Los Angeles, CA – On November 1, after the Los Angeles Dodgers’ winning Game Seven of the World Series, thousands of Chicanos took to the streets of their city to celebrate. The celebrations were met with extreme force by the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol.

In East Los Angeles, seven Centro CSO members took to the streets, where they monitored police activity, documenting and calling out the crimes committed by the police.

Centro CSO and FRSO – LA members documented the East Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department as they shot tear gas indiscriminately at Chicano families. They agitated against the deputies by calling out their crimes as they happened. Raza was furious and called out the East Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department for shooting pepper balls at children. Pepper balls are like paintballs but release tear gas on impact. The crowd also called out local KTLA media who were on scene. A fire was started by an incendiary grenade thrown recklessly by sheriff’s deputies.

Gabriel Quiroz Jr, a co-chair of Centro CSO’s police accountability committee and a member of FRSO, said, “We were here last year and got teargassed by these same pigs and we built a campaign to hold them accountable. We have made wins, but more is needed to hold these pigs accountable. We need community control of the police! We need and will win community control of the East Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department!”

Antoinetta Garcia, a local mother from East Los Angeles and a leading member of Centro CSO, said, “I just wanted to say that this pig threw tear gas in our community, and the smell went inside our house because we had the windows open. Our East LA community is always being oppressed and poisoning our community. We have homes where children have asthma and chronic lung disease and respiratory issues. Let’s hold these pigs accountable!”

Sammy Carrera, a proud Chicano, Teamster, and CSO member who participated in the event, said, “LASD cannot control its urge to brutalize innocent families and children. They are an occupying violent force whose sole purpose is to destroy and repress.”

Jordan Peña, co-chair of CSO’s immigration committee said, “I stood on the sidewalk with about ten individuals. People peacefully celebrating, waving flags, taking pictures. Then an officer came up to me and told me I could be arrested. This was as other officers were shooting tear gas and rubber bullets at a crowd a few blocks away in another direction. We could all see it going down. I don’t think they liked us recording.”

During their repression of the celebrations, the members of the East Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department wore Fort Apache pins on their shirts. The racist logo traces its history back to the 1970 Chicano Moratorium when the East Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department attacked Raza who were protesting the Vietnam War and unjust conditions Chicanos faced.

Centro CSO has an active campaign to ban the logo and has picked up wins like packing an East Los Angeles Townhall put on by LASD’s Civilian Oversight Commission. After the town hall, the C.O.C. voted unanimously to ban the logo but the East Los Angeles Sheriffs have failed to comply thus far.

Centro CSO’s plans are to continue pushing the campaign to win community control of the police. If you would like to become involved with Centro CSO’s Police Accountability Committee (PAC), you can send a message on their social media platforms @CentroCSO or email them at CentroCSO@gmail.com

#LosAngelesCA #CA #InJusticeSystem #PoliceCrimes #PoliceBrutality #Sports #CentroCSO

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