LA County Federation of Labor Hosts Largest Non-Violent Direct Action Training Held in Los Angeles to Date
On July 10th, 2025, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, representing over 800,000 union members across 300 affiliates, was proud to host the largest training to date, with over 1,400 attendees, on applying the principles of non-violence to direct action at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Our democracy remains under attack, especially with the increase in immigration enforcement activity across Los Angeles County, targeting and racially profiling our immigrant and working-class communities, the rapid militarization of our city with the deployment of 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines, and the show of force with military operations at McArthur Park.
As a response, the LA Labor movement continues to educate and build community through “Know Your Rights” trainings, as well as the July 10th Non-Violent Direct Action training.
The Non-Violent Direct Action training is grounded in the teachings of Revered James M. Lawson, which demonstrates that non-violence is the most potent force for change we have.
“Whether we are organizing hotel workers, dockworkers, janitors, teachers, construction workers, or standing with our immigrant siblings- we will do it rooted in strategy, grounded in justice, and guided by the powerful truth that Rev. Lawson taught us that non-violence is the most potent force for change we have,” said Yvonne Wheeler, President of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor.
“Never before has there been a nonviolence training of this size and magnitude with more than 1,000 people,” said Kent Wong, who spent 22 years teaching Nonviolence at UCLA with Rev. Lawson, and the facilitator of the July 10th training, “we are representing the hopes and futures of millions in Los Angeles and across the nation, who are standing up for democracy, who are standing up for peace and justice, and who are mobilizing the resistance against the greedy billionaires and the corrupt regime of Donald Trump.”
Among the 1400 attendees of July 10th’s non-violence training was Los Angeles City Mayor Karen Bass. “It was my honor to join the community members, students, and labor leaders like the L.A. Labor Federation to celebrate the life and teachings of Reverend James Lawson,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. “As we navigate these challenging times that seek to divide our City, I hope we can all turn to Reverend Lawson’s lessons on nonviolent resistance to show that LA stands strong and stands united.”
“We are here to send a message of our own, we will not be silent, we will not be divided, and we will not back down,” said President Wheeler.
The LA County Federation of Labor would like to thank Kent Wong, CLUE, and our event sponsors: SEIU- USWW, UTLA, Worker Power, UNITE HERE, LA City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, LA City Councilmember Heather Hutt, UNITE HERE Local 11, IATSE B-192, the Black Freedom Fund, UDW, SEIU Local 2015, and SEIU Local 721 for helping make this event possible.
While the other side continues to stoke hate and fear, the LA Labor movement continues to come together to organize, block injustice, and protect our people.
