Feature Archives

Occupy Santa Cruz has been working to address the needs of those abandoned by corporate medical care. In the face of rocketing health care costs, declining county health services, and now exaggerated heath concerns by city officials, members of the local Occupy Movement have been providing basic health services, including first aid, regular meals, and 24 hour sanitation facilities. To address emergency needs, Occupy Santa Cruz has an EMT and other medical professionals on call who respond promptly to medical issues.

Local Service Employee International Union (SEIU) members participating in the Occupy Day of Action demonstrations which took place on bridges around the country, joined members of Occupy Santa Cruz and members of the local MoveOn.org council to rally at the Santa Cruz County courthouse on November 17 in support of improving and repairing local infrastructure to stimulate job creation. The demonstration began on Water Street Bridge where community members held signs along the pedestrian areas of the bridge.

On November 8th, 2011, four students from Renaissance High School went to the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds to protest against the way the circus treats their elephants. Students attending the protest joined other demonstrators from the bay area that were following the circus around to their performances. One protestor was assaulted while handing out flyers about the circus. The students stayed at the fairgrounds protesting for animal rights from 3pm to 7pm.

Occupy CSU Monterey Bay will hold a rally, march and general assembly on Tuesday, November 15th starting at 1pm at Library Plaza on Divarty St and 5th Ave at CSUMB. A flyer for Occupy CSUMB states, "The California State University system is infected with the same disease as the rest of our sick society. It is designed to allow a small group of people to enrich and empower themselves at our expense. So as our tuition rises every year, and the staff and faculty are denied promised raises, the top administrators throughout the system receive outrageous salaries and benefits."

On Saturday, November 12th at 5 AM, 15 - 20 deputies with the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Department swarmed the courthouse steps occupation location of Occupy Santa Cruz, blocking it off with police tape from the lower camp in San Lorenzo Park. The deputies reinforced the County’s unofficial but repeated written notice that “lodging” was prohibited, and indicated any tents not removed voluntarily would be confiscated. A few tents were voluntarily moved, but a dozen tents and all personal property in them were taken by the sheriffs.

On November 9th, over 500 students at the University of California, Santa Cruz joined various local workers' union members and Occupy Santa Cruz protesters for "Occupy Education," a protest against corporations and corruption in education. Protesters gathered at noon for a rally on the UC campus before taking to the streets. The UC Regents are meeting on November 16-17 at UCSF Mission Bay to vote on a tuition increase of 16% each year for the next four years.

In solidarity with the call by Occupy Oakland for a general strike, which was in response to the police violence in Oakland that resulted in the serious injury of Scott Olsen and others, Occupy Santa Cruz members called for a strike to be held in Santa Cruz on November 2nd. Suggestions to avoid work and or/school were made, and community members gathered at the county courthouse steps for a march and demonstration downtown.