From New Day Pacifica:
Workers World Party is a small political formation (small when compared to the Green Party or to Democratic Socialists of America). Over the last 15 years, associates of Workers World Party (WWP) have gotten elected to several seats on Pacifica’s Local Station Boards in NYC, LA and Houston. Currently there are also several associates of WWP on the 22-member Pacifica National Board. None of these individuals identify themselves as associated with Workers World Party. Instead they identify as part of the caucuses they helped organize at three Pacifica stations: Justice and Unity Coalition (JUC) at WBAI-NYC, Grassroots Community Radio Coalition (GCRC) at KPFK-Los Angeles and Stand4KPFT at KPFT-Houston. They also form the core of the Pacifica Fightback group that opposes the big changes to save Pacifica called for by New Day Pacifica bylaws.
New Day Pacifica wants to acknowledge that individually these associates of WWP may be involved in important organizing outside Pacifica. Our concerns come from problematic Pacifica-related organizing they are involved with, in this case encouraging the firing of KPFK’s GM because they want KPFK’s handful of full-time radio hosts like Ian Masters and Sonali Kolhatkar off the air.
Threats to KPFK staff from one WWP associate
WWP associate and KPFK Local Station Board Bella DeSoto recently threatened KPFK staff at a “Pacifica Fightback” public meeting, yet nothing has been done by Pacifica to ensure KPFK staff’s workplace safety. Watch this shocking clip of DeSoto explain how to change programming at KPFK involving a “physical militia”. Her threats were witnessed by Pacifica National Board member Lawrence Reyes (another associate of WWP), who thanked her after her statement. If that YouTube link does not work for you or if it’s taken down, here’s an audio recording of DeSoto’s comments.
We call on Pacifica’s Executive Director to immediately take steps to ensure KPFK staff’s workplace safety. (Note: before the video was recently posted on-line, DeSoto denied she made any threats and Pacifica took no action that we are aware of.)