On a sweltering afternoon in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, union members, students, and community activists took over the lawn at City Hall, on the south side of the building, for “L.A. Solidarity with Palestinians. L.A. and Labor call for an arms embargo now.”
The flyer for the protest was initially scheduled for the City Hall steps on Spring Street, but the organizers had to make a last-minute change because the Gloria Molina Grand Park’s Block Party took over that side.
The protest occurred on 1st Street, between Main and Los Angeles Street, where speakers were lifted into a long-bed truck to address the crowd. Speakers included Ron Gochez from Unión del Barrio, Dr. Melina Abdullah, Ben Camacho, Chris Smalls, and many others.
Halfway through the rally, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) interrupted the speakers to inform the organizers that if they didn’t move their truck from 1st Street, it would be towed. As a result, the rally was relocated to the south side steps of City Hall, and they moved the long-bed truck.
At the core of the protest was a unified message: The U.S. must stop sending military aid, weapons, and providing political cover for Israel’s war crimes. Additionally, pressure our elected officials to stand up for Palestine.
Since October 2023, Israel has received 940 aircraft and vessels loaded with U.S. weapons and military equipment, according to Middle East Monitor. That amounts to over 90,000 tons of military supplies for a population with no army, navy, marines, or police—an unprotected people. Over 60,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result, with thousands more under the rubble.
Union Members Stepping Up
Labor unions primarily focus on wages, benefits, and workplace conditions for their members, but the silence from union leaders regarding the genocide in Gaza has not gone unnoticed. For the past twenty-one months, union leaders have stayed silent while their members have spoken out about the genocide in Gaza.
“We call on all unions to speak up against the genocide,” said Chris Smalls, co-founder and former president of the Amazon Labor Union. “I didn’t come here to give a speech; I came to give a call to action.”
Ron Gochez, a member of United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), said, “The same government that claims there isn’t enough money for affordable housing or healthcare somehow finds billions to spend on foreign wars and occupation.”
Smalls told the crowd that on October 24th, there will be a national day of action calling out the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) in Washington, D.C..
Smalls made the connection about how labor can take impactful action to stop the genocide, such as dockworkers in a port halting the loading and transfer of U.S.-made weapons to be shipped to Israel.
Ron Gochez, a member of United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA), said, “The same government that claims there isn’t enough money for affordable housing or healthcare somehow finds billions to spend on foreign wars and occupation.”
Another key talking point throughout the rally was the mass murder of media workers in Gaza by the Israeli government.
“Israel’s attack on the free press could not have happened without legacy outlets' regurgitation of the Israeli government's claims about Palestinian reports … and centering the Zionist perspective on the genocide,” said Ben Camacho, a freelance journalist and member of the IWW Freelance Journalist Union.
The Israeli armed forces in Gaza have killed more than 220 journalists since October 2023.
On September 1st, “more than 250 news outlets around the world have signed an appeal that calls for the protection of Palestinian journalists in Gaza, for foreign press to be granted independent access to the territory and for the evacuation of wounded journalists in Gaza needing medical treatment abroad,” reported NPR, which is among the media outlets that signed the appeal.
L.A. Stands with the Oppressed
During South Africa’s apartheid era, various groups across Los Angeles, including union members, students, and activists, organized protests and demonstrations demanding an end to apartheid and calling for economic sanctions against the South African government. These protests were typically held at the South Africa Consulate.
Like today’s movements, these protests were also coordinated with national efforts. The goal was to pressure the U.S. government and corporations to divest from South Africa and to end their racist policies.
Calls For Political Action
Organizers concluded the protest with a brief march around City Hall, where they chanted “Free free Palestine” and “Viva viva Palestina.”
A call was made for people to contact their Congress members and Senators to urge action and stop weapons transfers to Israel, which is accused of human rights violations and genocide.
“We are calling on our representatives, from city council to Congress, to stand with the Palestinian people, not with weapons manufacturers,” said Lily Greenberg Call, who resigned from her position at the U.S. Department of the Interior and became the first Jewish American political appointee to quit in protest of Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Organizers promised to keep protesting and spreading the message to pressure our elected officials to stop sending Israel weapons.
“L.A. has a long history of militancy and organizing, so we just need to keep applying that pressure to stop the genocide,” said Adrian Gonzalez, a downtown resident.
