Parking Lots for Public Use! Call Off the Cops! Flyer and online petition

Another successful day last Wednesday of doing what Santa Cruzans have regularly done on Wednesday afternoons during the Farmer's Market—drum, loll about, share food, chat, talk issues—stuff that generally goes under the name “peaceful assembly”.

In addition, I set up a table and circulated the petition and fliers shown in the main article above. We got dozens of signatures. A UCSC student did some interviews for a class project. A Trash Orchestra impresario said she'd be circulating her own petition soon. And the on-line petition http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/End-the-15-minute-Trespass-law seems to be racking up the signatures.

Some audio of the afternoon can be found at http://www.radiolibre.org/brb/brb080207.mp3 –towards the end of the segment. The conclusion will be played tomorrow (Sunday February 10th) on Free Radio Santa Cruz at 10 AM (http://www.freakradio.org 101.1 FM). This second segment will be archived at http://www.radiolibre.org/brb/brb080210.mp3 a few days later.

For those interested in learning more about Officer Kline's “hit-and-leave” crunching of Jack Myreng, Jr.'s bike cart—captured in part on video at http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/01/23/18474460.php .

Myreng claims Officer Kline left after damaging his bike, that Officer Hoppe subsequently led him away from his witnesses to a lot where 8-10 police were gathered, and refused to take a “citizen's arrest” of Kline. Hoppe insisted he couldn't do that because he, Hoppe, hadn't “seen” the incident. Remind Hoppe of his new rule the next time he volunteers as an attack dog by merchants or residents on Pacific Ave. and makes a citizen's arrest of a homeless person on the street or a performer or a political activist there. Tell him, “hey you didn't see it, so you can't cite me!” Of course, that's nonsense.

Myreng also described how he and Angela were given brusque and unhelpful treatment by Sgt. MacPhillips when they gook the matter to the SCPD.

His interview has some interesting observations on being homeless in Santa Cruz. He also reports filing a claim with the City against the SCPD, which is apparently not on the next City Council agenda.

Witness Angela Flynn wrote about what she saw several weeks ago at http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/200824/18474462.php .

The drummers, empowered by community support and the presence of supporters, resumed their peaceful activity after having been harassed for three Wednesdays in late December and early January.

I encourage folks to show up to this event to provide solidarity. The Mayor Coonerty and the SCPD understand the last thing they want is more publicity and arrests around this harsh and stupid law, which can only survive in the shadows, if people fearfully agree to obey it.

Police will probably continue to harass people in the 4 parking garages and 19 other surface lots. If anyone sees this happen, I encourage them to call others over, document it, join in solidarity with those being targeted if possible, and give HUFF (Homeless United for Friendship & Freedom) a call at 831-423-4833.

For the last two Wednedays, on February 13th and February 20th, the drummers drummed without incident, folks shared food with Food Not Bombs, people socialized under the trees, and normal social life returned to Parking Lot #4 in Santa Cruz.

My thanks to the Trash Orchestra, HUFF activists, the drummers, and supportive folks from the Farmers Market nearby.

It's not clear whether Officer Auldridge or any of his fellow cops are still (llegally?--certainly unconstitutionally) gathering political files on video of folks engaging in innocent political organizing in the parking lot.

But what is clear is that a determined peaceful stand by the community was successful. The drive to retain traditional public space, restore the traditional right of public assembly, and regain rights for poor people sharing food and drummers sharing music has been successful.

Please report any police harassment episodes in other public parking lots and garages under Mayor Coonerty's Parking Lot Panic Law on indybay.org/santacruz or call HUFF at 423-HUFF.

With the rainy weather resuming this week, police harassment of people for using survival gear, sleeping at night, taking cover under awnings, and going into parking garages for cover--needs to exposed and denounced.

The Santa Cruz City Council, though passing a sympathetic resolution against LBAM-checkmate spraying, scheduled to resume in June, has done absolutely nothing to suspend the parking garage trespass law that bans homeless people from entering parking garages--something that seems a no brainer. This is something Coonerty's City Council CAN do, other than threaten or appeal to state authorities. Naturally they are doing nothing about it. Not a peep from Councilmembers Madrigal or Porter. Or, for that matter, from the local middle-class well-housed folks who have spent so many hours petitioning, assembling, and organizing against the spraying.