FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
"Hate Has No Home in LA": LA Civil Rights Unites City Leaders and Law Enforcement to Stand with Attacked Street Vendor
Translated statement from Ms. Arabelia Martinez:
"Let's stop all the discrimination against street vendors...Enough! All of us have the dignity to work with freedom in this country. We all have the right to do our job. We are all humans. We are all equals. Lets fight against discrimination and racism. And to all street vendors know that we should not stay silent. We are human beings, and we are here just to do our jobs. Raise your voice. Raise your voice. Everyone who has been assaulted and stayed silent. I am very proud to be Oaxacan. This is how I raised my children. I've been a street vendor since 1996. To all street vendors, feel proud of your work. Unity makes us strong. Yes, we can. We can make a change."
Statement from Capri Maddox, Esq., Executive Director of the Los Angeles Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department (LA Civil Rights):
At LA Civil Rights, our core mission is to protect the vulnerable and fight hate and discrimination on both the offense and the defense. We want to remind all Angelenos they do not have to ignore discrimination or suffer in silence. Our mission motivated us to organize and activate today’s press conference on behalf of Mayor Karen Bass—to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ms. Arabelia Martinez following a horrific act of violence, extortion, harassment, and a possible hate crime.
For more than 30 years, Ms. Martinez has been a vital part of our street vending community, and we are here to send a strong message: Hate has no home in Los Angeles. When you come for one of us, you come for all of us.
I am incredibly proud of Ms. Martinez for turning immense trauma and stress into a powerful stand for all street vendors. To ensure her voice was heard, we brought together a broad coalition—including Councilmembers Jurado and Hernandez, District Attorney Nathan Hochman, LAPD leadership, and our vital community advocacy partners—to hear firsthand how this violence impacts hard-working families. Street vendors are part of the very fabric of Los Angeles; they deserve to work safely, be treated with dignity, and know their city stands with them.
We want every Angeleno to understand this: no matter your citizenship status, your permit status, your country of origin, or the language you speak, you have rights!
- If you experience or witness a crime, call 9-1-1 immediately.
- If you are a crime victim, think you’re a possible victim, or see someone else mistreated, report it.
- If you experience discrimination, we urge you to file a civil rights enforcement claim with our department by visiting LAisForEveryone.com.
Los Angeles is for everyone, and we will protect our community!
Statement from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado (CD 14):
Every Angeleno deserves the dignity of earning a living without fear. What happened to Arabelia Martinez Garcia was cruel, unacceptable, and deeply painful for so many people who saw their mother, their neighbor, or their family member in her story.
Behind every vending cart is a person, a family, and a dream worth protecting. Street vendors are part of the fabric of Los Angeles, and they deserve to work safely, be treated with dignity, and know that their city stands with them when they are targeted or harmed.
The legal process must move forward, and accountability matters. But real public safety also means prevention: building trust, supporting victims who come forward, and bringing neighbors, businesses, community organizations, service providers, and public agencies together so that every worker can make a living and make it home safely. That is the Los Angeles we have a responsibility to build.
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