Last Rights Parade and Protest

Join us for a sorrowful funeral parade for our first amendment rights and right to privacy. A protest against the city's failure to resolve the Police Spying Scandal. A demand that city managers muzzle their dogs and put restrictions on police power to spy on us. A funeral, a parade, and direct action.

With the Santa Cruz Trash Orchestra and assorted funeral procession musicians.

On July 5th, the new SCPD policy on police spying goes into effect. Under the new rules, even if you are engaged in constitutionally protected first amendment activities, Santa Cruz police will still be able to videotape you inside or outside of your home, audio record you, listen to your phone calls, look at the mail you are receiving, read your email, make notes about your organization, tail you, monitor your website, subscribe to your email lists, and examine your membership lists.

The city has fallen down on its promise to pass a policy providing protections for our first amendment rights. They resisted. They were dragged kicking and screaming to the issue. They stonewalled. They sidelined the ACLU. They lied. Then they told us they'd done their job and that everything was okay.

Working within the system is not working.

Nothing less than our First Amendment rights to free expression and right to privacy are at risk here. We will never accept police spying on our political and community groups and activities.

Wear black. Bring signs. Bring an instrument, drum, or resonant piece of refuse.

Press Conference at 2:00pm. Police Station Courtyard.