When local activist Wes Modes accepted a misdemeanor plea deal in December 2009 for his part in defending the Farmer's Market Drum Circle, he figured that would be the end of it. A year suspended sentence and some community service. No problem, he thought. Now the Santa Cruz District Attorney is saying that Wes violated his plea agreement by organizing the Last Night DIY parade.

According to Last Night participants, the new infraction is the latest in a series of police harassment that Wes has received since outing police infiltrators in 2005. "Wes is being unjustly targeted for being an outspoken critic of the Santa Cruz Police Department. He's being singled out from a crowd of community organizers, facilitators and participants. It goes completely against the community spirit of this Santa Cruz celebration," said parade participant Grant Wilson. Now Wes' freedom hinges on a minor code violation for participating in a parade celebrated by the entire Santa Cruz community.

Visit Red Hill Legal Support to make a donation to the Wes Modes Legal Fund.

Read more | Organizer Wes Modes Again Under Attack | July, 2006: City of Santa Cruz Fails to Resolve the Police Spying Scandal