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Indybay Feature

Occupy National Day of Action - Union Members Rally at Courthouse with OSC

by Alex Darocy (alex [at] alexdarocy.com)
Local SEIU members participating in the Occupy Day of Action demonstrations scheduled 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 job creation.
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The demonstration began on Water Street Bridge where community members held signs along the pedestrian areas of the bridge. The group made its way over to the front steps of the county courthouse where a rally was held and short speeches were made, including those from a recent UC Santa Cruz graduate who is currently between homes, a representative from the office of assembly member Bill Monning, members of the Service Employee International Union (SEIU), the local MoveOn.org council, and a member of Occupy Santa Cruz. Approximately 100-200 people participated in the event, and afterwards a large part of the group attended Occupy Santa Cruz's general assembly.

Alex Darocy
http://alexdarocy.blogspot.com/
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Research lawyer and Santa Cruz City Council candidate Steve Pleich (center).
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Preparing for the general assembly at Occupy Santa Cruz.

http://occupysantacruz.org
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Comments (Hide Comments)
by Robert Norse
I appreciate both Matt and Alex doing this visually important work. I comment at http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/11/18/18700069.php

Additionally...

In numerous other cities, union members and others blocked bridges on Thursday--a sort of recurring theme about the misappropriation of money because of the influence and operation of institutionalized wealth. Any attempt made to do that here?

Also, I note the elimination of the chalked messages made by protesters denouncing the arrests and theft of protest signs (some of them perhaps returned on Thursday from the Monday raid?). These slogans starkly and strongly demonstrated the determination of those maintaining the vigil not to be bullied away. The steps of the courthouse entrance each had visible chalked messages--and the front of the courthouse itself was plastered defiantly with posters. Were they removed by the County or by the protesters themselves? Or by "helpful" politicians and their allies, eager to make some political hay from the sacrifices of others? But unwilling to actually use their political clout to oppose the ongoing repression.

Were the speeches recorded? Did they make any mention of the nightly mayhem created earlier in the week by Sheriff Wowak's armed and city-funded warriors?

Did Monning or his representative perhaps repudiate his vote supporting an doubling in penalties for the "crime" of "lodging"--which he helped pass earlier this year? This law (647e) is already used to terrorize protesters and puts activist Linda Lemaster on trial in December for the smaller sustained PeaceCamp2010 protest last year. That protest focused on one of the very issues for which the protesters are being attacked--"criminalizing camping for the poor".

Did attorney Ed Frey get to speak? What was the substance of the OSC speaker's comments?
by Alex Darocy (alex [at] alexdarocy.com)
I'll answer some of your questions from the other article as well.

-One non-OSC speaker spoke at the rally about the ongoing raids by the authorities at the courthouse on Occupy Santa Cruz and how that area is everyone's and should be available for public use

-I seem to recall one demonstrator carrying a sign with a local-specific message, but I don't have a photo of it.

-I counted at least three demonstrators carrying signs supporting the national occupy movement with general messages

-Water Street Bridge was spoken about at the rally, but no one ever made an attempt to occupy it or block traffic. The event was supplied with 'monitors,' presumably by the organizers.

-One speaker mentioned the poor condition county roads were in, and proposed repairing them to stimulate job creation

-The UCSC student who spoke recently graduated with a degree in sociology and spoke about how there used to be a lot of job openings in that field. He was jobless and living out of his car.

-I did not record the speeches
by Robert Norse
...for the additional information.

I was also advised that the rally took place at the main entrance to the Courthouse and not at the Occupy Santa Cruz steps where the General Assembly is held nightly facing Water Street. Why? Are Move-On.org and local union leaders too nervous to associate themselves directly with those who have taken the brunt of county punishment? Whose nightly sacrifices give courage and hope to those previously too isolated or beaten down or cynical to speak up?

Carry on, OSC! Thanks for the info--wordwise and picturewise, Alex.
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