#FortHernandez Day 64 - The Barricade is Taken by the State.

At 11am this morning approx. 50 LAPD officers illegally raided our land and home, storm-trooping onto the property and abusing multiple rights. They would not let anyone in or out.  They blocked of both ends of the street.  With a bulldozer and dozens of construction workers they torn down the barricade erected as a symbol of protection against state and corporate brutality.  Helicopters circled above.  Soon the news reporters came.


From inside the Fort comrades tweeted and filmed.  Family members stood their ground, protecting family and friends.  Luckily the children were not here to witness the scene.  Looking into the faces of the LAPD showed that some of them were not proud to be there.  How could they be?  They are on the wrong side of the line.  The line between freedom and control.  They are tools for the 1%.


Thanks to everyone out there that heard the call and sent out notifications through the network. We stand together in this fight. Take this as a call to action. Resist. Revolt. Reclaim. Rebuild!

Now we concentrate on moving forward.  Fort Lucero has come to our aid.  All across the world comrades have shown support.  The message is our priority.  We will not give up!

 

Solidarity!

Relevant Links:

http://wepay.com/donations/fort-hernandez

#FortHernandez Day 64 - RAC Volunteers

Revolutionary Autonomous Communities (RAC) feeds the people through a network of local donations every Sunday in MacArthur Park downtown.  We went there today to volunteer, helping the effort and networking with comrades in the fight for autonomy.  As trucks pulled up with produce we off-loaded the boxes.  Organic heirloom tomatoes, watermelons, butternut squash, avocados, kale, and grapes are just a few of the vegetables that were gifted to the community.


Gift boxes were laid out in rows and filled with an assortment of items.  Rice, beans and dry goods were separated into bags. Volunteers snacked on pineapple slices covered with chile pepper.  Tasty!

There were long spaces in between supply drop-offs.  We filled the time talking about the movement, sharing stories about happenings at the Fort and RAC.  RAC is a revolutionary federation of councils and liberated spaces based in occupied communities. They build self-sustainability and create the structure, strategy, and program for change through direct participatory forms of consensus. Their strategy for Decolonization, Land and Liberty includes outreach, popular and political education, direct action, community programs, empowerment, support, physical training and mutual aid, so people can build self reliance and gain the skills, resources and the experience to liberate themselves. They do what we're doing at Fort Hernandez. The exchange of information is just as nourishing as the food.

In the hot part of the day the women retired to the shade and held a women's circle.  Comprised of young and old, they held hands exchanged knowledge and wisdom, hugged, and prayed.  Beautiful and healing.  It felt like the heartbeat of the movement.

Around us the park was filled with people resting, playing soccer, making music.  We took naps too, waiting for more trucks to arrive.

After the last of the deliveries arrived, we passed out the food to the people.  RAC donated several boxes to Fort Hernandez, which we took back with us and will use in our kitchen.  Food is so much better when it has  love and solidarity in it.  Thank you RAC!  Another world is Possible!

Relevant Links:
http://revolutionaryautonomouscommunities.blogspot.com/

#FortHernandez Day 63 - Rebel Art

Day 63 at Fort Hernandez started with Dennis making pancakes!  We stayed up late into the night last night, playing music and telling stories, so folks crawled out of their tents and sleeping bags a little slower than usual.  After coffee and pancakes though, it was time to make some art and do some outreach.

Ulises has a speaking engagement scheduled today and Fort Lucero has a Fraudclosure community outreach action planned.  Comrades were going in all directions, though a few of us stayed behind to make patches, make art for the Haunted Fort, and silk screen t-shirts for the Brother Ali show.  We're beginning to accumulate a collection of stencils and screens.  We make do with what is available to us.  DIY!

As the stand-off continues between the state and the Hernandez family, activists from the local community and all over the world continue to show support in various ways. Mike has repeatedly shown up with silk screening materials and t-shirts. Today he screened over 30 shirts. Willy and others helped in the process.

After the shirts and patches dried, Ki and Ariana packed them all up with stacks of flyers and went to the El Rey Theatre.  Brother Ali was performing a show and offered space at his show for us to represent.  Music is crucial to the movement!  (Check out a track below)

As day turned into night comrades came and went, wandering through the kitchen to get some food, gathering in the back yard to discuss planned actions, chillin in their tents for some down time.  It was a hot day and the cool evening was welcoming.

While Brother Ali was bringing it down at the El Rey, comrades at the Fort ended the day watching a documentary on the Zapatista movement.  History has a powerful message.  Lessons are everywhere.

Brother Ali - Mourning in America by rhymesayers

As we evolve resistance culture at Fort Hernandez, art is flourishing in many directions.  Silk screens and patches make great gifts and we will keep producing new versions.  Barricade murals, banners, flags and signs provide other canvas for expression.  Sing songs! Write Poetry!  Make Rebel Art!  We are history in the making.

#FortHernandez Day 62

The Santa Ana winds are blowing strong here at Fort Hernandez. Tents are full of dust and leaves. The air is dry and the sky is crystal clear.

Inside the fort the coffee is black. We're out of cream and sugar. Look around, It's hard to find an outlet with all the devices being charged. The tables are covered with outreach fliers, water bottles, books, art supplies. In the kitchen food is warming on the stove.  Rice, beans, potatoes, tortillas, homemade salsa.  It smells so good.

We had a great outreach meeting after breakfast today.  There are three actions on the immediate horizon needing attention, Occupy San Fernando Valley's 1 year anniversary Oct. 29, Fort Hernandez Haunted House Oct. 31, and a Evict Bank Rally and March on Nov. 9th.  We split up the work, and hit the streets.

In the afternoon the garden was tended.  Beans that were soaked and planted a few days ago are sprouting. Compost is healthy.  Today we started saving seeds.  Food security is part of the resistance.

Now the children have come home from school.  The whole family is here.  Occupiers are folding new fliers and listening to KPFK.  Everywhere you go inside the Fort is the feeling of friendship and family.  Some are discussing plans in the backyard.  Some are making art.  Some are cooking.  We wish you were here, and encourage you to BUILD YOUR OWN FORT!

#FortHernandez Day 61 - Niko Black Solidarity Action

Fort Hernandez took to the streets today in Solidarity with Niko Black, who was evicted from her home at gunpoint.  "Hey Wells Fargo, Whaddya say?...How many homes did you steal today" and "Whose land?...Indigenous land!" were some of the chants shouted as people entered and left the bank on the corner of Van Nuys and Vanowen.  Twenty minutes after arriving, LAPD showed up, moving protesters off the property.  The message was loud and clear and delivered.  Banks got bailed out, we got sold out.

Relevant links:
Niko Black
http://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2012/10/apache-woman-terminally-ill-evicted.html