California held an election on June 3rd. Proposition 98 failed to pass and Proposition 99 passed. In the CA Assembly, Nancy Skinner beat Kriss Worthington and in the State Senate Mark Leno beat Carole Migden. In San Francisco, Prop G passed and Prop F failed to pass.

Propositions 98 and 99 were aimed at changing the government’s power to take private property. Proposition 98 would have abolished rent control and other renter protections. Proposition 99 will block the government from taking single family homes or condominiums to transfer to other private parties.

Between 1973 and 1976, more than 76 traditional Lakotas and members of the American Indian Movement (AIM) were killed on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. These deaths were part of the F.B.I.'s "Reign of Terror", designed to destroy traditional peoples' resistance to corporate projects such as uranium mining. A free film screening and information night on Wednesday, June 4th in Santa Cruz will include literature on John's case and related resistance movements, and will be introduced by a friend and supporter of John Graham.

On Tuesday, June 3rd, Gay Shame will conduct a séance to "summon the ghosts of Polk Street's past", defend street culture and protest Lower Polk Neighbors, whose "business improvement district" has been slowly squeezing the spirit out of Polk Street. Mary writes, "Because the gentrification of the Polk Street area in the Tenderloin is an intersection of so many different wars City Hall is waging -- against people of color, sex workers, homeless people, immigrants, drug addicts, youth, and marginalized queer/trans people -- it's the perfect place to channel voices of resistance."

Earth First! Radio News is a no compromise weekly radio program produced at Free Radio Santa Cruz. Focussing on direct-action and bio-diversity, EF! Radio provides eco-action and activist news, calls-to-action, updates and commentary on current events worldwide. The May 29th broadcast features updates from the North American Earth Liberation Prisoners Support Network, Tre Arrow Defense Committee, Support for Rod Coronado, Buffalo Field Campaign, as well as news from Montana, Australia, Chile and more.

On May 30th, the Movement for Immigrant Rights Alliance (MIRA) organized a rally and press conference at Beach Flats Park in Santa Cruz to denounce recent raids by Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE). Community members, union representatives, religious leaders, students and other local activists created a space for community members to become informed of their rights if approached by ICE agents.

AFSCME Local 3299's strike, planned for June 4 - 5, has been postponed indefinitely. UC hired the infamous anti-union law firm Littler Mendelson, a firm that boasts on their website about their expertise in avoiding unionization and busting unions. Suddenly, UC Executives claimed to have new proposals for AFSCME and asked for negotiations to resume -- even though they already gave AFSCME their "last, best, and final proposal." In the eyes of a Republican-dominated state labor board, these alleged new proposals were enough to overturn AFSCME's right to strike.

San Francisco renters took to the streets on May 31st to reclaim public space and call attention to the urgent need to protect tenants' rights in this ever-gentrifying city. The action was timed to raise awareness about the urgent need to stop Proposition 98 and save rent control in the June 3rd election.

On June 15th, Indybay will have an orientation in San Francisco for new volunteers interested in learning about the site and getting involved in media production and editorial work. Come meet some of the collective members, bring your ideas for new projects to collaborate on, learn about some Indymedia history, find out how the site works and discuss ways to improve the site and work more with the community.

On May 30th, tens of thousands of Iraqis protested in a number of cities across Iraq against the proposed agreement between Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and the Bush administration that would codify a long-term US military occupation. Muqtada al-Sadr and Ayatollah Ali Sistani are demanding that any US-Iraqi security agreement be submitted to a national referendum

Friday, May 30, 2008 :Professor Norman Finkelstein, an American Jewish scholar known for his trenchant criticism of Israeli policy, was detained and interrogated by Israels security forces for 24 hours at Tel Avivs Ben Gurion airport on May 23, denied entry into Israel and deported back to Amsterdam where he had been lecturing. He has also been banned from entering Israel for 10 years, for so-called “security reasons.” The Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz has published an editorial criticizing the Israeli government’s decision to ban American academic Norman Finkelstein from entering the country.

anarchists write, "Over the last week, we took out six surveillance cameras from the exteriors of four different buildings on the University of California in Santa Cruz campus. This was an act of rebellion to the social control in our daily lives. These cameras are the eyes of the police. This task was easy to accomplish, and would be easy for anyone to reproduce."

Andrew Flood spent the last several months traveling around the USA on a 45 city speaking tour about anarchism in Ireland. Andrew recorded interviews with anarchists, edited audio on bus rides, and posted articles to indymedia ireland once he accessed a wi-fi signal. Together, all those interviewed give an impression of 'the other America.'

Thousands of immigrants and their supporters around the country and in San Francisco marched in favor of a more just immigration policy for the US on May 1st. The next day, 63 immigrant workers from El Balazo Taquerias were raided and detained by ICE. Immigrant rights groups, labor, faith-based groups, and many others will gather for a press conference and rally to denounce the Bay Area raids, and to support the taqueria workers on the day of their first court hearing. They will gather on Tuesday, May 27th at 10 am outside of the Homeland Security Building at 630 Sansome St., in downtown San Francisco.

In a letter to Chevron executives and shareholders (and to ExxonMobil, who meet the same day), Iraqi oil workers unions called on Chevron to end the occupation and stop pushing for the "Iraq Oil Theft Law." This message will be delivered by an alliance of environmental justice, human rights and international solidarity groups converging on Chevron's annual shareholder meeting, Wednesday, May 28th at 7:00AM at Chevron corporate headquarters in San Ramon.

Utah Phillips, a seminal figure in American folk music who performed extensively and tirelessly for audiences on two continents for 38 years, died Friday of congestive heart failure in Nevada City, California a small town in the Sierra Nevada mountains where he lived for the last 21 years with his wife, Joanna Robinson, a freelance editor.

University of California patient care and service staff announced the results of a statewide strike vote that took place between May 17th and May 22nd. Results were tabulated at midnight on May 22nd, and an overwhelming majority of voters voted to authorize the strike. The workers gave UC Executives notice that a strike could begin as soon as June 4th for the 20,000 workers at the University's five hospital/ten campus system.

Berkeley Copwatch has organized a Know Your Rights and Copwatching Training Week for Saturday, May 24th through Friday, May 30th in Berkeley. Copwatch observes police interactions with civilians and teaches community members about their basic rights with the police as well as how to effectively observe police actions. The week of free events will include three Know Your Rights Trainings and a screening of "These Streets are Watching" After each training, participants will have the option of joining Berkeley Copwatch on a Copwatching shift.

Free Skool Santa Cruz writes, "Saturday May 24th join us for our Free Skool Community Picnic at noon at Ocean View Park. This is our quarterly potluck where students, teachers, organizers, and community members get together to enjoy food, music, and companionship with new and old friends. The next day, Sunday May 25th, we are hosting our Running a Free Skool workshop from 11am to 2pm at the Big Yellow House."

The campaign against science experiments on animals at the University of California continues to grow stronger, but not without opposition. Over the last several months, activists have been conducting frequent demonstrations outside the homes of UC animal researchers -- a handful of people with signs, a bullhorn and some literature to hand out to neighbors.

June 2008 marks the 8th anniversary of the imprisonment of Jeffrey Free Luers. Each June for the past 8 years, a Day of Solidarity has been held to garner support for Jeff and other eco-prisoners. June 14, 2008 will mark the kickoff to a campaign to raise money to help Jeff with his education and living expenses upon his release, as well as call attention to the many eco-prisoners still facing time behind bars and repression by the state.

On May 15th, contract talks for more than 6,000 janitors collapsed when the Bay Area’s largest cleaning companies refused modest pay and benefit improvements to janitors who currently make $347 a week ($23,000 a year). On May 17th, janitors voted to strike and on May 21st, over four hundred workers walked out of a dozen locations in the South Bay. On May 21st, striking janitors staged a morning protest at the annual Intel shareholders meeting for in Mountain View.

On May 22nd in Los Angeles, the California Court of Appeals ruled that the state limits on medical marijuana possession and cultivation that were established under state law SB 420 are unconstitutional. In the case People v. Patrick Kelly, the court overturned the defendant's conviction for possessing 12 ounces of dried marijuana, saying that the prosecutor had improperly argued that the defendant was guilty because he possessed more than the 8-ounce limit established in Health & Safety Code Section 11362.77 and did not have a doctor's recommendation that authorized more. The court wrote, ""The prosecutor's argument was improper... because the CUA [Compassionate Use Act] can only be amended with voters' approval."

On May 17th, Act Against Torture, World Cant Wait, Code Pink, and Vet’s for Peace participated in a demonstration at the UC Berkeley School of Law graduation to demand that Professor John Yoo, author of the legal memo justifying the Bush administration's use of torture, be fired, disbarred and prosecuted for war crimes.

Two years after six local activists were arrested on Cinco de Mayo at Story and King Roads on the Eastside of San Jose, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office dropped all charges against the last of the defendants, Brian Helmle. The charges stem from Mr. Helmle’s arrest, along with five others, for their participation in a speakout against police brutality and copwatch on May 5, 2006.

Marciano Cruz was born in Oaxaca, Mexico. For over 20 years, Marciano, also known as Chango, has been working to improve the lives of people in the greater Santa Cruz community. He is currently a staff member at the Resource Center for Nonviolence (RCNV). Marciano is being honored for his work as founder, chief organizer and president of La Liga de La Comunidad, a countywide soccer league for youth and adults.