FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Chalk Walk Organizers Call for a Day of Action for Rights and Against State Violence

 LOS ANGELES – Wednesday night, at Occupy Los Angeles’ General Assembly, participants came to consensus to call a global day of action and solidarity, on August 9, 2012, to assert Freedom of Speech, Assembly, and Association and to celebrate the Human Spirit with Chalk.

Occupy LA released a solidarity call for protesters and communities that experience state violence, censorship, and repression throughout the World.

Although, Occupy LA has not come to consensus on all activities and plans for Los Angeles on August 9th, they have decided to do a Town Hall meeting the week before to hear from the community hardest hit by LAPD violence at July’s Downtown LA Art Walk.

Participants of Occupy LA who met Wednesday evening, before the General Assembly, came to consensus that the theme of the activities will focus on “A Better World is Possible.”

Activists also came to consensus-- at the Wednesday meeting-- to work to create a “community space” at their action where families are welcome. Although, Occupy LA members cannot guarantee the safety of participants, they hope everyone remains safe and that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Officers remain peaceful towards everyone present.

Those interested in helping plan, organize, and take part in the 8/9/12 event in LA are encouraged to attend planning meetings and help in preparation.

At the end of last year, Occupy LA came to consensus that they would join the Art Walk each month to do outreach and to build solidarity with the Art Community. Occupy LA has taken part in every Art Walk for the last 10 months without riot gear and police weapons discharged.

The stated goals of the Chalk Walk on July 12 were to have fun, stay safe, speak out, stand up, make friends, and chalk. In an announcement made at a briefing before the July action began, organizers let the group know they hoped to have no arrests, shared legal information, and said “We’re hoping this is a kid friendly event. If kids are around, keep it friendly, please.”

Activist maintain that the LAPD displayed excessive show and use of force and brutalized peaceful people which escalated the situation at the last DTLA Art Walk.

“[LAPD] shot the crowd with the near lethal force of rubber bullets and foam grenades to incite fear and panic so that their violent intervention would appear justified,” the Occupy LA consensus statement reads, “More than that, these acts of terror by the police state will not deter us from assembling and seeking justice for our communities.”

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*PLEASE NOTE: This was written by an individual participant in Occupy LA but it is not an official statement. All official statements have to have consensus from Occupy LA's general assembly.