Feature Archives

Union laborers, community representatives, and neighbors of La Bahia Hotel in Santa Cruz want to upgrade the distressed beachfront site with a hotel. But they all demand something better--and smaller--than the plan currently being proposed by Barry Swenson Builder and the Seaside Company. A rally was held in front of La Bahia on August 21st to protest the project as it is currently being proposed.

According to a post by Stop Cal Vivisection, FBI agents showed up unannounced at an individual's workplace in Oakland. They seemed more obsessed with who they think her friends might be than anything. They made mention of Santa Cruz and some type of flyer. They wanted to know if she could lead them to two individuals.

On August 9, the Santa Cruz city council and Coalition to Limit University Expansion (CLUE) reached a settlement agreement with UCSC over campus expansion. In response, the tree sitters occupying the area released a statement declaring that although Chancellor Blumenthal speculated that the tree sitters "have accomplished their goals," they will not be coming out of the trees. The tree sitters accuse the city and CLUE of never intending their lawsuit to protect the north campus trees and ecosystem, saying "Let the city and university make their agreements. We are here for the forest."

Radio Trabajadora escribe, "Este es un show de radio en Radio Libre Santa Cruz, escuchen a 101.1 FM o freakradio.org todos los martes de 6-7:30 pm. Durante este show hablamos sobre AFSCME Local 3299 y las ultimas noticias de la pelea por un contrato. Tambien hablamos de los trabajadores de la union UNITE HERE! en Oakland y la accion que el 8 de Agosto van a tener en el aeropuerto de Oakland."

On August 7th, police raided a home on the 700 block of Riverside Avenue in Santa Cruz. It is the same home that was raided on February 24th, 2008. In the February raid, police assert that the home, or the people who were inside of it, were somehow connected to what they proclaim are animal rights activists that held a protest that allegedly ended with a scuffle at a UC Santa Cruz researcher's house. The raid on August 7th was apparently carried out by at least the Department of Justice, FBI, and UCSC police.

"We don't need another parking lot" read one of over 30 stenciled cardboard signs erected on the evening of August 1st across the fences of various failed businesses in Santa Cruz by a group of bicyclists as part of a "Going Out of Business & Green Futures" community ride. Part protest against car culture, part living art project, and part prank, the bicyclists visited the sites of former gas stations, drive thrus, auto-dealerships, and more, planting wild flower seeds, and other decorations depicting a deteriorating economy and hopes for a greener, wilder future.

On the heels of May Day marches for immigrant rights around the country, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers conducted raids targeting El Balazo Taqueria chain in the Bay Area on May 2. ICE officers stormed 11 different chain locations in at least six cities. A forum took place on August 7th at the Beach Flats Community Center in Santa Cruz to hear El Balazo workers and movement activists talk about the impact of the raids and the progress of the defense campaign, and to discuss the way forward in the struggle for immigrant rights.