On February 13th, about 75 people gathered in Santa Rosa's Courthouse Square to demand that the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department end their use of Tasers, a deadly device which has led to five deaths of unarmed civilians in our community over the last two years. The October 22nd Coalition Against Police Brutality organized the protest as part of a new campaign demanding the end of Taser use in Sonoma County.

After a brief rally, people took over both lanes of Mendocino Avenue during rush hour. Marchers ranged from high school students to grandmothers of the local victims of police brutality. A marching band followed the protest, lifting the spirits of the participants and helping everybody to brave the freezing, wet weather. Many people joined the march as it went along. One student from the local junior college remarked, "I was pissed off because i had to sit in traffic behind the march, then i heard what you were chanting and i was like 'fuck yeah,' so i parked my car and joined the march!" Read more

See also: Gathering of Community Organizations and Activists on March 1st || Richard Lua Tasered to Death by San Jose Police

Copwatcher and member of the Free Mind Media Center (a Santa Rosa based radical infoshop and bookstore) Ben Saari, was arrested on May Day while doing Copwatch and has charges pending against him.

On May 1st, as thousands were entering Santa Rosa’s Juliard Park from the east side, Santa Rosa police officers began trying to corral youth, mostly young Latinos, on the west side of the park. SRPD had extended metal batons at ready and a very agitated police dog. Different squads of police were yelling conflicting orders at the nebulous group of youth they’d defined as a gang. As police advanced on the crowd, which Mr. Saari was pushed into, Mr. Saari made a point of communicating with the advancing officers and keeping a safe distance between himself and the officers. At one point an officer being most directly observed stepped up his pace and shoulder-checked Mr. Saari, claiming the contact as Mr. Saari’s interference with police activities and arresting him for such. Mr. Saari was never told by the police or the police department what he was being arrested for. He was only informed of his charges when released on bail by the person who posted the bail.

Elements of Sonoma County Law Enforcement, particularly among the Santa Rosa Police and Sonoma County Sheriff, have been resistant to public observation of their activities from a safe distance, in some cases not identifying themselves, obscuring the visibility of interactions or even threatening the observers with arrest.

Read More | "Watch The Cops" : copwatching and Sonoma County law enforcement | Copwatcher Arrested May 1st Santa Rosa | Ben Saari’s Arrest | Tell Santa Rosa DA To Drop Charges Against Copwatcher

On May 31st, nearly a thousand protesters marched across the Golden Gate Bridge to protest the proposed spraying of the Bay Area for light brown apple moths. Groups gathered on both sides of the bridge and marched to the middle carrying signs protesting the proposed aerial spraying of a moth pheromone over the parts of the Bay Area in the state sponsored campaign to wipe out the moth.

Last fall, the State of California sprayed pesticides over Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties to control the potentially invasive Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM). In the following weeks, over 600 people reported adverse health effects, ranging from breathing problems to rashes. Since then, tens of thousands of Californians have called on Governor Schwarzenegger to investigate the health complaints and place a moratorium on future aerial pesticide spraying.

Video: 1 | 2 | 3 | Protest Announcements 1 | 2 | 3 | UC Davis Scientists Ask USDA To Halt Eradication Program | Bush Administration's Ongoing Assault on Blue-State California | LBAM Spray .com | Stop The Spray Marin

Previous Indybay Coverage: CASS Releases Economic Impact Report on LBAM Pesticide Spray Program | Aerial Spray Program Imposed by CDFA May Violate Human Rights and Incur Liabilities | Plan Announced To Spray Toxic Biological Chemicals Over San Francisco

Santa Rosa October 22nd Coalition March and Rally to Stop Police Brutality, Repression, & the Criminalization of a Generation Santa Rosa has called for a protest to represent the North Bay in this year's 12th National Day of Protest to Stop Police Brutality, "to give collective voice to People's grave concerns about law enforcement, both locally and globally."

On Monday, Oct. 22nd, the People of Sonoma County will wear black and march through Santa Rosa neighborhoods to protest the 9 deaths of people killed in the past year by local law enforcement. The march begins at 4pm in Southwest Community Park (Hearn & Burbank Aves; with a 5pm feeder march from Sebastopol Rd and West Ave), followed by a 6pm rally in Old Courthouse Square (4th St and Mendocino Ave). There will be an open microphone at the rally. Speakers expected include surviving loved ones of victims, people who suffer from past and present police abuses.

The Santa Rosa coalition says that this "epidemic of deadly force is long established: From Apr. 1, 1995 to March 10, 1998, at least 15 people were killed by local police or died in-custody. From Jan. 7, 2000 to Sept. 24, 2007, at least 35 people were killed by local police or died in-custody. In a recent 9 week period, local police shot and killed 5." Deaths have resulted from situations such as 911 calls for help in mental health crises; from the lack of health care in the County Jail for health conditions such as sickle cell anemia and withdrawal. The coalition continues, "We believe that resisting these abuses of power is both necessary and possible."

Opposition to these deaths in Sonoma County has come from the US Commission on Civil Rights, Committee for Civil Rights, Committee for Immigrant Rights, NAACP, ACLU, County of Refuge, AIM, MEChA, Copwatch, Peace and Justice Center of Sonoma County, & NAMI-- as well as a cross-section of the community, which is calling for systemic change. People of color, especially youth, are racially profiled by police through schemes such as anti-gang violence efforts. The Sheriff has requested that ICE (Immigration & Customs Enforcement) collaborate with MAGNET to deport people not proven guilty of crimes.

DUI checkpoints sweep working class neighborhoods for minor infractions, impounding cars of those who can least afford it. Local police agencies benefit financially from impounds and tickets while also benefiting through increased social control and decreased community empowerment. Read more

Press Release | Announcement with Leaflets | 7/9/07 Report from Santa Rosa Copwatch | Santa Rosa Copwatch | October 22nd Coalition

On July 28, the Minutemen border vigilantes held a meeting in Larkspur, California, to organize a new chapter in Marin County. Local immigrant rights activists greeted them with the message that, "racists are unwelcome in our county." Watch a Video

@ comments: Well done. We in the south bay are making sure that the minutomen are drowned out by voices for human rights and respect for all workers. Immigrants have always been a convenient scapegoat for working class angst in this country. The struggles of the Chinese and Filipino and Japanese and Mexican workers against racism in California are an inspiration and white folks should remember that someday they and their kids may be economic refugees. Read More

In the wake of two days (Tuesday and Wednesday) of 5:00am raids by I.C.E. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) teams in San Rafael and Novato, numerous Marin County groups felt called to respond. The Marin Interfaith Council, in cooperation with numerous local civic and community groups, announced that vigils will be held each morning from 5:00am to 8:30am in solidarity with immigrant neighbors in the Canal District of San Rafael. The first vigil of witness and solidarity took place on Friday, March 9th, at Medway and Canal Streets in the San Rafael Canal District ( Photos: 1 | 2), and these actions will reportedly continue "until no longer necessary." Some 50 religious leaders and activists were stationed around the area to tell neighbors and Federal officials "'we are here, we are watching, we are in solidarity.' We wish to voice our strongest opposition to these raids which are tearing families apart in our community and terrorizing our neighborhood. We especially want the children of the Canal district to know that they are safe and supported as they go to school."

The Marin Interfaith Council and a number of civic and non-profit organizations are calling for I.C.E. to immediately cease all enforcement activities until proper protocols and adequate constitutional safeguards can be put into place to protect the innocent and those not directly targeted with arrest warrants. When the ICE knocked on doors before dawn, agents identified themselves as "Police," pushed their way into living rooms-- rousting people from their beds-- and questioned everyone in the house. They arrested people en masse, (including children) and took some away without apparent legal cause. In at least one case a U.S citizen child was taken along with his father. As has happened in other raids around the US, “old” or invalid addresses, were used along with warrants as a front to invade unnamed houses and apartments. Many Canal and Novato children were afraid to go to school and many families remain afraid to go out of their homes even to shop for food.

The Marin Interfaith Council says, "Lay participants are encouraged to wear white and bring candles and flashlights. Clergy are urged to identify themselves by wearing the symbols of their faith community. We will stand vigil from 5:00am-8:30am to be present in anticipation of any potential raids, as well as provide safe passage for children to leave their homes to attend school. Participants are also urged to bring cameras and video recording equipment to document the activities of the I.C.E. teams." On Monday March 12th, Canal Alliance, Canal Welcome Center, and Parent Services Project will hold a community meeting in response to the raids, at 6:00pm at the Pickleweed Center, at 50 Canal St in San Rafael. The ICE raids will be an agenda item at the Marin County Board of Supervisors Meeting on Tuesday, March 13th at 9:30am, in the Board of Supervisors Chambers, Room 330, Civic Center, San Rafael, CA 94903.

ICE Raids Monitoring Report Form | Announcement from Marin Interfaith Council | Canal Alliance | Marin Peace and Justice Coalition | ACLU Seeks Records on Immigration Enforcement Actions in Northern California

For several years, developer Russell Shaw has been trying to build about 26 luxury homes on Oxford Valley in San Rafael, a fragile watershed that contains Miwok archeological sites. He recently withdrew his initial plan and submitted a single home construction plan for the site that many in the neighborhood viewed as an attempt at skirting California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements.

On February 23, the Marin Community Development Agency sent a notice to Shaw that his plan to build one house on the valley required environmental review. This was a temporary victory for activists trying to protect the land. Shaw had driven a bulldozer around the property a few weeks ago and continues to park it at the entry to the site. In Friday's Marin Independent Journal, Shaw published a giant ad warning that property rights were being threatened by Marin's proposed countywide plan for creek setbacks. Two seasonal creeks run through Oxford Valley that convey water to nearby Gallinas Creek, a known habitat for endangered species. Video

On Sunday November 19th, there will be a benefit for exonerated former prisoners at 4:00pm at the Marin Academy Theatre, 1600 Mission Ave. in San Rafael. Pam Maffei's Justice in America class will show the film "After Innocence," and several exonerees will be present. After the movie, the students will serve dinner in the cafeteria in honor of our visiting exonerees.

"After Innocence" tells the story of the exonerated -- innocent men who were wrongfully imprisoned for decades and then released after DNA evidence proved their innocence. The film focuses on the stories of seven men and their emotional journeys back into society and efforts to rebuild their lives. Included are a police officer, an army sergeant, and a young father sent to prison and even death row for decades for crimes they did not commit.

Tickets for the movie and dinner are $10 and can be purchased at the Marin Academy Website. Proceeds will go toward the Life After Exoneration Program and to the speakers.