Video about John Haag from the Venice West Poets Cafe

Due to pressure from the Ocean Front Improvement Association the Venice West Poets Cafe had to close his doors because the landlord sought to evict the coffee shop after experiencing trouble renting out spaces adjoining the noisy cafe.

John Haag was the owner of that cafe and a leader of the Venice, California, progressive community for decades. He, and his wife, Anna, were the proprietors of the Venice West Cafe, a 1960s beat generation coffee house. He went on to become a founder of the Peace and Freedom Party, the Free Venice Beachhead, and the Free Venice movement.

In this 2002 video, he talks about the founding of the Peace and Freedom Party in 1967. It remains California’s left party to this day.