Occupy protesters help organize DTLA town hall to discuss Chalk Walk
Tomorrow's town hall meeting will discuss what happened at last month's Chalk Walk during Art Walk.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Occupy L.A. protesters are helping to organize a town hall meeting in downtown L.A. Thursday night, in what they say is an attempt to bring together residents, artists, business owners and others who live and work in the area, and may have been affected by last month's Chalk Walk melee.
The protest waged by Occupy demonstrators took place during Art Walk, and quickly escalated as the participants began drawing with chalk on the sidewalks and buildings. Hundreds of police were called to the scene and the event resulted in nearly 20 arrests and damage to surrounding storefronts. Businesses were vandalized with spray paint, people threw rocks and glass bottles, and police responded with bean bag shotguns, said Matt Shafer, an LAPD officer who was on the scene.
Executive director of the Art Walk Joe Moller, responded to the incident a week later saying the Occupy organizers targeted Art Walk because of its "notoriety and audience" -- two things he said the activist group is "grossly lacking in" and could gain by showing up at the popular DTLA event.
Now, select participants in Chalk Walk along with some community members are putting together a group called the Creating Community Awareness Coalition (CCAC) -- which they say is an attempt to "build bridges between the diverse communities that live, work, organize and play in downtown Los Angles."
The upcoming town hall is event is being organized with the help of Richard Schave, founder of the Los Angeles Visionaries Association, a previous director of the downtown Art Walk and an active DTLA community member. He said there's been a "complete failure on the part of existing civic leaders and existing community leaders" to address what happened during Chalk Walk and plan for the upcoming Art Walk.
"I don't see anyone trying to de-escalate the situation," he said.
Schave points fingers at everyone from the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council to the Art Walk Board, saying someone needs to take responsibility for diffusing what was and could continue to be a volatile situation.
He said he was approached by Occupy members in response to a newsletter he sent out through his L.A. tour company, Esotouric, regarding the Occupy movement and the recent Chalk Walk. He said they asked for his help coordinating community outreach, and he reached out to friend Rev. Sandie Richards to moderate the event.
Schave said the members of the Art Walk were invited to the event, but Executive Director of the monthly event, Joe Moller, said that although he was aware of the town hall meeting, his organization never received an official invitation.
"To the best of my knowledge we have not been invited," he said.
Moller added that he wonders if this town hall is just "another tactic" by the Occupy movement, and said a meeting like this may have been a lot more effective if it occurred before last month's Chalk Walk event.
"The whole culture of, it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission, is not one the Art Walk is part of," said Moller.
He added that "it's nice to see what appears to be a gesture of goodwill," but as of now, he's unsure if he will attend Thursday night's event or if it will even be beneficial at all to the future of Art Walk.
Art Walk is starting a campaign on Thursday where they will canvas the neighborhood, asking businesses and community members to put up signs in their windows that say "I support a peaceful Art Walk." This outreach is in preparation for the upcoming monthly event on August 9, where Moller said he hopes to have a peaceful evening, "free of political protest."
The Creating Community Awareness Coalition's town hall meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday in the rehearsal room at the Los Angeles Theatre Center. Included in the two hours will be a reception, discussion and presentation.
The Los Angeles Theatre Center is located at 514 S. Spring Street
Kim Cooper on August 01, 2012, at 01:06PM – #1
Joe Moller, check your email and you'll find your invitation. We hope you can make it tomorrow night!
A peaceful Art Walk is what nearly everybody wants, and starting to talk with each other is the first step to making that the reality. Window signs are great, too.
A B on August 01, 2012, at 01:16PM – #2
Really? A town hall meeting?
Occupy LA has nothing to offer, and just needs to stay away, then all will be good.
David Markland on August 01, 2012, at 03:20PM – #3
Joe Moller is hoping for an art walk "free of political protest?" Really? I'm incredibly critical of Occupy LA, and don't think they're a credible group, but Moller needs to recignize they are part of the community and should make it a point to attend the meeting - especially if he's allowed the opportunity to speak and engage in actual discussion.
More importantly, he should be wary of trying to ensure art walk is "free of political protest." The previous chalk stunt was dangerous, and the police response not surprising, but there are many ways to have a political protest during an event like this that doesn't put citizens at risk. Moller's first mission should be ensuring the event is safe - the last thing on his mind should be limiting political expression.
Joe29 on August 01, 2012, at 03:57PM – #4
Occupy L.A. is nothing but a big joke with no agenda and no focus! What Occupy L.A. did by crashing the Art Walk was bad and inexcusable! Occupy L.A. has already made its intentions clear that it wishes to declare war on "gentrification" and believes that if you are not homeless or extremely poor, you have no place in downtown L.A. What is the point of talking to these anarchist? The Occupy "movement" blew it by becoming ridiculous and its members should go back to the suburbs and leave downtown alone.
Joe29 on August 01, 2012, at 04:16PM – #5
In response to David Markland,
Free speech is not unlimited. The City of L.A. has the right to place reasonable time, place and manner restrictions on free speech and does not have to tolerate vandalism against public and private property.
What the Occupy folks did was "crash" another organization's lawfully permitted art event to make a statement. This is an Art Walk, not a political event. It is appropriate for the director of the Art Walk to want to keep the event focused on the Art Walk's purpose and not want 3rd parties crashing this event. The fear is that Occupy L.A. will become so unruly that there will no longer be an Art Walk for anyone to enjoy.
If the Occupy L.A. "Movement" (big joke) believes that they speak for the 99%, then let them organize their own event and stop trying to "highjack" another organization's event.
Katherine McNenny on August 01, 2012, at 04:36PM – #6
Civil unrest in the middle of one of the greatest recessions (still not over) isn’t going away any time soon. Talking in a neutral environment couldn’t hurt. I think these various factions could potentially agree on a lot more than they disagree on. Who doesn’t want more housing for the homeless? At the same time- we should all agree change is happening and more people and businesses will be moving into DTLA- even places where previously only formerly or currently homeless have lived for the last few decades. I have heard for example that a lot of local Skid Row folks would really love a 99 cent store, and a 24 hour coffee shop- we want stuff too over in the 'Row!
For the record, there have been market-rate lofts in Skid Row proper for over 20 years, if not longer.
A B on August 01, 2012, at 05:47PM – #7
Katherine,
I understand what you are saying, but Occupy LA, also known as an embarrassment,and a drain on society, wandering generalities, etc., dont have anything to offer.
They need to stop the nonsense and go back to the valley or W LA.
Deal4 (@Deal4) on August 01, 2012, at 09:11PM – #8
Katherine, Wait. So Occupy is all about housing for the homeless? When did that happen? 99 cent store? Where is the capitol going to come from for that? Occupy is now pro business? Occupy has never been a part of our community. The DTLA community has tolerated them but they had to go and crap all over that. What have they done for the homeless other than sharing pot? Oh and if you really do talk to them, please ask them not to piss in public & harass the vendors at the Wed farmers maker at Pershing. I depend on that market and don't want it to up and leave.
Joe29 on August 02, 2012, at 09:15AM – #9
In Response to Katherine McNenny,
You are so wrong about your comment about "talking in a neutral environment." The Art Walk people had been granted a permit by the City of L.A. to conduct an ART WALK!!! This is a privately organized and sponsored event in support of local artists and local art galleries. What the Occupy L.A. people did was crash a privately sponsored (and popular), City permitted event in order to make a statement. Simply put, this was wrong!!!
When the "Chalk" incident happened, Occupy supporters were quoted in the media as saying that they were against "gentrification." Occupy supporters have vandalized small businesses and have detrimentally impacted the local farmers market on Pershing Square. Occupy L.A. is not hurting the 1% but members of the 99% who are simply trying to make a living and improve DTLA.
What Occupy does not understand is that many people are livid with the Occupy "movement" because they have no agenda, no purpose and it seems that all they want to do is occupy public spaces and complain. And in response to this criticism, what you get in response from Occupy is a condescending "you should know what we stand for and the problems are so great." If Occupy wants to impress, then go camp in front of the Rand Corporation in Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, or form your own political party and have a platform we can all read instead of just complaining.
Katherine McNenny on August 02, 2012, at 09:58AM – #10
Joe,
Although Artwalk is privately organized and privately sponsored event, it takes place in the PUBLIC domain. Your words come off elitist. You cannot prevent “undesirables” from attending a public event.
If you want a private event, maybe that’s what it should become. I seem to remember something like that happening in DT San Diego years ago- you had to pay to get “inside”. It sounds like that is what you are wishing for.
It might be worth remembering that there are aprox. 8 thousand either formerly homeless or very low income people who live in DTLA of as now, almost 1/5th of the population here.
Brady Westwater (@bradywestwater) on August 02, 2012, at 10:29AM – #11
I agree with David Markham the goal of Art Walk should not for it to be free of political protest but that Art Walk should welcome all participants that do not endanger public safety by creating unsafe conditions.
So if the General Assembly of Occupy LA wishes to have a legal chalk drawing event that can be easily viewed by visitors to the Art Walk - and which will not endanger the public‘s safety, I will help them secure that space; just as I have done for hundreds of artists over the years since the very first Art Walk. - and long before Art Walk started - over the past 30 years.
This will allow them to exercise their First Amendment rights and avoid the problems of last month when congestion on the sidewalk made it impossible for most people to see what the artists were doing and forced people off the sidewalks and into the streets, creating the pubic safety issue.
But by being in a public place where they would not be blocking the public's right to walk on the sidewalks, there will be no public safety issue AND the artists will have a much larger audience for their message, giving both the local community and the demonstrators what they want.
Lastly, I have known and supported street artists in DTLA and elsewhere in LA since the late 1960’s and began to work with many of them after meeting the artists at John Pochna’s first Zero One and at Slash’s various galleries and shows starting back in the 1980’s.
I have also helped many street artists secure shows in LA and New York galleries and have leased - without taking any fees from anyone - spaces to several galleries in DTLA that show street artists - despite some hesitation by the landlords about bringing ‘graffiti artist into their neighborhood.
I am also currently working on obtaining a space for a bi-coastal street artist show for this fall in Downtown LA, which I would like to have on the Art Walk footprint, if possible.
Brady Westwater Bradywestwater@gmail.com 213-804-8396.
LAofAnaheim on August 02, 2012, at 10:31AM – #12
Can you report about how Tom Gilmore (who transformed the OBD from Skid Row into a residential district) and local businesses are tired of #occupy and accuse them of hurting small businesses? The #occupy movement has become a joke, somehow it now adopts homelessness issues? That's not the "99%", sorry, but homelessness already has their own groups. #occupy was meant to engage the public in how 1% of the wealth controlled 99%, Homelessness is not "99%". Also, now #occupy fights against social order, again, another thing that was NOT the original concept/mantra of #occupy.
Brady Westwater (@bradywestwater) on August 02, 2012, at 10:38AM – #13
Sorry, Stash. Spell Check turned your name into - Slash.
KevinKersh on August 02, 2012, at 02:35PM – #14
Let's take a look at what the "Occupiers" have accomplished so far:
Basically, the useless, uninformed, antisocial, anarchaic activitiess of Occupy LA are deteriorating the fledgling DTLA community. All of their activites are harming everyone who is part of the 99%. It's time for Occupy to become part of the solution, not add to the problems.
Michael Eisman on August 02, 2012, at 02:38PM – #15
I have seen more violence in the streets of the Historic Core since Occupy got here. Guys, this is our home, and you're destroying it. The majority of the people in this neighborhood are middle class, or "The 99%", and we don't want you here. If you want to protest the rich or corporate America, you're in the wrong neighborhood for sure! You're not welcome here, please leave.
Joe29 on August 02, 2012, at 05:04PM – #16
In Response to Katherine McNenny,
You obviously do not understand that the First Amendment is not unlimited and that the government can impose reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions on free speech. That is why many governmental agencies require permits before allowing protesting or designating certain areas for free speech.
What the Occupy "Movement" did was crash another organization's permitted event, plain and simple. The Occupy "Movement" blocked traffic, committed vandalism on public and private property, and almost caused a riot, which is not protected free speech. The Occupy "movement" is threatening the existence of the Art Walk as well as the Farmer's Market and discourages anyone who wants to make downtown L.A. a better place for EVERYONE, not just for the homeless. Occupy said it themselves, they are against "gentrification."
This is not about keeping out "undesirables"from the Art Walk as you suggest. This is about keeping out people from the Art Walk whose intent is to hijack the event and draw attention to themselves, making people feel unsafe and causing a near riot to protest "gentrification." It is you that sounds "elitist" and "condescending"by implying that anyone who does not agree with Occupy L.A and its methods are elitist or insensitive.
I was once a supporter of the Occupy Movement until it became co-opted by public labor unions (remember the SEIU t shirts gal?) and anarchist. Occupy harms small businesses, farmer's markets, and destroys public and private property. Occupy has absolutely no agenda and when asked what Occupy wants, we are given b.s. about there are too many problems out in the world and we should know what Occupy stands for. Elitist! If you and the other Occupy people are so angry, then I dare you and your Occupy friends to put together an agenda and propose something meaningful instead of whining about how unfair the world is and committing vandalism.
Chalking is stupid and is a form of vandalism and accomplishes nothing. Organizing, formulating an agenda, and getting people elected who share Occupy's still unknown agenda is not. But if the Occupy members are too busy smoking pot, reading crystals and generally acting like fools, then they can expect only more ridicule. Word of advice, learn from the Tea Baggers about organizing and advancing agendas and get some results instead of more whining.
Kim Cooper on August 02, 2012, at 11:21PM – #17
Unfortunately, nobody from the Downtown Art Walk attended tonight's Town Hall meeting, but about 75 concerned community members did. It was a very lively and interesting exchange of ideas, which included protecting free expression, ensuring public safety, the financial impact on artists and small business of the LAPD response to Chalk Walk, and how to move forward in a more positive way. There were some disagreements, but the mediators helped ensure they were resolved respectfully. As the meeting wrapped up, everyone broke into groups and it was obvious that many participants still had a lot to say to each other. Finally, a man called Pancake sat down at a piano in the corner and he and folksinger Michelle Shocked serenaded everyone out of the meeting room. There was a lot of positive energy and common ground in this gathering, and it sounds as if there will be more Town Halls to come.
Glenn Primm on August 03, 2012, at 01:21AM – #18
After the meeting I had a lengthy chat out on the sidewalk with a couple of self-identified Occupiers. One of them told me that Occupy is, indeed, all about "free expression." He additionally stated his opinion that it was not illegal to vandalize either public OR private property (seeing as how vandalism is "free expression" and all, and also, is "art"). further, he declared himself - rather proudly it seemed to me - to be an "anarchist."
Frankly, I was dumbfounded, as I don't recall these rather crucial points of view being discussed at the meeting.
Christopher Eaton on August 03, 2012, at 01:35AM – #19
Katherine, your comments come off as aloof at best. The Occupy Idiots need to be arrested for vandalism when they crash a party that takes place in the public domain and that endangers the public that lives and dwells there. If there was any SHRED of empathy for the Occupy Idiots it was consumed at the last ArtWalk. Leave L.A. Occupy Idiots. Who would that be exactly? About 50 unwashed trust fund babies from the Westside and SF who have no idea what it means to put in a day's work because mommy and daddy never made them do that. Get a job. Aaaarggghhh.
Kim Cooper on August 03, 2012, at 08:18AM – #20
Blogdowntown's comment guidelines are clear: "Keep it civil, everyone. If you're attacking people instead of arguments, or being overly profane, expect your comment to get deleted."
Pseudonymous personal attacks (usually, but not always, directed at women) have been present in online conversations about the Art Walk for at least three years now, and they are part of what has brought us to this latest crisis. Please stop it. This community deserves better than your bullying, cowardly attempts to make people afraid to say what they think.
C.E. Stephan on August 03, 2012, at 09:48AM – #21
There is no personal attack going on here. The facts are that you were once in charge of the Art Walk and in a very ugly and public way you attacked every person involved after you were fired. I read all those posts you made which, by the way, were full of personal attacks against a lot of other people.
To make the claim that you are somehow concerned for the welfare of downtown is absurd. This is nothing but payback.
Mr. Hill above is totally entitled to state his personal reaction to your meeting and the ideas you claim to champion. Looks to me like most people on this thread agree that Occupy is trying to impose a false idea onto downtown, and you are enabling that.
You and Esotouric make your money off of downtown, but you don't live here or have any actual involvement in the civic life of downtown. That's pretty obvious by your characterization of the DC BID. Far from "shadowy and secretive", they have worked harder than anyone, and for far longer, to turn downtown around, and that includes helping to increase housing opportunities for low income people. In fact, the amount of housing for the homeless has significantly increased in the past 10 years.
The protesters you support do not live downtown, and have no clue what the relationships are between the social service providers, the landlords, and the business interests. In the past 10 years, most of those people are on the same page, partly because of the involvement of the DC BID and the HD BID.
Yet you continue to attack the BIDs with uninformed and unsubstantiated nonsense.
Kim Cooper on August 03, 2012, at 11:06AM – #22
When you praise the HDBID, "C.E. Stephan," those reading should know that you referring to the organization that was until recently headed by Russell Brown, who confessed on video during his own DLANC ethics hearing to sabotaging the Art Walk during the time when it was being placed into a non-profit, in 2009. I don't call that sort of shadowy, secretive, dishonest and destructive behavior community building, and neither should you.
http://vimeo.com/10883053
KevinKersh on August 03, 2012, at 11:18AM – #23
Kim... riddle me this. How, in any definition of the word, is vandalism free speech?? I'll get a bunch of my DTLA neighbors to come to your house and cover it in chalk. Would you like that? Occupy provides zero benifit to anyone and their activities only serve to harm the DTLA's residents, community, and reputation. Occupy is costing the city and private citizens and businesses untold monetary damages. And.. by the way... no kidding nobody from the Art Walk Board attended. Why should they? It's the illegal activities of Occupy that you are trying to justify. If anyting, Occupy should be ashamed and apologetic for ruining a community event and putting people's safety at risk. Is this your way of getting back at Artwalk for fire? Pretty pathetic.
Kim Cooper on August 03, 2012, at 12:03PM – #24
KevinKersh, I was not fired from the board of the Downtown Art Walk. I was a volunteer, who worked full-time to manage, promote and curate the event and to place it into a non-profit from January-early November 2009. Both my husband Richard Schave and I chose to resign, because it was no longer possible to do our work due to ongoing sabotage and harassment. We stated on resigning that we hoped we could do more good off the Art Walk board than on it, and that's all we have tried to do since then. This is why we helped to facilitate and promote last night's Town Hall.
I do not believe that vandalism is protected free speech. I do believe that washable chalk is made to be easily washed off, and that the approximately one dozen protesters who were arrested for chalking the sidewalks in front of the Central City Association offices at 626 Wilshire prior to Chalk Walk had been left alone, there would have been no need to hold a chalk arrests awareness protest elsewhere in downtown.
As to why the Art Walk board members should attend: they have an obligation to ensure that the event is safe and successful for all participants. They may not like OccupyLA, but they need to acknowledge that they are a part of the Art Walk community, and that there are benefits for everyone if the various entities simply come together and talk it out. That's what last night's meeting showed me, and I think it's a very encouraging start.
As for the Chalk Walk: handing out chalk to a bunch of random people was not a good idea, since of course if you hand chalk out to people in a crowd, they are likely to make a mess. But from talking with those involved, I don't believe the intention was to damage property or to shut down the event. If there had been a line of communication between Art Walk's management and Chalk Walk, things might have been different.
Let's hope the Art Walk management comes to the table soon, or there may not be a table, or an Art Walk, to come to.
C.E. Stephan on August 03, 2012, at 12:18PM – #25
"Let's hope the Art Walk management comes to the table soon, or there may not be a table, or an Art Walk, to come to."
Sounds like a vendetta to me.
Kim Cooper on August 03, 2012, at 12:30PM – #26
Vendetta (Noun):
1. A blood feud in which the family of a murdered person seeks vengeance on the murderer or the murderer's family. 2. A prolonged bitter quarrel with or campaign against someone.
Who are "you," "C.E. Stephan?" And why should anyone care about your vendetta, to use your own terminology, towards me if you refuse to identify yourself and your affiliations?
Nathan from the Hive Gallery stated at the Town Hall last night that he was present for an Art Walk organizational meeting--it was unclear if this was the Art Walk Task Force or the Art Walk board--where the cancelation of Art Walk was being seriously considered. As an exhibition space owner who has worked for years to build his business, he's really upset about this, as he should be.
Please stop trolling this community.
C.E. Stephan on August 03, 2012, at 12:40PM – #27
"Please stop trolling this community."
Pot calling the kettle black.
If you had any credibility at all you would be able to just pick up the phone and call anyone in the Art Walk board or at the CCA or the BID and get the information you need, but you can't do that, because nobody trusts you or will speak to you because of the abuse you have heaped on the downtown community for the past several years. So you align yourself with "Occupy" and use hearsay statements from other people to fuel false speculation about things you obviously know nothing about.
Kim Cooper on August 03, 2012, at 12:43PM – #28
What information do I need, Bert?
TODOSSOMOSPUTOS (@TODOSSOMOSPUTOS) on August 03, 2012, at 12:52PM – #29
I continue to applaud the efforts of Occupy LA as they are responsible for organically changing consciousness.
Without Occupy, there wouldn't be a consciousness of the 99% vs. the 1 %, and with that, more people than ever are aware of their money and how they can prevent that money from being wrenched away by the 1% (often under the guise of corporations).
I'm not sorry if and when political activism makes something like an Art Walk bar crawl less "family" and Disney and pleasant and I regret hearing any kind of apology being made about using Art Walk to continue to make people aware of economic and social injustice, particularly in a disputed territory like Downtown Los Angeles.
Tony Pierce on August 03, 2012, at 02:13PM – #30
While I am a huge fan of heated debate, can we please abide by the first rule of the comments, "Keep it civil, everyone. If you're attacking people instead of arguments, or being overly profane, expect your comment to get deleted."
Thank you.
Kim Cooper on August 03, 2012, at 03:02PM – #31
Thank you, Tony. (Just for the record, some off-topic personal attacks directed at me have been deleted from this thread.)
C.E. Stephan on August 03, 2012, at 09:45PM – #32
The comments that were deleted, while some were personal in nature, were an important part of the dialog and should not have been deleted.
Readers please note that this conversation has been censored.
Deal4 (@Deal4) on August 04, 2012, at 08:18AM – #33
Wait! Why was my comment deleted? What us up with that? There were no personal attacks in my comments but I guess we can't ask questions. That's kind of pathetic.
Tony Pierce on August 04, 2012, at 01:27PM – #34
Listen, we gain zero satisfaction in deleting anyone's comments. But like the first guideline says, if you are attacking people instead of arguments, you should expect your comment to be deleted.
The topic at hand has plenty of room for debate. If you keep your comments to the topic, it will remain up. This is a very simple concept.
Frank Hill on August 04, 2012, at 05:28PM – #35
THESE COMMENTS ARE CENSORED Why even bother.
Morthos on August 07, 2012, at 01:48AM – #36
To the occupy morons who think that there is nowhere for poor folks downtown to live, how about this?
The alexandria hotel (you know, the building you collected in front of and marked up on 5th and spring) is a low income apartment building.
Further down the street on 5th you have BOTH rosslyn buildings, the rosslyn hotel (an SRO), and the rosslyn lofts (which are ever so slightly better but still a low income apartment building).
The security building lofts (5th and spring) while mostly market rate, also include several low income apartments.
That ugly building on 5th and main, the new genesis apartments. Affordable.
The SROs on the south side of 5th and main going towards 6th. And for that matter, ALL of the SROs in and around skid row and the fashion district.
Hayward hotel, 6th and spring, affordable apartments.
On Broadway there are several buildings that are low income and several that are market rate mixed with low income, I do not know the names of them all offhand, but the victor clothing building is one of them for sure.
On 7th and los angeles streets in the santee court lofts, they are mixed market rate and low income.
There are several cheap-o places in little tokyo on 1st street above all those cool noodle and sushi joints.
There are many more scattered around downtown. The occupy LOSERS are just upset because downtown isnt all like skid row anymore. Ill tell you what occulosers, if you love the bums so much, why dont you go and join them on 6th and san julian street? I am sure they will welcome you with open arms, and if you REALLY want to help them, go volunteer at a shelter or something, rather than pretend to be a bum (not that you have far to go) by sitting in pershing square in your own filth.
Signed, with love, Morthos, a member of the 99% who absolutely hates the fact that you lot are trying to represent him.