The Comercio Justo Rally and Protest at the Mission St. Taco Bell in Santa Cruz has been transformed into a celebration. Taco Bell has agreed to some of the Coalition Of Immokalee Workers demands and the CIW has called off the boycott. Taco Bell has agreed to a raise of one cent per pound of tomatoes which will mean roughly $20 more per day for farmworkers. Taco Bell has also agreed to work towards improvements industrywide in fast food. Taco Bell is owned by Yum Brand Foods, which is the largest corporation in fast food, bigger than McDonalds.

The Santa Cruz Rally will still meet at 3:30 pm at the Mission St. Taco Bell, but will then cross the street and gather at the small park by the Community Garden. The scheduled speakers, including the mayor, will still speak and there will be a discussion and celebration. Photo

Coverage from Austin Indymedia: Farmworkers Take Down Taco Bell | Trabajadores Agricolas Derrotan a Taco Bell

Audio: Santa Cruz Rally on March 11th Transformed Into Celebration | Peace Talks: Support the CIW | Interview about Boycott on FRSC

CIW Press Release: Coalition of Immokalee Workers and Taco Bell Reach Groundbreaking Agreement

[ Coalition of Immokalee Workers | Student/Farmworker Alliance | 2005 Truth Tour | US Indymedia Topic Page ]

On February 23, Amy Goodman accepted the first annual Ruben Salazar Journalism Award on the 35th anniversary of Salazar's untimely death. The next morning on Democracy Now!, she discussed the event and its significance.

Audio: Amy Goodman Accepts Ruben Salazar Journalism Award at UCSC
Photos: Amy Goodman at UC Santa Cruz

Skidmark Bob interviews Ron Anicich of Bad Cop, No Donut! before a media attack. Toronto Police Chief Julian Fantino says Bad Cop, No Donut! promotes hatred of the police [see: Get 'hate mongering' off air: Fantino]. Ron talks about the show and support from CKLN. It will be interesting to see how this develops.

A commenter writes: Another critic who needs our support and solidarity! Put him on the list with Ward Churchill and Lynne Stewart, with Free Radio and WAMM. Seems like critics are getting silenced quick and fast in the third Bush administration.

Bad Cop No Donut, for those who aren't aware, is an excellent weekly digest of nationwide accounts of Police Brutality, from lawsuit settlements and legal decisions, to off duty officer conduct and corruption, to taser use, deadly force, and stories yet to be told.
Anicich gathers all the PIC [Prison Industrial Complex] news he can find and puts together a weekly compilation.

Audio: Listen to the Stream or Download the mp3 (18.4 MB)
Audio: Part Two: Interview w/ Ron Anicich of Bad Cop, No Donut!

Free Radio Santa Cruz airs Bad Cop, No Donut! every Thursday at 1:00pm PST
101.1fm in Santa Cruz, California

See also: [ Salinas man dies after getting hit by taser stun gun I The Shocking Truth about Tasers ]

Peace groups in over 40 California coastal communities staged a synchronized rally on February 19 along an 800 mile stretch of Highway 1, from the Oregon border, all the way to San Diego. Despite intermittent rains, and a moderate wind, fifteen Santa Cruz residents stood for two hours on the Branciforte overpass; facing the north and south bound lanes of Highway 1 traffic with their peace flags, and banners.

Local peace activists have decided to move their weekly vigil to the Branciforte overpass, and will meet there each Friday at 5 pm for similar demonstrations.

Reportback and Photos: 39 Cities on Calif. Coast Call for Peace
Audio: California Peace Highway
Peace Protesters & CHP: Updated Discussion Thread

At a memorial today, friends and family shared memories, poetry and song, celebrating the generous spirit of Albert Walter Guzman, the patron of many community programs for supporting positive lifestyles in an era of increasing urban decay.

FreeSkool Santa Cruz is a decentralized network that shares skills, information and knowledge without the limitations of hierarchy and the institutional environment of formal schools.

We seek to provide an environment that inspires individuals and facilitates the exchanging of tools they need to create their lives on their own terms. We intend to offer a network that supports people’s capacity to live more autonomously and build communities.

Classes start next month, March 4th 2005.

[ Free Skool Santa Cruz I Spring 2005 Calendar (.pdf) I Spring 2005 Class Descriptions (.pdf) ]

On February 16, at 7pm, Naomi Klein dissected the failure of the "X-treme Makeover" known as U.S. foreign policy in Iraq.

Klein is an award-winning journalist and author of the international best-seller "No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies," and "Fences and Windows: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Globalization Debate".

Klein spoke about "War and Fleece: How economic 'Shock Therapy' backfired in Iraq" to a crowd of over 600 people gathered at UC Santa Cruz.

Audio: Peace Talks: Naomi Klein at UCSC

[ No Logo I More photos of Naomi Klein at UCSC ]

The purpose of The Project, a student organized newspaper from UC Santa Cruz, is to document and inspire strategic radical actions that are relevant to local, regional, and global socioeconomic justice. We believe independent media plays a crucial role in facilitating dialogue, organizing mass mobilizations, and encouraging daily acts of resistance.

The February 2005 edition of The Project can be found at various locations on and off campus, such as cafes, mailrooms and libraries, and is now available online at Santa Cruz Indymedia.

On February 14, Santa Cruzans for Responsible Planning (SCRAP), a local grassroots organization backed by former Santa Cruz Mayors, held a news conference at the entrance to the Santa Cruz City Wharf. This was the official kickoff for a community-wide referendum campaign to halt the single largest development in the city since UC Santa Cruz. If the group can acquire at least 4,000 valid signatures, the "Coast Hotel" issue will be placed on the ballot for a city-wide vote.

Opposition to SCRAP's referendum campaign includes the developers (of course!), current employees of the Coast Hotel who would like to have more work in the winter months and SEIU Local 415.

The proposed development calls for a 270 room hotel, 6-level parking garage and a 23,000 square foot Conference Center.

Photos: Santa Cruzans for Responsible Planning vs. Workers and Bosses
Photos: SCRAP Kicks Off Anti-Hotel Petition Drive

Coverage of the 1/25/04 SC City Council Meeting: [ Meeting on Hotel-Convention Center Project I City Council Approves Coast Hotel Project Despite Widespread Community Opposition ]

UCSC Students and Workers Got Some Action This Valentine's Day!

On Monday, February 14th, the Student & Worker Coalition for Justice, AFSCME Service Workers, CUE Clericals, and other campus unions "welcomed" incoming Chancellor Denise Denton on her first day at UCSC.

Several hundred students and workers marched from McHenry Library to Kerr Hall. At Kerr, the Budget Office was noisily occupied, with the large crowd flowing out onto the upper patio.

Photos: [ 1 I 2 ]
Video: Welcoming Chancellor Denton to UC Santa Cruz
Audio: Rally Against UC Budget Practices

See Also: Labor Struggles Continue at UCSC