The Santa Cruz Jewish Film Festival screening of “October 8,” a documentary that focuses on rising antisemitism on college campuses, drew protests at the Del Mar Theatre as demonstrators opposed its portrayal of U.S. pro-Palestine movements. Temple Beth El, the sponsor of the festival, defended the screening as “art,” while objectors criticized it as “propaganda.”
Israel-Hamas war
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Taxpayers Against Genocide lawsuit over funding Israeli military now includes Jimmy Panetta, District 19
Four Santa Cruz County locals, including author Unhae Langis, have joined a Northern California class action lawsuit known as Taxpayers Against Genocide, which charges that congressional representatives – including Rep. Jimmy Panetta and Sen. Alex Padilla – abused their “tax and spend” authority when they voted to allocate $26.38 billion in military aid to Israel on April 20, 2024. “The lawsuit appeals to the moral revulsion of American taxpayers who condemn genocide to defend a shared humanity,” Langis writes.
Posted inEducation
Pajaro Valley Unified School District board to hold special meeting on ethnic studies
The Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s board of trustees voted to schedule a special meeting in March to discuss the district’s ethnic studies curriculum. The meeting will examine its current curriculum and decide on next steps.
Posted inEducation
UPDATE: Charges not yet filed against any of the 122 protesters arrested at UCSC Palestine encampment last May
UC Santa Cruz police are still investigating what happened when they made arrests of 122 people at the Gaza solidarity encampment May 31. The Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office said it hasn’t finished reviewing reports and hasn’t made formal filing decisions.
Posted inLatest News
UCSC among campuses revamping discrimination policies after federal probe into Gaza protests
The UC system will overhaul its discrimination policies after federal investigators found it failed to address antisemitic and anti-Muslim harassment during Gaza protests at five campuses, including UC Santa Cruz.
Posted inEducation
Judge denies injunction request in lawsuit over banning Gaza protesters from UCSC campus
A Santa Cruz County Superior Court judge denied a request by UC Santa Cruz protesters Tuesday morning to stop the university from banning people from campus without due process. A preliminary injunction would have paused the practice as the protesters’ lawsuit against the bans proceeded in the courts. In the meantime, UCSC updated its policy on the bans.
Posted inLatest News
Photos: Santa Cruz anniversary vigil protests war in Gaza
A candlelight vigil was held at the Santa Cruz Clocktower Monday to protest Israel’s war in Gaza on the one-year anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attack that sparked it.
Posted inLatest News
UC Santa Cruz student arrested at Gaza war anniversary protest
About 80 UCSC students gathered outside the Santa Cruz County Jail on Monday afternoon after a Gaza war protest rally attendee was allegedly arrested as the crowd dispersed.
Posted inLatest News
On anniversary of war in Gaza, students rally at UC Santa Cruz
About 150 students and supporters protested on the one-year anniversary of the start of Israel’s war in Gaza Monday on the campus of UC Santa Cruz, criticizing the university’s previous crackdowns on student protest.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Targeting Panetta on Israel, activists work ‘long game’ with sit-in outside rep’s Santa Cruz office
In the latest demonstration aimed at Rep. Jimmy Panetta’s support of Israel, a local group held a weeklong vigil outside the door to his Santa Cruz congressional office. One group member likened the effort to protests that turned public opinion against the Vietnam War in the 1960s and ’70s.