The Battle Over Parking Lot 4

photos and text by ~Bradley

As you literally may of heard, on January 23rd, the Santa Cruz Trash Orchestra and fellow drummers provided rhythm for the weekly community gathering in the Cathcart parking lot during the Santa Cruz Farmers Market. A vegetarian soup was provided to all interested by a renown local chef and supporter of peaceful community gatherings. The mushroom soup was able to soothe hunger and warm up the cold, although not rainy, afternoon and break the ice while people were beginning to gather around and wonder what was going to happen. Without needing any cues, the Santa Cruz Trash Orchestra got the party started and slowly but surely more and more people began playing music, dancing, sharing food, poi spinning, hacky sacking, talking, documenting and spectating.

One woman was arrested, for reasons that were unknown to her and witnesses to her arrest, by SCPD officer Cline. At least four police cars and a police SUV were stopped in Cathcart Street immediately after the arrest, but they decided to keep on rolling down Cathcart and left the community gathering and drum circle alone. In response to police harassment at the drum circle in previous weeks, a poster taped on a tree urged people to support the market drummers and asked Mayor Ryan Coonerty if having the SCPD issue citations for drumming was his way to Keep Santa Cruz Weird.

Soup

You can read more about the weekly gathering in the Cathcart parking lot (Lot No. 4) on Wednesday, January 23rd and watch video at:

Taking Back the Tarmac--Santa Cruz Reclaims People's Parking Lot #4
http://www.indybay.orgnewsitems/2008/01/23/18474460.php

For further background information, see:

Santa Cruz Police Hassle Drummers During Farmers Market
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/01/16/18472983.php

Keep Santa Cruz Weird?

Mayor Coonerty... is THIS how you
Keep Santa Cruz Weird?

Santa Cruz Police Hassle Drummers During Farmers Market
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/01/16/18472983.php

Santa Cruz Trash Orchestra

Trash-struments

What?

Is was unclear why this woman was apparently singled out, quickly arrested, and taken away in a police car by SCPD officer Cline.

Cuffed

Cathcart

Flowers

Community Cart

The Community Cart, a project of the Wellness Community Transformation Center of Santa Cruz, kindly provided hot tea and exchanged visionary ideas with people.

by ~Bradley Friday Jan 25th, 2008 4:02 PM

Drum Circle

Hacky Sacking

Parking Lot

Poi

Poi is a form of juggling, or object manipulation with balls on ropes, held in the hands and swung in various circular patterns, comparable to club-twirling. It originated with the Māori people of New Zealand (the word poi means "ball" in Māori). Women and men used it to increase flexibility, strength, and coordination. It developed into a traditional performance art practiced mostly by women. This art, in conjunction with others including waiata a ringa, haka and titi torea, make up the performance of kapa haka (Māori culture groups).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poi_(juggling)

Food Not Bombs

Kids

Booted from the River Street Garage

Booted from the River Street Garage
(see Santa Cruz' ridiculous 15-Minute Parking Lot Panic Law)

No doubt, being civic-minded and committed to fighting oppressive laws, you already know about the 15-Minute Parking Lot Panic law. (If not, see indybay.org here, and the text of this ridiculous law here.) We (and a saxophone player on the 2nd floor) were kicked out of the River Street garage (one of our favorite empty practice locations) and threated with trespassing tickets by a zealous and nervous young officer.

Naturally, the law was created not to oppress privileged middle-class folk like ourselves, but to push the poor and the homeless further to the fringes (hopefully right off the edge where they might helpfully just disappear). But the city feels occasionally obligated to enforce their silly laws more or less uniformly lest they be accused of selective enforcement and have the law struck down.

You can ask yourself, what the fuck is wrong with this town? But we all bear responsibility every time we sit quietly by when someone make the choice of security over freedom (usually for our alleged benefit).