Feature Archives

On Friday, May 28th at 1:30pm in Dept 2 at 701 Ocean St. in the court of Judge Burdick, Free Skool Santa Cruz, Last Night DIY, Trash Orchestra, and SubRosa activist Wes Modes goes on trial for 6 infractions, 5 of them nearly 2 years old, in what appears to be a joint action by D.A. Bob Lee and City Attorney John Barisone. At 12:30pm on the steps of the courthouse, there will be a rally in support of Wes, as well the freedom of assembly and community-generated events.

On Sunday, May 23rd, community members held a vigil from 11am to 1pm in Oakland's Frank Ogawa Plaza to mourn the death of Aiyana Jones and all victims of police violence. Seven-year-old Aiyana Jones was shot and killed by police on May 16th during a no-knock raid on her family's Detroit home. The incident was filmed by the crew of the reality TV cop show The First 48, which had been following the Detroit Police Department. A lawyer for the Jones family claims that the footage contradicts the police account of the incident.

Four armed deputies attempted to visit SubRosa on May 19th. SubRosa was closed at the time, and the deputies told SubRosa's neighbor that they wanted to talk to staff about "worker's comp issues." One of them was an inspector in the Santa Cruz District Attorney's Office. Apparently, this makes good on the DA's promise to investigate SubRosa for any connection with the May Day property destruction.

After 8 years, 13 locations and over 150 free films to the community, Guerilla Drive-In is being targeted by the Santa Cruz Police. On May 14th, local film The Jesus Factor by Cheri Lovedog, showing under the Soquel Ave bridge, was shutdown by Santa Cruz police officers before it even started. This is the second time in two weeks that the authorities have shut down the screenings.

San José residents report that during Cinco de Mayo celebrations this year police conducted daytime checkpoints, issuing numerous citations and arresting Latino drivers. They diverted cars from the downtown area, effectively evacuating the city center and shutting down street celebrations for two nights. Many residents are wondering how the city can afford thousands of hours of police overtime pay for extreme enforcement actions on Cinco de Mayo while the city faces a budget crisis.

In the recently released itemized receipts for repairing Kerr Hall, following an occupation of the building in November 2009, there appears to be evidence that the UC Santa Cruz administration filed a claim for damages that occurred, and may have been reimbursed for the costs. This implies that the UCSC students being held responsible for participating in the occupation are being charged for expenses that have been covered by the UC's insurance policy. This raises questions about the validity and legality of those restitution charges.

The world premiere screening of La Vie en Verte: The WAMM Movie will take place on Wednesday, May 12th, 6:30pm at the Riverfront Theater, as part of the Santa Cruz Film Festival. La Vie en Verte documents the Wo/Men's Alliance for Medical Marijuana (WAMM), a "collective of patients and caregivers [who have been] providing hope, building community and offering medical marijuana on a donation basis” for over a decade. In the film, we meet Valerie and Mike Corral, and follow their journey as they dedicate their lives to offering compassionate care despite the antagonism of the brutal federal government. Valerie and Mike Corral will be at the screening, in addition to directors Charlie Hall and Bevin-Bell Hall.