top
Santa Cruz IMC
Santa Cruz IMC
Indybay
Indybay
Indybay
Regions
Indybay Regions North Coast Central Valley North Bay East Bay South Bay San Francisco Peninsula Santa Cruz IMC - Independent Media Center for the Monterey Bay Area North Coast Central Valley North Bay East Bay South Bay San Francisco Peninsula Santa Cruz IMC - Independent Media Center for the Monterey Bay Area California United States International Americas Haiti Iraq Palestine Afghanistan
Topics
Newswire
Features
From the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature

Manifesto of Love

manifesto-of-love.jpg
Date:
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Time:
6:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Event Type:
Vigil/Ritual
Organizer/Author:
Free SANTA CRUZ
Location Details:
Santa Cruz Town Clock, corner of Pacific Ave and Water St, Santa Cruz

MANIFESTO OF LOVE
...to end police violence and the criminalization of those without homes.


October 22nd No Police Brutality Day
Saturday, October 22, 2016
Candle light vigil starts at 6:30 PM
Town Clock
Pacific Avenue and Water and Front Streets, Santa Cruz

REMEMBER SEAN SMITH ARLT, AUTHOR OF THE LOVE MANIFESTO
“He was loving, caring, kind, and greatly inspired by social justice issues.”

"I’m' just amazed that they shot a man with a rake," said neighbor Larry Millsap.

Sean’s neighbor, Margaret Nelson said “We have to as a society step up and find a way to deal with mentally ill people when they're out of their minds that doesn't entail just killing them because they don't respond."

The Santa Cruz Police killed a mentally ill residence Sean Smith Arlt on the West Side. A second mentally ill person, John Blinkenberg, took his own life during a stand off with the police and their BearCat Armored Vehicle. This is part of a nationwide crisis where police use deadly force on people of color and the mentally ill. Call on the Santa Cruz Police Department to use a compassionate response for those suffering from mental health issues or forces to live on our streets.

October 22nd No Police Brutality Day started in 1996 in response to a number of high profile murders by the police of people of color and the brutal repression of non-violent protests.
Added to the calendar on Thu, Oct 20, 2016 1:53PM

Comments (Hide Comments)
by Robert Norse
I encourage folks will focus on the institutionalized police abuse in Santa Cruz that extends far beyond the killing of Sean Arlt. October 22nd is a national day of seeking--as Black Lives Matter has been demanding--an end to the violence and injustice which is endemic in police departments across the country--including the Santa Cruz Police Department.

Campaign Zero, initiated by the police murders of Michael Brown and Oscar Grant, proposes reforms that should be taken up by activists. See http://www.joincampaignzero.org/#vision .

HUFF has tried to get a record of police citations for sleeping, laying out bedding, and being in a park after dark (all survival behaviors in a town with shelter for less than 5% of those outside). As well as a record of how many of such cruel, costly, and unconstitutional citations are taken to court. We have been stonewalled by the SCPD and by its enablers in the City Attorney's office.

Some have suggested that it would be "disrespectful" to those mourning Sean Arlt to spotlight general Santa Cruz police abuses and the crying need for radical change there. I disagree. I feel it shows the kind of rage and determination to act that Santa Cruz activists need to move beyond pious words, calls for "better police training", and "let's move on" suggestions.

In distributing word of the "Manifesto of Love" protest a few days ago to the HUFF (Homeless United for Friendship & Freedom) e-mail list, I included the following notes.


NOTES BY NORSE: HUFF supports this demonstration of concern (some of us would say "rage") about the unnecessary slaying of Sean Arlt, author of the book Manifesto of Love, who was shot four times fatally within a period of 20 seconds in spite of a clear "mental health watch" designation which the SCPD was aware of.

HUFF has long-standing concerns about Chief Vogel's department which we have itemized in detail in past demonstrations (See https://www.indybay.org/uploads/2014/12/13/flyer__for__12-17.pdf AND https://www.indybay.org/uploads/2014/12/03/grand_jury_protest_updated.pdf .

Though less so in recent months, SCPD continues to harass the Freedom Sleeper protest (which is ironically trying to relieve police of the burden of enforcing anti-homeless laws). See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqVRFIZIkBs for police harassment of unhoused folks at Freedom SleepOut #67 two days ago.

Another of the many examples of police force against peaceful protesters is "Santa Cruz Police Arrest Journalist and Issue Stay Away Orders at Community Sleepout #5" at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2015/08/16/18776253.php.

Videoed examples of past SCPD violence against unarmed people include "Video Surfaces of Santa Cruz Police Officers Hitting and Tasing Man" at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2015/03/11/18769816.php and "Police Injury of Homeless Man Still Unresolved " at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2015/02/18/18768736.php .

Video of the Officer Vasquez's takedown of Richard Hardy in this last incident can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Tyj3yxwy-o

"Mainstream" Santa Cruz activists have generally been reluctant to confront Santa Cruz police abuse by name and incident. With some exceptions (surveillance equipment, the Bearcat scandal), broader policies have been ignored.

It's time to link up with reform movements in other cities and demand real changes here.
by Razer Ray
I suggest that it would be "disrespectful" to those mourning Sean Arlt to put camping infraction tickets without criminal penalty in the same legal or sociological universe. Yep... Unh hunh.
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!

Donate

$140.00 donated
in the past month

Get Involved

If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.

Publish

Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.

IMC Network