.
Recent articles:
LAPD informant infiltrated left-wing activists during Trump protests, records show
Los Angeles Times, James Queally, Staff Writer July 19 2019
LAPD chief promises public report on use of informant against anti-Trump protesters
Los Angeles Times, James Queally, July 23, 2019
Los Angeles police spied on anti-Trump protesters The Guardian Sam Levin in Los Angeles July 19 2019
Major Controversy Erupts Over LAPD Spying on Refuse Fascism Revcom.us, July 29, 2019s