On the HUFF horizon: DIY New Year’s Eve parade and promenade Friday evening; reinvigorating demands for SCPD reform in Santa Cruz in the wake of mainstream media reports of police/prosecution/mayoral murder and cover-up in San Francisco, Palo Alto, Minneapolis, Chicago, Ohio, and Missouri; Warming Center Whiplash: Alternatives to Hypothermia when no Program is in Place; Report from Freedom SleepOut #25…and, of course, more than you want and less than you hoped for…
Monthly Archives: December 2015
Conscience Against the Cold–Freedom SleepOut #25 in Santa Cruz
https://www.indybay.org/
| Title: | Cold Sidewalk & Warm Spirits: Freedom SleepOut #25 |
| START DATE: | Tuesday December 29 |
| TIME: | 7:00 PM – 7:00 AM |
| Location Details: | |
| On that cold hard sidewalk in front of City Hall across from the Main Library and whereever else nearby that people can shield themselves from the cold winds of night (temperatures expected to drop to 35 degrees), | |
| Event Type: | Protest |
| Contact Name | Toby Nixon |
| Email Address | tobynixon [at] gms.com |
| Phone Number | 408 582 4152 |
| Address | |
| ANOTHER NIGHT IN THE COLD Continuing an unbroken chain of protest sleep-out’s against Santa Cruz’s “cruel and unusual punishment law” for being poor, visible, and asleep: MC 6.36.010a. The Sleeping Ban which bans sleeping on any public property, in any structure that’s not a residence, in any vehicle on public property within Santa Cruz City limits. The $158 fine is usually unpaid by homeless people, who are almost the only ones who get cited. Unpaid citations result in an additional $300 Failure to Pay fine, which is then sent to “Collections” and can impact driver’s license, child support, credit, and other necessities. Hundreds of such tickets have been written this year. Though in response to the weekly Freedom Sleeper protests, police seem to be using other ordinances to accomplish the same expulsion of the poor objective. RADIO SHOW DISCUSSION STRATEGY MEETING SLEEPING BAN REFORM? CALL ‘EM UP AND DRESS ‘EM DOWN! Each of the Gang of 7 can be contacted by e-mail; first letter of their name, full last name, followed by cityofsantacruz.com (e.g. dterrazas [at] cityofsantacruz.com ) The whole City Council can be reached at citycouncil [at] cityofsantacruz.com . BULLIES BOW TO THE BROWN ACT: NEW DISPLAY ON SIDEWALK City bosses have recently apparently acknowledged that excluding people from the posted agendas outside the City Council chambers is a violation of the Brown Act. This Public Meetings law requires that agendas be accessible 24 hours per day for a period of 72-hours before each meeting. A new display has been constructed on the sidewalk across from the Civic Auditorium which is accessible 24 hours a day. City Manager Martin Bernal was advised of this fact back in August, but responded with klieg lights, parking bans and increased First Alarm Security thuggery. See “Silence from the City Manager on the Eve of the 11th Freedom Sleepers Protest” at http://www.indybay.org/ He and the City Council as well as City Attorney Anthony Condotti violated the law again on December 15th by holding a closed dinner with all 7 Council members and their friends which we protested. See “Freedom Sleepers Confront City Council at el Palomar” at http://www.indybay.org/ ADDITIONAL INFO AND RESOURCES Toby Nixon will be livestreaming some of the event. More info about his Homeless Advocacy and Action Coalition (HAAC) at http://www.facebook.com/ If you have video, cameras, or audio devices–they can be useful for keeping the armed and uniformed Sleepbusters aware they are being watched. Brent Adams’ Warming Center Project will be open the night of the protest. See http://www.facebook.com/ This posting was written by Robert Norse. I encourage any additions or corrections. |
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Coming Up on Sunday’s Bathrobespierre’s Broadsides
Part 2 of Tristia Baumann (National Law Center for Homelessness and Poverty) phone interview; Berkeley Peace and Justice Commissioner George Lippman; Interviews before and during Freedom SleepOut #24 last Tuesday with Crow, Red, Nico, Toby, Joey, Andrew, Laura, Lawrence, Abbi, and Elijah..songs swiped from Uncle Bansai’s Myn Ynd Wymyn.
Tune in at 9:30 at 101.3 FM or dial up freakradio.org on your computer. Or check out the archive at http://www.radiolibre.org/brb/
HUFFsters & Freedom Sleeper Supporters: I’m resending a slightly updated version of an earlier e-mail which initially had the wrong web address to hear the 12-13 Forum featuring Aguirre, McHenry, and Baumann. The correct address ishttp://www.radiolibre.org/brb/
Tuesday’s Freedom Sleep-Out 25 is still slated for 7 PM and on into the evening, with an earlier meeting for those who want to attend at 5:30 PM at the Red Church (Calvary Episcopal in one of the side buildings).
D.C. Attorney Tristia Bauman of National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty on Free Radio today 6:30 PM 12-24
Bathrobespierre’s Broadsides, the twice-weekly homeless civil rights show will be playing the first half of a phone interview with NLCHP Senior attorney Tristia Bauman on the national (and local) fight to restore civil rights to folks outside.
Also on the show: a report from the Homeless Memorial Reading of the Names of the Dead, reactions to the Santa Cruz Scent-Anal’s smearjob on the Freedom Sleepers protests, and some audio from Freedom SleepOut #24 last Tuesday 12-22.
Phone in to leave comments and/or questions that will be broadcast and/or answered later at 831-423-4833. Or e-mail Robert Norse at rnorse3@hotmail.com .
Part one of the interview is scheduled for 6:30 PM, part two for 10 AM on Sunday
12-27.Also on the show: a report from the Homeless Memorial Reading of the Names of the Dead, reactions to the Santa Cruz Scent-Anal’s smearjob on the Freedom Sleepers protests, and some audio from Freedom SleepOut #24 last Tuesday 12-22.
Tune into 101.3 FM or www.freakradio.org. Or hear the archive later at
http://www.radiolibre.org/brb/Phone in to leave comments and/or questions that will be broadcast and/or answered later at 831-423-4833. Or e-mail Robert Norse at rnorse3@hotmail.com .
HUFF Shouts Humbug at City Council’s Xmas Chilly Cheer 11 AM 12-23 Sub rosa Cafe
Any chance to make the City Council Sinners Repent? Not likely. Legal Leapabout: Attorney Judi Bari may be up for helping follow up on illegal seizures of homeless property; a review of the year’s abuses and victories. Reports of violence attacks on the homeless. The latest chapter on the Lane-Posner “real soon we’ll put the Sleeping Ban on the agenda”. Xmas treats.
Square Dealing Against Sentinel Smearing: Freedom SleepOut #24 Tuesday December 22nd
| Title: | El Nino vs. Freedom Sleepers: the 24th Week |
| START DATE: | Tuesday December 22 |
| TIME: | 7:00 PM – 7:00 AM |
| Location Details: | |
| Under rainy skies on the sidewalk and area surrounding City Hall (or possibly in the shelter of some empty buildings nearby. 809 Center St. on Center between Church and Locust. | |
| Event Type: | Protest |
| Contact Name | Toby Nixon |
| Email Address | tobynixon [at] gms.com |
| As rain drives homeless folks into “illegal” sleeping spots and City Council rests snugly in its warm beds “on vacation”, there is neither shelter nor warming center for 90% of the unhoused community outside. Freedom Sleepers, though reduced in numbers, continue their vigils outside the palaces of the powerful–with the grounds closed at night and patrolled by “security guards”. MORNING HOMELESS “MEMORIAL” A Homeless Memorial for the Dead will make its annual appearance behind locked “security gates” at 115 Coral St. at 10:30 AM in the morning. This show ritual seems designed to benefit the Homeless (Lack of) Services Center rather than address the real causes of death creating new victims each year–compliments of the City’s anti-homeless laws. Forced to sleep unsafely, scattered, and hidden from police and security thugs, unhoused folks die on average 20 years younger than those indoors. Some believe the best way to remember the dead is to fight like hell for the living against the laws that threaten their health and safety. PLANNING NEW AVENUES OF PROTEST AND PRESSURE SOUP-SERVERS STRIKE BACK! They will serve a hot meal at City Hall in response to the latest spate of falsehoods against the Freedom Sleepers by City Council staff and Sentinel scumslingers. Folks are invited to chow down in anticipation of a cold if not a wet night and present grievances directly to City Council offices and homeless-hostile staffers–open until 5 PM. MESSAGE FROM A SIDEWALK SLEEPER He notes clear skies are predicted for Tuesday night and predicts that food & coffee will only be available if at all before 11:30 PM and after 5:30 AM to facilitate sleeping. Breakfast and clean-up will be done by 8 AM (if any food is actually donated). Toby says his role is to sleep there, film what happens, and try to be helpful, but can’t be responsible for people’s stuff or serving meals. He has had some experience with encampments and is happy to try and be helpful if he can. His main point is to encourage people to help establish a place to sleep and even brief visits to the area as well as donations of food, clothing, and protective gear can be helpful. A video playlist of documentary work on Freedom Sleepers by Toby and others is at http://www.youtube.com/ MEDIA MADNESS A Community TV Forum on the Freedom Sleepers features Homeless Legal Assistance Project founder Steve Pleich, Senior Law Center on Homeless and Poverty Attorney Tricia Baumann, Local Free Radio Broadcaster Robert Norse, and San Jose Homeless Activist Robert Aguirre and can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch? A strong editorial from Street Spirit editor Terry Messman responding to former Mayor Don Lane’s is on line at http://www.thestreetspirit. Robert Norse’s response is at http://www.thestreetspirit. Keith McHenry will be defending the rights of those outside and responding to the Sunday Sentinel smearjob. He will also describe his own upcoming Blue Box trials in an hour-long KPFA live broadcast at http://tunein.com/radio/KPFA- |
408-582-4152
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Longer FRSC Today Features Interviews on Keith McHenry’s “Blue Box Crimes”, Beach Flats Garden Background, the Freedom Sleeper Sunday Forum, and More…
…Airs today 9:30 AM –1:45 PM at 101.3 FM, streams at freakradio.org, archives at http://www.radiolibre.org/
New Bathrobespierre’s Broadsides Show On Tap for 6 PM Today
Broadcasting at 101.3 FM and streaming at freakradio.org 6-8 PM tonight (and archiving shortly thereafter at http://www.radiolibre.org/brb/
Scheduled: Freedom SleepOut #23–the Shivering Siesta Goes On!; Interviews with Michael Knox, Mike Rotkin, Brent Adams, Toby Nixon, Dennis Etler, and assorted others. Endurable and educational commentary by Bathrobespierre Robert. Updates on the (Where is it?) Warming Center, Project Pollinate’s Saturday Event at Louden Nelson, the rumored appearance of SleepingBan Repeal on the City Council agenda…and more!
Phone in your reactions and objections at 831-423-4833.
Video Chatter and Activist Action
NOTES FROM NORSE: The Community TV show below followed a 2 hour shmooze-and-chatter Forum in downtown Santa Cruz featuring Robert Aguirre, survivor and organizer of the San Jose homeless Jungle, Keith McHenry Food Not Bombs activist and Blue Box Sidewalk Artist, as well as visiting attorney Tristia Baumann of the National Law Center for Homelessness and Poverty.
This Sunday I’ll be playing for FRSC, some of the Freedom Sleepers forum that preceded the tv time. Lots of gabble, but some of it interesting. Unfortunately no activism plans for specific actions during the coldest “holiday” season of the year at either the Forum or the Talking Heads tv-show. Audio of the show will air at 101.3 FM and freakradio.org shortly after 9:30 AM on 12-20. It’ll archive soon after at http://www.radiolibre.org/brb/brb151120.mp3
We didn’t have it together to access homeless folks to present to Baumann to join in a lawsuit against the City’s Sleeping Ban–which Beauman’s organization is reportedly interested in doing. But if you know of anyone living outside who’d like to participate in a long overdue lawsuit against the City, contact Steve Pleich at 831-466-6078.
Local Attorney Jonathan Gettleman–otherwise not terribly helpful in defense of Freedom Sleepers recently–has written a great attack on the City’s “No RV Parking Anywhere At Night” law which goes into effect on 1-8-16. He’s told me he’s looking for RV dwellers who’d like to be plaintiffs in his lawsuit against the ordinance. If you or someone you know lives in an RV, call him at 831-427-2658 .
Meanwhile some of us have been supporting and other actually attending the ongoing Freedom SleepOut’s at the sidewalk outside City Hall every Tuesday night. Number #23 happened last night with San Jose Freestreamer Toby Nixon leading the charge. Number #24 will be coming up on December 22nd. Toby asks for blankets, tarps, visits, food, and other support. For info and support, contact him at 408-582-4152.
HUFF meets today at 11 AM at the Sub Rosa Cafe downtown to find more ways of pushing back the Black Tide of Bigotry threatening to freeze out the poor this winter. If you can’t make or can’t tolerate the meetings and want to do more than read grim reports, contact me by e-mail at rnorse3@hotmail.com or call in at 831-423-4833.
Homeless Depot/Camp of Last Resort Activist Phil Posner hears rumors that former Mayor Don Lane may actually hitch up his pants and put abolition of the Sleeping and Blanket Bans on an agenda sometime a month or two down the road. Support Phil’s hope-ish efforts at chatrabbi@aol.com .
To contact the clowns on the Santa Cruz City Council, leave them a strong message to support Lane’s rumored action and other actions ending criminalization of the homeless contact the whole Council at 831-420-5020 or get on their cases individually:
420-5023: David Terrazas 420-5022: Don Lane 420-5024: Pamela Comstock 420-5025: Richelle Niroyan 420-5026: Cynthia Chase
420-5027: Mayor Cynthia Mathews 420-5028: Micah Posner
Warming Center organizer and homeless video journalist Brent Adams claims he has organized the places and spaces, but doesn’t have the necessary number of volunteers. See if you’d like to support his “baby steps” program further at https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Santa%20Cruz%20Warming%20Center .
Santa Cruz Food Not Bombs continues to brave withering and weathering each Saturday and Sunday providing food to dozens of hungry folks outside in a public area where poverty is visible. They are desperately short of cooks and food preparers. Offer help or get information at https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Santa%20Cruz%20Food%20Not%20Bombs .
Freedom Sleepers are hoping to gather next Tuesday at the Red Church (LIncoln and Cedar) at 5:30 PM before Freedom SleepOut #24 to plot and plan. Join the conspiracy. If you see Jesus or Mayor Mathews on the on the road, invite them as well.
Tip of the hat to Ken Knobler and the crew down at CTV as well as to Silver-Haired Steve Pleich for getting the show together. Now how about a regular weekly show updated the frosty situation for homeless folks this winter?
HUFF meets again at Sub Rosa 11 AM 12-16 703 Pacific Indoors!
HUFF’s been guaranteed an indoor space thanks to the kindness of Penske tomorrow morning. Up for chatter and possibly action: More effective documention of police escalation against homeless folks; property and sleeping ban plaintiff search at the homeless meals; sit-down with new Homeless (Lack of) Services Center boss Phil Kramer; organizing against the RV law and supporting the proposed lawsuit against it; defending existing encampments–prospect or pipedream?; allied parallel expeditions assisting Freedom Sleepouts and opening up new daytime protest; and whatever you fancy! Liquid consumables available without cost.