Vigil Round-the-Clock at Cooper and Pacifc Against Aggression Abroad & Repression at Home. Stop The War Against the Poor in Santa Cruz!

Others are invited to bring down supplies, including tables, tarps (for inclement weather or possibly another "Sex for Peace Event"), vehicles (to move onto or into if police begin harassing tablers), musical instruments, colorful outfits, blankets, clothing, markers, cameras, camcorders (video clip from Sunday), instructional materials, puppets, chalk, ....and spread the word!

Call 423-4833 to Help. Every Day, Every Night Until We Stop the War ANYTIME OF THE DAY OR NIGHT Keep the Vigil Going; Resistance Begins At Home!

[ Report on Day 4 | Report on Day 3 | Report on Days 2 and 1 ]

Bring friends, family, and other trusted folks for a picnic and workshops on direct action and affinity group organizing. Sunday, March 9th, from 12 noon until sunset at the San Lorenzo Park. Meet at the Duck Pond @ 12 noon.

Some very brave and wonderful people are already organizing direct actions for when the war starts. This is necessary, but from educated predictions of what the war will look like, it will be too late to begin direct action after a war starts... The warmakers must hear us loud and clear BEFORE war starts: We will shut you down and not let up until the threat of war is abandoned.

[ Description of Workshops | Call for Direct Action NOW ]

Activists with the International Solidarity Movement, an organization of international volunteers taking direct action in defence of Palestinian rights in the Israeli occupied territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, will be speaking at UCSC's Oakes College room #105 this Thursday at 7:30pm.

The speakers include a former program manager of Santa Cruz Hillel, a UCSC graduate student, and an Israeli Security Zone infiltrator.

[ Announcement | Article | Resource Center for Nonviolence ]

The university's community has spoken out: No war! So it is a curiosity that while the students, staff, and faculty of UC Santa Cruz organize, march, and denounce the war, the university continues to aid the US Military. Behind the facade of an eco-topia, a peacenik's paradise bathed in liberal left wing ideals, UCSC readily conducts research for the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Department of Defense in topics ranging from computer networks, electronic systems and hardware, computer visualization and imaging, marine biology, tectonics, ocean science, and more.

[ Article | Wed. March 12 ]

There will be exciting discussions centered around movement building and strategy, as well as time set aside for skills sharing. The focus of this year's conference will be "Safety and Effectiveness." Instructors will be on site to review training techniques and nonviolence tactics. The intention is that we will be more effective if we are fluent in how to carry out safe actions.

[ Invitation | Santa Cruz Earth First! | Earth First!ers Unite! ]

You may or may not have heard of this amazing film before, but you will walk away convinced that this is the coolest movie you've seen is long long time.

On September 24, about 100 people who are "sickened by the killing, torture, and spiraling human and financial costs of the illegal and immoral war in Iraq" held an anti-war demonstration in Santa Cruz. People rallied at the County Court House and marched to the Town Clock.

I got to the rally in time to hear some folk music, take some photos of the Raging Grannies, listen to a guy describe how voting machines don't work, listen to another guy descibe how 911 was an inside job, see Robert passing out flyers about a taser related death inside the Santa Cruz Jail, etc....

Real Reports of Katrina Relief Special: One Hundred Thousand
2:00am September 25th. Algiers, Louisiana

One hundred thousand people. I read the news from Washington DC that one hundred thousand protestors are marching on the capital, sharing a flood of outrage on our faltering King George, who frankly, doesn't care if one hundred million demonstrated. I look at the pictures from the day and I see marches with multitudes of people, smiles and laughter, and creative props, costumes and actions. I'm sure the people who are participating feel empowered and alive.

On September 9th, Vinny and I arrived in Houston, Texas along with Blank from Portland, Oregon to provide aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The three of us headed to Houston to help with with independent media, including a low power fm radio station which was being organized for the Astrodome. Upon our arrival in Houston, we learned that the Astrodome emergency radio station was again being blocked from broadcasting information to survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

We went to the Astrodome and spoke with people who were willing to speak with us. We listened to their experiences in the past and at the Astrodome. Please visit the following links for audio, photos and written reports published by Vinny, Blank and I.

Audio: Criticism of Red Cross Relief Efforts at Astrodome || Katrina Survivor Recounts Experiences || Another Katrina Survivor Recounts Experiences || "One Day at a Time" || Katrina Survivors Organize for Better Conditions || Interview from 'Dome City' with Joseph Bijou of New Orleans || Activists Organize to Free Frances Newton

Photos: The Surreal Scene of Dome City || More Scenes from 'Dome City'

Words: The Houston Astrodome: Do You Know What Is Really Happening?

While in Houston, we were asked if we could go down to the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana to help set up an emergency low power fm radio station. We were welcomed into the Algiers community by Malik Rahim and Common Ground, a community-run organization offering temporary assistance and mutual aid to the citizens of New Orleans and the surrounding areas.

Words: Algiers New Orleans: Where Common Ground Is Found

Photos: Creativity, Solidarity and Mutual Aid in Algiers, New Orleans || Community Support in Algiers, New Orleans || Common Ground Wellness Center in Algiers, New Orleans || Finding Common Ground in New Orleans

Audio: Interview with Noah, a volunteer medic || Algiers residents starting to return || Leenie Halbert interview || FSRN: Grassroots Groups Offer Assistance in Algiers

We returned to Houston on September 16th. Blank traveled back to Portland and Vinny and I stayed in Houston. We continued trying to find out what was happening with the people at the shelters; human souls that we are referring to as "Katrina survivors."

Audio: Struggles for Katrina Survivors at George R. Brown Convention Center || Interview from 'Dome City' with Josh from New Orleans || Houston Ends Katrina Shelter Operations || Struggling for a Home After Hurricane Katrina

Photos: No Compassion at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston || Scenes from the Reliant Arena || Exit Only at the George R. Brown in Houston || Struggling for a Home After Hurricane Katrina

Bolivarian Revolution