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The Los Angeles City Council meeting on Tuesday was shut down, but not by members of Occupy LA camping outside City Hall, rather by activists in the battle to revive the South Central Farm – the 14 acre family-run farm on 41st and Alameda, which was dramatically bull-dozed 8 years ago. The unused plot of land in the midst of an industrial wasteland, was farmed by hundreds of immigrant families for years after being seized by the city from it’s original owner, Ralph Horowitz, through eminent domain. Horowitz sued decades later, and settled with the city for the sum of $5 million and the condition that a few acres be set aside for a public park. City Council member Jan Perry, who represents District 9 that encompasses the land, said recently that it was no longer viable to build a park on the former South Central Farm land because of health concerns in the polluted area. Instead, she proposed Horowitz donate money to improve nearby parks. On Tuesday the Los Angeles City Council voted 12-0 to accept a $3.6 million donation from Horowitz in exchange for not building the promised park. The donation will apparently be placed in a parks and recreation fund. The millionaire developer, Horowitz, who has been pushing to build factories and warehouses for apparel companies on the 14 acre plot, now has the City Council’s stamp of approval. Activists protested outside City Hall against the planned industrial development. Among the more high-profile supporters of the original South Central Farm was actress Darryl Hannah, who told the LA Times, she viewed Tuesday’s vote as “shocking and even joyous corruption.”

GUEST: Tezozomoc, representative of the South Central Farmers

Find out more about the farm at www.southcentralfarmers.com.