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On May 18th, supporters of the Santa Cruz Eleven held banners on the Soquel Avenue overpass, to be seen by passing drivers on Highway 1, in support of the eleven people charged in association with the 2011 occupation of a vacant bank building at 75 River Street in Santa Cruz. So far six of the eleven defendants have had charges against them dismissed by Santa Cruz County judge Paul Burdick, and the remaining five are still in the middle of pre-trial hearings. Community members also displayed banners on May 15th on the La Fonda Avenue overpass.
The Santa Cruz Eleven are local community members who have been charged with an unprecedented variety of offenses arising from their alleged involvement with the occupation of a long-time vacant bank building late last fall, 2011. These defendants are either journalists, members of our local press, and/or activists supportive of the Occupy movement.
Still facing pre-trial hearings are Brent Adams, Desiree Foster, Gabriella Ripley-Phipps, Becky Johnson, and Robert Norse (Kahn).
 Read More and View Photos | Judge Burdick Dismisses Charges Against Four of the Santa Cruz Eleven | All Charges Dismissed Against Indybay Photojournalists Bradley and Alex
On November 30th, 2011, during the height of the Occupy movement, more than 100 activists marched down the street in Santa Cruz, one of hundreds of demonstrations taking place throughout the country at the time. At one point, the activists entered a vacant Wells Fargo bank building at 75 River Street – directly across the street from an active Wells Fargo branch – and began a three-day occupation, hoping to turn it into a community center.
Covering the demonstration were photojournalists Bradley Stuart Allen and Alex Darocy of the Indybay Collective, a coalition of independent journalists in the Bay Area. Also covering the demonstration was Shmuel Thaler, a photojournalist from the Santa Cruz Sentinel, the city’s mainstream newspaper.
Bob Lee and Rebekah Young of the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office argued, without any evidence, that Allen and Darocy were "the media arm of the organization; the group’s propagandists," thereby validating Thaler as having been at the occupation as a bona fide journalist. On May 14th, 2012, Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Paul Burdick questioned the inconsistencies in the DA's argument and dismissed all charges against Allen and Darocy.
Read More |  ACLU Brief in Support of Motion to Dismiss Charges
Previous Coverage: Demonstration at Wells Fargo in Solidarity with 75 River St. Arrestees || Occupy Santa Cruz Marches to Protest Repression of the Occupy Movement ||  Indybay Journalists Charged with Felony: Conspiracy to Make Media || Demonstration at Wells Fargo in Santa Cruz: "Drop the Charges! Bust the Banksters!" || ACLU Statement of Support and Petition for "Journalists, Local Press and Activists" || WILPF Condemns Local Law Enforcement and Supports Eleven Local Activists || Judge Burdick Dismisses Charges Against Four of the Santa Cruz Eleven || Occupy Santa Cruz Supports the Santa Cruz Eleven || Demonstrators say, "Bob Lee, Stop Wasting Money! Drop the Charges!" || The California Constitution "Is Broader and More Protective Than the First Amendment"
At least two individuals have been subpoenaed to a federal grand jury that appears to be investigating a fire set at the home of a UC Santa Cruz animal researcher in 2008. There was no claim of responsibility for the fire, and there is no evidence activists were responsible. Nonetheless, the incident became the impetus for the " AETA 4" case, which saw the indictment of four Bay Area activists before charges were dismissed in 2010.
One of the people subpoenaed, José Palafox, said, "I was approached by two FBI agents at the BART Station at 19th and Broadway in Oakland. They asked my name, identified themselves as Carrie and Matt from the FBI, and served me a subpoena to testify before a federal Grand Jury. They informed me that I had been served and left without asking me any other questions….
"I know nothing about the Santa Cruz action but believe this is a political prosecution and part of a government attempt to gather information on activists, specifically involved in the animal rights movement."
In addition to Palafox, at least one other person has been subpoenaed, and another received a visit from the FBI.
Read More | Statement by José Palafox
The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California filed a brief as amicus curiae, on May 3rd, in support of Bradley Stuart Allen and Alex Darocy’s motion to dismiss, pursuant to Penal Code section 995, pending before the Superior Court of California for the County of Santa Cruz.
The 995 motion to dismiss, and a motion to dismiss for selective prosecution, were filed by Allen's attorney, Benjamin Rice, and Darocy's attorney, George Gigarjian.
The ACLU of Northern California concludes, "The prosecution’s theories of liability for conspiracy to trespass and aiding and abetting trespass seek to punish Allen and Darocy for activity they engaged in that is protected by the First Amendment and the liberty of speech clause of the California Constitution. This type of prosecution endangers the freedom of the press by punishing journalists based on the content and viewpoint of the material they publish, by impermissibly burdening newsgathering, and by ultimately restricting the public’s access to newsworthy events. The Court should dismiss the conspiracy charges, as well as any other charges that rest upon an aiding-and-abetting theory of liability."
Read More and Download the Documents
See Also: Indybay Journalists Charged with Felony: Conspiracy to Make Media | Community Members Rally for Charges to Be Dropped Against the Santa Cruz Eleven | Support the Santa Cruz Eleven
On May 4th, community members gathered at the Santa Cruz Courthouse for a press conference and rally to demand District Attorney Bob Lee drop the charges against the Santa Cruz Eleven, who have all been charged with felonies arising from the occupation of a vacant bank building last fall. Organizers of the rally believe the DA should, "re-examine the basis for the charges, and the Court must ensure that these activists are not being selectively prosecuted." Approximately 100 people were in attendance at the courthouse rally, and after a brief press conference that had seven of the Santa Cruz Eleven introducing themselves, the group marched through downtown Santa Cruz.
Lorin Ashton / Bassnectar writes: "Santa Cruz, California is one of my favorite places in the world. It is special to me for countless reasons, and it is one of my favorite places to play music. I am stunned, and saddened that the City of Santa Cruz decided last minute to not allow our show to happen tomorrow [Thursday, May 3rd]. Basically, there is a very vague city ordinance #9.36.010... Now had they told us this 6 months ago when we booked the show, that would have been understandable (it still would have been weird, because we already did one successful show at the Civic Center, and are not going to play music any louder than last time) but having this happen so last minute is basically putting us in a very difficult situation."
An assembly of UC Santa Cruz students, workers and community members have planned a day of action in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street's call for a worldwide general strike and the historical significance of May 1st, International Workers Day. This day of events will include rallies, poetry, performance, art, and education around the struggle of the 99% and the collective potential for social transformation. The action will begin with a kick-off rally at the Quarry Plaza on UCSC campus at 11:30 AM which will culminate in a late afternoon march to the downtown post office.
A resolution in support of all eleven defendants who were charged in relation to the occupation of 75 River Street in Fall of 2011 was adopted by Occupy Santa Cruz at their general assembly held on April 29. Steve Pleich facilitated the general assembly, held on the steps of the Santa Cruz Post Office, and read the resolution before Occupy Santa Cruz adopted it. The resolution by Occupy Santa Cruz "calls for the immediate dismissal of all charges presently lodged against the River Street defendants.
Santa Cruz, CA — District Attorney Bob Lee's prosecution (some say "witchhunt") of eleven activists and alternative media journalists came to a crashing halt on April 25th, as Judge Paul Burdick stopped the preliminary hearing after hearing only two prosecution witnesses. After listening to Officer William Winston of the SCPD and Det. David Gunter's testimony, Burdick challenged Assistant DA Rebekah Young by saying "Ms. Young, you agree that none of these four defendants committed any act of vandalism."
In downtown Santa Cruz on April 20, LGBQT community members from the Diversity Center's Youth Program and their family members and allies held a "Breaking the Silence" rally in front of the Del Mar Theatre before a showing of the film "Bully". People held signs and shared stories. There was a group shout out, and many involved with the youth program wore tape x'd over their mouths to both symbolize the silencing effect of bullying on the LGBQT youth community, as well as to be an expression of solidarity with those who could not attend the rally in person for many different reasons of privacy.
WILPF–Santa Cruz Branch writes, The Santa Cruz Branch of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) condemns the action of local law enforcement in attempting to prosecute eleven local activists who are alleged to have occupied the long-deserted bank building at Water and River Streets last fall. Four of the defendants are journalists, who were present to report to the community on the protests. The First Amendment is clear on the rights of journalists to observe and print their findings; the charges against them should be dropped immediately.
On April 20th, thousands of people descended upon Porter Meadow at UC Santa Cruz for Four Twenty (420), a counterculture holiday observed in cities throughout the world, where people gather to celebrate and consume cannabis. Four Twenty in Porter Meadow at UCSC is an unorganized annual tradition. Last year, rain caused people to seek shelter under the forest canopy. This year, it was the hot sun which drove people to the shade provided by the trees.
On April 17th, the third annual Project Homeless Connect Santa Cruz was held inside and outside the Civic Auditorium on Church Street in Santa Cruz. Hundreds of people, most of whom are experiencing homelessness, and therefore typically marginalized and criminalized in our community, were provided with a wide range of services and some goods. According to Project Homeless Connect, which includes corporations, nonprofits, and government agencies, the organization began in San Francisco in 2004 "when Mayor Gavin Newsom challenged his county workers to create a better system of care for the homeless community."
ACLU–Santa Cruz Chapter writes, "Eleven local activists have been charged with a variety of offenses arising from the occupation of a vacant bank building last fall. We have two primary concerns regarding this prosecution. First, at least some of the defendants are journalists who were present to report on the protest. We condemn any attempt to criminalize their exercise of the crucial First Amendment right to gather and disseminate information about this newsworthy event. All charges based on this constitutionally protected activity should be dropped immediately. Second, it appears that some of the defendants may have been charged due to their past adversarial relationship with law enforcement officials."
7PM Wednesday May 23
But Is It Apartheid?
7PM Thursday Jun 14
Rise Up Singing
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