This is a photo from our last youth day of the year where we made [fake] surveillance objects and did a scavenger hunt with them!
On Tuesday December 9th, the Coalition attended the Board of Police Commissioners meeting where we talked about the new militarized vehicles being gifted to LAPD, not for rescue or medical support, but for full militarized force. We also discussed Digital In-Car Video Systems and the dangers of reform. DICV aren’t for our safety, they are for surveillance and an ease in which LAPD can obfuscate their violence.
That evening, we held our monthly War on Youth Meeting (the last of the year!). We talked about the history of the War on Youth, but the violence, programs and logics of LAPD, but also our fight back. We talked about all of our Youth Day[s] in the Park and after that, we did a session to look towards the future! We talked about what went well, and what improvements we want to see in the new year.
The Coalition went to LA CAN’s Human and Civil Rights meeting on Wednesday and then we went to an event called “Migrant Sex Workers Fighting for Justice–LA Edition” with Dr. Kim Soriano and Chanelle Gallant where we were able to learn from and with folks to talk about coalition building and how we can all be in solidarity with sex workers.
Friday for the Coalition included a workshop with Dr. Kim Wilson for our coordinating team in how to combat anti-Blackness in organizing spaces. The next day, we were able to attend the People’s Cafe Artisan Bazaar to speak about policing and our fight. There were also incredible artists and community members with beautiful jewelry, posters, prints, and more!