Sir! No Sir! and Sleeping Ban Protest at City Hall

Santa Cruz City Hall was the most recent location to be transformed into an outdoor movie theater by the Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In collective and guests. On August 12th, the Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In and Homeless United for Friendship and Freedom (HUFF) presented a special screening of Sir! No Sir!, David Zeiger's documentary chronicling the largely forgotten anti-war activities of American GIs and other members of the military during the Vietnam era. The screening was one of many activities which took place on August 12th in Santa Cruz as part of an organizing effort for a federal lawsuit against Santa Cruz's cruel sleeping ban.

Know Your Rights, Homies for the Homeless and Santa Cruz GDI
Efforts to Turn the Tide of the Downtown Police State
http://indybay.org/newsitems/2007/08/08/18439546.php

For more information on some of the repressive laws in Santa Cruz, see Santa Cruz Genetrification Laws compiled on Santa Cruz IMC by Thomas Leavitt.
http://indybay.org/newsitems/2006/05/26/18255141.php

6.36.010 CAMPING PROHIBITED.

No person shall camp anywhere in the city of Santa Cruz, whether on public or private property, except as hereinafter expressly permitted. "To camp" means to do any of the following:

[THE SLEEPING BAN:]

(a) Sleeping -- 11 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. To sleep at any time between the hours of 11 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. in any of the following places:

(1) Outdoors with or without bedding, tent, hammock or other similar protection or equipment;

(2) In, on or under any structure not intended for human occupancy, whether with or without bedding, tent, hammock or other similar protection or equipment;

(3) In, on or under any parked vehicle, including an automobile, bus, truck, camper, trailer or recreational vehicle.

[THE BLANKET BAN:]

(b) Setting-up Bedding -- 11 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. To establish or maintain outdoors or in, on or under any structure not intended for human occupancy, at any time between the hours of 11 p.m. to 8:30 a.m., a temporary or permanent place for sleeping, by setting up any bedding, sleeping bag, blanket, mattress, tent, hammock or other sleeping equipment in such a manner as to be immediately usable for sleeping purposes.

[THE CAMPING BAN:]

(c)Setting-up Campsite -- Anytime. To establish or maintain outdoors or in, on, or under any structure not intended for human occupancy, at any time during the day or night, a temporary or permanent place for cooking or sleeping, by setting up any bedding, sleeping bag, blanket, mattress, tent, hammock or other sleeping equipment or by setting up any cooking equipment, with the intent to remain in that location overnight.

(Ord. 99-01 § 1, 1999: Ord. 78-29, § 2, 1978).

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Crossposted at Indybay.org.