http://fightbacknews.org/2009/08/39th-anniversary-of-chicano-moratorium.htm
The Struggle Continues
August 29, 2009
Commentary by Carlos Montes
Los Angeles, CA - Today, Aug. 29, 2009, shows that our people are
continuing the fight for equality and self-determination. It was
demonstrated by the many groups that were present today at Salazar
Park, including the student group MECHA and the new Brown Berets, to
commemorate the historic day in 1970 when over 20,000 Chicanos
marched down historic Whittier Boulevard in East L.A. to protest the
war in Vietnam and the high casualty rate of Chicanos. The mass
peaceful rally in 1970 was attacked by the Los Angeles Police
Department and the sheriffs. Ruben Salazar, news director for KMEX,
was killed, along with Angel Diaz and Lynn Ward. A similar example of
repression took place on May 1, 2007 when the LAPD attacked a
pro-immigrant rights rally at MacArthur Park.
This year's event was organized by the local Chicano Moratorium
Committee and had the backing of the East L.A.-based Latinos Against
War. In Latinos Against War, we organize against the war in
Afghanistan and against the military recruiters in our high schools.
We support self-determination for Chicanos in the Southwest, the
Chicano nation of Aztlan. Our strategy is working with
community-based groups like the CSO to organize poor and working
class Chicanos in our community to fight for our rights. This means
fighting for better education, living conditions, for the rights of
our people displaced by poverty in Mexico and Central America now
living here and for full legalization.
The campaign "Escuelas Si, Guerra No," (Schools Yes, No War) of CSO
recently won the opening of a new high school in Boyle Heights. The
Mendez Learning Complex had an open house today, and will open
September 2009. The new school is a concrete victory won after years
of struggle to relieve overcrowding at Roosevelt High School and to
stop the U.S. military recruiters on high school campuses in East
L.A. This is the way to build the annual Chicano Moratorium event
that recently has had less participation, especially from the community.
Latinos against War also condemns and exposes the long history of
U.S. military and political intervention in Mexico, Central and Latin
America. For example many people do not know that U.S. Army General
Pershing led an intervention during the Mexican Revolution to attack
the forces of our famous hero General Francisco Villa; of course the
U.S. failed.
In Central America the U.S. supported the brutal military regimes
that killed many of their own people, who were struggling for
democracy and self-determination. Now we have the example of
Venezuela and Bolivia whose people have supported and elected leaders
who defend sovereignty and work to improve the lives of the many poor
in their countries. But U.S. intervention continues to sneak in -
like in Colombia, which will allow the U.S. military to use several
bases under the guise of fighting the war on drugs. But we all know
it's a war against the revolutionary forces in Colombia like the
FARC, and to attack the independent and sovereign nations like
Venezuela. The U.S. is also giving billions to the Mexican army under
the Plan Merida to fight the drug war, but the army commits many
human rights violations against the Mexican people.
So on this anniversary of the Chicano Moratorium, we commemorate a
proud past of struggle and stand committed to a future where our
people achieve liberation and self-determination.
--
Carlos Montes is a veteran fighter in the Chicano Liberation
movement. He was a founder of the Brown Berets and the Chicano
Moratorium. Montes is currently active in the Southern California
Immigration Coalition, the East L.A.-based Latinos against War and
with CSO, which organizes parents in the East Los Angeles area to
fight against the privatization of public education in Los Angeles
Unified School District.
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