BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
X-WR-CALNAME:www.indybay.org
PRODID:-//indybay/ical// v1.0//EN
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:Indybay-18590919
SEQUENCE:18638467
CREATED:20090423T205000Z
DESCRIPTION:More cop and "host" watching in Downtown Saturday Santa Cruz, with a focus 
 on police harassment of poor and homeless people under the Downtown 
 Association-endorsed Downtown Ordinances--amended in February to make them 
 even worse 
 (http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/01/26/18565796.php\n\nWe've got 
 music, cold drinks, and hot soup.    If any uniformed "poverty police" show 
 up, we will be pursuing them with camera and flier and can use all the help 
 we can get.\n\nSometimes we're a few minutes late so, be patient.\n\nThis 
 has been a regular weekly event (though we didn't announce it last week on 
 indybay) and is likely to continue into the future.  It's also a lot of fun 
 and impromptu theater.   \n\nFinal planning for the evening will happen at 
 the Human Rights Organization meeting 3 PM at the Sub Rosa Cafe at 703 
 Pacific Ave. (next to People Power and the Bike Church).  \n\nCome on down 
 if you want to get some advance info, have lots of questions, or want some 
 preliminary discussion before participating.\n\nThe new Copwatch Santa Cruz 
 Blog debuted on line at http://santacruzcopwatch.blogspot.com/ but we still 
 need lots of help updating it. Give a call to HUFF at 423-4833 if you'd 
 like to help or e-mail rnorse3@hotmail.com .\n\nDowntown, we'll be taking 
 accounts of police behavior and videoing cops on the beat as they drive 
 poor people away and give out tickets they can't pay, while ignoring 
 identical behavior from well-dressed and well-funded tourists.\n\nAn 
 earlier Copwatch Saturday report can be found at 
 http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/04/08/18586995.php \n\nHomeless vets 
 are a significant proportion of the community without shelter outside. 
 Please bring us any accounts of police harassment and ticketing of local 
 vets--or discrimination at the local Vet's Building.  Local Vets 
 organizations seem powerless to be able or willing to deal with problems 
 that seem to center around manager Tim B.\n\nThis is both a budget and 
 civil liberties issue locally. Police must be discouraged from being a part 
 of the local War on the Poor, and the merchant community that supports 
 these outrages confronted.  The Downtown Association's new offices are 
 located at 903 Pacific Ave.  Their phone number is 429-8433 if you wish to 
 let them know how you feel about their new laws.\n\nThe new anti-homeless 
 Downtown Ordinance public assembly constrictions are now being enforced by 
 police. They criminalize more than one hour's sitting on a city bench, make 
 3 unpaid infractions a jailing misdemeanor, and expand the notorious "No 
 Go" zones downtown for sitting, sparechanging, political tabling, and 
 street performing.\n\n$97 anti-homeless tickets for sleeping at night and 
 shelter for less than 5% of the homeless community--the Armory Winter 
 Shelter closed in mid-April  \n\nIf a Tent City forms, we urge you to 
 support it.  This has already happened in Sacramento, Fresno, and Ontario 
 CA.\n\nWe will also be gathering accounts of harassment in hopes of joining 
 Santa Barbara and Sacramento in challenging anti-homeless Sleeping Bans. 
 Successful lawsuits and political pressure have already ended Sleeping Bans 
 in Fresno, San Diego, Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, Richmond, and Palo 
 Alto.\n\nWe hope to encourage media to counter the City's persecution of 
 those outside using massive police overkill and a new city attorney 
 crackdown with a civil injunction. \n\nPLEASE CONTACT attorney Jonathan 
 Gettleman at 427-2658 if you have had positive experiences with Anna 
 Richardson and Miguel deLeon, currently under City Attorney attack.  They 
 need supportive court testimony in early May.\n\nWe have video cameras and 
 tape recorders; bring your own as well.  We will also be volunteering to 
 train Copwatchers on how to use them.\n\nIf you want to volunteer for 
 Public Records Act request work and other behind-the-scenes Copwatching, 
 call 423-4833.\n\nTo help plan future events, check out HRO (see above) or 
 HUFF (Homeless United for Friendship & Freedom) at Sub Rosa Cafe Wednesdays 
 9:30 AM -11:30 AM.\n\n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/04/23/18590919.php
SUMMARY:Copwatching For Dummies
LOCATION:In front of Borders Book Store on Pacific Ave. between Soquel and Walnut 
 Sts. in downtown Santa Cruz
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/04/23/18590919.php
DTSTART:20090426T000000Z
DTEND:20090426T013000Z
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR