Santa Cruz, CA -- Over four hundred days ago, a handful of activists climbed up into the trees on Science Hill as a symbol of resistance to the University of California's plan to destroy 120 acres of campus forest. For the past 13 months, the tree sit has drawn attention to UCSC's plan to develop upper campus in a way that activists say is, "without regard for the welfare of one of Santa Cruz's last wild ecosystems."

On December 13th at approximately 8:00am, the tree sit drew to a close as police seized control of Science Hill, arresting one tree sitter. Later, a tree cutting company hired by the university cut down a grove of 100 year old redwood trees to make way for construction of a Biomedical building. At 2:00pm, tree sitters and tree sit supporters held a press conference at the base of campus.

The three clusters of redwoods which have now been clearcut were inhabited since November 7, 2007, when over 500 students, alumni, and community members rallied in opposition to the University's Long Range Development Plan. Read More

Initial Report | Photos | More Photos

From the open publishing newswire: "Last night rocks were thrown through the windows of 2 Bank of Americas and another ATM location. We did this because the uprising of our comrades in Greece, England, Moscow and elsewhere will not go without a response. People here are killed by cops, screwed by banks, and we will revolt with just as much fury. These and the outbreaks in Europe show that it is simple for us to respond in the most direct way to the forces of repression in order for them to fall." Read more

At the Santa Cruz City Council meeting on December 9th at 3:00pm, the Beach Flats Community Center, Harvey West Pool, Museum of Natural History and Surfing Museum were cut from the city budget. In light of the current fiscal crisis the city faces, closures of these facilities and reduction in the employee workforce are scheduled for February, 2009. Read More | Photos

see also: Possible closing of Beach Flats Community Garden & Community Center || Tuesday at 2:00pm: March from Beach Flats Park to City Council

lisam writes, "I’ve been involved in countless demonstrations and protests that have been deemed “violent” by both the police forces assigned to control the crowds and the mainstream media who tend to use them as the primary source for their stories.

"But never in the years that I was involved in massive demonstrations against the corporate control over globalization, did I witness anyone getting trampled or ignored when they had been hurt. Even when the heavily armed riot police would charge a crowd packed in so tight you could barely move, people would find a way to escape and help others in the process. If someone fell to the ground because they had been peppered sprayed or tear gassed, someone would stop and help them, often at their own peril." Read More

The City Council of Santa Cruz has applied to extend city services to the currently undeveloped UCSC Upper Campus. This is a key step in preparing this unique ecosystem for destruction under UCSC environmentally irresponsible Long Range Development Plan. The City Council's attempt to aid the University in this process is in direct contradiction to the expressed will of the people of Santa Cruz and it violates the city's existing municipal code.

On July 13, 2008, the City of Santa Cruz adopted Ordinance No. 2008-18 pertaining to expansion of water and sewer service areas. This ordinance was adopted to replace the Measure J ballot initiative which amended the City Charter and passed with an 80% vote of the electorate in 2006, but was invalidated on a technicality by a local judge after UCSC sued the City. The City promised the public to put the measure on the ballot again, but instead merely adopted it as an ordinance. This has the severe disadvantage that it can be changed at any time by any future council, unlike City Charter provisions which can only be changed by a majority vote of the people. Read More

On November 16th, over 200 people from numerous communities throughout the Monterey Bay area came out to join the 15th annual Peace and Unity March, organized to demand an end to violence. In attendance was the family of Ray Ray Cervantez, a recent victim of violence, who shared words of their sorrow and urged peace. Also in attendance was Rosa de Ramirez (mother of Tony Valdevia), Oralia Ramirez (sister of Gregorio Ramirez), Liz Ayala (sister of Oscar Garcia), and many others. The event was sponsored by the Watsonville Brown Berets, the Watsonville Peace and Unity Coalition, and the Student Empowerment project.

For the last 15 years the Watsonville Brown Berets, along with families of fallen victims and other community members, have organized the Peace and Unity March to promote unity throughout the barrios. The first march was organized in 1994 after the tragic murders of Jessica (age 9) and Jorge Cortez (age 16). Over the last 15 years, more than 80 residents of Watsonville have lost their lives to violence. Read More and View Photos

previous coverage: 2007 | 2006 | 2005

On November 17th at the Bike Church and SubRosa Infoshop in Santa Cruz, a benefit event was held for Dineh (Navajo) families at Black Mesa who are resisting forced relocation from their ancestral homeland and the expansion of devastating mining operations by Peabody Coal. Broken Rainbow is an Academy Award winning documentary that tells the story of this genocidal, industry-led displacement of over 14,000 Dineh.

In the 34 years since the Relocation Act was passed, Dineh at Black Mesa have steadfastly refused to leave their homeland, carrying on with their traditional ways. The remaining families face harassment from government officials and the steady degradation of their lands from massive strip mining operations.

A Santa Cruz contingent will be joining this year's Black Mesa Caravan. Work crews from across the US will be traveling to Black Mesa, to deliver supplies and assist with on-land projects. Read More

On November 7th, about 75 people turned out on Science Hill, the site scheduled for construction of a Biomedical Sciences Facility, to celebrate the one year anniversary of the UCSC Science Hill Tree Sit. The festivities featured speakers, spoken word, and musical performances, as well as laughter, storytelling and conversation. People also marked the occasion by sharing memories of November 7th, 2007, the day that hundreds of courageous students, staff, faculty, and community members withstood the violence of the police in order to support the tree sit. Read More and View Photos

see also: Words of a Tree Sitter | Standoff with Police as Activists Occupy Redwoods (Nov. 7, 2007) | Stop UCSC Expansion

Just a few days before the one-year anniversary of the aerial spraying for Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM) in Santa Cruz, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) released a report by the Department for Pesticide Regulations (DPR) about the results of environmental monitoring during pesticide applications in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties.

While CDFA claims that this study proves the safety of the chemicals used, environmental groups and citizen advocates say that statement is misleading and point out fundamental shortcomings of the report. Rather, they argue, the report reveals another breach of the law by CDFA as it states that considerable drift occurred during aerial spraying in 2007. The study also confirms observations made by affected residents of inconsistencies in the dosage of the pesticides, creating whole clusters of illness. Read More

see also: Birds wash up on south county shores after ‘mystery spill’ (Nov. 13, 2007 from the Sentinel) | Fraud and Deception: The CDFA LBAM Eradication Program

The brand new documentary "Terrorizing Dissent: Election Cut" will be screened on the evening of Saturday, November 8th at the Resource Center for Nonviolence. Independent media activists from Twin Cities Indymedia and other groups have released a new film which chronicles the events at the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. The documentary shows exclusive footage of the criminalization of dissent in St. Paul, interviews organizers now charged as terrorists under the Minnesota PATRIOT Act, and uncovers who ordered the violence against demonstrators.

Featuring first-person accounts and footage from more than forty cameras on the streets, "Terrorizing Dissent" focuses on the story of dissent suppressed. All donations given at the event will benefit the RNC 8 and general RNC legal support. Read More

Trailer and Press Release | TerrorizingDissent.org

SubRosa, the new community space and anarchist infoshop in Santa Cruz, will host a weekly open mic on Thursdays at 8:00pm. The event is an opportunity to connect with friends and showcase creative music, poetry, and performance. SubRosa - a community space is located at 703 Pacific Avenue in downtown Santa Cruz. Read More

SubRosa, a new community space in downtown Santa Cruz, hosted its grand opening event on November 1st. The event included an art show, spoken word, live music, food, and a first look inside this vibrant new social space.

Music poured out into the rainy night, as people cramped tightly together to share in the musical performances at the grand opening of SubRosa. The small, but cozy space was filled with a vibrant youthful crowd. Event goers snacked on piles of free bread, and coffee from reusable ceramic mugs. Artwork from local artists covered the freshly painted walls, as well as a colorful display of ‘zines, and a lending library. The set had almost everyone jumping and singing along. The space will be a home to future performances, open mics, and Free Skool workshops. Stop in for a steaming cup of coffee and check out the extensive library.

SubRosa: A Community Space is a non-profit, donation-funded space for art and radical projects run by a collective of volunteers from the Santa Cruz anarchist community. Located at 703 Pacific Avenue in downtown Santa Cruz, SubRosa is open 7 days a week, 8am-1pm and 3pm-8pm. Read More

On October 17th, Naomi Klein spoke at the Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz about her new book: The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism. In The Shock Doctrine, Naomi Klein explodes the myth that the global free market triumphed democratically. Exposing the thinking, the money trail and the puppet strings behind the world-changing crises and wars of the last four decades, The Shock Doctrine is the gripping story of how America’s “free market” policies have come to dominate the world -- through the exploitation of disaster-shocked people and countries.

Read More with Audio and Photos | Naomi Klein Speaks at Stanford

anonymous writes, "On October 18th both exterior surveillance cameras at the McDonald's on Ocean Street in Santa Cruz were stolen in a follow-up to the action in August. This time the cameras were removed and disposed of.

"McDonalds is a major sponsor of the 2010 Winter Olympics which are flooding the city of Vancouver with increased surveillance and police presence (and invading native lands that have never been surrendered with rapacious corporate development and profiteering). Our enemy has technological eyes everywhere, but that only means that it is easier to gouge them out anywhere." Read More

anonymous writes, "On the night after Columbus Day 2008 we vandalized eleven windows at the Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marine Recruiting Center in Santa Cruz County with a paint and acid mix.

"The U.S. government has always waged a war of extermination against land-based ways of life in order to impose capitalist exploitation of the earth and its peoples.

"For 516 years they and their predecessors have been met with resistance. Neither law enforcement nor the military can ever defeat our struggle." Read More