Dozens of people came together in Santa Cruz on January 8th to rally at the clock tower and march down Pacific Avenue in solidarity with WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, and Bradley Manning. Protesters lined Mission St. with homemade signs in defense of free speech and calling for the prosecution of U.S. government war crimes.
WikiLeaks, founded by Julian Assange, is an international non-profit organization that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources and news leaks. As a direct result of the effectiveness of WikiLeaks, the organization is receiving significant persecution from the U.S. government and numerous transnational corporations.
For example, the U.S. State Department asserts that WikiLeaks is not a media organization, and Julian Assange is not a journalist. On December 2nd, 2010, Philip J. Crowley, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, stated, “WikiLeaks is not a media organization. That is our view.” In regard to Assange, Crowley said, “Well, his – I mean he could be considered a political actor. I think he’s an anarchist, but he’s not a journalist.” Read More and View Photos
The sixth annual 
On December 18th, during a rainy afternoon in Santa Cruz, a small group converged at the Town Clock to show support for Bradley Manning and WikiLeaks. People spoke with one another while Takashi Yogi peddled a bicycle-powered sound system. Most people at the demonstration stood under a portable shelter with a sign that stated, “Free Bradley Manning! We deserve the truth. Thank you WikiLeaks!”
On the night of October 20th, four Santa Cruz Police Department officers flexed their arbitrary rule in the ongoing war against poor people trying to survive on the streets when they ticketed a woman on Pacific Avenue for spitting. These boys in blue did not find it prudent to give this guest to our city a warning about spitting on the sacred sidewalks of Santa Cruz. She was issued a ticket for nothing more than spitting.
On October 10th, a 
