Forest Show Helps Raise Awareness About Development of UC Santa Cruz Upper Campus

Pale Robin

Mathew of Matador

"Crickets" by Wesley

Mathew of Matador

The Gembrokers

As the sun began to set on May 4, community members and students made their way to a "secret" location north of Kresge College at UC Santa Cruz for a "Forest Show" that was organized to raise awareness about the university's planned expansion. Presently, 240 acres of upper campus forest is threatened, as is the Porter Meadow, and also the location of the evening's show. Musical acts Matador, Pale Robin, and The Gembrokers played acoustic sets around a campfire in the middle of an open portion of the mixed evergreen forest, surrounded by tall Redwoods and Douglas Fir trees.

A flier for the show announced that the event was an opportunity for people to, "connect with the land proposed to be destroyed by UCSC's Long Range Development Plan." At the height of the evening approximately 75-100 people surrounded the fire, listening to the music, and singing along at times. Nearby, a table illuminated by candles, and stocked with pamphlets, fliers, and stickers to be distributed, stood near a grove of young, second growth Redwoods. "You can't build 'sustainably' in a REDWOOD FOREST," and, "Save Upper Campus" were the titles of two of the items of literature offered. 

In addition to performing, the musicians shared stories of their personal connections to the UCSC upper campus, and Mars/Pale Robin played a song about the frustrating experiences of community members who had previously attempted to negotiate with the university when trying to protect portions of the forest on campus. The university at that time told community members that a solution to the loss of existing forest to development would be to replant new trees in other areas. This approach is not acceptable to community members who see protecting the campus from any loss of existing open space as the front line in forest defense. 


Organizers of the Forest Show stressed the importance of an upcoming decision to be made in Santa Cruz by the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) regarding the extension of water & sewer services to UCSC's upper campus. If their decision goes the way the university hopes it will, the upper campus will be placed at immediate risk for development, and locations like where the Forest Show was held will no longer exist.... 

To read more about the Forest Show, see my original article for Indybay:
Forest Show Helps Raise Awareness About Development of UC Santa Cruz Upper Campus
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/05/07/18713120.php

Breaking the Silence LGBQT Youth Rally in Santa Cruz

In downtown Santa Cruz on April 20, LGBQT community members from the Diversity Center's Youth Program and their family members and allies held a "Breaking the Silence" rally in front of the Del Mar Theatre before a showing of the film "Bully". People held signs and shared stories There was a group shout out, and many involved with the youth program wore tape x'd over their mouths to both symbolize the silencing effect of bullying on the LGBQT youth community, as well as to be an expression of solidarity with those who could not attend the rally in person for many different reasons of privacy.
During this segment of the rally, a woman talks about why some bullies might want to hurt others.


To read more and view photos from the rally, see:


Community Members "Break the Silence" at LGBQT Youth Rally in Santa Cruz
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2012/04/23/18711937.php

AIM Song Performed at San Quentin Prison ~ Occupy4Prisoners

On stage: George Galvis, J.R. Laiwa, his son Kaashun Laiwa, and Manuel La Fontaine sing the American Indian Movement (AIM) theme song at the National Occupy Day in Support of Prisoners, which was held outside of the east gate at San Quentin State Prison on February 20, 2012. Joining them onstage were several younger singers, including Mikaela Galvis, Ayacaxtli Galvis, and Talissa Gali. Morning Star Gali, who spoke just prior to the songs, can be seen as well.

Three Occupy Arrestees Confronted by Deputy Chief of Police in Santa Cruz

From the solidarity demonstration at Wells Fargo Bank (located at 74 River Street) on February 15, 2012 supporting the arrestees associated with the 75 River Street empty bank occupation:

As soon as he arrived at the peaceful sidewalk demonstration and exited the patrol vehicle, Steve Clark, a deputy chief at the Santa Cruz Police Department, immediately walked right up to Brent Adams (who has extensively video documented Occupy Santa Cruz) and threatened to add an additional criminal charge to those that he already faces (including felonies) in connection to the 75 River Street vacant bank occupation court case (the charges were announced and warrants were issued on February 7). So far 11 people have been charged in association with the December 2011 occupation, and all are charged with felonies. A good majority of the group of those charged are journalists. Another person charged in the occupation and depicted in this video is homeless advocate and journalist, Robert Norse. Deputy Chief Clark accused Norse of lies about him on his website. Norse asked him to name the lies, and Clark was not able to.

My name is Alex Darocy, and I am a photographer who has taken thousands of photos of Occupy Santa Cruz and published many. I am also one of those charged. As soon as Clark saw me videotaping him he said, "How are you, Alex. How's your warrant, did you get that taken care of?" This was presumably an implied dig, as I was one of the four people who tried to get down to court and get a court date when I first found out, but I couldn't because very shortly after the warrants were issued for all 11 people at once, the authorities arrived at my home and arrested me. The rest of the exchange with Clark went like this:

Clark - "How are you, Alex. How's your warrant, did you get that taken care of?"
Me - "Why wouldn't you give me your name that evening, I asked for your name, deputy chief, the evening of November 9th., Why wouldn't you give me your name? I gave you my name. I told you I was with the press outlet that I am with, You wouldn't give me your name, deputy chief. Is that how a deputy chief should act?"
Clark - "Yeah, yep."

Later, Clark threatened to add to my case the same additional charges that he had also threatened Brent Adams with earlier. Brent and I repeatedly ask him what the charge could possibly be, and Clark named off a new, previously unheard of (to both of us) charge.

Scott Olsen Laughs at "Whose Police?" March Chant

Scott Olsen (with the neck brace) laughs during the march to the Oakland port for the West Coast Port Shutdown when the march chant changes from, "Whose Port?" to "Whose Police?" Olsen helped carry the front banner in this march, which traveled from Oscar Grant Plaza to the port.

Brass Liberation Orchestra - West Coast Port Shutdown

The Brass Liberation Orchestra plays during the march to the port in Oakland for the West Coast Port Shutdown on December 12, 2011.

Downtown Guide Encounters - October 29, 2011

The man in the first photo was playing guitar while sitting against the bike lockers located adjacent to the metro center on Pacific Avenue in downtown Santa Cruz. When the guide (who was walking with a First Alarm security guard) approached the man she said to him, “you can’t be sitting and playing here.” The man immediately stopped playing, stood up, and moved.

In the second photo (which was taken 20 minutes after the first photo), the same hospitality guide encountered a teenage man sitting on the railing of a planter located across Pacific Avenue from the Old Theatre building, and told him, “don’t sit on the railing.” A detail from that photo shows an older woman leaning against the rail. The guide did not approach or speak to her.

From the Hospitality Program web page:

The Hospitality Guide Program’s (HGP) mission is to assist in promoting a clean, safe, and friendly atmosphere for shoppers, residents, employees and visitors. This mission is accomplished in the following ways:
Providing information and directions to shoppers, visitors and residents alike.
Providing a visible presence in the Downtown area and assisting in maintaining compliance with municipal codes by using educational outreach.

In 2009, the Santa Cruz Sentinel reported that the program’s cost was $130,000.

The faces of the subjects of these images have been blurred.

This report does not assert that either the downtown guide or the individuals spoken to were in violation of the law in any way.

I originally published these photos on Indybay on November 1, 2011.