By Brittanie Gutierrez |Staff Writer| Activists and protesters gathered in the streets of Downtown Los Angeles to take part in the historic Women's March on Jan. 21. Los Angeles was just one of many cities that held the march, which originated in Washington D.C. The march started from Pershing Square and would have lead up to City Hall but due to the amount of protesters, the march split up and took over many blocks in the City of Angels. According to the Women's March LA Twitter page, an estimated 750,000 people attended. Women's reproductive rights, immigration, LGBTQ support and human rights were some of the motives behind thousands of people walking. "I've always been … [Read more...] about Women’s March in Los Angeles
Human Rights
Women belong in the Resistance
By Brittanie Gutierrez |Staff Writer| I have always been passionate about women's rights; I've always wanted to let people know that my rights were not for negotiation. I never imagined marching next to others with the same emotions, fears and hopes. So when Women's March Los Angeles was formulating, I knew I wanted to take part of it. Being a woman devastated and afraid of the future of my rights, I deemed it vital that I went to this march; it was not an option—I had to go. The morning of the march, I knew nothing but good things were going to happen. After the first stop on the Metrolink, I knew this movement was going to be big; the train had reached maximum capacity … [Read more...] about Women belong in the Resistance
North Korean concentration camp survivor tells horrific life story
By Erica Wong |Staff Writer| Life in North Korea is shrouded in mystery but a defector’s testimony allowed the international community to gain an insider’s perspective of the brutality of the North Korean government against its people. A near-perfect map has helped the international community finally locate Camp 18, a concentration camp North Korea has repeatedly denied existence of. Kim Hye-Sook is a North Korean defector that managed to escape Camp 18 and is now campaigning against the abomination by using the map and her pictures as her life memoir. Kim spent almost three decades at Camp 18, forced to do manual labor in the mining town for 16-18 hours per day. For 15 … [Read more...] about North Korean concentration camp survivor tells horrific life story
North Korean defector lecture
By Erica Wong |Staff Writer| North Korean defector Lee spoke last Wednesday to an overflowing room about his experiences as a high-ranking official in the Worker’s Party of Korea (WPK) and worked closely with the Kim family. Lee’s full name and his exact title will not be disclosed due to security reasons. Lee had a quiet, friendly demeanor, but there was an air of mystery about him as he tactfully evaded questions that were too personal. When asked about the circumstances behind his defection, he smiled and said, “I will just have to tell you next time.” Everything done in North Korea is to highlight Kim Jong-Un, his leadership and the regime, according to Lee. There were … [Read more...] about North Korean defector lecture
Children suffer on tobacco farms
By Stephanie Para |Staff Writer| Child labor on U.S. tobacco farms are having a negative effect on the working children, according to recent studies. Human Rights Watch (HRW) conducted the study, named, “Tobacco’s Hidden Children: Hazardous Child Labor in U.S. Tobacco Farming,” in which they interviewed 141 child tobacco workers between the ages of seven and 17 from the top tobacco producing states, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia, according to CNN. “I got heat exhaustion, vomiting, feel like my stomach was trying to come out of my body,” stated Jessica Rodriguez to CNN on her experience working on tobacco farms since she was 11. The study found that 75 percent of the … [Read more...] about Children suffer on tobacco farms