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Indybay Feature

Occupy Santa Cruz to Mark Third Anniversary

by One Occupier
Still Working for Social and Economic Justice
As Occupy Wall Street prepares to mark its Third Anniversary and looks to the future of the Occupy Movement, this participant and observer of Occupy Santa Cruz offers some reflections as we approach our own anniversary on October 4th. Although these are individual observations, it is hoped that a consensus of Occupy Santa Cruz may find them to be touchstones to the future.

These have been difficult years for the Occupy Movement both locally and across our nation. And although the passage of time has presented new and significant challenges to the Movement, Occupy Santa Cruz remains committed to working for social and economic justice. We are still the 99%. As we recommit ourselves to the great work of Occupy Santa Cruz, it is time to raise our collective voice in support of those ideas and causes that have always been, and continue to be, at its core.

Occupy Santa Cruz stands in solidarity with the Santa Cruz Eleven in their unyielding fight to seek and obtain justice from an unjust system.

Occupy Santa Cruz stands today in solidarity with Sin Barras as it works for the abolition of a prison system which is driven by a failed national drug war policy, fueled by institutionalized racism and that benefits only the prison/industrial complex.

Occupy Santa Cruz stands today in support of the Santa Cruz County Community Coalition to Overcome Racism as it pursues it primary mission of creating a society in which each person is “judged not by the color or his or her skin, but by the content of their character”.

Occupy Santa Cruz stands today is support and solidarity with those who are working to make the Santa Cruz Sanctuary Village a reality and with all advocates for the rights of people experiencing homelessness and the working poor.

Occupy Santa Cruz stands in solidarity with our local faith community whose continuing efforts to feed, shelter and emotionally support the homeless community are truly selfless and charitable.

Occupy Santa Cruz stands in solidarity with Food Not Bombs and supports its mission to not only feed but to educate and activate the world at large.

Occupy Santa Cruz continues to stand for the hundreds of thousands of ordinary, hard working people who have had their American dream stolen through illegal and unethical foreclosures by the banksters and mortgage lenders.

Occupy Santa Cruz stands in opposition to an oppressive and corrupt police state which even today works to still the voices of activism both locally and across our nation.

Occupy Santa Cruz stands in opposition to overreaching local governments that seek to marginalize and ultimately render invisible the artists and the street vendors that are so much a part of the urban core and culture.

And Occupy Santa Cruz stands in solidarity with every workingman and every workingwoman who struggles to provide for their families as profit margins and corporate greed consume the fruits of their labors.

When the framers set about to create an American democracy, they understood that it was a bold experiment. 240 years later it remains no less so. And when 300 Occupy framers stood up in Laurel Street Park almost three years ago they understood that their experiment was no less bold. Today, while we live in the knowledge that these bold experiments are fraught with difficulty, we believe as the founding fathers did that the Bill of Rights and the Occupy Movement have each in their way created as national forum within which we can exercise the freedom to speak, the freedom to act and the freedom to stand up for our rights and the rights others.

Thomas Jefferson believed that the freedom of speech guaranteed by the First Amendment birthed a great marketplace of ideas. A marketplace in which each individual voice is heard and each opinion cherished. This was the original consensus based, non-hierarchical model that Occupy Santa Cruz was based upon. Whether by dint of time or circumstance or difference of opinion, our local activist community has drifted apart. On Saturday, October 4th we will once again have an opportunity to stand together in Laurel Street Park as Occupy Santa Cruz and re-forge the bonds of activism that showed so much promise that first day. If it is true that past is prologue, it is time to stand together once more in support of a common goal and in solidarity with one another.
§Proposed Occupy Santa Cruz Resolution of Support for SC11
by One Occupier
WHEREAS, Occupy Santa Cruz believes that all of the four remaining defendants charged in the River Street action are activists committed to the Occupy Movement and particularly Occupy Santa Cruz and,

WHEREAS, Occupy Santa Cruz believes that the constitutionally guaranteed rights to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly may not be abridged by governmental fiat, and

WHEREAS, Occupy Santa Cruz believes that civil liberties are being broadly threatened by the continuing prosecution of these cases, and

WHEREAS, ACLU Santa Cruz County believes that the right to due process under the law has been substantially abridged by the government’s failure to bring this action to a speedy resolution and;

WHEREAS, Occupy Santa Cruz believes that the criminal offenses prosecuted by our local District Attorney are over broad and overreaching in consideration of the facts, and.

WHEREAS Occupy Santa Cruz believes that these defendants are being selectively prosecuted in a manner directly related to the existing adversarial relationship several of these defendants have with local police, past and present civic officials and the District Attorney's office and,

WHEREAS Occupy Santa Cruz believes that the Constitution of the United States of America and simple social justice require that the enormous power of government be exercised fairly and even handedly, and not be based on the identity or past actions of the defendants and,

WHEREAS Occupy Santa Cruz believes that these defendants posed no threat to public order or private property by their actions either as chroniclers of the events or as supporters of the River Street action,

THEREFORE BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED THAT Occupy Santa Cruz calls for the immediate dismissal of all charges presently lodged against the four remaining River Street defendants and further calls for an end to all further prosecutions based upon any and all participation by any member of our community in the River Street action.

RESOLVED THIS ____ DAY OF _____, 2014 IN SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA
Add Your Comments

Comments (Hide Comments)
by NikiV
Whoo hoo! Here in Santa Cruz so happy to here occupy is still going strong here. Join us if you can in Sacramento 31Jul to 3Aug for the occupy national gathering. Would live to connect! Fone 248.885.6377, before we leave if you want to connect! <3nikiVy
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