Statement Regarding KCSO Intimidation Attempt to Cancel Screening of “Gueto 2009”

On Friday, January 26, we hosted our first Spanish language movie night right here in Bakersfield, California; showing "Gueto 2009" - a movie that describes the harrowing conditions in Palestine brought by the Israeli occupation. This event, the first ever of its kind in our city, was orchestrated with the intent of bringing the Palestinian and Latino communities together. Our goal with this was to educate and showcase the ways in which our struggles are all interconnected, and to foster bonds of solidarity rooted in our collective pursuit of justice, liberation, and self-sustainability.

Only a few days before, on January 23rd, we were informed by an eyewitness of an intimidation attempt by the Kern County Sheriff's Office (KCSO). KCSO officers made a visit to the venue of our planned screening, where they allegedly pressured the manager there to cancel the screening and take down our flyer promoting it. The officers went on to express completely baseless concerns that our event could likely escalate into violence, referring to us as "dangerous people" and conveying their intention to patrol the area if the event proceeded.

We unequivocally condemn this brazen act of intimidation by the Kern County Sheriff's Office, which can be linked to greater efforts by law enforcement around the country to harass, intimidate, and silence any and all efforts centered on advocacy for Palestine along with efforts to build strong connections across communities. It bears repeating: the greatest threat to the imperialist, capitalist status-quo is an informed, unified population, which is precisely what we—as United Liberation Front-are actively working to achieve.

ULF is working to link communities, showing them who the real enemies are: capitalism, colonialism, and imperialism in all its manifestations -with zionism being the intersection of all three. From there, we establish community initiatives to take care of each other, and empower individuals to continue the struggle within their own communities. The Sheriff's officers were partially right about one thing: we are dangerous, because there is nothing more dangerous to the powers that be than an educated, unified populace that knows their worth, what they're capable of, and that a better future is possible.

Despite this intimidation attempt, our resolve remained unshaken, and we extend our thanks and gratitude to both the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Dolores Huerta Foundation (DHF) for backing our efforts in making sure coordinators, speakers, and attendees were safe. It's not the police who keep us safe —WE keep us safe. In a collective statement, we formally requested that the Kern County Sheriff's Office cease and desist from employing tactics of intimidation directed at us and the community. We urged them not to patrol the event venue and called for accountability for the officers involved. The event was held with absolutely no issues, and the community that attended was grateful for our outreach and we were grateful for their heartfelt welcome.

The following day, KCSO responded to our letter in an attempt to whitewash and legitimize their tactics claiming that this was their way of preparing "law enforcement in balancing the protection of [first amendment] rights with that of public safety". They cited the "Israel-Hamas war" as justification for their approach. They went so far as to ignore any mention of asking to take down the flyer for the event in question. It's worth mentioning that they expressed a willingness for organizers to engage with them, although our response to this invitation is the same as it always has, and always will be a resounding "HELL NO."

To be clear, we stand firm and resolute, unwavering in our determination to combat any attempts to be silenced or intimidated by law enforcement. Our commitment to uniting communities under the banner of liberation, solidarity, and justice is unyielding, and we will not be swayed by any external pressures or coercion.

The United Liberation Front
Statement — January 31st 2024