top
Santa Cruz IMC
Santa Cruz IMC
Indybay
Indybay
Indybay
Regions
Indybay Regions North Coast Central Valley North Bay East Bay South Bay San Francisco Peninsula Santa Cruz IMC - Independent Media Center for the Monterey Bay Area North Coast Central Valley North Bay East Bay South Bay San Francisco Peninsula Santa Cruz IMC - Independent Media Center for the Monterey Bay Area California United States International Americas Haiti Iraq Palestine Afghanistan
Topics
Newswire
Features
From the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature

Authorities Continue Raids On Occupy Santa Cruz

by Alex Darocy (alex [at] alexdarocy.com)
On Saturday, November 12, at approximately 10pm, eight deputies with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s department issued a lodging citation to an individual who had set up a tent at the courthouse steps occupation location of Occupy Santa Cruz. Earlier in the day on Saturday, 20 sheriff’s deputies raided the same location during the pre-dawn hours, and 17 deputies raided the site during the evening of November 11. The earlier raids resulted in the removal of the majority of the tents from the front of the courthouse, and the issuing of multiple lodging citations.
_dsc7509.jpg
Alex Darocy
http://alexdarocy.blogspot.com/
§
by Alex Darocy
_dsc7496.jpg
Add Your Comments

Comments (Hide Comments)
by Robert Norse
I'll be playing some interviews from Saturday morning's tent confiscation expeditions by Lt. Christy's sheriffs starting around 9:30 AM (or possibly earlier) on 101.3 FM (note the slightly new place on the dial). They'll also stream at http://www.freakradio.org and be archived at http://www.radiolibre.org/brb/brb111113.mp3 .

Caleb, who described himself as a recently unemployed worker, was able to save his tent. he also reports getting assurances from sheriffs that he could also take custody of his neighbor's tent, but on returning found it and his neighbor's medication seized and spirited away in the back of a police van.

During that raid, police apparently set up a barricade between the front of the courthouse and the San Lorenzo benchlands campground, discouraging people from coming from thethe benchlands to witness and support those whose property was being officially heisted (not to mention their First Amendment rights).

The abusive selective enforcement action against a photojournalist through use of a threatened phony jaywalking ticket is captured on a revealing video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nwd7OmpO3IQ&feature=youtu.be . It's phony because the Water St. location is frequently used by judges, attorneys, and pedestrians generally without fanfare or penalty, even during heavy traffic during the day. The deputy's "stay away for two hours" (with your camera!) "and I'll give you a break" preys on the photographer's lack of knowledge about that location. No judge would have upheld a jaywalking ticket there, even "six months for sleeping" Gallagher.

See also the OSC Press Release at http://occupysantacruz.org/2011/11/12/press-release-occupy-santa-cruz-remains-committed-despite-raid-by-county-sheriffs-city-injunction/?mid=529649 . The more than 20 misdemeanor "lodging" tickets issued to intimidate the protesters if adequately defended could result in as many jury trials at a cost of $10,000 to $20,000 each. Something I suspect the D.A. would be reluctant to do, particularly because of First Amendment issues and particularly if the OSC stays strong and the movement sustains itself and grows over the winter.
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!

Donate

$80.00 donated
in the past month

Get Involved

If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.

Publish

Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.

IMC Network