Occupation of Catalina Island

Occupation of Catalina Island
Part of Chicano Movement
Members of the Brown Berets in formation, 1972
Date	August 30 – September 22, 1972 (1972-08-30 – 1972-09-22) (23 days)
Location	Catalina Island 33°20′52″N 118°19′44″W / 33.34778°N 118.32889°W / 33.34778; -118.32889
Caused by	Violations of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Goals	Awareness of oppression of Mexican Americans
Parties
United States Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Brown Berets
Lead figures
Raymond Rydell David Sanchez
Number
26 (November 20, 1969)

The Occupation of Catalina Island began on August 30, 1972, when the Brown Berets, a Chicano-rights organization, occupied Catalina Island, off the coast of Los Angeles, for three weeks. The Berets, led by their "Prime Minister" David Sanchez, claimed the territory rightfully belonged to Mexico and demanded that its 42,000 acres of undeveloped land be developed into housing.