Feature Archives

On Wednesday August 20th people will share stories about how they have experienced racism in the areas of education, housing employment, law enforcement relations, health, or immigration. This rare listening and documentation session will take place at United Presbyterian Church in Watsonville, starting at 6:30pm. You can share your stories anonymously, if you choose.

Federal agents seized 32 computers from Pastors for Peace as they attempted to cross the Pharr International Bridge early this morning at the US-Mexico border. The confiscated computers were donated by a Japanese-American group from the San Francisco Bay Area. As a result of this US seizure, 32 Cuban classrooms will not have a computer from this caravan.

8,500 University of California workers represented by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) initiated a five-day strike at UC’s ten campuses and five medical centers. The strike, which began on July 14th, concluded on July 18th. At issue are poverty wages as low as $10 per hour. Many employees work 2-3 jobs and qualify for public assistance to meet their families’ basic needs.

The 4th Annual Old Time American Flag Burn took place on July 3rd at the Far West Fire Ring on Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz. This BYOF (Bring Your Own Flag) event is a ritual celebration of the First Amendment to the Constitution which protects freedom of speech, including the burning of the United States flag. Instead of flag desecration, this is flag consecration.

Free Skool Santa Cruz is a completely grassroots effort, a bunch of individuals deciding to act collectively and autonomously to create a skill-sharing network beyond institutional control. Classes are informal, egalitarian, and are held in homes, social spaces and parks.

HUFF (Homeless United for Friendship and Freedom) member and vehicular dweller, Donna Deiss, who had her right humerus bone fractured by Officer Christian LeMoss on May 9th, 2008 at the Three Trees parking lot on W. Cliff Dr. in Santa Cruz has had all charges but one dropped. She now faces a single charge of 148 (a) PC or resisting arrest. Misdemeanor charges of battery on a police officer and possession of marijuana have been dropped without explanation. Deiss is still scheduled for arraignment on July 2nd at 8:30AM on the lone remaining charge of 'resisting arrest.' "I plan to plead 'Not Guilty' and seek a jury trial," she told HUFF members.

The indynewswire show airs weekly on Freak Radio, Friday mornings 10-12 noon, broadcasting news and opinion from independent media worldwide, focused on indymedia sites but also drawing from other websites. This week features audio from KBOO, Radio4All, Puerto Rico Indymedia and Portland Indymedia. Topics include the attack against the tree-sit protesting contruction of the I-69 NAFTA superhighway, farmworker Maria Isabel Vasquez Jimenez who died in the fields last month while picking 'two buck chuck,' police brutality in Portland, political property destruction, sentencing in greenscare cases, the campaign to free Chip Fitzgerald and much more.