On November 30th, 2011, during the height of the Occupy movement, more than 100 activists marched down the street in Santa Cruz, one of hundreds of demonstrations taking place throughout the country at the time. At one point, the activists entered a vacant Wells Fargo bank building at 75 River Street – directly across the street from an active Wells Fargo branch – and began a three-day occupation, hoping to turn it into a community center.

Covering the demonstration were photojournalists Bradley Stuart Allen and Alex Darocy of the Indybay Collective, a coalition of independent journalists in the Bay Area. Also covering the demonstration was Shmuel Thaler, a photojournalist from the Santa Cruz Sentinel, the city’s mainstream newspaper.

Bob Lee and Rebekah Young of the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office argued, without any evidence, that Allen and Darocy were "the media arm of the organization; the group’s propagandists," thereby validating Thaler as having been at the occupation as a bona fide journalist. On May 14th, 2012, Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Paul Burdick questioned the inconsistencies in the DA's argument and dismissed all charges against Allen and Darocy.

Read More | ACLU Brief in Support of Motion to Dismiss Charges

Previous Coverage: Demonstration at Wells Fargo in Solidarity with 75 River St. Arrestees || Occupy Santa Cruz Marches to Protest Repression of the Occupy Movement || Indybay Journalists Charged with Felony: Conspiracy to Make Media || Demonstration at Wells Fargo in Santa Cruz: "Drop the Charges! Bust the Banksters!" || ACLU Statement of Support and Petition for "Journalists, Local Press and Activists" || WILPF Condemns Local Law Enforcement and Supports Eleven Local Activists || Judge Burdick Dismisses Charges Against Four of the Santa Cruz Eleven || Occupy Santa Cruz Supports the Santa Cruz Eleven || Demonstrators say, "Bob Lee, Stop Wasting Money! Drop the Charges!" || The California Constitution "Is Broader and More Protective Than the First Amendment"