Feature Archives

After the tragic gang-related murders of Jessica, 9, and Jorge Cortez, 16, in 1994, the Peace and Unity March was organized by the Watsonville Brown Berets to address the gang warfare going on in their community. The march has been historically led by families of the victims of violence, demanding an end to all violence, including war and government oppression. About 150 people attended this year's ceremony, vigil, speakout, rally and march held on October 7th.

Developers are moving forward with a plan for 170 Frederick St., current site of Kingdom Hall, to build a high density, 3-story project that that would fundamentally alter the park and neighborhood. The City of Santa Cruz is only letting people know what’s going on if they reside within 300 feet of the site (that’s only about 100 people!). Even if you live in the area or use the park, the City thinks your voice doesn’t matter.

A planning commission public hearing will take place Thursday, October 5th, 7:00pm, City Council Chambers (809 Center Street). Read more

Anyone who lives in California for any length of time realizes that the water supply for our state is a contentious issue. Along the Central Coast, the most recent issue is the use of desalination – an energy-intensive process that removes salt from seawater. The technology in use is called reverse osmosis and involves using powerful pumps to force water through specialized membranes which exclude charged ions (salt, for example) but allow water and other neutral species to pass through.

The City Council of Santa Cruz and the Water Department have moved forward with a proposal to build a trial desalination project plant on the Westside of Santa Cruz at the Long Marine Lab site. In November of 2005, the City Council approved a contract with the global engineering firm Camp Dresser and Mckee, INC (CDM) in the amount of $3.2 million. No construction has yet taken place, but the proposal is moving forward.

While most proposals on the table for desalination in the Monterey Bay area involve the construction of ‘research pilot plants’ in Santa Cruz and Moss Landing, this may simply be a deceptive maneuver whose real intent is to use the permits for the ‘research plants’ as a gateway to building large-scale desalination systems. Read more

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

Pink Eyes writes, "The Declaration of Peace is a nationwide campaign to establish a concrete and rapid plan for peace in Iraq. Join the movement to Declare Peace!"

Local actions were held on:

Thursday, Sept. 21, 5:30-6:30pm - Candlelight Vigil (SC Town Clock)
Friday, Sept. 22, 5-6pm - Stand on the corner for peace in Iraq
Saturday, Sept. 23, 10:30am-12pm - Silent Peace Walk (starts @ Mission Plaza, SC)
Monday, Sept. 25, 12-2pm - Die-In & Rally to end the War in Iraq (main SC Post Office)
Tuesday, Sept. 26 - Commuter Traffic Banners (Highway 1 & 17)
Read more and find out the details

Audio: FRSC: Declaration of Peace Die-in Demonstration

On September 7th and 8th, the communities of Watsonville, Santa Cruz, and Hollister woke up to attacks (arrests & deportations) from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE, formerly INS). The ICE told local media that they targeted undocumented people with prior warrants, but of the 107 arrested, only 19 had warrants for arrest, and up to 90 were immediately deported without an opportunity to see an immigration judge or receive any kind of legal advice. It was reported that the ICE told the victims that they were either police or school officials. Once in the house, they questioned all people living there about their immigration status. Children were left without their parents, husbands without their wives, and wives without their husbands. Read more

A protest against "Operation Return To Sender" took place in the Watsonville Plaza on September 24th. Cars honked in support as people lined Main Street holding signs calling for a world without borders, dignity for workers, black and brown unity and solidarity with immigrants. A circle was formed and people from Watsonville discussed how their community has been affected by immigrantion raids. Read more and view photos || photos and comments || photos contra la migra

Audio: FSRN: Watsonville Rally Denounces Immigration Raids || revolutionary sister drops knowledge || voices contra la migra watson

see also: The 13th Annual Peace and Unity March on October 7th

According to media reports, 107 people from Santa Cruz, Watsonville and Hollister have been arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in a sweep over September 7th and 8th. Of the immigrants, mostly from Mexico, but also from El Salvador, Guatemala and India, 44 have already been deported without prior access to lawyers. The rest are currently being held in custody at an undisclosed location. Many of those arrested in "Operation Return to Sender" have lived in the United States for the majority of their lives, and have homes and U.S.-born children.