Dennis RomeroArthur S. Rodriguez, the grandson of labor and civil rights leader Cesar Chavez, was arrested as part of the raid on the L.A. City Hall Occupy encampment last week.
Arturo S. Rodriguez, his father and the president of the United Farm Workers group that Chavez made famous as a labor activist in the 1960s, announced the arrest proudly on the UFW's website.
He states:
Like so many others, he joined the global Occupy Wall Street movement because he feels strongly about the tremendous economic inequality plaguing this country and the world.
… Early Wednesday morning, Arthur decided to join a group to make a firm statement about their commitment to Occupy's chief aim of exposing economic inequality by being arrested when police closed down the Occupy encampment at City Hall …
We are proud of Arthur for his activism and commitment in the tradition of his grandfather, Cesar Chavez, and the farm worker movement.
Occupy vs. LAPD Nov. 30.; Credit: Ted Soqui
Santa Monica Patch this week reported that Rodriguez is a 27-year-old student at Santa Monica College …
… active in environmental and food issues … He is reportedly studying recycling and resource management. He had recently helped cultivate an organic learning garden on campus, according to school spokesman Bruce Smith.
According to the L.A. County Sheriff's Department Rodriguez was released Friday based on $5,000 bail.
On Nov. 30 the LAPD moved in with 1,400 officers to break up the nearly two-month-long encampment outside L.A. City Hall: 291 people were arrested. About 46 people have been charged in connection with the raid so far.
Most protesters will either face failure to disperse charges or have a chance to take a 90-day program, according to what the City Attorney's office told us.
UFW co-founder Dolores Huerta, Robert F. Kennedy and Chavez.; Credit: UFW
The arrest of Chavez's grandson comes amid continuing controversy over the Navy's naming of a supply ship in honor of the late Central Valley labor leader.
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