Community Blanket Sit-In

Import event into your personal calendar

Date:

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Time:

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Event Type:

Protest

Organizer/Author:

Phil Posner

Email:

chatrabbi [at] aol.com

Phone:

831-713-6730

Location Details:

On the sidewalk in front of Forever Twenty One on Pacific Avenue near Soquel in downtown Santa Cruz

Join us October 24th - the day the Santa Cruz City Council's new draconian downtown ordinance "restricting artists, musicians and Petitioners'" freedom of expression is to take effect. The Ordinance not only restricts display space, it even bans blankets on which artists may display their wares and maintains the rule that artists and musicians must move to a new location after one hour.

Bring a blanket and a piece of jewelry or a favorite musical instrument.

As Councilman Don Lane, who with Micah Posner voted against the ordinance, pointed out a 6-foot-long table, even a smaller card table with two chairs, or a three-member music combo would all "... violate the new standards." Further, As Councilman Posner stated, these rules are "literally a curtailment of freedom of speech" and difficult to regulate (and enforce) without a measuring tape, T-square or other tools."

If you agree that individuals seeking to share their sidewalk musical or artistic talents have the same right to freedom of expression as brick and mortar merchants join us in solidarity - in opposition to rules that are arbitrary and oppressive; whose intent seems to be an attempt to whip clean artistic, musical creativity and freedom of expression from our downtown streets.

Join our peaceful, non-violent protest.

Sincerely: Committee for Fairness & Equal Opportunity for Artisans and Musicians. 831-426-1319 and HUFF - Homeless United for Freedom & Friendship 831-423-4833

For more information: http://www.huffsantacruz.org

Added to the calendar on Tue, Oct 22, 2013 1:29AM

§Flier

by Robert Norse

Tue, Oct 22, 2013 3:36PM

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§Text of the Flier

by Robert Norse

Tue, Oct 22, 2013 3:37PM

On October 24, Santa Cruz's Downtown Ordinances will:

+++ FORBID PERFORMANCE, TABLING, ART DISPLAY, VENDING, SITTING, AND SPARECHANGING on 95% of downtown sidewalks & 100% of sidewalks near buildings elsewhere.
+++ FORCE ALL SUCH ACTIVITY TO THE CURB creating conflict with arriving motorists, unhealthy space for street performers, & essentially drive out vibrant street life.
+++ LIMIT IT to constricted 12 square feet (3.5' X 3.5') spaces (3 of the sidewalk squares).
+++ LIMIT IT to 1 hour per day in any of the few limited spots per block.
+++ REQUIRE EXTRA 12' SEPARATION SPACES between all vendors, performers, artists, tablers.
+++ REQUIRE DAYS OF LEAD TIME AND SPECIAL PERMITS for exceptions to these rules.
+++ GIVE STAFF & POLICE A VETO over who uses the public sidewalk & where.
+++ SET UP HUGE UNNEEDED “WALK THROUGH ONLY” ZONES within 14' of buildings, street corners, intersections, kiosks, drinking fountains, public telephones, public benches, public trash containers, directory signs, sculptures or artwork, ATM-style machines, outside street cafes, vending carts, & fences.
+++ EMPOWER POLICE AND HOSTILE MERCHANTS to write $200-400 citations for traditionally innocent street presence, prescribing up to $1000 fines & 1 year jail for 2nd “offense”.
+++ INCREASE VISIBLE POLICE SQUAD PRESENCE to pressure, cite, and/or arrest violators.
+++ SELECTIVELY TARGET MINORITIES, HOMELESS PEOPLE, & POOR FOLKS who don't “fit in” with the Downtown Association's vision of a proper “safe” Santa Cruz.
+++ BAN BOUNCING A BALL, throwing a Frisbee, or hackeysacking downtown.
+++ BAN USING ERASIBLE CHALK whether for art, political messages, or...hopscotch for kids.
+++ BAN SPREADING OUT A BLANKET OR TARP if construed as a “display device”.
+++ BAN SITTING DOWN ON THE LIP OF A CEMENT BERM around the trees.
+++ BAN SITTING NEXT TO A BUILDING even if closed or vacant & blocks noone.
+++ FALSELY LABEL AS “SAFETY CONCERNS” traditional friendly Santa Cruz activity aiming to empty the sidewalks of uses and people that don't involve buying in stores or restaurants.
+++ CREATE AN UNCOMFORTABLE ENVIRONMENT for poor & homeless folks denying them the right to gather, rest, sit comfortably, & relax, impacting local low-income & elderly downtowners too.
+++ GIVE CRANKS A VETO ON STREET MUSIC by simply complaining.
+++ EMPOWER POLICE to expand enforcement still further with court protection unlikely.
+++ FALSELY IMBED THE “PUBLIC SAFETY” MYTHOLOGY that groups like Take Back Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Neighbors, the SCPD, the DTA, Needle-Free Zone, & other right-wing special interest groups are using to frighten the population back into further repressive action.
+++ DRIVE AWAY ARTISTS & PERFORMERS leaving only the militant and the mercenary.

Save Our Santa Cruz Sidewalks from Stupid Laws
+++ E-mail City Council at citycouncil [at] cityofsantacruz.com .and demand these ordinances be reviewed for cost, effectiveness, impact, and unintended consequences by citizen committees and with public inpu
+++ Use your video phone to show authorities harassing the public on the streets downtown. Post on You-Tube and http://www.indybay.org/santacruz . Send them to HUFF (rnorse3 [at] hotmail.com ).
+++ Spread opposition; Write local papers; Use Facebook & Twitter; Support good businesses; boycott bad ones.
+++ Post your own video of downtown encounters. The Coffee Roasting Company & Starbucks recently banned large backpacks; Customers report New Leaf, Verve, & Lulu Carpenters banning homeless-looking customers.
+++ Come to Protest Against Task Force on Privilege & Prejudice: 6 PM 307 Church St. Bring Signs!
+++ Witness and support other street performers when they face harassment from authorities.
+++ Get familiar with the Downtown Ordinances, often misquoted by police and hosts. Copies available on-line at https://www.indybay.org/uploads/2010/08/29/deadlydowntownordinances_8-27-10.pdf .
+++ Come to the Direct Action Sit-Down: 1-3 PM 10-24 All Along Pacific Ave. Bring blankets, instruments, chairs, jewelry, & friends !

Flier by Norse of HUFF (Homeless United for Friendship & Freedom) 831-423-4833 http://www.huffsantacruz.org 309 Cedar PMB #14B Santa Cruz 10-20-13

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