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Occupy Santa Cruz Celebrates Past Successes with TENT MOB at Court House
Community members involved with Occupy Santa Cruz returned to the court house steps with tents and other structure building equipment for a "tent mob" celebration on May 25. The event was planned in solidarity with Adbusters' May 18 "Laugh Riots", and the mood was geared more towards fun than a serious occupation.
The celebration began when a group of community members displayed bamboo poles that were similar to those used in the building of the giant tee pee that was the centerpiece of the Occupy Santa Cruz camp, which was located in the benchlands of San Lorenzo Park last fall. In ritual-like movement, they held the poles straight up and walked around the court house plaza on Water Street. The culmination of the display occurred when the poles were touched together for a moment to form a symbolic tee pee.
The bamboo poles were then tied together to create impromptu structures, and store bought tents were also set up. The structures were clearly not built to be inhabited, but more to test the idea of what law enforcement officers would allow to be placed on the court's "property", which also serves as the general assembly location for Occupy Santa Cruz, and is a space that has been occupied on and off in variety of manners since last fall.
Santa Cruz County Sheriff's deputies were on scene at the celebration's start time of 4pm, and they warned those in attendance that no structures of any kind would be allowed to be built in the area of the court house. The deputies left and returned at 7pm, insisting then that everything be removed, and community members complied quickly with that request.
From the TENT MOB event announcement:
"In celebration of our highly successful past tent camp community and courthouse steps Occudome Plaza, we will again be erecting tents.
We will show up on Friday May 25 at 4 pm and begin erecting our tent village. We will play music, dance and have fun with each other. The drive-time traffic will take note of our new Occupy Village.
The first definition of the term "occupy" in Webster's dictionary is "to engage the attention or energies of,"
Then... we will take our tents down.
We may not be able to stage a long term camp but we can hold it for a couple of hours "hit n' run" guerrilla style."
For more information about Occupy Santa Cruz, see:
http://occupysantacruz.org/
For more information about Adbusters' "Laugh Riots"
http://www.adbusters.org/blogs/adbusters-blog/may-18-laughriot-chicago.html
Alex Darocy
http://alexdarocy.blogspot.com/
The bamboo poles were then tied together to create impromptu structures, and store bought tents were also set up. The structures were clearly not built to be inhabited, but more to test the idea of what law enforcement officers would allow to be placed on the court's "property", which also serves as the general assembly location for Occupy Santa Cruz, and is a space that has been occupied on and off in variety of manners since last fall.
Santa Cruz County Sheriff's deputies were on scene at the celebration's start time of 4pm, and they warned those in attendance that no structures of any kind would be allowed to be built in the area of the court house. The deputies left and returned at 7pm, insisting then that everything be removed, and community members complied quickly with that request.
From the TENT MOB event announcement:
"In celebration of our highly successful past tent camp community and courthouse steps Occudome Plaza, we will again be erecting tents.
We will show up on Friday May 25 at 4 pm and begin erecting our tent village. We will play music, dance and have fun with each other. The drive-time traffic will take note of our new Occupy Village.
The first definition of the term "occupy" in Webster's dictionary is "to engage the attention or energies of,"
Then... we will take our tents down.
We may not be able to stage a long term camp but we can hold it for a couple of hours "hit n' run" guerrilla style."
For more information about Occupy Santa Cruz, see:
http://occupysantacruz.org/
For more information about Adbusters' "Laugh Riots"
http://www.adbusters.org/blogs/adbusters-blog/may-18-laughriot-chicago.html
Alex Darocy
http://alexdarocy.blogspot.com/
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Sometimes even though an awesome action has happened and was successful it seems that it hasn't completely happened until photos are posted to indybay.
Thank you immensely to renowned photographer/journalist Alex Darocy for these photos.
It happened.i
Thank you immensely to renowned photographer/journalist Alex Darocy for these photos.
It happened.i
Not to mention that this photographer has recently been dragged through the courts for his photos of an earlier protest! Snap on, Alex!
"The deputies left and returned at 7pm, insisting then that everything be removed, and community members complied quickly with that request."
Did the deputies say why?
The law the County Of Santa Cruz California uses to chill speech (602(o), unless they are too embarrassed to even mention it in court, yet again) supposedly protects citizens from that very Police Misconduct.
For more information:
http://peacecamp2010insider.blogspot.com/
To G,
There is a 7am - 7pm use time that had been posted several months ago for the areas around the court buildings.
Prior to that the deputies had warned one individual that any "structure" set up would earn the builder of the structure the notorious
"lodging" ticket which has sent several into lengthy court battles with the county despite that it finds it's legal basis from an ancient racist, post-civil war era california
law forbidding unpropertied settlers to reside on any state land without permission.
There is a 7am - 7pm use time that had been posted several months ago for the areas around the court buildings.
Prior to that the deputies had warned one individual that any "structure" set up would earn the builder of the structure the notorious
"lodging" ticket which has sent several into lengthy court battles with the county despite that it finds it's legal basis from an ancient racist, post-civil war era california
law forbidding unpropertied settlers to reside on any state land without permission.
We did have fun with each other, but there was no dancing. I want to be part of the revolution, so, next time, Dance Music!
To brentugly,
You may not be aware of exactly how aware I am of the Santa Cruz Courthouse and the chronic bureaucratic takings occurring there. :)
You may not be aware of exactly how aware I am of the Santa Cruz Courthouse and the chronic bureaucratic takings occurring there. :)
For more information:
http://peacecamp2010insider.blogspot.com/
I totally agree with the sentiment behind the signage. Th eggreigious upholding of the 0.1%'s right to own 75% of every a$$et in the united $tate$ is what is at stake here. What about the 99% fair deal, the national political $tage better wake-up!!! It's not about how much funding i$ involved it's about basic, decent,civil liberties, and what's wrong with that, huh?
This TENT MOB was a brilliant idea. I wonder if the sheriff's deputies ever scratch themselves and think how stupid they look video recording these OSC events. I would feel foolish in their position. How can they take themselves seriously?
John, do you ever wonder if Robert Norse feels silly for audio recording everything for use later? Do you wonder if Alex Darocy feels silly taking pictures for later use? It's okay for them to "capture the moment" for their purposes, but not okay for law enforcement?
Double standard much?
Double standard much?
Is Darcy really asking if taking pictures a real job of cops when he's in the same snapshot situation? Freaking priceless. PRICEless.
At the GA on Weds., we discussed future actions, perhaps every "Furlough Friday," once a month, or whatever. There was a sense that all of us should work on this to make the events bigger and bolder.
Much love to Brent for initiating the project.
Much love to Brent for initiating the project.
I guess some posters gravitate lovingly to police photography--and don't mind paying for it, even when it's intended to chill protests. Kind of a strange attraction to the para-military apparel and organization, perhaps?
Still, I find the activity of media photographers (even coopted or collusive ones like the Sentinel's) to be of far greater benefit to the community than the active conspiracy against civil rights systematically and almost mechanically undertaken by police agencies with growing frequency.
Police photos are locked in political files for the use of right-wing authorities intent on crushing public outrage. Community photographers seek to inform and encourage the community.
Everyone has their druthers, I guess.
Thanks to Brent and the other Tent Mobsters.
Still, I find the activity of media photographers (even coopted or collusive ones like the Sentinel's) to be of far greater benefit to the community than the active conspiracy against civil rights systematically and almost mechanically undertaken by police agencies with growing frequency.
Police photos are locked in political files for the use of right-wing authorities intent on crushing public outrage. Community photographers seek to inform and encourage the community.
Everyone has their druthers, I guess.
Thanks to Brent and the other Tent Mobsters.
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