For Immediate Release
Contact Channing Martinez (310) 760-1159
channing@thestrategycenter.org
Press Conference Today
Thursday September 24, 2020 9am
MTA Headquarters 1 Gateway Plaza. Los Angeles CA 90012
Bus Riders Union Calls on MTA
to Stop Transit Racism
Stop All Service Cuts, Double Bus Service, Provide Free Public Transportation, and Stop Racial Profiling Black Passengers
Provide information on MTA Arrests and Tickets of Passenger by Race—Last data showed Black Passengers—20% of all MTA riders receiving 50%+of all tickets and arrests
Calls on Los Angeles Times and Laura Nelson to stop the White wash of MTA Racial Discrimination and Black Listing of Bus Riders Union
Press Conference, Rally, Teach-in, Speak Out
Thursday September 24, 9 AM MTA Headquarters 1 Gateway Plaza, LA 90012
For More Information Channing Martinez, Director of Organizing, Labor/Community Strategy Center/Bus Riders Union
310-760-1159
channing@thestrategycenter.org
Fight Transit Racism This Thursday 8:30am at One Gateway Plaza
We Urgently Need You to Attend
This Thursday, September 24, the already remote MTA board will be meeting remotely. So the MTA building will be boarded up but we will be outside demonstrating for free public transportation, an end to MTA racial profiling of Black passengers, and doubling MTA bus service. When the Bus Riders Union had some power through a federal consent decree fares went down, service was increased by 1 million hours, and bus and rail ridership went up 25%!!! Now, after MTA service cuts of more than 35% and fare increases of 125% bus/rail ridership is down 20% (a 40% round trip decline). Bus riders are 55% Latino, 20% Black and 60% women. this is an attack on our Civil Rights.
In our organizing just this past week-end we had conversations with 50 Black train riders. The majority explained how MTA and LAPD police on buses and trains harassed them and 5 people, all Black men, said they had no house and no where to live.
The board meeting is at 10 and when you get to the MTA One Gateway Plaza (behind Union station at Vignes and Cesar Chavez) we will help you testify (again explain how, I still do not understand the proces!)
We are gratified that MTA CEO Phil Washington and some board members are studying moving in the direction of free transit. But unlike the Los Angeles School Board when board member Moncia Garcia reached out to us to make our call to “defund the police” a reality, neither Mayor Eric Garcetti with four votes nor Mark Ridley Thomas, Hilda Solis, Sheila Kuehl, Janice Hahn, have responded to our overtures to work together. Call them at these numbers and come out on Thursday to make your voice heard. We have contacted press and TV, we will use social media to amplify our message and filmmaker Victoria Stein working with Eric Mann will be making a video of the day. We want the MTA not just study Free Transit but make it happen and double service. We have also asked for the most recent records of MTA tickets and arrests on the buses and trains by category and race! Last figures had Black passengers with 20% of the riders getting 50% to 60% of all tickets and arrests.
This Thursday our speakers will include Channing Martinez, LCSC director of organizing, Barbara Lott Holland, co-chair of the Bus Riders Union, David Turner, Manager of Brothers Sons Selves, Joseph Williams Coordinator of Students Deserve. We will also have roving microphones to hear your voice as well. We’ll have drums to participate in druming anc chanting. And you can’t have a great event without great DJing. You’ll be able to submit a written public comment at the rally. and we’ll surround our selves with lrage beautiful banners.
Face Masks required, We’ll have hand sanitier, water, BRU Shirts, and a lot of space or social distancing.
Help us #FightTransitRacism and #SupportBlackBusRiders this Thursday at 8:30am. Use the button below to RSVP to let us know you’ll be there
Channing Martinez
Director of Organizing
