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NEWS & LETTERS, February - March 2007L.A. grabs urban farmLos Angeles--Community farmers in the heart of South Central Los Angeles are fighting unjust removal from the largest urban farm in the nation. The 14 acres of land had served as a communal resource for food, medicinal plants and youth education, as well as for neighborhood gatherings. For the past three years, the campesinos, mostly from Mexico and Central America, have been battling developer Ralph Horowitz over ownership. Horowitz wants to build warehouses for corporations such as Wal-Mart on the property, which is located on the Alameda corridor that runs from downtown to the ports of San Pedro. The story behind the farm dates back to the late 1980s, when Horowitz wanted to place a trash incinerator on the site. Through community organizing, the project was stopped. Since Horowitz failed to accomplish what the land was to be used for, the city obtained it through eminent domain and, following the 1992 Los Angeles uprising, granted the littered lot to the community. With the assistance of the L.A. Food Bank, the farm grew into an urban oasis. However in 2003, with the assistance of Councilwoman Jan Perry, Horowitz purchased the land from the city for only $5 million. He began pressuring the farmers and the Food Bank with eviction threats. Soon afterward the Food Bank ended its longtime support for the campesinos, fearing legal accountability. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who claims to advocate for a “Green L.A.” and showed support for the farmers during his campaign, said he was “powerless.” After an eviction notice was served on the farmers, there were daily protests at City Hall, the Mayor’s mansion, and Horowitz’s house. Under public pressure, Horowitz told farm representatives that he would sell the land for $16.5 million. When with the assistance of benefactors they were able to raise that amount, Horowitz refused to sell. In the early morning of June 13 the Sheriff’s Department and LAPD infiltrated the land. Activists stood their ground by chaining themselves to concrete barrels and other solid objects. Hundreds protested the evictions outside. The police stormed in to arrest the remaining activists. “They are against the people, they don’t care if we survive,” said Michael, 15, a farm volunteer, on the day of the eviction. During the following weeks activists and farmers marched and rallied, pressuring the city council. When bulldozers came in to level the land, many activists attempted to stop the destruction by blocking the machines. Since then, the farmers have remained hopeful and have held weekly vigils outside the area. Mayor Villaraigosa has granted the farmers a new smaller site on Avalon and 103rd St. in the Watts district. Many of the farmers and organizers see this as a slap in the face. They still want their land back. --Joseph |
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