Fruits of War Screening & Benefit

“Fruit of War” Benefit Supporting Alex Sanchez of Homies Unidos Tuesday, July 28, 2009 El Rio, Tuesday, July 28, 2009, 6:30 PM 3158 Mission Street in San Francisco Followed by live commentary and question and answer period, including filmmaker, Josiah Hooper. Please join us for a screening of “Fruit of War” about recently indicted Alex Sanchez, the executive director of Homies Unidos, a non-profit in Los Angeles. Alex’s community organizing led a federal immigration judge to grant him asylum, as the MS-13 gang has targeted him for persecution in El Salvador. His work here in the U.S. has helped troubled youth steer clear of gangs. Heedlessly, domestic authorities have arrested him repeatedly and investigated him for years despite his renunciation of his former gang affiliation. Alex has been targeted by the police for the courageous work he did for justice by helping expose misconduct of Los Angeles Police officers in the Ramparts scandal. The inability of city, county and state officers and prosecutors to establish evidence of criminal wrongdoing led to their collaboration with FBI officers, other federal investigators and the U.S. Attorney to charge him under the RICO statute. This collaboration culminated in his recent federal indictment under RICO for conspiracy to commit murder of an alleged gang member in El Salvador. While the alleged wiretap evidence has yet to be disclosed, he has been denied bail by a federal magistrate. Federal District Court Judge Real has been assigned to review this bail determination, but his conservative record may bode poorly for Alex. This film is a benefit to fund further distribution of DVD’s of the documentary, inform more people of his good work by prompting screenings in other cities, and perhaps provide Alex with a small contribution toward a fund for his defense and his family members (wife and kids), who are in crisis because of his incarceration.