On Tuesday, November 15, students involved with the New Sweat Free Campus Campaign at the University of California Santa Cruz posted clothing with anti-sweatshop messages around campus. Their efforts were part of a national day of action aimed at increasing awareness about the use of sweatshop labor to produce collegiate apparel.

The campaign, spearheaded by United Students Against Sweatshops, is demanding that university administrators back up their Codes of Conduct with an actual program of enforcement, the Designated Suppliers Program. These Codes of Conduct are official documents requiring that all university licensees have their goods made in factories that are not operated under sweat-shop conditions.

Currently, while Presidents and Chancellors across the country are meeting with students and expressing interest in adopting this program, Chancellor Denton continues to stall meeting with UCSC students and refuses to take a stand on the issue.

UCSC students and workers will continue to make sure that this campaign is at the forefront of campus issues and will not tire until the university makes a concrete commitment to guaranteeing that our clothing and uniforms are not produced in sweatshops.

previous coverage: Students and Workers Demand a Sweat-Free UC || Creative Activism Raises Issues at Denton's Investiture

Audio interview with George Cadman, FRSC producer working with the International Solidarity Movement, reporting about Bil'in from the village of Qawawis in occupied Palestine.

Audio: Download the mp3 (26 minutes / 12 MB)

The army came into the village around 3 am. About six Israeli activists, ten Palestinians from the village and three of us ISMers went out into the street with our cameras. We followed the army through the village, filming, as they went to one house and then another, banging on doors. They tromped through gardens, yards and olive groves. Basically, behaving as though they owned the place. There was only one house where someone was home. A woman and her husband came to the door. The man repeatedly told them that the only children in the house were babies, the oldest being 8 years old. The army tried to convince him to let them enter while he tried to tell them to let his children sleep and not come in and frighten them. Finally they decided to leave and not to enter the house. Then they went down a dirt road behind his house. He told them that it was just someones garden, but they went down there and were banging on sheds. They gave up after awhile when it was obvious that there was noone in them. After about an hour they left with noone. The fact that there was so many of us watching, definitely seemed to deter them from using more force and from staying longer than they did. We hopefully made a difference.

Keep tuned to Free Radio Santa Cruz 101fm this month for more reports.

see also: Qawawis and the mustawtaneen || Bil'in - Spirit of Resistance Continues! || Bil'in Village

Activists taking part in the Victoria's Dirty Little Secret campaign were denied entrance to the Capitola Mall on Saturday. (call to action). The U.S. Supreme Court's Pruneyard Decision in 1980 guarantees the right to free speech in privately-owned public areas such as shopping malls.

The mall security and two capitola cops denied the activists entry to the mall. The manager of security said the protesters needed a permit to even stand at the entrance to the mall. The protesters retreated to the streetside sidewalk in front of the mall.

This is directly opposed to a 1980 Supreme Court decision based on a very similar conflict that happened not far from here. The Pruneyard Shopping Center in Campbell.

In short, Capitola police and security guards violated your constitutional rights.

Photos: Activists in Capitola Expose Victoria's Dirty Secret of Boreal Forest Destruction

More info about Pruneyard: Wikipedia || Community Rights Counsel || Pruneyard Shopping Center v. Robins 447 U.S. 74 (1980)

More info about the Victoria's Secret demo: Victoria’s Dirty Secret || Forest Ethics

Reports from a few of the more than 300 demonstrations that took place across North America: New York City || Portland || San Francisco (.mov)

see also: Routine Corruption by Capitola Police Violates Equal Protection || Capitola Mall Sued for Restricting Free Expression || Capitola Mall Backstory - A History of Repression || Why Your Protest at the Capitola Mall is A-OK

Last week, Rosa Parks, the legendary figure from the Civil Rights Movement, passed away at the age of 92.

Moved by her death, students held a somber vigil last night in honor of her life and legacy. Organized by UC Santa Cruz's African/Black Student Alliance (A/BSA), the late-night vigil featured song, prayer, a moment of silence, and speeches on Parks' life.

See Also: Rosa Parks, Misremembered (Portland IMC)

As part of a national anti-sweatshop campaign taking place at over 40 colleges and universities in the U.S., students and workers from UC Santa Cruz held a rally and march to demand that UCSC apparel no longer be produced in sweatshops.

The marchers, a few of whom had family members currently working in sweatshops overseas or have had personal experiences themselves, initially educated the many passerbys in busy Baytree Plaza before marching to the Chancellor's office where a list of demands was presented to an administrative representative. Their follow-through will be closely watched.

Audio: Rockin' the Boat: Students Rally for Sweat-Free Campus

Photos: UCSC is in Violation of their Code of Conduct || 25 Cents Makes a Difference: Wash Out the Sweat

[ United Students Against Sweatshops ]

We are entering an era where we will have to fight to defend the legal rights that we have gained over the last 50 years. A local coalition, Santa Cruz for Fair and Independent Judges, is being formed.

prove me wrong

This video includes interviews from evacuees in NY and those who've returned to New Orleans. This issue is currently effecting the lives of thousands of people and it's still not too late to help put pressure where it needs to be put to force the goverenment to deal with these people properly.

We are asking you for your help in collecting signatures for a petition addressed to the Los Angeles City Council requesting they adopt a resolution in favor of the immigrant community.

Judge Alito is really slick, like a bar of soap on a bathroom floor. He'd be a great defense lawyer; and if I were in Jack Abramoff's shoes, Alito would be my first choice. As it is, it looks like Alito will be confirmed for the Supreme Court. No question about his qualifications, Alito will be a justice who can work the U.S. Constitution and fit it to Bush's fancy.