Drum Circle Defense: Drum-De-Dum-Dum at Parking Lot #4 This Wednesday

The Drum Circle is a traditional weekly event that's been going on for more than fifteen years. In late August and early September police began harassing, warning, scaring and "persuading" away drummers and their audience. On 9-3 Sgt. Harms and his two armed companions succeeded in driving away the Drum Circle for the afternoon.

Police made special use of the new "Parking Lot Panic" Law, passed by Mayor Coonerty making any public assemblies in all 10 downtown city parking lots and garages a $100+ crime.

The next Wednesday, and each Wednesday since, green mesh fencing has been put up each Wednesday morning around the three groups of trees under which people traditionally, sit, socialize, drum, and eat. The community has regularly torn them down and restored the Public Assembly space each week.

Participants in this struggle to restore public space have been the Trash Orchestra, Food Not Bombs, HUFF, SAFE, food caterer Joe Schultz, chalk artist Whitney Wilde, the Raging Grannies, Santa Cruz Indymedia, and dozens of others came together to support the right to assemble in this traditionally public space.

The latest update on the situation can be found at:
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/10/07/18543334.php

Since then, the SCPD has not replied to my e-mail requesting Public Records. At least three Santa Cruz City Council candidates have apparently come out in favor of restoring the public space there (Kenyatta, Canada, and Cabrera).

Smaller drum circles led by Suzanne and others have continued downtown with some police harassment in front of New Leaf during the week. SAFE (Society for Artistic Freedom and Expression/Streetperformers Against Foolish Enforcement) continues to show up Tuesday nights near the chained off area of the sidewalk in front of New Leaf.

There have been no new charges leveled against Public Space defenders Jack Russ (who still faces a resisting arrest charge), Wes Modes (injured, jailed, heavily charged, then released without charges), and Crow (charged with petty theft for trying to reportedly trying to remove and recycle the green mesh fencing torn down by others lying in the street).

Wes now believes the D.A. is going to hold potential "resisting arrest" charges over his head for the next eleven months to deter him from filing a civil lawsuit for damages--as he says he was struck with a baton while in custody.

For the community, the question remains the same: Will the police and other city agencies continue to provoke the community by trying to fence off the traditionally public area used for the Wednesday festivities? If so, will folks continue to risk harassment and arrest by removing the public nuisance fencing?

Come down at 3:30 PM to support open public space, traditional first amendment-protected activity, and the reclaiming of one of the few regular gatherings poor and homeless people have in Santa Cruz.

Soupslinger Joe Schultz may be there as well giving out tasty dollops of healthful broth.

Audio interviews from last Wednesday as well as a "flashback" to a 2001 crackdown on the Drum Circle can be heard at http://www.radiolibre.org/brb/brb081009.mp3 and http://www.radiolibre.org/brb/brb081012.mp3 respectively.