8 Protests That Changed L.A.'s Food Scene

In 2012, Proposition 37 -- which would have mandated the labeling of GMO foods -- sparked public protests throughout the state. Prop 37 was, of course, voted down, but its failure sparked the international movement March Against Monsanto, and the conversation concerning GMO labeling continues. And that's not the only time public demonstration has shaped the food landscape in California. From strikes by supermarket workers to Cesar Chavez and the UFW, here are eight photos depicting L.A. food protests over the decades.

The railroad strike of 1946 meant these farmers couldn't ship their veggies out of state -- so they dumped them. Image courtesy LAPL Photo Collection.

In 1954, engineers, including those who worked at breweries, struck for better wages. Image courtesy LAPL Photo Collection.

Anti-union sentiment is nothing new, as shown in this 1959 photo depicting an Encino meeting to address that year's grocery workers' strike. Image courtesy LAPL Photo Collection.

At midnight, the workers at this 1964 San Fernando grocery warehouse staged a walkout in which 75 people left their jobs. Image courtesy LAPL Photo Collection.

In 1965, a cannery price dispute put San Pedro's professional fishermen on strike. Image courtesy LAPL Photo Collection.

The United Farm Workers had a float in 1975's Mexican Independence Day Parade in Los Angeles. Image courtesy LAPL Photo Collection.

In 1984, an organizer with the supermarket workers' union stacked signs in English and Spanish for the group's strike for better wages. Image courtesy LAPL Photo Collection.

All the way back in 1989, advocates for healthier eating protested the presence of a McDonald's in Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. Image courtesy LAPL Photo Collection.