40th Anniversary of the National Chicano Moratorium This Weekend

A large crowd is expected to participate in a series of events across East Los Angeles this weekend to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the National Chicano Moratorium, a massive anti-Vietnam war protest that ended, in part, with the nearby death of a former Los Angeles Times columnist and KMEX-TV News Director Ruben Salazar, EGP News reports.

The events will include marches, conferences and a play that focuses on the death of Salazar, widely cited as an original voice of the Mexican-American community. On August 29, 1970, more than 30,000 people marched through East L.A. decrying U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War.

The march began at East L.A.'s Belvedere Park and ended in Boyle Heights. Unrest broke out toward the end of the protests between marchers and police.

While taking a break at the Silver Dollar Bar, Salazar was hit by a tear-gas missile fired by an L.A. county sheriff's deputy and died instantly.

Sherriff Lee Baca recently agreed to turn over some of the department's records concerning the events.

The Los Angeles Times filed a California Public Records Act request to obtain the records, which was initially denied by Sheriff Baca.

Meanwhile, weekend events include theater group Teatro Urbano staging "The Silver Dollar" at the Corazon Del Pueblo in Boyle Heights Friday night. It is a fictional account of the events surrounding Salazar's death. The group Organizers for United Committees will then hold a march on Saturday to remember the 40th anniversary of the Moratorium. The march will start at Belvedere Park at 10 a.m. and end at Salazar Park.

The weekend will culminate with the Chicano Moratorium March and Procession that is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. on Sunday at the site of the former Silver Dollar bar located at 4945 Whittier Blvd in East L.A.