Alex Darocy Photography

During the 96 Hours of Action demonstrations at UC Santa Cruz, students marched to the campus police station for an FTP vigil on March 4. As they marched, they carried two coffins with them to symbolize those killed by police. Some also carried "Drop the Charges" signs, which referred to the criminal charges six UCSC students face in association with the Highway 17 blockade in Santa Cruz that occurred on March 3. Demonstrations during 96 Hours of Action were organized from March 2-5 to oppose tuition increases and to raise awareness about the connection between the privatization of education in California and institutionalized police violence. UC Santa Cruz police station After a rally was held at Quarry Plaza, demonstrators marched across campus to the police station. When they arrived, a group of University of California Police officers outfitted in riot gear that nearly equaled the size of their own group was deployed. As officers created an elaborate "defe...

On July 31, community members in Santa Cruz marched to the county jail as part of "Hunger for Justice," an international day of protests and events held in solidarity with the prisoners on hunger strike in state detention facilities across California since July 8. According to the organization Sin Barras, 37 prisoners in the Santa Cruz County Jail have also joined the hunger strike. "The people running the [Santa Cruz County] jail are trying to say that no one in there has been on hunger strike, when we have heard from people who have been inside that they have in fact been on hunger strike," a member of Sin Barras said.  After marching to the county jail, a noise demonstration was held to let those inside, "hear and know we are outside doing this for them," organizers said.  Women inside of the detention facility did let demonstrators know they had been heard.  One inmate was yelling out and trying to communicate with the group, saying "F...