Feature Archives

On Tuesday, November 21st, attorneys for jailed indymedia journalist and video blogger Josh Wolf appeared before Federal District Court Judge Alsup to argue for Josh's release from federal prison; the request was denied. This 90+ day imprisonment is believed to be unprecedented for a journalist who refuses to hand over information to a grand jury. Josh is one of dozens of US political prisoners who will not be with their loved ones for the holidays. A benefit for Josh was held at Balazo in San Francisco on December 7th.

On Friday, November 17th, Santa Cruz Indymedia presented a benefit in solidarity with the people of Oaxaca. The event started at 7:00pm at the Resource Center for Nonviolence, 515 Broadway, in Santa Cruz. There was a suggested donation of $5-20, but no one was turned away for lack of funds.

There was music from Ryan Harvey & Mark Gunnery of Riot Folk Records, a billingual presentation from Miguel Zafra who is a native Oaxaqueño and member of the Frente Indigena de Organizaciones Binacionales (FIOB) and film screenings of Granito de Arena and Infamy in Oaxaca. Read more and download the flyer

On Thursday, Nov. 9th, The Northern California Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists honored imprisoned videojournalist, Josh Wolf, and Chronicle sports writers, Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, with the distinction of Journalists of the Year "for upholding the principles of a free and independent press." They were recognized for the award because they chose the risk of jail time, rather than reveal confidential sources or turn over unpublished parts of their work to federal grand juries. Josh Wolf was also awarded Best Male Vlogger and Most Controversial Video at the first annual Vloggy Awards in San Francisco on Nov. 5th.

November 3rd, 2006 - danielsan and ariel write: The climate for journalists has worsened in the days since the Federal Police occupied Oaxaca City. Today we talked to Juan Carlos Gomez, who until recently worked with a local radio station. He says he had recieved repeated threats on his life, and today was beaten by several men whom he believes are the same men who were shooting at Barricade 3 last friday, and that they were some of the same men who shot and killed Brad Will. In the interview below he describes the attack, saying 'They hit me in the stomach and the mouth... I fell back on the ground and felt a kick to my neck. I ran to the Cinco Señores [an intersection near the University] where I passed out. Some people picked me up and took me to the clinic [behind the barricades protecting Radio Universidad].'
Audio: Download the mp3 (es) (3 min. 17 sec.)

With the PFP in town, local PRIistas are threatening members of APPO, teachers, and visible members of the Oaxacan resistance, including members of the organization CIPO-RFM (Consejo Indigena Popular de Oaxaca - Ricardo Flores Magón), as well as foreigners in general and foreign journalists especially. Indymedia has an especially high profile due to Brad's affiliation with NYC indymedia. We've heard rumors that indymedia is on the minds and lips of PRIistas and government loyalists high up the chain of command, who have claimed that indymedia correspondents take orders from APPO, and that foreigners are stirring up trouble and encouraging the continuing resistance. Read more and view photos

According to Friday evening's reports from Radio APPO and other sources, paramilitaries began an assault on Oaxaca, which has been held by the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (APPO) for over 5 months. People were killed, injured, disappeared, and hospitalized. New York City Indymedia reporter Brad Will (William Bradley Roland) was shot in the chest and killed, while Oswaldo Ramírez, photographer for Milenio Diario, has also been shot and is injured. Brad Will's Video from Friday APPO also confirmed that schoolteacher Emilio Alfonso Fabián died from three bullet wounds after an attack by shooters for Ulises Ruiz Ortiz outside the state government palace. Reportes en español: 1 | 2 | English: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 There were several protests over the weekend. People gathered Saturday at 7pm at San Francisco City Hall for a vigil for Oaxaca and the 5 people who were killed there on Friday. Photos: 1 | 2
Day of the Dead Memorial Altars: Barricade 3 | Calicanto

Two FCC commissioners will appear at the Oakland Marriott this Friday, October 27th, at 5pm to hear comments from local broadcasters, listeners and media activists as they debate new media ownership rules that would allow a few big corporations to own even more of what we read, watch and listen to. This is the only hearing in the Bay Area dealing with corporate media consolidation and lack of diversity in the media. Details

The Disorientation Guide is a radical resource published by an open collective and distributed for free at the beginning of Fall quarter. It’s for new students, for the Santa Cruz community, and for everyone who wants to get more informed, active, or involved in the radical history of the campus and the rich networks of organizations and coalitions at UCSC and in Santa Cruz.

This is the fourth consecutive year that the Disorientation Guide has been distributed on this campus, adding to the lineage of others, published in 1977, 1982, and 1984. Similar guides are also circulated at universities such as Berkeley, MIT, Yale, U of Texas, Austin, and Concordia, among many others. It was baked lovingly by a collective of students who are excited to see new faces joining us in our tradition of thoughtful resistance. Read more and download the Disorientation Guide