Farmers vow to fight for their land

On June 13 at 5 a.m., Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputies obeyed their marching orders from landowner Ralph Horowitz and evicted South Central farmers from a land they have been cultivating for 14 years-a rare green space in an industrial area of Los Angeles that provided much-needed food to a community underserved by the city.

At the South Central Farm in November 2005. Photo: Fernando Flores

Close to 70 people were arrested in the raid led by hundreds of riot police backed up by helicopters flying overhead. Many supporters of the farmers had organized civil disobedience to defy the eviction. Some chained themselves to trees and to each other.

This eviction came in spite of the money that was raised by the farmers and charitable organizations that met Horowitz’ asking price of $16 million. Even Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who until the eviction had shown no real intent to assist the farmers, made public comments critical of Horowitz.

After celebrities like Danny Glover, Martin Sheen, Joan Baez and especially Darryl Hannah—who refused to leave the farm until she was arrested—got involved, Villaraigosa began to discuss the issue in public.

At a news conference on the day of the eviction, Villaraigosa said that he was disappointed after trying to persuade Horowitz to sell the farm. He said that after Horowitz was notified of the available money for purchase of the farm he then raised the price another $2 million.

Villaraigosa could have used his power as mayor to first stop the eviction, and then begin the process of invoking eminent domain over the property, giving the land to the farmers. In fact, the city did use eminent domain to acquire the same property 14 years ago to use it for a garbage incinerator.

After the Los Angeles rebellion in 1992 following the Rodney King police brutality verdict, the city scrapped the incinerator idea as a concession to the community. This allowed the land to be held by a public trust and the farmers to clean up what was a dump site and turn it into a celebrated 14-acre farm.

Three hundred fifty families had plots on the land on June 12. On June 13, there were no families.

However, the farmers and their supporters have refused to give up the fight. They are keeping up daily vigils at the farm along with actions at the mayor’s mansion demanding that the farm be returned to them. They are also engaged in a lawsuit that challenges the city’s secret sale of the land to Ralph Horowitz three years ago. Since this was public land there should have been hearings before selling it, but none were held. The land, at the time valued at over $13 million, was sold to Horowitz for $5 million.

Said Alberto C., one of the farmers helping to coordinate fight-back actions: “Right now we are making sure there is no more bulldozing on the property and waiting for the court hearing. On the north side of the farm half of it has been destroyed. So we will be doing a hunger strike.”

He commented on the city considering the renovation of a coliseum for a National Football League team: “There shouldn’t be any money for the coliseum. How can they have millions for that and none for the farm?”

The farmers are determined to maintain their struggle. Supporters have been asked to come to the daily vigils at the farm at 7 p.m.

“They may have cut down some of the trees and uprooted the crops but they haven’t hurt our spirit. The land belongs to the people,” said Alberto.