Manifesto of Love

I encourage folks will focus on the institutionalized police abuse in Santa Cruz that extends far beyond the killing of Sean Arlt. October 22nd is a national day of seeking--as Black Lives Matter has been demanding--an end to the violence and injustice which is endemic in police departments across the country--including the Santa Cruz Police Department.

Campaign Zero, initiated by the police murders of Michael Brown and Oscar Grant, proposes reforms that should be taken up by activists. See http://www.joincampaignzero.org/#vision .

HUFF has tried to get a record of police citations for sleeping, laying out bedding, and being in a park after dark (all survival behaviors in a town with shelter for less than 5% of those outside). As well as a record of how many of such cruel, costly, and unconstitutional citations are taken to court. We have been stonewalled by the SCPD and by its enablers in the City Attorney's office.

Some have suggested that it would be "disrespectful" to those mourning Sean Arlt to spotlight general Santa Cruz police abuses and the crying need for radical change there. I disagree. I feel it shows the kind of rage and determination to act that Santa Cruz activists need to move beyond pious words, calls for "better police training", and "let's move on" suggestions.

In distributing word of the "Manifesto of Love" protest a few days ago to the HUFF (Homeless United for Friendship & Freedom) e-mail list, I included the following notes.


NOTES BY NORSE: HUFF supports this demonstration of concern (some of us would say "rage") about the unnecessary slaying of Sean Arlt, author of the book Manifesto of Love, who was shot four times fatally within a period of 20 seconds in spite of a clear "mental health watch" designation which the SCPD was aware of.

HUFF has long-standing concerns about Chief Vogel's department which we have itemized in detail in past demonstrations (See https://www.indybay.org/uploads/2014/12/13/flyer__for__12-17.pdf AND https://www.indybay.org/uploads/2014/12/03/grand_jury_protest_updated.pdf .

Though less so in recent months, SCPD continues to harass the Freedom Sleeper protest (which is ironically trying to relieve police of the burden of enforcing anti-homeless laws). See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqVRFIZIkBs for police harassment of unhoused folks at Freedom SleepOut #67 two days ago.

Another of the many examples of police force against peaceful protesters is "Santa Cruz Police Arrest Journalist and Issue Stay Away Orders at Community Sleepout #5" at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2015/08/16/18776253.php.

Videoed examples of past SCPD violence against unarmed people include "Video Surfaces of Santa Cruz Police Officers Hitting and Tasing Man" at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2015/03/11/18769816.php and "Police Injury of Homeless Man Still Unresolved " at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2015/02/18/18768736.php .

Video of the Officer Vasquez's takedown of Richard Hardy in this last incident can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Tyj3yxwy-o

"Mainstream" Santa Cruz activists have generally been reluctant to confront Santa Cruz police abuse by name and incident. With some exceptions (surveillance equipment, the Bearcat scandal), broader policies have been ignored.

It's time to link up with reform movements in other cities and demand real changes here.

I suggest that it would be "disrespectful" to those mourning Sean Arlt to put camping infraction tickets without criminal penalty in the same legal or sociological universe. Yep... Unh hunh.