Month: August 2004

Interview with Ryan Harvey and Others on DNC2RNC March

On August 16, 2004 radical folk musician and organizer Ryan Harvey, along with Cedar, Peter, Giana and Cody, called into Free Radio Santa Cruz from New Haven, CT to give an update on the DNC2RNC march.

The DNC2RNC March is a 258 Mile Movement from The Boston Common to Madison Square Garden; stopping, rallying, and spreading resistance the entire way. The March left the day after the DNC ended, on July 30, 2004. They are scheduled to enter New York state on August 23, and will end in New York City, accompanied by a bike bloc organized by Time’s Up, an environmental, direct action organization.

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Rally in Santa Cruz for Same-Sex Marriage

On August 12, 2004, the California State Supreme Court ruled that San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom lacked the authority to issue same-sex marriage licenses, and therefore the marriages that took place are void. Over 3900 same-sex couples were married at SF City Hall earlier this year. However, the court did not rule on the issue of whether or not same-sex marriages should be legal.

Protests were held that evening in cities all over the state. In Santa Cruz, community members gathered at the Town Clock to demonstrate solidarity after an unfavorable ruling from the California Supreme Court.

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The Mendocino Model: Californians Support Sustainable Agriculture!

On March 6, 2004 residents of Mendocino County passed Measure H, banning the planting of Genetically Engineered (GE) crops — also known as Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) — within their county. The measure is now being used as a model in at least a dozen other counties in California where local residents are well on their way to passing similar measures. Organizers in Butte, Humboldt, Marin and San Luis Obispo counties have already collected enough signatures to place measures on the November ballot. Californians feel that local measures seeking to ban the cultivation of GE crops are critical steps toward economically and ecologically sustainable agriculture.

California farmers produce more than 350 varieties of crops and export more than any state in the US. Although California is recognized as a world leader in organic food production and sustainable agriculture, the world’s largest biotechnology companies are attempting to force GE crops onto California’s farms. Genetic engineering poses a significant risk to the environment, our food supply and the economic health of farmers.

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