Hands off Venezuela at Anti-Occupation demonstration in Los Angeles, California

On Saturday, June 5, 2004, supporters of the Hands off Venezuela Campaign were present at the anti-war demonstration in Los Angeles, California. A few thousand people were present at the demonstration which went from the Olympic and Broadway to the Los Angeles Federal Building to demonstrate against the occupation of Iraq, to call for the withdrawal of foreign troops from the occupied countries, and against US Intervention in Haiti, Korea, Afghanistan, Philippines, Colombia, Cuba, and Venezuela.

Sponsors of the Hands off Venezuela campaign from the Workers International League (www.socialistappeal.org) met with supporters of the campaign from the Los Angeles Bolivarian Circle "Ezequiel Zamora". The campaign collected many signatures and distributeed leaflets with information on the campaign and recent events in Venezuela. The Los Angeles Bolivarian Circle "Ezequiel Zamora" issued the following statement to the Hands off Venezuela Campaign:

"The Bolivarian Circle of Los Angeles"Ezequiél Zamora" was present at the June 5th march in Los Angeles to protest against the bloody occupation of Iraq and against the intervention of Venezuela, Haiti and Cuba.

We were very happy that coordinators of the "Hands off Venezuela Campaign" were marching along with our Bolivarian Contingent and were putting forward the message among the marchers and the bystanders mostly Latino posted along the Broadway Avenue in the center of Los Angeles, that the only way to preserve the Venezuelan revolution from being destroyed is by building a stronger working class movement who at one point must be the ones in charge of the revolution.

However, the Bolivarian Circle of "Ezequiél Zamora" would also like to point out the fact how the people in the United States are paying the penalties of the illegitimate war in Iraq and the ongoing interventions, for the money that is being spent in weapons and to overthrow governments such as is the case of the democratic elected government of Venezuela could instead be used here at home in hospitals, schools, and in other needs that the community specially the working class are in lack of."

We thank the Los Angeles Bolivarian Circle "Ezequiél Zamora" for their work at the Los Angeles demonstration. Members of the Contingent appear in these photographs and provided the banner as well as other materials for the demonstration and march.

http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/socalhov060504.html