Alex Darocy Photography

July 12 marked the third consecutive day of protests calling for justice for Frank Alvarado, who was killed by officers with the Salinas Police Department on July 10. Frank is the fourth resident killed by Salinas police since March 20. The demonstration was held on the corner of Sanborn Rd. and Fairview Ave. in East Salinas, near where Frank was killed on July 10. In attendance were Frank's sister and niece, as well as friends and family of Carlos Mejia and Osman Hernandez, who were killed in May in separate incidents by officers with the Salinas Police Department. In the aftermath of Frank's death, Salinas police have refused to release any details about the killing. They have handed those duties, including the investigation, over to the Monterey County District Attorney's Office. On July 11, DA Flippo held a press conference and released some of the details of Frank's killing. Authorities say they were called to the home of Frank's grandfather before 5am...

Frank Alvarado was killed by Salinas Police on July 10, and very little information has been released by authorities about the circumstances of his death. On May 14, 2014, Frank spoke about prison reform in Santa Cruz at a rally where community members voiced their opposition to the Governor's May revise budget, which called for an increase in spending for jail and prison expansion. Frank spoke strongly about the importance of budgeting state money for social programs instead of prison expansion, and he shared his personal experience of incarceration, describing his release from prison in July of 2013. Frank spoke about having multiple counts/strikes on his record. He shared his strong feeling of love for his son, who he said was voted police cadet of the year in 2013 at a police department in California. "He is my champ. He is my number one little guy, and he is the smartest individual I could have ever made," he said. He described how prison destroyed their relation...

On July 3, the family and friends of Yanira Serrano-Garcia held a rosary and candlelight vigil to honor the 18-year-old on the one-month anniversary of her death. The vigil took place outside of Yanira's home at the Moonridge housing complex in Half Moon Bay, which is where she was killed by San Mateo County Sheriff's deputy Menh Trieu on June 3. An announcement for the vigil read: "Thursday, July 3rd will mark one month since the heinous shooting of our sister, daughter and dear friend Yanira Serrano-Garcia. We miss Yanira and refuse to let her memory fade. We will remember her through our struggle for Justice and to have Deputy Menh indicted for criminal murder. Her death will not go unpunished!" Yanira's brother, Tony, lead the procession through Moonridge. The rosary began in front of Yanira's memorial, which is now located on the front porch of the family's home. Yanira's grandmother, who recently traveled from her home in Mexico, looked o...

Santa Cruzans gathered once again along busy Ocean Street to greet this year's Independence Day beach tourists with the message of Peace as they drove into town. The weather was predicted to be warm and traffic was bumper to bumper as long-time anti-war activists lined the streets holding signs and greeting people. "Bill Motto" VFW Post 5888 The rally is an annual event in Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz area Veterans were in attendance representing VFW Post 5888, and they held their large "Wage Peace" banner. The Raging Grannies sang, and members of Food Not Bombs Santa Cruz held their "three lane" banner, which is so wide it spans three lanes of traffic when stretched out fully. The rally was co-sponsored by People United for Peace of SC County, SC Coalition to Bring the Troops Home Now, CodePink SC, Santa Cruz Against Drones, the Resource Center for Nonviolence, Santa Cruz Quaker Meeting, Raging Grannies SC, Women in Black SC, SC Branch of the Women...

After two and a half years of protests at La Playa Carmel, former workers who lost their jobs in 2011 continue to return to the hotel to walk the picket line and protest. Likewise, community members have consistently joined the workers to walk the picket line over the years, as have public officials and political candidates. At a rally held at the expensive, Carmel-by-the-Sea area hotel on June 20, two of those in attendance were former workers who had each been employed at La Playa for over 20 years before losing their jobs. 113 workers were laid off as a group when the hotel was sold and remodeled in 2011. After fighting for first right of refusal when re-applying, the workers received nothing from the new owner, Sam Grossman, and only two of the 113 were re-hired at the time of the La Playa's re-opening in the summer of 2012. In response, a coalition of workers, community members, politicians, activist groups, and the labor union Unite Here return to La Playa Carmel every ...