Feature Archives

As the federal government continues its aggressive "green scare" by sweeping environmentalists into prison, constitutional rights come under fire. The February 22, 2006 arrest of Rod Coronado at his workplace in Tuscon, Arizona by the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) for a speech he gave in San Diego in 2003 will test a rarely-used law, as well as the government’s apparent desire to criminalize free speech.

San Francisco civil rights attorney Ben Rosenfeld said “the government has turned speech into violence.” A legal memo issued by Rosenfeld said “the federal government has been chomping at the bit to put Rod Coronado back in prison since the moment he got out, and his indictment in San Diego for an exercise of pure speech is a flimsy pretext to do just that. Make no mistake. This is a pure free speech case.”

Read more here, here and here. More info: Arizona Indymedia
Listen to an interview with attorney Ben Rosenfeld

A press conference and rally were held at 4:30 PM on Tuesday, February 21st at Oakland City Hall to protest the role of the police, the global shipping companies, and the US government on the attack made on April 7, 2003 against peaceful pickets and longshormen. On April 7th, 2003, Oakland police and the Port of Oakland, in collusion with global shipping companies, attacked peaceful pickets and longshoremen who were standing by as a result of a picket line against the war in Iraq. This police attack with rubber bullets and other weapons injured many demonstrators and longshoremen. The lawsuit for financial damages from the City of Oakland was settled, but rally organizers felt that this does not end the need to expose the reasons for the attack, the egregious violation of protesters' civil liberties and labor rights, and the local government officials and others who supported the attack.

Transport Workers Solidarity Committee |Past Coverage of the Oakland 25 | 3/05 story about Willow Rosenthal

Organizations that are concerned about warrantless surveillance called for vigils to be held all over the US on Wednesday, February 22nd. At these Constitution Vigils, people spoke out against government spying. Last week, the Justice Department announced that it will be opening an internal review. This was seen as a major admission that laws may have been broken by the US government. MoveOn said that "it's time for Congress to do its job, defend the Constitution, and fully investigate the president's illegal program. In order for them to do that, they need to hear from us." With reports of wider abuses in the National Security Agency and growing concern from leading conservatives, MoveOn stated that it's "obvious that Congress needs to do its job, enforce the law and fully investigate the president's dangerous power grab." Read more about the vigils

In San Francisco, people gathered at 5:30pm at Justin Herman Plaza for a "Stop Illegal Wiretapping Now!" vigil. Photos: 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 In Oakland, three dozen people gathered at Grand and Lake Park Avenues Photos There was also a lively demonstration in Fresno. Video In Santa Cruz, 100 people gathered at the Town Clock. Audio

Read more on Indybay's US News Page

Santa Cruz, CA, February 14th, 2006: Police Auditor Bob Aaronson rejected the results of the Santa Cruz Police Department’s investigation of its own behavior in the Parade Spying Scandal. Heading the investigation into police spying was Deputy Chief Kevin Vogel who, according to public records obtained by the ACLU, was the officer who ordered the undercover infiltration. Predictably, the police cleared themselves of any wrong-doing. Additionally the report attempted to make the case that the spying, while legally questionable, was expedient and useful.

Aaronson, in a letter to Council (.pdf) circulated at Monday's Public Safety Committee, said the investigation "is incomplete and flawed for a very predictable reason. It violates one of the most basic investigative precepts by having been compiled and written by the very individual whose decisions are and should be under investigative scrutiny." He went on to say, "I am surprised and disappointed that he was assigned to that task."

Details of the 600-page report , released to the public Friday, reveal a pattern of abuses, including spying on parade organizers, spying on other unrelated groups and first amendment activities, and profiling organizers and other unrelated people. Officers posing as parade planners gathered information about the planned peaceful protest against virgin forest destruction by Victoria’s Secret and relayed this information to Capitola Police. On the date of the protest, dozens of officers denied protesters entrance to the mall. Infiltrators also gathered information about Art & Revolution's “Anti-Corporate Christmas Caroling” on Pacific Ave. and monitored the group's activities at the event. Read more

Audio: FSRN: SCPD Internal Probe of Surveillance Rejected

Photos: Just Us Voicing Our Concerns to Santa Cruz's Public Safety Committee

Mesha Monge-Irizarry of the Idriss Stelley Foundation (ISF) initiated organizing of "BANG4CHANGE 2006." Bang4Change, a Human and Civil Rights Revival Fest, was held on Saturday, February 25th, from 12pm to 5:00pm at San Francisco's Civic Center Plaza. Report | Photos The event was dedicated to poor youth of color, their families, teachers and elders. Organizers planned to educate the community about human and civil rights violations affecting their present and future. They also aimed to lay out clear demands and concrete solutions at local and national governments, as well as the street level. They believed that "endorsements from Concerned Community Members and Progressive City and State Government Officials yearning and Banging 4 Change will bring thousands."

The event included music, spoken word, a "revolution fashion show," speakers, an ethnic market, and a Bang4Change art exhibit. Pam Pam "The Imposing Figure," who is the director of the SF Peacemakers, was the MC, and the event was broadcast on KPOO and KPFA radio. The ISF also plans to "Take the Show on the Road" to other counties, and states. Read more

Idriss Stelley Foundation website | Bang4Change yahoogroup | ISF yahoogroup

The Santa Cruz Police Department cleared themselves of any wrongdoing in infiltrating the Last Night Santa Cruz DIY parade planning meetings, of course. Given that the investigation was lead by Deputy Chief Kevin Vogel who made the decision to infiltrate the planning meetings, this is no surprise. The 600-page report said that the police had every reason to monitor the group (or any group in the future) because they had public safety in mind. Read more

Download portions of Deputy Chief Vogel's Internal Investigation (pdf): Summary | Interviews | Reports

previous SC-IMC coverage of SCPD Spying: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

On February 7th, the UCSC Academic Senate Task Force investigating the police response to Tent University Santa Cruz (TUSC) released a draft report (pdf). In summarizing the background events leading up to the confrontation on April 18, 2005, it is stated that "The administration was particularly alarmed by the presence of the author/organizer David Solnit at training sessions at the Resource Center for Non-Violence," noting his association with the Seattle WTO protests.

On October 12, 2005, a student at UCSC was invited to discuss the events surrounding TUSC with the task force investigating the issue. During the course of this private meeting, the chair of the task force noted that UCSC’s administration had sent "someone" to obtain information about TUSC's off-campus workshop. This information of administrative spying on student political activity is in stark contrast to Chancellor Denton’s claims that UCSC’s administration and police are not engaged in spying on students. Read more on Santa Cruz IMC