In 2018, Reel News went on a 14 week tour of North America to look at grassroots struggles around climate change, particularly struggles around a “just transition” from fossil fuels to renewable energy, where workers and communities control the process so that they benefit from the transition, and around “just recovery” – recovery from extreme weather events which do not exascerbate current inequalities.
What we found were inspiring and visionary struggles all over the continent, led by working class communities of colour, with people organising just transitions and just recoveries themselves. Now, you can see what we found in an 11 episode series.
Episode 8: Four shocking stories from Los Angeles of fighting injustice, pollution, environmental damage and police oppression – but with brave and committed activists who are gradually securing victories.
1) the horrendous treatment of one of the largest homeless street encampments in the country, Skid Row using a militarised police operation;
2) the unbelievable amount of oil and gas wells right in the centre of the city, situated right next to low income communities of colour;
3) The campaign for No Cars in LA, and for a proper public transportation system – where serious police harassment occurs on a daily basis; and
4) The struggle against the growing pollution from freeways and railroads transporting 40% of the country’s goods in the working class Latino suburb of Commerce.