Re-Occupy Santa Cruz Rally Planned Saturday

Occupy Santa Cruz will celebrate the three month anniversary of the birth of its protest movement Saturday in front of the county courthouse steps on Ocean Street.

The event begins at noon and is billed as a day of art, music and street theater to tell the world the Occupy movement cannot be stamped out with an eviction notice, according to its fliers.

“Freedom of expression and the right to assemble are sacred human freedom,” one said. “To occupy is to embody the spirit of liberation that we wish to manifest in our society.”

Many occupiers recently expressed suffering from activism fatigue brought on by daily general assembly meetings and the slow nature of the consensus process. Occupier Casey Livingood said he hopes people will discuss how to streamline this and allow quicker action without percolating the division of the illegal 75 River Street building occupation.

"The energy it takes to convince people an action is the right thing to do should be used to plan the event and get things going,” said Livingood. “We are all working toward the same direction and the diversity of tactics is where our strength lies."

After the rally at the courthouse, SubRosa Anarchist Cafe plans a gathering from 6-8 p.m. at 703 Pacific Ave. A Facebook event page for “Capitalism and Resistance in the 21st Century: a Crimethinc Presentation” says it will be a “high energy discussion”  about why advances in technology have increased the workload of the average person rather than relieved it.

“We will examine the historical foundation of our current situation, but also delve into the global upheavals of the past year, drawing on first-hand reports and participation,” organizers wrote.

CrimethInc. Ex-Workers' Collective describes itself as “decentralized anarchist collective” working “in pursuit of a freer and more joyous world.” It says its agenda includes knocking down the pedestal society puts pop stars, politicians and CEOs on. They promote equally honoring those who do more invisible work like janitors, store clerks, and all others doing the jobs that keep society running smoothly.

Sheriff's department officials said they will enforce the 7 p.m. curfew for county officials recently set for gatherings on the property. The facct that occupiers have not applied for permits for music at the event—arguing that the First Amendment right to assembly is permit enough—does not concern the department too much.

Sheriffs spokesperson April Skalland said the heavy workload of the department makes checking on permits for every county event a low priority.

“if someone were to call and complain. We would do something about it,” said Skalland. “[With] permits there is the letter of the law and the spirit of the law., We want to enforce the spirit of the law, because we support the rights of people to get together and protest.”