Alex Darocy Photography

On December 13, community members in Santa Cruz joined people across the country for a national day of protest against police violence. The focus of the protests have primarily been on the police killings of three black individuals, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Tamir Rice, which all came to national attention in 2014. After a rally at the Town Clock, demonstrators marched down Pacific Avenue to the corner of Cooper Street where a die in was held for 4 1/2 minutes, which represented the 4 1/2 hours that Michael Brown's body lay dead in the street after he was killed by Ferguson, MO police officer Darren Wilson in August. Pacific Avenue As people laid down on Pacific Avenue, a large crowd formed, speakers were heard, and traffic was stopped. Demonstrators also stopped traffic during a short rally at the corner of Pacific and Soquel Avenue, and then again on Ocean Street in front of the Resource Center for Nonviolence (RCNV), which was the ultimate destination of the march...

On November 24, the evening of the St. Louis County Grand Jury's announcement that they would not be recommending the indictment of police officer Darren Wilson for the killing of Michael Brown, a march and rally was held in Santa Cruz in solidarity with the people of Ferguson. On November 25, a second march and demonstration was held in Santa Cruz, and activists have also been considering the possibility of beginning an occupation locally in solidarity with the people of Ferguson. A meeting is planned for December 10 where they will publicly discuss their options. Marching down Pacific Avenue for Mike Brown on November 24. Witnesses of the August 9 killing report that Michael Brown, an 18-year-old black man, was unarmed and attempting, with his hands up, to surrender to Wilson. Activists across the world planned demonstrations to coincide with the Grand Jury's decision about the case, regardless of the outcome. An announcement for the November 24 march in Santa Cruz re...

On November 25, a wide variety of community members in Santa Cruz came together at the Town Clock, and eventually marched to the Santa Cruz Police Department, in response to the announcement in Missouri the day before that the grand jury investigating the killing of Michael Brown had concluded there was "no probable cause" for an arrest or indictment of Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. Wilson shot and killed Brown on August 9 in Ferguson, MO. in broad daylight. Numerous witnesses reported Brown was unarmed and holding his hands up while attempting to surrender to Wilson. At the Santa Cruz Town Clock, individuals passed out flowers and candles, and a rally with speakers was held. It was announced that afterward the Resource Center for Nonviolence (RCNV) would be open and hosting a community dialog to discuss the grand jury's decision. After the speeches at the rally concluded, some participating in the event organized a march down Pacific Avenue, which event...