Indybay Censoring Homeless Comments

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Indybay.org does its own thing—I’ve complained over the years that comments should at best be put in a hidden status where they can be seen if folks want to see them.

However the new HUFF blog does not censor (hopefully).  It’s at http://huffsantacruz.org/wordpress/ .  You, Lee, Mayor Bryant–anyone who wants to can post there (shudder).

R

Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2013 17:23:48 -0800
From: walkabouting@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: FNB in Santa Cruz Under Attack
To: rnorse3@hotmail.com; foodnotbombs@earthlink.net
CC: becky_johnson222@hotmail.com; lemasterhearth@hotmail.com; jsmalkin@hotmail.com; compassionman@hotmail.com

It should be noted that the local commentary posted by local homeless is being removed from http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2013/01/19/18730563.php by the local censors (all too frequent a problem).  The general theme being the local ‘well fed’ using the local homeless as a PR tool in a staged confrontation.  Here is a taste…
I’m all for confronting and protesting unjust laws.  Drawing the uninformed into conflict, not so much (see pre-OccupySantaCruz commentary for a prescient warning).  Censorship, not at all.

—

From: Robert Norse <rnorse3@hotmail.com>
To: Keith McHenry <foodnotbombs@earthlink.net>
Sent: Sunday, January 20, 2013 12:38 AM
Subject: FNB in Santa Cruz Under Attack

Keith:

A police officer and his sergeant superior appeared at the main post office steps today shortly after 4 PM where Food Not Bombs was doing its weekly feeding.

The officer advised the FNBers that they were “trespassing”  (though the post office was open; people were coming in and out; the meal was set off too the side in an area not traveled by the usual customers; and FNB workers noted a previous encounter with Sgt. Azua had seemed to establish there were no violations of the law happening).  He took a number of photos of the workers, who continued to feed people  (30-40 people came through by my casual count in the hour or two that FNB was there).  Santa Cruz FNB had been serving at the post office for the last month.

A sergeant arriving afterwards sought names and information from the workers and stated they were “gathering evidence of trespass” at the request of the postmaster.

Several of the workers were upset by this police intervention.  A number of those served were scared or angry.  The meal continued, but with significant consternation.

The police seemed to indicate they would be returning.

I would encourage you to alert other FNB activists that this is happening in Santa Cruz and they may need support against legal or extralegal police action that seems to now be on the horizon.

I’ll be playing some audio of this on my radio show tomorrow between 9:30 AM and 10:30 AM at 101.3 FM, streaming at  http://tunein.com/radio/FRSC-s47254/   , and archived athttp://www.radiolibre.org/brb/brb121007.mp30120.mp3   (about 2 1/2 hours into the audio file).

Please all in (831-427-3772) if  you have any suggestions any time before 1 PM PST.
(831-423-4833)

Thanks,  Robert