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UID:Indybay-18703131
SEQUENCE:18793032
CREATED:20111220T194500Z
DESCRIPTION:Despite City Efforts, Do-It-Yourself Community Celebration Marks Seven 
 Years\n\n\n\nOn New Year's Eve, as it has for the past seven years, Santa 
 Cruz will again host the Last Night DIY New Years Parade, what has become 
 both a homespun, family-friendly alternative celebration and a 
 controversial embarrassment for the city.  The result of seven years of 
 do-it-yourself community organizing, the Last Night DIY Parade, a 
 community-sponsored New Year's Eve celebration will again hit Santa Cruz 
 streets.\n\nThe Do-It-Yourself parade invites families, friends, and lovers 
 to come and enjoy a community celebration.  Bring your bikes and your 
 costumes, unicycles and musical instruments, drums and banners and noise 
 makers, to bring in the new year in a celebration together.\n\nEvery New 
 Years since 2004, the DIY celebration has been peaceful, creative, and fun. 
  Community members carefully handle organization, traffic control, and 
 cleanup.  However, because of its lack of official sanction, civic leaders 
 have opposed the celebration from the beginning.  This year, police tried 
 to shut down the parade by selectively targeting individuals who 
 participated.  In spite of the DIY parade's spotless record, Police used 
 the unrelated violence on May 1st, 2010 to argue that all unpermitted 
 events were potentially dangerous.\n\n"While the police and civic leaders 
 try to frighten us with the specter of downtown violence, we just want to 
 participate in a communal celebration with our neighbors," said Elizabeth 
 Burchfield. "We are tired of being afraid.  It's time to organize 
 together."\n\nIn 2004, Santa Cruz police were discovered infiltrating the 
 parade planning group.  An outcry by community members with the help of the 
 ACLU put in place rules to severely restrict local surveillance operations 
 of community groups.\n\nAccording to the Last Night DIY website, the 
 parade, from its beginnings in 2004, was not about merely celebrating, "but 
 celebrating what we as a community can do ourselves, without corporate or 
 city-sponsorship.  It is a celebration of both our autonomy and the support 
 we offer each other."\n\nAs with other years, organization is spontaneous 
 and open.  There is no single group of organizers.  "Everyone who 
 participates makes it happen," said Burchfield.\n\nThis year on New Year's 
 Eve, the DIY Parade will meet at 5pm near the Saturn Cafe parking lot on 
 Pacific Ave and Spruce Street.  Fliers for the event are online at the 
 website at http://lastnightdiy.org\n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/12/20/18703131.php
SUMMARY:The Unstoppable DIY New Years Eve Parade
LOCATION:The DIY Parade will meet at 5pm near the Saturn Cafe parking lot on Pacific 
 Ave and Spruce Street.
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/12/20/18703131.php
DTSTART:20120101T010000Z
DTEND:20120101T040000Z
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