Archive | August, 2007

Community Vigil in Beach Flats to Support Elvira Arellano

Published on August 24, 2007 in No Borders, Solidarity & Outreach

On August 24th, dozens of community members gathered in Beach Flats Park for a vigil in solidarity with Elvira Arellano and all of the other families in risk of separation because of the US government’s inhumane immigration laws and selective enforcement practices. The emergency rally and vigil was coordinated by M.E.Ch.A. de La Tierra with the support of a handful of local organizations. People spoke about the case of Elvira Arellano, who, with her son Saul, has become a national symbol of the destruction of families by federal policy. Read More and View Photos

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Ongoing Protest Against the Santa Cruz Sleeping Ban

Published on August 16, 2007 in Community Building

In response to an endless stream of tickets from police and rangers for illegal sleeping, Santa Cruz homeless people are now engaged in an ongoing protest against the sleeping ban. In the early morning of August 16th, over 30 people were sleeping on the hard bricks at City Hall. People have slept at City Hall, 809 Center Street, every night since August 12th to visualize their lack of a place to legally sleep. There are no plans to end the protest until people are allowed to legally sleep somewhere.

The following photographs were taken late in the night of August 13th and early in the morning of August 16th. The photographs are being published in an effort to raise awareness of the terrible situation that homeless people face when their human need to sleep is treated as a criminal act. People should not have to worry about harassment and tickets from police and rangers when they cover up with a blanket or fall asleep at night. Read More and View Photos

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Sir! No Sir! and Sleeping Ban Protest at City Hall

Published on August 12, 2007 in Arts & Creation, Community Building

Santa Cruz City Hall was the most recent location to be transformed into an outdoor movie theater by the Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In collective and guests. On August 12th, the Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In and Homeless United for Friendship and Freedom (HUFF) presented a special screening of Sir! No Sir!, David Zeiger’s documentary chronicling the largely forgotten anti-war activities of American GIs and other members of the military during the Vietnam era. The screening was one of many activities which took place on August 12th in Santa Cruz as part of an organizing effort for a federal lawsuit against Santa Cruz’s cruel sleeping ban. Read More and View Photos

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Anti-Immigrant Hysteria Opposed in Campbell

Published on August 11, 2007 in No Borders, Solidarity & Outreach

On August 11th, Raging Grannies and friends rallied on the corner of Hamilton and Bascom to keep Campbell a hate-free zone, stop the militarization of the border and protest the Minutemen. The Golden Gate Minutemen / East Bay Coalition for Border Security are trying to expand their anti-immigrant interpretation of God’s Law and the Bible to the South Bay. Campbell is a small city in Santa Clara County next to San Jose and just over the hill (Highway 17) from Santa Cruz. Read More and View Photos

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In Loving Memory of Mr. Myslin

Published on August 9, 2007 in Bicycles, Education

On August 9th, I cautiously rode my bicycle to the intersection of Bay and Mission Streets. I was at this intersection two days ago for a memorial to John Myslin, however those of us there were unaware of his identity at that time. We now know that Mr. Myslin was loved by his students at Pacific Collegiate School in Santa Cruz where he was a devoted teacher of history, his favorite subject. John Myslin’s younger brother Robert commented online that he will remember John as “a teacher, a brother, and a best friend.” Read More and View Photos

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