Alex Darocy Photography

On August 31, community members in Santa Cruz gathered on Ocean Street as part of a series of nationwide emergency demonstrations against U.S. military involvement in Syria called for by the Answer Coalition. Expressions of disbelief and skepticism were common among those present at the demonstration regarding reports of the use of chemical weapons in Syria, and multiple individuals held Answer Coalition picket signs that stated, "War Against Syria: Built on A Lie." Anti-war protesters in Santa Cruz where encouraged by drivers honking on their way to the beach on the busy tourist route of Ocean Street. Demonstrators compare the situation in Syria to that of Iraq ten years ago, and the sentiment by demonstrators is that the war in the Middle East is a long-term, ongoing conflict that some called an "endless war." Individuals say the war has continuously shifted from country to country in the region over the course of decades. The Answer coalition has st...

Two members of the 'Walmart 60' recently picketed the Salinas Walmart store. They and their supporters continue to ask that the members of Wallmart's Board of Directors reinstate the more than 60 workers, known as the Walmart 60, who were fired after protesting working conditions at the retail giant. They want the public to know that the vast majority of Walmart workers aren't paid enough to afford basic health care, to pay for rent and utilities, or to keep food on the table, yet the Walton family who controls the retail chain has more wealth than the bottom 42% of Americans combined. There have been a number of recent events protesting working conditions at Walmarts in the greater Bay Area, and they have all been leading up to a large march in San Francisco on September 5 as part of a national day of action in support of the striking workers who lost their jobs. Walmart's poor treatment of its Associates was put into context when it was revealed in a recent ...

On Tuesday, Commander X (also known as Chris Doyon), announced he has "permanently and completely" retired from cyber-activism, which includes all activities in the Peoples Liberation Front and Anonymous. "I have removed my mask from the wall of my office. I am an Anon no longer," Doyon said in an August 27 "farewell" statement in which he cited exhaustion as the reason. Commander X on the first night of the occupation during Occupy Santa Cruz, October 6, 2013. In Santa Cruz, "X" was well know for his participation in PeaceCamp2010 and Occupy Santa Cruz, where on October 6, 2011 he was the first person to set up bedding and lie down on the first night of sleep in San Lorenzo Park. He became a mentor figure to activists during the two month occupation, and he shared his knowledge about a wide range of contemporary actions with many. In February of 2012 Doyon released a statement saying he had left the United States to escape the federal char...