Santa Cruz Police Department Seeks Council Approval for $235K Taser Purchase (video/mp4 6.3MB) The Santa Cruz Police Department is seeking approval from the City Council to finalize a contract with the Axon Enterprise, Inc. to re-outfit the entire department with new Taser Guns at a cost of $235,439. SCPD's Taser purchase proposal has been placed on the consent agenda for Tuesday's City Council meeting. The consent agenda is reserved for non-controversial issues, however the use of Tasers by police is a topic of concern for those advocating against police brutality, who want the weapon...
Posted: Mon Nov 11, 2019 2:30PM
Statement by Juan Gomez, Executive Director, MILPA (video/mp4 121.0MB) “If there was any confusion, let me make it clear: MILPA, and I, as Executive Director, of MILPA, do not promote violence, illicit or gang activity. We believe that we can heal our community of trauma inflicted by all types of violence, including systemic violence that is rooted in racist ideology. Our mission as an organization is to promote healing, restoration, safety, and well-being in our community. [Video: MILPA Collective Executive Director, Juan Gomez, issues a press statement on Octo...
Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2019 10:34PM
Commission for the Prevention of Violence Against Women Strays from its Charge (video/mp4 35.6MB) Gillian Greensite, the co-founder of the Commission for the Prevention of Violence Against Women (CPVAW), and its first Chair, spoke to the Santa Cruz city Council on October 8 about how the Commission has strayed outside of its original charge, of "sexual harassment, rape, and domestic violence," when it moved to endorse a censure of Councilmembers Chris Krohn and Drew Glover. Greensite added, "I have no doubt that the complaints that the women brought forward [against Glover and Krohn] were...
Posted: Wed Oct 9, 2019 4:56PM
Outburst from Councilmember Donna Meyers at the September 24 Council Meeting (video/mp4 41.1MB) ...
Posted: Sun Oct 6, 2019 4:26PM
Community Member Calls out Councilmember Meyers and Mayor Watkins (video/mp4 243.7MB) ...
Posted: Sun Oct 6, 2019 4:26PM
Video: Donna Meyers walks out of City Council candidates forum at UC Santa Cruz in 2018 (video/mp4 42.4MB) In 2018, Santa Cruz City Councilmember Donna Meyers, then a City Council candidate, walked out of an elections forum held at UC Santa Cruz when she received a c...
Posted: Mon Oct 7, 2019 7:19PM
Video (video/mp4 41.1MB) Video of Councilmember Donna Meyer's outburst....
Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2019 5:49PM
Video: Santa Cruz United Canvasser Manuel Mirabal Attempts to Pick a Fight (video/quicktime 284.5MB) Video of Santa Cruz United Canvasser Manuel Mirabal pulling his shirt off and trying to fight me just as Santa Cruz Police arrive....
Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2019 11:55PM
Video: After Asking his Name, the Canvasser Smears Grease on my Camera Lens (video/mp4 11.8MB) This canvasser has given community members several different names while canvassing for the recall campaign over the last few weeks. (Update: Since the filming ...
Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2019 2:50AM
Video: After the Arrest, the Canvasser Admits he is being Paid (video/mp4 35.9MB) Santa Cruz United canvasser Manuel Mirabal admits he is being paid....
Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2019 3:05AM
Santa Cruz United Signature Gatherer Calls me the N-word and the F-word (video/mp4 49.2MB) Santa Cruz United signature gatherer Manuel Mirabal calls me the n-word, the f-word, bitch, pedophile, and other names, shortly before he threatened to fight me...
Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2019 12:38AM
Recall Canvasser Detained by Police at Whole Foods for Threatening and Harassing Staff and Customers (video/mp4 466.0MB) A Santa Cruz United recall signature gatherer was handcuffed and detained by Santa Cruz Police at Whole Foods Market on September 10 for harassing and threatening customers and management, and for blocking the entrance to the market repeatedly, according to Whole Foods management and police. The man was eventually released without arrest, after he agreed to move away from the market's entrance to the Whole Foods "free speech zone", which he did. He then began to aggressively solicit signature...
Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2019 10:48PM
Federal Judge Orders City of Santa Cruz to Halt Closure of Ross Camp (video/mp4 48.7MB) Today Federal Judge Edward Davila granted the plaintiffs suing the City of Santa Cruz in Quintero v. City of Santa Cruz a restraining order that prevents the city from removing, seizing, or destroying the property of the homeless residents of the Ross Camp until the matter can be heard on Friday in federal court. Quintero et al v. City of Santa Cruz et al, a historic lawsuit filed by a group of homeless residents living at the Ross/Heroes' Camp, is the first lawsuit of its kind initiated by h...
Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2019 11:01PM
Council Votes to Discuss Matters in Closed Session (video/mp4 321.8MB) Councilmember Drew Glover discusses the lack of transparency pertaining to council's decision to discuss the Ross Camp matters further in closed session....
Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2019 11:01PM
At Ross Camp, Plain Clothes Police Officer Claims He's "Just a Ride-Along" (video/mp4 5.9MB) A recent video that documents a police 'walk through' at the Ross Homeless encampment in Santa Cruz demonstrates how homeless individuals living at the camp are routinely subjected to violations of their basic constitutional rights by the authorities. The video shows an officer from the Santa Cruz Police Department attempting to look into homeless individuals' tents without permission, in addition to touching their possessions without permission. In an another alarming moment captured on the ...
Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2019 11:29AM
Valentin Lopez Speaks on the 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (video/mp4 85.4MB) Valentin Lopez, Chairman of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, spoke at an event in celebration of the 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, hosted by the United Nations Association: USA Santa Cruz, CA Chapter on December 8 at the Resource Center for Nonviolence....
Posted: Sun Dec 9, 2018 3:00PM
City Council candidates walk out of UCSC forum when questioned about white supremacy (video/mp4 15.9MB) On October 29 at a city council candidates forum at UC Santa Cruz, all of the white candidates running except for Phil Crawford and Cynthia Hawthorne walked out after being called out by the audience for responding with pro-police and "All Lives Matter" statements to a question about what they would do to combat white supremacy, according to an account published by a student on social media. (Video: Candidate Drew Glover speaks about the prevalence of white supremacy in Santa Cruz, followed b...
Posted: Fri Nov 2, 2018 8:30PM