ACLU of Santa Cruz County, CA

We're now setting up our Annual Santa Cruz Chapter Meeting for Wednesday, November 12, 2008. We intend to make the "business meeting" short (report on the past year's activities, plans for the next, elect a new board and such) and spend most of the time learning about the innovative juvenile detention system in Santa Cruz County.

A UCSC Rally was held at Bay Tree Bookstore in May 2008 in support of immigration reform and against ICE raids. ACLU Board member Mike Rotkin spoke at the rally as a representative from the ACLU and the Santa Cruz City Council about Constitutional rights and immigrants. There were about 200 students present.

The Inside Out Writing Project has set up a weeklong event entitled Prison Industrial Complex Awareness Week. ACLU-Santa Cruz Chapter has signed on as a sponsor of this event. Throughout the week of May 19^th through May 24^th events will take place on the UCSC campus with the following goals in mind:

Save the Date: Thursday, April 17, 2008. Our local chapter is currently planning a panel discussion on current issues regarding privacy, featuring Nicole Ozer, the Technology and Civil Liberties Policy Director for the ACLU of Northern California. Look for futher details in the Event Announcements. (Click here to read more about the event. ) Hold a place on your calendar for what promises to be a fascinating discussion of privacy rights in the new era of electronic communications.

Hold a place on your calendar on Thursday, April 17, for what promises to be a fascinating discussion of privacy rights in the new era of electronic communications.

Since at least 2005 there has been an alarming amount of instances in which a combination of UCSC, Santa Cruz, and other police forces have used physical force against students and other protesters on campus. A variety of methods have been used and most have been documented by photos and videos, some of which have been linked to below. More recently, the tree-sitters and their supporters protesting the Long Range Development have been subjected to violent scenes that may inhibit their right to free speech and assembly. This includes arresting individuals who attempt to pass food up to the tree-sitters. Anti-trespassing and camping laws have been cited as cause to keep the peace.

Is this necessary?

Related YouTube videos:
    KSBW story on Novemeber LRDP protest and tree sitters.

2005 Tent University Protest (student video)
 

"Voices From the Village", a television program on the local Santa Cruz Community Television channel recently featured a round table discussion of what has been referred to by some activists as the "Sleeping Ban," in reference to 6.36.010c and 6.36.010b. These and other local laws make intent to sleep or camp in a public area not intended for these kinds of activity a crime. Civil rights attorney Kate Wells, vice mayor Ryan Coonerty, and ACLU-SC board member Don Zimmerman participated in the debate.

You can watch streaming video of the program online at the Santa Cruz Indybay (Independent Media Center) website.