Race
Hundreds Demand Justice for Oscar Grant Outside L.A. Courthouse
Jun 14th
On June 14th, hundreds of people demonstrated outside the Los Angeles Superior Court at 210 W. Temple to demand justice for Oscar Grant. Angelenos made it very clear that the significance of the trial of Johannes Mehserle is bigger than just Oscar Grant’s case, and that police brutality is part of systematic oppression. Connections were drawn between police killings in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, as well as in New York.
And not forgetting the six month long uprising, which began on June 14, 2006, loud cries of “Oaxaca Vive Vive, La Lucha Sigue Sigue” rang through the downtown streets. Read More and View Photos
Demonstration at Courthouse Against Gang Enhancements and the Overcriminalization of Youth
Jun 17th
On June 17th, community members, organized by the newly formed Alliance Against Gang Enhancements, rallied and handed out flyers on the steps of the Santa Cruz County Courthouse and the corner of Ocean and Water to educate the public about the realities of gang enhanced sentences. Organizers say that the sentencing “enhancements” [sic] broadly criminalize youth and do not deter future gang crimes. Rather, they result in huge costs passed on to taxpayers and overcriminalize youth in marginalized communities.
Support for the demonstration was expressed by many car drivers and passengers, as well as people entering the courthouse. However, some folks were apparently less enthusiastic, such as the prosecutor against Richard Bentancourt. The jurors for Bentancourt’s trail were reportedly brought into the courthouse through a backdoor. Bentancourt and two other people are on trial this week for a “gang crime” in which the defendants allegedly participated in a fight in Santa Cruz.
A “gang enhancement” or allegation of involvement in a criminal street gang can transform a simple misdemeanor charge, like shoplifting or trespassing, into a felony crime with consequences that include prison time and juveniles being tried as adults. Read More and View Photos
UCSC Coalition Rallies Against Budget Cuts, Fee Hikes and Layoffs
May 28th
On May 28th, students, staff, workers, and faculty rallied at the base of the UC Santa Cruz campus to protest the UC administration’s decision to cut Community Studies department staff, Latin American Latina/o Studies professors, and director positions at the American Indian Resource Center and the Women’s Center. The rally was organized by the New UC, a coalition that seeks to save quality of education in the UC from regressive, belt-tightening attacks, to ensure universal access to education, and to promote freedom of thought in the university.
Since May 26th, members of the Student of Color Collective (SOCC) have been on a hunger strike at the base of campus to protest budget cuts to underserved communities. In addition to the hunger strike and rally at the base of campus, resisidents of UCSC’s Family Student Housing (FSH) held a demonstration with tents to protest inadequate living conditions and a rent hike. Read More and View Photos
Police Raid D-Q University: Eighteen Students, Elders and Supporters Arrested
Mar 31st
On March 31st, César Chávez Day, the Yolo County Sheriff’s Department raided the buildings at Deganawidah-Quetzalcoatl, also known as D-Q University.
For decades, the school has been a forum and place for native people to learn about their cultures, educate each other, and experience a closeness to the earth. The school was formed in the 1970′s, when indigenous people stormed an old army base and eventually forced the government to turn it over to Native hands. D-Q U was born in struggle and in struggle it stays today! Read More and View Photos
Sheriff Visits DQU; Elders, Students and Supporters Prepare for Possible Raid
Mar 30th
On Sunday, March 30th, a group of about 15 people drove from Santa Cruz to DQU in support of DQU students, elders, land and future generations. At 7:38pm, a Yolo County Sheriff drove onto the property of DQU and then left after about a minute. It is very rare for a Sheriff to drive onto DQU. Read More and View Photos
