Alex Darocy Photography

Since August of 2012, six people have died while in custody at the Santa Cruz County Jail. On January 24, community members came together for a 'Cages Kill' rally and march to raise awareness about poor medical conditions inside of the jail, as well as to discuss the broader issue of the negative effects of mass incarceration, both locally and on the State of California. The rally was organized in response to the death of 65-year-old Sharyon Gibbs, who was found dead in the jail on November 5, 2014. Marching down Pacific Avenue. On November 5, commercial news outlets reported that the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Department alerted the press to the death of Sharyon Gibbs, and sent out a notice that stated it was due to "probable natural causes." The full Sheriff's press release was never published publicly on the department's website. Follow up reports in commercial news outlets appeared in mid-December, reporting that Santa Cruz County coroners had...

On November 8, Santa Cruz Food Not Bombs shared food in solidarity with those who have been arrested this week for serving food in public in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Volunteers with Santa Cruz Food Not Bombs have been serving food continuously to the hungry and homeless at the same location, the Santa Cruz downtown post office, for several years now. An event announcement for the solidarity event stated, "No one should be arrested for helping the community. Sharing food is an unregulated act of compassion." Events have been held worldwide in support of those being arrested in Fort Lauderdale. Food Not Bombs co-founder Keith McHenry at the downtown post office in Santa Cruz. A new law that bans the sharing of food in public in Fort Lauderdale was officially approved on October 22 and went into effect on October 31. The measure requires feeding sites to be at least 500 feet away from each other, and 500 feet from residential properties. Additionally, sharing food in publ...

On August 1, Muslim, Jewish, and Christian prayers were given and activists, including children, read poetry at the Santa Cruz Town Clock to honor those who have passed or been injured in Israel/Palestine since the fighting began on July 8. The names of those killed were displayed on poster boards which required several people to hold. The names of 1270 Palestinians and 49 Israelis were on the list. Organizers of the vigil want to call attention to the culpability of the United States in the crisis for supplying Israel with $3 billion per year in military aid. They are demanding hearings in the House and Senate be held regarding Israel's violation of U.S. laws that forbid the use of U.S. supplied weapons against civilian populations. On the day of the vigil, however, the House voted nearly unanimously to send Israel an additional $225 million to fund its "Iron Dome" missile defense system. "The U.S. must instead use all of it’s international influence, includ...