Feature Archives

After filming a crime with their video surveillance cameras, Fresno mayor Alan Autry and police chief Jerry Dyer held a press conference to celebrate. They spent $1.3 million of taxpayer money for this video and now they want $1.7 million more so they can install more cameras.

On January 16th at about 4:20pm, Santa Cruz Police Sgt. Flippo, Officer Auldridge, and three other cops (two as back-up) began writing warnings to folks on the edges of the drum circle in the Cathcart parking lot. The drummers, after ignoring the police for awhile, moved to Pacific Avenue to continue drumming at Soquel and Pacific. The Trash Orchestra calls for drummers to participate in a rousing drum circle on Wednesday, January 23rd at the Cathcart parking lot.

On January 12th, two University of California police officers used pepper spray to disperse about 15 people gathered below an occupied redwood tree on Science Hill at UC Santa Cruz. One of the officers proclaimed that the group was trespassing and then both officers began pepper spraying people in their faces.

Friday January 11th 2008, was the six year anniversary of when the first hooded, shackled men were brought to the U.S. prison at Guantanamo, Cuba. On Friday night, Bay Area activists staged a solemn candlelight march through downtown San Francisco to demand that the U.S. government shut down the detention camp, end indefinite detention, stop waterboarding and all other forms of torture, and repeal the Military Commissions Act of 2006.

a writes, "Last night [January 9th] 2 friends and I were walking from Kresge towards the science buildings when we heard screams...LOUD screams coming from the area of the tree sit. We ran as fast as we could towards them. We saw 2 cop cars, about six officers including 1 bike cop and two security guards. A woman was being dragged toward a squad car. We approached slowly, but were asking the cops to take it easy on her, it sounded like she was being hurt."

The hearing on the motion for a new trial for Eric McDavid has been changed to January 24th, and his sentencing has been moved to February 21st. Eric is now receiving two veggie burgers a night, and has also been given some items that he can eat for other meals. Sacramento Prisoner Support is encouraging supporters to write to Eric, and to also write to to the Judge in the case, encouraging him to give Eric the lowest possible sentence.

On two successive Wednesdays, December 26th and January 2nd, police officers ordered a peaceful drum circle to leave the parking lot on Cedar Street alongside the Santa Cruz Farmers Market. The police are enforcing a new municipal ordinance, which went into effect in mid-November, that activists refer to as the 'Parking Lot Panic Law.' The merchant-backed law prohibits lingering in a parking lot or garage, unless you have a vehicle there (and then only for fifteen minutes).