We are very pleased to announce that the Santa Cruz Independent Media Center's website will now be regionally integrated with Indybay.org, the website of the San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center. The new website address for Santa Cruz Indymedia is Indybay.org/SantaCruz.

Together, as media activists in Central and Northern California and throughout the world, we will use the tactic of Indymedia to share news and information from within the struggles for a world based on freedom, cooperation, justice and solidarity, and against environmental degradation, neoliberal exploitation, racism and patriarchy.

All the reporters, photographers, sound recorders, videographers, organizers and activists who contribute to SC-IMC's open-publishing newswire are the heart and soul of Santa Cruz Indymedia.

Read more about Santa Cruz IMC's Regional Integration with Indybay.org || Lee más sobre Santa Cruz CMI que se esta Integrando con Indybay.org

the policeman spies
while the council does nothing
a winter leaf falls in the breeze

There was a motion before the city council proposed by councilmember Tony Madrigal to request an independent investigation into police spying. The council perhaps signalled it's intentions by placing the motion on the afternoon agenda of their regularly scheduled Tuesday meeting, rather than the more well-attended evening agenda.

There were a good many public speakers raising issues with the police internal audit and calling for the independent investigation. Additionally, people called for full disclosure of any past spying and for a strong binding ordinance limiting police powers to monitor political and community groups.

The public records contain emails that show that most everyone in the police department management from Chief Howard Skerry to Deputy Chief Kevin Vogel on down to Lt. Rudy Escalante knew about the undercover officers. Additionally, there were communications to and from high-level police from the city manager's office, the downtown development association, and even Mayor Cynthia Mathews herself.

In short, the council voted again to do nothing and trust the police to police themselves. But we will not let up pressure until citizens can express their free speech and free assembly rights without fear that a cop is lurking in their midst.

Audio: FSRN: SCPD Spying Update

Photos: Santa Cruzans Speak Out Against Police Infiltration and for an Independent Investigation

previous coverage: "Just Us" Action Against SCPD Spying || Police Infiltrate Peaceful Parade Organizers

January 19. 2006 - At approximately 12PM, hundreds of custodians (and their student supporters) at UC Santa Cruz skipped lunch to demand just wages.

The workers, part of the union AFSCME, recently found out that custodians at nearby colleges receive 14-30% more than they do, for the same (or less) work. Far from being a living wage, many UCSC custodians are working two/three jobs to make ends meet. This is at the same time that the UC system has raised student fees almost 80% over the past few years, and have given almost a billion dollars of executive perks for top UC employees, approximately the same amount of money as the student fee increases. Recently, Denice Denton, UCSC's Chancellor, claimed that Robert Dynes, the UC President, should be given an even higher salary. Dynes already makes more than $400,000 a year.

Meanwhile, the UC claims they have no money for the lowest-paid workers, academic programs, student initiated outreach and retention, and scores of other programs. It appears that there is not a lack of money, but a lack of decent priorities - not a budget crisis but a moral crisis.

The spirited rally, organized by AFSCME, with the support of the Student and Worker Coalition for Justice (SWCJ), is the continuation of a hard-fought struggle for the dignity of UCSC's lowest paid workers.

On January 17th, members of the Working Alliance for a Just Economy held a press conference to kick off the campaign to raise the minimum wage in the city of Santa Cruz. Campaigners will circulate petitions to city voters to place the initiative on the ballot to be voted on in November.

Speakers were introduced by MC David Sweet, board member of the Community Action Board, a non-profit organization working to abate poverty and its impact in the County of Santa Cruz.

Speakers included: Tim Fitzmaurice, John Briley, Emily Riley, Julian Posadas, Sharlene Cece, and Tony Madrigal. Tony repeats his comments in Spanish after his english comments.

Audio: Download the mp3 (14:42 minutes / 6.7 MB)

For more info or to get involved call Nora at 359 0952.

01/10/06 - Around 100 Santa Cruzans showed up at the City Council today to demand a denouncement and investigation into the Santa Cruz Police Department's infiltration of a local group's organizing meetings.

Far from being limited to the individuals that were spied on, protesters included former mayors, the ACLU, artists, peaceniks, high school students, UCSC Students Against War members that were recently spied on by the Pentagon, and a local man who fled fascist Czechoslovakia.

Audio: Mayor Cynthia Matthews on SCPD Spying || FSRN: Irate Citizens Denounce SCPD Surveillance of Last Night Meetings

From the "Just Us" Campaign and Rally announcement:

"The Santa Cruz Police Department was discovered infiltrating and conducting undercover surveillance of two of the meetings of the organizers of the Last Night DIY Parade, which was a totally peaceful, positive, and creative event in downtown Santa Cruz on New Years Eve!!..."

"This event was organized by 'just us' - 'just us' the people who live here, work here, and try to create positive and peaceful change - if this group can be spied on, so can any of the rest of our groups."

John Malkin interviews Chris Hannah of Propagandhi on location at their Vet's Hall performance on 11-30-05 in downtown Santa Cruz.

Propagandhi is a progressive punk rock/thrash band formed in Winnipeg, Canada in 1992 by Chris Hannah, Jord Samolesky and John K. Samson.

Featuring noticable political involvement especially taking on ignored topics and standing up against human rights violations, the band's political attitude includes anti-racism, anti-imperialism, anti-fascism, anarchism and anti-capitalism. Moral and ethical attitudes include pacifism and veganism.

Audio: Download the Interview (mp3) (50:12 minutes / 46 MB)

Tune in to The Great Leap Forward every Wednesday at 7pm on Free Radio Santa Cruz 101fm.

California is speeding up executions. Clarence Ray Allen is next.

Clarence Allen is currently 75 years old and will turn 76 one day before his scheduled execution. He is very infirm, has suffered from a heart attack and diabetes and uses a wheelchair. He will be forced to walk the final few feet to the death chamber at San Quentin.

The prosecution's case rests primarily on the testimony of some of the accomplices involved in the second crime. They have all since stated at one time or another that they lied at Mr. Allen's 2nd trial. That, plus the fact that Mr. Allen is an American Indian has some very concerned that his execution is unjust. Others simply say that while there is no excuse for how the victims died, the death penalty is wrong and Mr. Allen should be given Clemency. Governor Schwarzenegger has refused to hold any kind of Clemency hearing for Mr. Allen. [ Who is Clarence Ray Allen? (.pdf) ]

There is a rally planned in San Francisco for Thursday, January 12. There is also going to be a rally at San Quentin on Monday, January 16, night of the execution. [ Fyler (.pdf) ] It is also quite likely that there will be a Death Penalty Focus vigil at the town clock in downtown Santa Cruz on the night of the execution.

Audio: Rockin' the Boat: CA Revs Up Death Chamber as Support for Capital Punishment Declines || FSRN: California Considering Death Penalty Moratorium

Indybay Coverage: Governor Says No Clemency Hearing for Clarence Ray Allen

On Saturday, December 31, 2005, thousands of people celebrated the new year with a Do-It-Yourself Last Night Santa Cruz parade. Hundreds of ordinary folks, freaks, clowns, fire dancers, samba drummers, punks, pirates, artists, zombies, marching bands, moms, dads, kids, trash musicians, art cars, bikers and boaters began to gather at the Saturn Cafe parking lot at 5pm. After a bunch of drumming, juggling and poi dancing in the parking lot, the parade went up Pacific Ave and ended at the intersection of Pacific Ave, Front St and Mission St.

Police barricades were in place to discourage people from crossing Mission St. The Town Clock and the Veterans War Memorial eagle statue were completely fenced off. A large drum circle backed by the Santa Cruz Trash Orchestra provided music in the street and then on the corner by the Post Office.

The parade was very high in energy. You could almost taste playa dust in the air. For a few hours, Pacific Ave had a bit of the look and feel of an evening in Black Rock City. [Read more with photos]

Photos: PIX: "Last Night" DIY Parade on Pacific Ave

see also: A Letter to the Community About Last Night

see related: Police Infiltrate Peaceful Parade Organizers || An open letter to the Santa Cruz City Council in protest of police infiltration: || Police Infiltration of Parade Politically Motivated

Undercover Officers Spying on Grassroots Santa Cruz New Year's Parade Meetings

Santa Cruz, CA, December 31st, 2005: As the nation reels from fresh revelations about domestic spying, local law enforcement agencies are caught infiltrating local groups. Undercover officers from the Santa Cruz Police Department have been spying on peaceful parade organizers since September of this year. Two plainclothes officers attended small organizing meetings held in private homes, giving false names, phone numbers, and email addresses to hide their identity while they monitored meetings and profiled organizers.

The officers participated in meetings, asked questions and even made suggestions. "In no way did they indicate that they were police. They came off as just a couple of local surfer dudes," said Rico Thunder, one of the people who came together to help plan the parade.

The infiltrated group was organizing the Last Night Santa Cruz Parade and Celebration, a people’s parade, a do-it-yourself celebration that goes beyond the city-sponsored First Night event, canceled this year due to money problems. The Last Night website (lastnightdiy.org) states: “Last Night is a completely organic event, organized and put on at a grassroots-level. No city-sponsorship. No corporate donors. It’s a do-it-yourself parade and celebration. We make it happen together.�

"Since 9/11, we've created a culture in which security is more important than liberty." said Thunder. "The NSA is tapping your phone calls and email. The Pentagon is infiltrating your peace march. Actions at the federal level have a trickle down effect that has emboldened local law enforcement. When the president says 'Safety at any cost,' local cops take that to heart." [Read more]

see also: An open letter to the Santa Cruz City Council in protest of police infiltration: || Police Infiltration of Parade Politically Motivated

LastNight comments: Our sources within the department say City Manager Richard Wilson and Deputy Chief of Police Kevin Vogel are the persons most responsible. The city council has little say in day to day operations of this kind. Make your demands to the city council that the city manager and the police chief be held accountable.

We need to go to law school. Seriously. As activists, we are absolutely dependent on an industry of law that we know very little about and have very little influence in. Prison is serious stuff and to have so little available help within our own ranks is not acceptable or safe. Our friends and lovers are shuffled around in a system that leaves them wondering what they were actually charged with and/or convicted of and what exactly the evidence against them was. Our family are left in utter darkness about procedures and are reduced to begging for legal information from attorneys paid $200 an hour. I seriously believe we need more activist attorneys. NOW. [read more]

see also: The Environmentalist Witch Hunt 2005 || Support for Political Prisoners

No one is free when others are oppressed...

A movement that doesn't support it's political internees is a movement destined to fail.