SANTA CRUZ, Ca. – A dance party to celebrate International Workers’ Day in Santa Cruz morphed into a black bloc as it traveled through different parts of downtown with hundreds of participants and observers. As the crowd swelled to over 350, torches and flares were lit. The crowd zig-zagged through different side streets, eventually ending back on the main street downtown (Pacific Ave). As the crowd marched back to the clock tower, windows of corporate chains and bourgeois shops were smashed. Police presence was scarce; early on, one police car drove into the crowd to disperse it. Instead of leaving, the dancers stepped around the police car and threw paint on it. Only after the crowd voluntarily dispersed did any police appear.
10:35pm: A torch mob of about 300 people is headed down Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz, with hundreds of observers following. More info to come.
11:00pm: Graffiti: “Brick by brick we will bring it down”; “Destruction is the New Pink”; “Destroy the Destroyers” and others.
11:05pm: photo of people observing the dancers
11:15pm: Several expensive “hipster” stores, corporate chain stores, and bourgeois shops that cater to tourists had their windows smashed.
11:20pm: It’s scattering, with only 2 cop cars nearby.
occupy california 
2 May 2010 at 9:24 am |
[…] Santa Cruz: A torch-lit dance party hundreds strong took the streets of Downtown Santa Cruz, attacking a police car that attempted to crash the party. By the time more police arrived, several expensive “hipster” stores, corporate chain stores, and bourgeois shops that cater to tourists h… […]
3 May 2010 at 8:57 am |
Note to Trolls: this is not an open forum to troll. This is a news site, if you want to talk sh*t go make your own blog.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_%28Internet%29
5 May 2010 at 2:55 pm |
[…] enough to inspire you, then read their posts about the UCSC Strike Committee’s demands, the May Day party in Santa Cruz, the ongoing occupation at Middlesex University, and the ongoing strike at the University of Puerto […]
13 May 2010 at 12:59 pm |
I’ve been hearing different opinions via word of mouth throughout the last couple of days, but does anyone have info on what the point/purpose of the graffiti/window smashing was?