Tonight (Thursday December 2nd) there'll be a candlelight march from Borders Book Store at Pacific and Soquel to City Hall, where Robert Wagner reportedly died of exposure while sleeping on a City Hall bench over the weekend.

At least one activist plans to spend the night at City Hall shivering. Hot vegan soup will be provided sometime between 10 and 11 PM.

+++ Under the new Rotkin Council, it remains illegal to sleep outside, cover up with a blanket, or put up a tent against the cold. City Council has given no indication it will let up on criminal enforcement of MC 6.36 (The Camping Ordinance), even before this latest death and after the death of Scotty under the Soquel St. bridge last month--also by exposure.

+++ Early Wednesday morning (12-1) police drove away all the people (approx. a dozen) who were sleeping quietly under the eaves of the federal post office. According to the victims, police admitted they had no specific complaints & did not provide any options for the sleepers.

+++ The Winter Armory Shelter requires picture ID, involves waiting in lines for more than an hour, has scheduloing requirements often impossible for working people, does not take pets, has no parking place for vehicles, is not a walk-up situation, refuses those under 18 unless with parent, and is restrictive for couples. In addition there is emergency shelter for only 160 of the 1500 to 2000 homeless people in Santa Cruz city limits on any given night.

Photos from the Vigil: Watch Us Freeze