Occupy Santa Cruz Learns The Ropes
By Tessa Stuart, with additional reporting by Jacob Pierce
‘There are liberals. There are Marxists. There are Libertarians. The beautiful thing is that there is a lot of diversity,” said Occupy Santa Cruz protester Patrick Roooney, a 2010 UCSC graduate.
The ideologically mixed crowd remained patient and focused on the speakers Monday evening at the fledgling group’s sixth general assembly meeting. They seemed unfazed by the dizzying array of committees, subcommittees and various interest groups forming. “This is more practical and more functional. They got good practice already from the weekend, and you can see they’re learning,” said Linda Lemaster, a community organizer and one of Monday’s speakers. They discussed whether or not to protest against counter-protestors and Ron Paul supporters. They also covered what to do when police arrive.
“There will be no way to discuss a goddamn thing if there is no protocol for what to do when the police get here!” warned Robert Lewis, a Salinas resident who has been active in camping out. The group eventually decided to leave how to handle the police up to the protestors’ discretion for now.
While the body count has dwindled in the week since the first general meeting in Laurel Park on Tuesday, Oct. 4, there are unmistakable signs that the Occupy Santa Cruz movement is beginning to coalesce after a week of gestation. On Monday morning, Oct. 10, a dozen demonstrators ranging in age from their early twenties to their late sixties sat in camp chairs or milled around the steps of the Santa Cruz County Courthouse.
“The facilitators are getting better,” said Fred Schmidt, adding that while meetings were getting better at staying on track, some members were frustrated at the slow pace imposed by the consensus process. To them, he quoted Jerry Garcia: “‘All good things in good time,’” he said, adding, “Things will happen if you hang out long enough. It’s just the hanging out that takes time.”
The location of the latest demonstration is itself a sign that the group is beginning to focus on its audience. Late last week, protestors were tucked away in San Lorenzo Park; the group decamped for one night to Mission Plaza before re-settling on the courthouse steps on high-traffic Water Street, near the corner of Ocean, and retaining a base in the park.
Many drivers honked or hollered supportive messages to the demonstrators, and several passersby picked signs up to show their support. Two women with young children held official National Nurses United signs that read, “Take it Back. Tax Wall Street;” other handmade signs bearing the messages “Boycott China,” “End the Fed,” and “Stop Funding Wars” were arranged on the steps of the county building.
Scrawled in sharpie on one cardboard sign was a list of demands: free all political prisoners, tax oil companies to pay for healthcare and education, end GMOs, no militarization of the border, end the sleeping ban—a hodgepodge of demands, and a microcosm of a movement that that has become a clearinghouse for grievances.
The Occupy Wall Street movement that began in New York City on Sept. 17 has ignited pockets of collective frustration across the country. At press time, there were 1382 “Occupy” communities registered on the website Meetup.com, the largest in San Francisco, Denver, Phoenix, San Diego, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Seattle and Portland.
Santa Cruz’s movement started Oct. 4, a drizzly Tuesday, with a crowd that swelled to more than 200 people at Laurel Park. The meeting began with a reading of the manifesto written by Occupy Wall Street before goals specific to Santa Cruz were established.
At times, there was some conflation about where the protestors were directing their anger—some were frustrated at corporations and banks, some blamed city government and the county government, some sloganeered “Vote with your dollars” and others advocated abandoning dollars altogether to subvert the economic hegemony.
A mild-mannered octogenarian proposed occupying the former Borders on Pacific Avenue, a suggestion that was countered with arguments that it would disrupt local businesses and put protestors at a tactical disadvantage to law enforcement. Several other proposals—the Veterans Memorial Hall, Chase Bank on Water Street, the Rittenhouse Building—were raised and voted down before the group finally reached consensus.
The crowed ultimately decided to reconvene Thursday at 10am to occupy the Santa Cruz County Courthouse and San Lorenzo Park. The date, Oct. 6, was chosen in solidarity with other “Occupy” actions happening around the country.
On Thursday morning, protestors began erecting tents in a thicket of oak trees beside the lawn bowling courts in San Lorenzo Park. Literature was distributed among the crowd before the meeting began, including a nine-page handbook titled: “OCCUPY! Your Guide to the International Occupation Movement of 2011” and a map of Downtown Santa Cruz delineating the route Friday’s march would take (Dakota to Laurel to Pacific to Cooper to Front to River to Water to Ocean and back to San Lorenzo Park).
“I think it’s going to be a long process and I know there is a wide range of demands, but two of the things I’d like to see are campaign finance reform and a return to higher taxes like before Reagan,” said Noah Shepherdson, an in-home support services worker who cares for two quadriplegics. “People who are making more than $250,000 a year and paying less than their secretary, that’s just ridiculous.”
By Monday some of the realities of an extended protest were becoming clear. “It’s hard. It’s not just consensus that’s hard, but sleeping outside on the ground is hard,” said Lemaster, adding that she has hopes the protest will make inroads to connect poor people in Santa Cruz with the rest of the community. It’s already happening, she said, and Rooney, the UCSC grad, concurred.
“Regardless of everyone’s political beliefs, the unifying thread is that economic inequality is unacceptable,” said Rooney, “and that big money still has to be taken down.”
With additional reporting by Jacob Pierce.
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Credit: Chip Scheuer
‘There are liberals. There are Marxists. There are Libertarians. The beautiful thing is that there is a lot of diversity,” said Occupy Santa Cruz protester Patrick Roooney, a 2010 UCSC graduate.
The ideologically mixed crowd remained patient and focused on the speakers Monday evening at the fledgling group’s sixth general assembly meeting. They seemed unfazed by the dizzying array of committees, subcommittees and various interest groups forming. “This is more practical and more functional. They got good practice already from the weekend, and you can see they’re learning,” said Linda Lemaster, a community organizer and one of Monday’s speakers. They discussed whether or not to protest against counterprotestors and Ron Paul supporters. They also covered what to do when police arrive.
“There will be no way to discuss a goddamn thing if there is no protocol for what to do when the police get here!” warned Robert Lewis, a Salinas resident who has been active in camping out. The group eventually decided to leave how to handle the police up to the protestors’ discretion for now.
While the body count has dwindled in the week since the first general meeting in Laurel Park on Tuesday, Oct. 4, there are unmistakable signs that the Occupy Santa Cruz movement is beginning to coalesce after a week of gestation. On Monday morning, Oct. 10, a dozen demonstrators ranging in age from their early twenties to their late sixties sat in camp chairs or milled around the steps of the Santa Cruz County Courthouse.
“The facilitators are getting better,” said Fred Schmidt, adding that while meetings were getting better at staying on track, some members were frustrated at the slow pace imposed by the consensus process. To them, he quoted Jerry Garcia: “‘All good things in good time,’” he said, adding, “Things will happen if you hang out long enough. It’s just the hanging out that takes time.”
The location of the latest demonstration is itself a sign that the group is beginning to focus on its audience. Late last week, protestors were tucked away in San Lorenzo Park; the group decamped for one night to Mission Plaza before re-settling on the courthouse steps on high-traffic Water Street, near the corner of Ocean, and retaining a base in the park.
Many drivers honked or hollered supportive messages to the demonstrators, and several passersby picked signs up to show their support. Two women with young children held official National Nurses United signs that read, “Take it Back. Tax Wall Street;” other handmade signs bearing the messages “Boycott China,” “End the Fed,” and “Stop Funding Wars” were arranged on the steps of the county building.
Scrawled in sharpie on one cardboard sign was a list of demands: free all political prisoners, tax oil companies to pay for healthcare and education, end GMOs, no militarization of the border, end the sleeping ban—a hodgepodge of demands, and a microcosm of a movement that that has become a clearinghouse for grievances.
The Occupy Wall Street movement that began in New York City on Sept. 17 has ignited pockets of collective frustration across the country. At press time, there were 1382 “Occupy” communities registered on the website Meetup.com, the largest in San Francisco, Denver, Phoenix, San Diego, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Seattle and Portland.
Santa Cruz’s movement started Oct. 4, a drizzly Tuesday, with a crowd that swelled to more than 200 people at Laurel Park. The meeting began with a reading of the manifesto written by Occupy Wall Street before goals specific to Santa Cruz were established.
At times, there was some conflation about where the protestors were directing their anger—some were frustrated at corporations and banks, some blamed city government and the county government, some sloganeered “Vote with your dollars” and others advocated abandoning dollars altogether to subvert the economic hegemony.
A mild-mannered octogenarian proposed occupying the former Borders on Pacific Avenue, a suggestion that was countered with arguments that it would disrupt local businesses and put protestors at a tactical disadvantage to law enforcement. Several other proposals—the Veterans Memorial Hall, Chase Bank on Water Street, the Rittenhouse Building—were raised and voted down before the group finally reached consensus.
The crowed ultimately decided to reconvene Thursday at 10am to occupy the Santa Cruz County Courthouse and San Lorenzo Park. The date, Oct. 6, was chosen in solidarity with other “Occupy” actions happening around the country.
On Thursday morning, protestors began erecting tents in a thicket of oak trees beside the lawn bowling courts in San Lorenzo Park. Literature was distributed among the crowd before the meeting began, including a nine-page handbook titled: “OCCUPY! Your Guide to the International Occupation Movement of 2011” and a map of Downtown Santa Cruz delineating the route Friday’s march would take (Dakota to Laurel to Pacific to Cooper to Front to River to Water to Ocean and back to San Lorenzo Park).
“I think it’s going to be a long process and I know there is a wide range of demands, but two of the things I’d like to see are campaign finance reform and a return to higher taxes like before Reagan,” said Noah Shepherdson, an in-home support services worker who cares for two quadriplegics. “People who are making more than $250,000 a year and paying less than their secretary, that’s just ridiculous.”
By Monday some of the realities of an extended protest were becoming clear. “It’s hard. It’s not just consensus that’s hard, but sleeping outside on the ground is hard,” said Lemaster, adding that she has hopes the protest will make inroads to connect poor people in Santa Cruz with the rest of the community. It’s already happening, she said, and Rooney, the UCSC grad, concurred.
“Regardless of everyone’s political beliefs, the unifying thread is that economic inequality is unacceptable,” said Rooney, “and that big money still has to be taken down.”
With additional reporting by Jacob Pierce.
- 0 Comments
- Share2
- 0
Credit: Chip Scheuer
‘There are liberals. There are Marxists. There are Libertarians. The beautiful thing is that there is a lot of diversity,” said Occupy Santa Cruz protester Patrick Roooney, a 2010 UCSC graduate.
The ideologically mixed crowd remained patient and focused on the speakers Monday evening at the fledgling group’s sixth general assembly meeting. They seemed unfazed by the dizzying array of committees, subcommittees and various interest groups forming. “This is more practical and more functional. They got good practice already from the weekend, and you can see they’re learning,” said Linda Lemaster, a community organizer and one of Monday’s speakers. They discussed whether or not to protest against counterprotestors and Ron Paul supporters. They also covered what to do when police arrive.
“There will be no way to discuss a goddamn thing if there is no protocol for what to do when the police get here!” warned Robert Lewis, a Salinas resident who has been active in camping out. The group eventually decided to leave how to handle the police up to the protestors’ discretion for now.
While the body count has dwindled in the week since the first general meeting in Laurel Park on Tuesday, Oct. 4, there are unmistakable signs that the Occupy Santa Cruz movement is beginning to coalesce after a week of gestation. On Monday morning, Oct. 10, a dozen demonstrators ranging in age from their early twenties to their late sixties sat in camp chairs or milled around the steps of the Santa Cruz County Courthouse.
“The facilitators are getting better,” said Fred Schmidt, adding that while meetings were getting better at staying on track, some members were frustrated at the slow pace imposed by the consensus process. To them, he quoted Jerry Garcia: “‘All good things in good time,’” he said, adding, “Things will happen if you hang out long enough. It’s just the hanging out that takes time.”
The location of the latest demonstration is itself a sign that the group is beginning to focus on its audience. Late last week, protestors were tucked away in San Lorenzo Park; the group decamped for one night to Mission Plaza before re-settling on the courthouse steps on high-traffic Water Street, near the corner of Ocean, and retaining a base in the park.
Many drivers honked or hollered supportive messages to the demonstrators, and several passersby picked signs up to show their support. Two women with young children held official National Nurses United signs that read, “Take it Back. Tax Wall Street;” other handmade signs bearing the messages “Boycott China,” “End the Fed,” and “Stop Funding Wars” were arranged on the steps of the county building.
Scrawled in sharpie on one cardboard sign was a list of demands: free all political prisoners, tax oil companies to pay for healthcare and education, end GMOs, no militarization of the border, end the sleeping ban—a hodgepodge of demands, and a microcosm of a movement that that has become a clearinghouse for grievances.
The Occupy Wall Street movement that began in New York City on Sept. 17 has ignited pockets of collective frustration across the country. At press time, there were 1382 “Occupy” communities registered on the website Meetup.com, the largest in San Francisco, Denver, Phoenix, San Diego, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Seattle and Portland.
Santa Cruz’s movement started Oct. 4, a drizzly Tuesday, with a crowd that swelled to more than 200 people at Laurel Park. The meeting began with a reading of the manifesto written by Occupy Wall Street before goals specific to Santa Cruz were established.
At times, there was some conflation about where the protestors were directing their anger—some were frustrated at corporations and banks, some blamed city government and the county government, some sloganeered “Vote with your dollars” and others advocated abandoning dollars altogether to subvert the economic hegemony.
A mild-mannered octogenarian proposed occupying the former Borders on Pacific Avenue, a suggestion that was countered with arguments that it would disrupt local businesses and put protestors at a tactical disadvantage to law enforcement. Several other proposals—the Veterans Memorial Hall, Chase Bank on Water Street, the Rittenhouse Building—were raised and voted down before the group finally reached consensus.
The crowed ultimately decided to reconvene Thursday at 10am to occupy the Santa Cruz County Courthouse and San Lorenzo Park. The date, Oct. 6, was chosen in solidarity with other “Occupy” actions happening around the country.
On Thursday morning, protestors began erecting tents in a thicket of oak trees beside the lawn bowling courts in San Lorenzo Park. Literature was distributed among the crowd before the meeting began, including a nine-page handbook titled: “OCCUPY! Your Guide to the International Occupation Movement of 2011” and a map of Downtown Santa Cruz delineating the route Friday’s march would take (Dakota to Laurel to Pacific to Cooper to Front to River to Water to Ocean and back to San Lorenzo Park).
“I think it’s going to be a long process and I know there is a wide range of demands, but two of the things I’d like to see are campaign finance reform and a return to higher taxes like before Reagan,” said Noah Shepherdson, an in-home support services worker who cares for two quadriplegics. “People who are making more than $250,000 a year and paying less than their secretary, that’s just ridiculous.”
By Monday some of the realities of an extended protest were becoming clear. “It’s hard. It’s not just consensus that’s hard, but sleeping outside on the ground is hard,” said Lemaster, adding that she has hopes the protest will make inroads to connect poor people in Santa Cruz with the rest of the community. It’s already happening, she said, and Rooney, the UCSC grad, concurred.
“Regardless of everyone’s political beliefs, the unifying thread is that economic inequality is unacceptable,” said Rooney, “and that big money still has to be taken down.”
With additional reporting by Jacob Pierce.
- 0 Comments
- Share2
- 0
Credit: Chip Scheuer
‘There are liberals. There are Marxists. There are Libertarians. The beautiful thing is that there is a lot of diversity,” said Occupy Santa Cruz protester Patrick Roooney, a 2010 UCSC graduate.
The ideologically mixed crowd remained patient and focused on the speakers Monday evening at the fledgling group’s sixth general assembly meeting. They seemed unfazed by the dizzying array of committees, subcommittees and various interest groups forming. “This is more practical and more functional. They got good practice already from the weekend, and you can see they’re learning,” said Linda Lemaster, a community organizer and one of Monday’s speakers. They discussed whether or not to protest against counterprotestors and Ron Paul supporters. They also covered what to do when police arrive.
“There will be no way to discuss a goddamn thing if there is no protocol for what to do when the police get here!” warned Robert Lewis, a Salinas resident who has been active in camping out. The group eventually decided to leave how to handle the police up to the protestors’ discretion for now.
While the body count has dwindled in the week since the first general meeting in Laurel Park on Tuesday, Oct. 4, there are unmistakable signs that the Occupy Santa Cruz movement is beginning to coalesce after a week of gestation. On Monday morning, Oct. 10, a dozen demonstrators ranging in age from their early twenties to their late sixties sat in camp chairs or milled around the steps of the Santa Cruz County Courthouse.
“The facilitators are getting better,” said Fred Schmidt, adding that while meetings were getting better at staying on track, some members were frustrated at the slow pace imposed by the consensus process. To them, he quoted Jerry Garcia: “‘All good things in good time,’” he said, adding, “Things will happen if you hang out long enough. It’s just the hanging out that takes time.”
The location of the latest demonstration is itself a sign that the group is beginning to focus on its audience. Late last week, protestors were tucked away in San Lorenzo Park; the group decamped for one night to Mission Plaza before re-settling on the courthouse steps on high-traffic Water Street, near the corner of Ocean, and retaining a base in the park.
Many drivers honked or hollered supportive messages to the demonstrators, and several passersby picked signs up to show their support. Two women with young children held official National Nurses United signs that read, “Take it Back. Tax Wall Street;” other handmade signs bearing the messages “Boycott China,” “End the Fed,” and “Stop Funding Wars” were arranged on the steps of the county building.
Scrawled in sharpie on one cardboard sign was a list of demands: free all political prisoners, tax oil companies to pay for healthcare and education, end GMOs, no militarization of the border, end the sleeping ban—a hodgepodge of demands, and a microcosm of a movement that that has become a clearinghouse for grievances.
The Occupy Wall Street movement that began in New York City on Sept. 17 has ignited pockets of collective frustration across the country. At press time, there were 1382 “Occupy” communities registered on the website Meetup.com, the largest in San Francisco, Denver, Phoenix, San Diego, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Seattle and Portland.
Santa Cruz’s movement started Oct. 4, a drizzly Tuesday, with a crowd that swelled to more than 200 people at Laurel Park. The meeting began with a reading of the manifesto written by Occupy Wall Street before goals specific to Santa Cruz were established.
At times, there was some conflation about where the protestors were directing their anger—some were frustrated at corporations and banks, some blamed city government and the county government, some sloganeered “Vote with your dollars” and others advocated abandoning dollars altogether to subvert the economic hegemony.
A mild-mannered octogenarian proposed occupying the former Borders on Pacific Avenue, a suggestion that was countered with arguments that it would disrupt local businesses and put protestors at a tactical disadvantage to law enforcement. Several other proposals—the Veterans Memorial Hall, Chase Bank on Water Street, the Rittenhouse Building—were raised and voted down before the group finally reached consensus.
The crowed ultimately decided to reconvene Thursday at 10am to occupy the Santa Cruz County Courthouse and San Lorenzo Park. The date, Oct. 6, was chosen in solidarity with other “Occupy” actions happening around the country.
On Thursday morning, protestors began erecting tents in a thicket of oak trees beside the lawn bowling courts in San Lorenzo Park. Literature was distributed among the crowd before the meeting began, including a nine-page handbook titled: “OCCUPY! Your Guide to the International Occupation Movement of 2011” and a map of Downtown Santa Cruz delineating the route Friday’s march would take (Dakota to Laurel to Pacific to Cooper to Front to River to Water to Ocean and back to San Lorenzo Park).
“I think it’s going to be a long process and I know there is a wide range of demands, but two of the things I’d like to see are campaign finance reform and a return to higher taxes like before Reagan,” said Noah Shepherdson, an in-home support services worker who cares for two quadriplegics. “People who are making more than $250,000 a year and paying less than their secretary, that’s just ridiculous.”
By Monday some of the realities of an extended protest were becoming clear. “It’s hard. It’s not just consensus that’s hard, but sleeping outside on the ground is hard,” said Lemaster, adding that she has hopes the protest will make inroads to connect poor people in Santa Cruz with the rest of the community. It’s already happening, she said, and Rooney, the UCSC grad, concurred.
“Regardless of everyone’s political beliefs, the unifying thread is that economic inequality is unacceptable,” said Rooney, “and that big money still has to be taken down.”
With additional reporting by Jacob Pierce.
- 0 Comments
- Share2
- 0
Credit: Chip Scheuer
‘There are liberals. There are Marxists. There are Libertarians. The beautiful thing is that there is a lot of diversity,” said Occupy Santa Cruz protester Patrick Roooney, a 2010 UCSC graduate.
The ideologically mixed crowd remained patient and focused on the speakers Monday evening at the fledgling group’s sixth general assembly meeting. They seemed unfazed by the dizzying array of committees, subcommittees and various interest groups forming. “This is more practical and more functional. They got good practice already from the weekend, and you can see they’re learning,” said Linda Lemaster, a community organizer and one of Monday’s speakers. They discussed whether or not to protest against counterprotestors and Ron Paul supporters. They also covered what to do when police arrive.
“There will be no way to discuss a goddamn thing if there is no protocol for what to do when the police get here!” warned Robert Lewis, a Salinas resident who has been active in camping out. The group eventually decided to leave how to handle the police up to the protestors’ discretion for now.
While the body count has dwindled in the week since the first general meeting in Laurel Park on Tuesday, Oct. 4, there are unmistakable signs that the Occupy Santa Cruz movement is beginning to coalesce after a week of gestation. On Monday morning, Oct. 10, a dozen demonstrators ranging in age from their early twenties to their late sixties sat in camp chairs or milled around the steps of the Santa Cruz County Courthouse.
“The facilitators are getting better,” said Fred Schmidt, adding that while meetings were getting better at staying on track, some members were frustrated at the slow pace imposed by the consensus process. To them, he quoted Jerry Garcia: “‘All good things in good time,’” he said, adding, “Things will happen if you hang out long enough. It’s just the hanging out that takes time.”
The location of the latest demonstration is itself a sign that the group is beginning to focus on its audience. Late last week, protestors were tucked away in San Lorenzo Park; the group decamped for one night to Mission Plaza before re-settling on the courthouse steps on high-traffic Water Street, near the corner of Ocean, and retaining a base in the park.
Many drivers honked or hollered supportive messages to the demonstrators, and several passersby picked signs up to show their support. Two women with young children held official National Nurses United signs that read, “Take it Back. Tax Wall Street;” other handmade signs bearing the messages “Boycott China,” “End the Fed,” and “Stop Funding Wars” were arranged on the steps of the county building.
Scrawled in sharpie on one cardboard sign was a list of demands: free all political prisoners, tax oil companies to pay for healthcare and education, end GMOs, no militarization of the border, end the sleeping ban—a hodgepodge of demands, and a microcosm of a movement that that has become a clearinghouse for grievances.
The Occupy Wall Street movement that began in New York City on Sept. 17 has ignited pockets of collective frustration across the country. At press time, there were 1382 “Occupy” communities registered on the website Meetup.com, the largest in San Francisco, Denver, Phoenix, San Diego, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Seattle and Portland.
Santa Cruz’s movement started Oct. 4, a drizzly Tuesday, with a crowd that swelled to more than 200 people at Laurel Park. The meeting began with a reading of the manifesto written by Occupy Wall Street before goals specific to Santa Cruz were established.
At times, there was some conflation about where the protestors were directing their anger—some were frustrated at corporations and banks, some blamed city government and the county government, some sloganeered “Vote with your dollars” and others advocated abandoning dollars altogether to subvert the economic hegemony.
A mild-mannered octogenarian proposed occupying the former Borders on Pacific Avenue, a suggestion that was countered with arguments that it would disrupt local businesses and put protestors at a tactical disadvantage to law enforcement. Several other proposals—the Veterans Memorial Hall, Chase Bank on Water Street, the Rittenhouse Building—were raised and voted down before the group finally reached consensus.
The crowed ultimately decided to reconvene Thursday at 10am to occupy the Santa Cruz County Courthouse and San Lorenzo Park. The date, Oct. 6, was chosen in solidarity with other “Occupy” actions happening around the country.
On Thursday morning, protestors began erecting tents in a thicket of oak trees beside the lawn bowling courts in San Lorenzo Park. Literature was distributed among the crowd before the meeting began, including a nine-page handbook titled: “OCCUPY! Your Guide to the International Occupation Movement of 2011” and a map of Downtown Santa Cruz delineating the route Friday’s march would take (Dakota to Laurel to Pacific to Cooper to Front to River to Water to Ocean and back to San Lorenzo Park).
“I think it’s going to be a long process and I know there is a wide range of demands, but two of the things I’d like to see are campaign finance reform and a return to higher taxes like before Reagan,” said Noah Shepherdson, an in-home support services worker who cares for two quadriplegics. “People who are making more than $250,000 a year and paying less than their secretary, that’s just ridiculous.”
By Monday some of the realities of an extended protest were becoming clear. “It’s hard. It’s not just consensus that’s hard, but sleeping outside on the ground is hard,” said Lemaster, adding that she has hopes the protest will make inroads to connect poor people in Santa Cruz with the rest of the community. It’s already happening, she said, and Rooney, the UCSC grad, concurred.
“Regardless of everyone’s political beliefs, the unifying thread is that economic inequality is unacceptable,” said Rooney, “and that big money still has to be taken down.”
With additional reporting by Jacob Pierce.
Hi,I wasat OCS and I can be reached at joegouldIII@yahoo.com !
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