On Independence Day, Santa Cruzans Demand Freedom from the Security State

Great photos.

A nice once-a-year protest.

My own "Homeless Are Being Harassed to Death" and "End the Sleeping Ban" signd were initially bemoaned by long-time Peace and Freedom activist Maureen Smith who later apologized for venting.

I noticed no one had chosen to stand on the medians of Ocean Street--something that will become illegal on July 11th under a City Council ordinance designed to criminalize panhandling (but which will take in all signs, indeed all presence on the medians other than just crossing the street). (See "Round 2--The New Anti-Homeless Ordinances Return for a Final Reading" at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2013/06/10/18738230.php).

So I walked over and spent some time there--getting lost of positive honks from passing cars (two even offered money, which I passed on to homeless folks walking by). I was joined by a few others for a time. Then an SCPD car pulled up and Officer Kendall directed me to leave the median because it was "against the law".

I advised him he was about a week too early and asked him to repeat his false statement for my tape recorder. He refused. His conversation with the activist 10' in front of me involved a modified statement: "you're hurting your own cause by being on the median. We've had complaints. Please leave." When I asked him to clarify if he felt it was "against the law" as he'd previously said, the police officer clammed up and drove off.

Not to be outdone, however, he hung a U-turn and parked his car blocking the bike lane on Ocean St. near the entrance to the County Building. He then went up to Maureen Smith's Peace and Freedom Party table and attempted to "report" me to Smith, who he apparently took to be the boss of the protest.

I left the median to tape record what I could of this encounter. When I got there, the officer was saying "so you're saying that you're finding Mr. Norse is disrupting your protest and you'd like him removed". Smith looked a little baffled and flummoxed (perhaps by the arrival of the tape recorder as well), and sputtered "no, he has rights; he's not a part of our group." "I'm just responding to complaints," noted the helpful officer. "He doesn't help your cause" noted Kendall. The officer didn't stay to clarify who had complained. None of the cars passing had been hostile and many had engaged in friendly dialogue.

Kendall strode off as I again requested he not misinform people prematurely about the law.

I played some of this interchange on Free Radio (archived at http://www.radiolibre.org/brb/brb130707.mp3 (approx 3 hours into the audio file).

Few joined me again when I returned to the median, and a woman named Nancy went out of her way to berate me for "putting my own ego over the interests of the protest."

I'd thought the protest was all about retaining and asserting rights like the right to hold up a sign on the median--which will be removed tomorrow thanks to the Bryant Council.

Two days later at a Town Clock protest, half a dozen protesters joined me in retaking the median. (See https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2013/06/28/18739073.php ) However we'll see if this boldness continues when it becomes officially forbidden tomorrow.

If Bush were still in office, which it feels like he is, Im sure there'd be plenty of blame for Republicans having elected an anti-whistle-blower war-monger, and rightly so.

But when these crimes occur under a Democrat's watch, oh, well, let's just not involve the president. Wouldn't want to tarnish his party's 2016 campaign.

So, Democrat voters, how's your leak-crushing bomb-dropping Hope And Change savior working out for ya?

We tried to warn you this would happen. We tried to offer you 3rd party alternatives. But you only wanted to preach your self-fulfilling prophecy that 3rd parties can't win (because you won't be the change you want to see and start voting for them.)

Golf clap, democrats. Golf clap.