[dropcap size=big]D[/dropcap]ozens of demonstrators on Friday took over a sidewalk in front of a sleek Westside office complex that houses the offices of the largest private prison company in the United States, another local action against the government-industry ties enabling the inhumane treatment of migrants who arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The federal government has awarded the GEO Group about $4 billion over ten years to run more than 100 prisons and ICE detention centers across the country, totaling more than 75,000 beds.
On Friday, its regional office at 6100 Center Drive, part of the Howard Hughes Center, saw a boisterous morning rally and traffic blockade organized by the Humanity First Coalition, a newly formed alliance of activist groups.
“The GEO Group is a private prison system. They profit off of locking people up,” said one demonstrator, Timothy Bluitt. “It’s a win-win situation for the corporations and it’s a loss for the everyday taxpayer because the taxpayers are paying for it.”