Alex Darocy Photography

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...

In Mexico and Central America, a tianguis is traditionally thought of as an open air market where merchandise is sold. The word tianguis is derived from the Aztec language, and the cultural tradition has been practiced by Indigenous peoples since before colonial contact. To create a space where community organizing skills can be shared, the concept of a "community action" tianguis was created by individuals in the Mayfair community of San José. The first such Community Action Tianguis was held at Lee Mathson Middle School (MIT) on November 15, and featured participation from a wide range of organizations working in the areas of health, education, labor, food safety, immigration, and legal defense. Students involved with San Jose R.A.D. speak. Visually, the Community Action Tianguis held at MIT resembled a traditional tianguis, however no merchandise was sold. Instead, individuals representing community organizations spoke, tabled and shared information, and a variety...

Dr. Cornel West spoke at the student occupation of the Humanities and Social Sciences building at the University of California Santa Cruz on November 20. Students occupied the building earlier in the day and plan to stay inside until the UC Regents roll back the tuition increases they approved this week. Student fees across the University of California system will raise by at least 5% a year for the next five years if the plan is instituted.

On November 20, students at UC Santa Cruz began an occupation of the Humanities and Social Sciences building. Hundreds of students participated in the march to the building, and an announcement was made that they plan to occupy it until tuition is rolled back. The UC Regents voted this week to approve a tuition increase plan that will raise student fees across the University of California system by at least 5% a year for the next five years. Students begin the occupation of the Humanities and Social Sciences building. Students first gathered at Quarry Plaza for a short rally in the rain. After the rally, the group marched through Classroom Unit 2, and around campus briefly, until they arrived at the Humanities building. After another short rally, they made their way to the top floor, asked administrators to leave, and began the occupation. The UCSC students are in Solidarity with students at UC Berkeley who are currently occupying Wheeler Hall on that campus and have vowed t...