On October 1st, green mesh fencing was put up again in Santa Cruz's Parking Lot #4 next to the downtown Farmer's Market. The market began at 2:30pm and by 3:00pm, many people were disappointed by the fencing around the trees and the absence of the sounds of drumming in the air. But the drumming got started when a little kid, a regular at the drum circle, began playing his drum in the dirt near the sidewalk on Cedar Street. People eventually removed the fencing around the trees and a drum circle formed, playing music into the night.

Robert Norse comments, "The Drum Circle assembly isn't particularly newsworthy, except when Coonerty's Constables attempt to disrupt the public assembly there. No news is good news.

"Apparently, the police were told to resume their duties elsewhere--a sensible directive, and one wonders why it wasn't followed in late August and early September--avoiding a lot of public tension, anger, and hubbub. Could have something to do with Coonerty's reelection campaign, or some ambitious gentrification gents, or a new $43 million parking garage...or too many cops with too much time on their hands."

Only time will tell what will happen in Parking Lot #4 on Wednesday, October 8th and beyond. Will the green mesh fencing return? If so, will it come down again, one way or another? Will people be able to freely congregate, make music, and share food without surveillance and harassment by the police? Read More and View Photos

previous coverage of Parking Lot #4: September 10 || September 17 || September 24

Reviewers familiar with anti-globalization protests have both praise and criticism for the film. Among the latter are concerns about accurate portrayal of protesters, although director Stuart Townsend said he chose not to take sides and that the film is a work of fiction based on real events. Bay area activist and arts organizer David Solnit worked with the director to help recreate scenes from 1999. He and others who participated in the Seattle protests had limited influence on the script. Some activists also called on people to speak up and reclaim history and to not allow the movie to tell an untrue story of the WTO demonstrations.

On a positive note, the movie has been praised by some for covering the history of criminal activity performed by the WTO and for its depiction of the effect of the demonstrations on people’s lives. Characters in the movie change through the events of November 1999. A cop resigns from his job after his wife is beaten by the Seattle police and a corporate media reporter disobeys orders and films attacks on the demonstrators by the police. Unions are shown to have power that is seldom seen on the big screen.

While some praise Townsend for portraying protesters as sympathetic characters, others criticize his glamorization of a mainstream media fictional heroine. Ironically, WTO activists gave birth to indymedia in 1999 precisely because corporate media focuses on violence and confrontation and portrays protesters negatively. Read More

The Battle of the Story of the Battle of Seattle l SF Activists Had Hand in Making of "Battle in Seattle" | New Movie “Battle in Seattle” | Real Battle In Seattle l An anarchist review of Battle in Seattle l "And What About Tomorrow?" - An Anarchist Response to "Battle in Seattle" l ‘Battle in Seattle’—Tell Hollywood to Keep It in the Movie Theaters l On the origin and context of the indymedia network l Battle in Seattle: With A-List Cast, New Film Re-Creates Historic Protest Against WTO

“Z32” follows the testimony of a soldier (Roni) who with his unit carried out an order to avenge the death of six Israeli soldiers by ambushing and killing two Palestinian policemen. During the movie the soldier never shows his face, and his identity remains hidden behind a digital mask. The soldier is shown confessing to his friends and his girlfriend about participating in the war crime, and his quest for forgiveness. At one point in the movie the couple discusses whether someone can be forgiven for an act that any court would describe as a murder.

In Israel the phrase “shoot and then cry” (yorim vebochim) is a very common term used to criticize the behavior of the occupying soldiers who should have known better than to carry out war crimes. Many Israeli movies feature Israeli soldiers asking for forgiveness and redemption for crimes that they performed in the occupied territories. Z32, however, does not allow the viewers to be carried away with Roni’s search for forgiveness, and instead deals with the question of how the listener should act. With commentary in the form of songs, the viewer is forced to not passively forgive Roni for killing two innocent people. The viewer is confronted with dilemmas such as the responsibility to expose the soldier’s identity so he can face trial. Or that that by hiding the identity of the soldier and allowing him to redeem himself through confession, the viewer (and the director) become accomplices in defending and aiding a war criminal.

The movie was restricted at first to people over the age of 16, and after Avi Mugraby, the director of the movie appealed, the restriction was reduced to people over the age of 14. Although it doesn't contain sex scenes or violence, the Censor for Movies and Theater justified its decision, saying that “the subject of the film, which describes in different ways the involvement of IDF soldiers in the murder of two Palestinian policemen in order to avenge the killing of Jews, and the apparent abstruseness in its various parts…requires the viewer to watch the film in a rational manner and justifies its classification as suitable for viewers over the age of 14.” In an article posted to Indymedia Israel, Avi Mogarbi opposed the decision saying that “the Censor does not have the right to restrict movies because they are challenging, the Censor is using its power to restrict a movie that is politically sensitive.”

The name Z32 is taken from the testimony number on the Breaking The Silence website. For many years, Breaking the Silence has been collecting testimonies from soldiers who have committed atrocities and war crimes as part of their service in the Israeli Defense Force. Read More

Breaking The Silence | Z32-Restricted by Censor (Hebrew), Indymedia Israel | 15 Palestinians killed as Israel strikes back, The Independent

During protests at the Republican National Convention in Minnesota, performance artists from the San Francisco Bay Area rolled around in "Oily Dollars" symbolizing the dirty connection between Big Oil and elected officials. While many of the conventioneers tried to stifle laughs, activist-actors made political points with humorous street theater, getting daringly close to the delegates. They met the Texas Delegates for breakfast outside of their hotel with yellow "Support Our Oil Companies" ribbons. At a nearby venue, a San Francisco resident masked as Sarah Palin beat a polar bear with a bag overflowing with dollar bills while dancing to the Beatles' "Money, That's What I Want". "Sarah's" dance partners were frolicking oil executives with oversize heads, name tags, and company logos.

Not all convention attendees were amused, however. Ed Matthews, Republican candidate for Minnesota's 4th Congressional district, took after Jeff Grubler of the performance group Ronald Reagan Home for the Criminally Insane, grabbing Grubler's McCain mask. When Grubler tugged on Matthews' credentials, he was thrown to the ground by a uniformed officer who cuffed him while keeping his knee on the back of his neck. Grubler was then arrested and released after being detained for close to an hour. Matthews, meanwhile, was escorted into the safety of the convention building.

Grubler's San Francisco based group made many of the oversize cut-out masks used to portray McCain, Palin, and well-known oil executives in larger-than-life roles. Humorous signs included one that said, "Thank you Republican Party! Price Gouging, War Profiteering, Global Warming, Toxic Pollution."

Photos | Mugged at the RNC by a Republican Candidate for Congress | I took a swing at a Republican Candidate for Congress

More Indybay 2008 RNC Coverage

The 10th Annual Power to the Peaceful Festival took place on Saturday, September 6th, in Golden Gate Park's Speedway Meadows, from 11am to 5pm. The Festival, which was founded in 1998 by musician and activist Michael Franti in support of Mumia Abu-Jamal, is dedicated to educating attendees on issues of social justice, non violence, coexistence and environmental sustainability. The day was kicked off with yoga at 9am in front of the main stage. Performers included Michael Franti and Spearhead, Ziggy Marley, Warren Haynes, Rebelution, Martin Luther, King Britt, Cheb i Sabbah, and a variety of renowned DJ's and other international acts. Speakers addressed a number of issues from the main festival stage and participated in a Social Forum Speaker Tent. Conscious Alliance hosted a Food Drive at the Festival to gather donations for the San Francisco Food Bank. Social and environmental justice organizations hosted informational tables in the park.
Photos: 1 | 2

This year's Afterparty include da "GiveBack Lounge," a space where people could talk with representatives of several Bay Area community-based organizations about how their work addresses the needs of the world today. Sunday, September 7th offered a day of yoga hosted by Power to the Peaceful Yoga.

Power to the Peaceful | Indybay's Coverage of Past PTTP Festivals

In conjunction with its October production of "The Laramie Project", Pisces Moon Productions is collaborating with the Matthew Shepard Foundation to present “Raising Ourselves/Erasing Hate: An Invitation to Change,” providing for a dialog about the power that one individual has to change their world and adopt the values of respect and dignity for others. This free performance will feature spoken word artists, musicians, actors, speakers and victims of hate crimes. It will take place from 7 - 9 PM at Louden Nelson Center, 301 Center Street in Santa Cruz, on September 6th.

The Matthew Shepard Foundation was founded by Dennis and Judy Shepard in memory of their 21-year old son, Matthew, who was murdered in a gay hate crime in Wyoming on October 12, 1998.

Created to honor Matthew in a manner that was appropriate to his dreams, beliefs and aspirations, the Foundation seeks to "Replace Hate with Understanding, Compassion & Acceptance" through its varied educational, outreach and advocacy programs and by continuing to tell Matthew's story. Read More

"We don't need another parking lot" read one of over 30 stenciled cardboard signs erected on the evening of August 1st across the fences of various failed businesses in Santa Cruz by a group of bicyclists as part of a "Going Out of Business & Green Futures" community ride.

Part protest against car culture, part living art project, and part prank, the bicyclists visited the sites of former gas stations, drive thrus, auto-dealerships, and more, planting wild flower seeds, and other decorations depicting a deteriorating economy and hopes for a greener, wilder future. "Property is Theft", "My heroes carry guns in the their minds", and "Community Garden Coming Soon!" read some of the signs posted outside fenced off buildings and pavement cracking open with weeds. Read More and View Photos | More Photos

On the July 25th indynewswire on Freak Radio, danielsan spoke with Carmina Eliason, curator of the multimedia exhibit Remembering the Struggle, opening August 1st in Watsonville, which showcases art and history about the Watsonville Cannery Strike of 1985-87.

Carmina speaks about the strike itself, which put more than a thousand workers on the picket line for 18 months back in the mid-80's. She describes the end result as something like a tie, but talks about the lasting impact of the strike, where twenty years later there are still strong feelings on both sides. Carmina also discusses the roots, evolution and process of the upcoming exhibit and the ongoing gathering of materials to display and present at the Pajaro Valley Gallery to educate people about the strike and its impact. Read More and Listen to Audio

Viernes Cultural of Watsonville will be hosting a community celebration event to honor the former strikers, also on August 1st at 5pm at the Watsonville Downtown Plaza, with a procession from the Plaza to the Gallery at 6:30pm. Remembering the Struggle will run July 30th through September 21st and admission is free.

The Sprockettes, Portland's all female mini-bike dance team, rolled their veggie oil powered bus into Santa Cruz to give two free performances at the Bike Church on July 22nd. Operation Bike Nation 2008, stopping in bike-friendly towns from Santa Cruz to Seattle, features sex-positive club music while The Sprockettes dance in hot pink and black clothing and do tricks on mini-bikes.

The Sprockettes say their mission is to support and interact with the communities around them, advocate bicycle riding, promote positive self-image for all body types, encourage a healthly and physical lifestyle, and to organize and operate their dance troupe in a collective fashion. Read More and View Photos

see also: Introduction to Bicycles with Free Skool Santa Cruz, Summer 2008

Musicians and artists from the bay area are coming together at the Santa Cruz Vets Hall on Friday, June 27th in order to raise money for Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) and to help the brand new Santa Cruz Chapter get off the ground. The event is being sponsored by the Santa Cruz local Veterans for Peace and Veterans of Foreign Wars chapters.

There will be music performances by Ashkon (bay area hip-hop), Cripple Catch and the Midi Mob (SC hip-hop), The Reliques (psychedelic rock and roll), and Anne and The Vets (political folk from San Jose). Artists such as William Muir, Sam Sweeley, and Phil Pflager are coming to share their art with the audience, and guests from the GI Rights Hot-line, Truth in Recruiting, Veterans for Peace, and Students Against War will be coming to share their wisdom and literature.

IVAW has 3 objectives -- 1) Immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq, 2) Reparation for the Iraqi peoples, 3) Proper care, treatment and support for Iraqi and Afghani vets. Read More

see also: Veterans for Peace Santa Cruz Half Staff Flags in Honor of Dead/Injured; Iraq/Afghanistan