STATEMENT OF CALIFORNIA PEACE ACTION IN SOLIDARITY WITH KPFA STAFF

California Peace Action, the state’s largest grassroots peace and justice lobby representing 30,000 members throughout California, hereby expresses its support for the KPFA staff in their efforts to preserve community control over the nation’s oldest community-supported radio station.

KPFA’s news and public affairs departments, talk show hosts, and other staff have over the years provided unparalleled coverage of citizen activism on peace and social justice issues which are consistently downplayed or ignored by the mainstream media.

KPFA is a priceless voice for progressive organizations and individuals in this community, the state of California, throughout the United States and the world. They have been there for us, and we are here now for
them.

We condemn the actions of the Pacifica board and management in locking out KPFA staff, deploying armed guards at the station, establishing a gag rule on "free speech radio" and dismissing staff who have defied it,
and moving to eliminate community representation on its board of directors. A self-perpetuating board with no constituency to which it is held accountable has no reason to exist.

We support the actions of those members of the state Legislature who have called for a hearing before the Joint Legislative Audit Committee to investigate the legality and propriety of Pacifica’s actions in this
dispute.

Long live free speech radio ? long live KPFA!

(Prepared by Bruce Allen, secretary, board of directors, 7-16-99)