Chris Doyon faces Federal Charges for Cyber-attack in Santa Cruz County

At Peace Camp 201o on July 10th, exhausted houseless people arrive and bed down for a welcome night's sleep as part of the protest against laws which outlaw sleeping at night. Photo by Becky Johnson

NOTE TO READER: Neither the SENTINEL nor the FEDERAL INDICTMENT against Chris Doyon states our issue properly. Peace Camp 2010 was NOT calling for an end to the CAMPING BAN. In 20 some articles they've NEVER gotten it right. We assembled to protest the INJUSTICE of laws which ban SLEEPING AT NIGHT and the ban which forbids using a BLANKET AT NIGHT. We also called for amnesty for past citations. We understand that cities have the right to regulate camping. However, the City of Santa Cruz does not REGULATE camping. It forbids it completely. And this in a City with over 1,000 houseless people and shelter for less than 10% on our best days. Peace Camp 2010 had NOTHING to do with the cyber-attack. We did not plan it. We did not approve it. We had no knowlege of it until it happened. And ED FREY and I both condemned it at the time. We have always been out to win over the hearts and minds of the citizenry that it is WRONG to forbid houseless people the right to sleep at night in a situation in which inadequate shelter exists. Finally, the County camping ban does not apply to the grounds at the County Building, so we were violating no county code by sleeping there. ---- Becky Johnson , ed.

Homeless activist indicted for county cyber attack: Voice of 2010 protests swept up in nationwide crackdown

By Jason Hoppin

Posted: 09/23/2011 01:30:47 AM PDT

ARTICLE FOUND ONLINE HERE.

SANTA CRUZ -- A homeless activist who appears to have been instrumental in last year's Santa Cruz camping ban protests was arrested Thursday for allegedly hacking Santa Cruz County computers in December, federal authorities allege.
A federal grand jury's indictment of Mountain View resident Christopher Doyon, 47, appears to be part of a nationwide crackdown on the hacker community. A second man also has been charged in the attack, which authorities say was planned as retribution for the breakup of a lengthy protest over the city's controversial outdoor sleeping ban.
According to the indictment, Doyon and Joshua John Covelli, a 26-year-old Fairborn, Ohio, resident, hatched "Operation Peace Camp 2010" on behalf of the Massachusetts-based group Peoples Liberation Front, which claimed credit for the attack and has been linked to the hacker group Anonymous.


Anonymous has been linked to a number of online hacking attacks worldwide, and played an instrumental role in a recent series of BART protests. Their members often appear in public wearing masks, particularly of the British 17th century revolutionary Guy Fawkes.
The county government computer attacks resulted in users not being able to access the county's website. No information was compromised or disseminated, county officials said.
The two-month protest over the camping ban began on the steps of the county courthouse and ended in front of Santa Cruz City Hall. Ultimately, the sheriff's deputies moved in early in the morning to break up the protest.


In letters posted on Peace Camp's blog, Doyon also described himself as homeless and some news reports on Thursday also described him as such, though federal authorities could not confirm it. Authorities provided no details on his arrest.



"All I know is that it went without incident," FBI spokeswoman Julie Sohn said.


A Chris Doyon of the same age was quoted in a Sentinel article last year about the camping ban protest, saying he believed people had the right to sleep wherever they choose.
Doyon was also one of five people ultimately charged with illegal camping, though he never showed up for trial. Prosecutor Sara Dabkowski said in May that a bench warrant had been issued for his arrest, but no further information was available Thursday.
Doyon once described himself as a spokesman for the group. At the time, he said he grew up in Maine and moved west to follow the Grateful Dead. He also vowed not to give up protesting the camping ban.
"This is a fight about aesthetics," he was quoted as saying. "One man's garbage is another man's belongings. I think millionaires are unaesthetic; I think Hummers are disgusting. You see the ridiculousness. This is class warfare."
The FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office offered scant information, but the indictments appear to part of a broader net cast by federal authorities.



Also Thursday, the FBI's Los Angeles office announced it had arrested a Phoenix man on charges he hacked Sony Pictures Entertainment's website.
Cody Kretsinger, 23, was arrested without incident, based on a Sept. 2 federal grand jury indictment unsealed Thursday. The indictment alleges Kretsinger carried out the attack as part of the group LulzSec, which has also been linked to Anonymous.
An FBI official told FoxNews.com that search warrants were being executed in Minnesota, New Jersey and Montana.

Covelli was previously indicted in July for allegedly hacking into PayPal. He was not arrested Thursday, and his next scheduled court appearance in the earlier case is set for November.
Both Doyon and Covelli were charged with conspiracy to cause intentional damage to a protected computer, which carries a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000, and aiding and abetting, which can carry a sentence of 10 years and a fine of $250,000.
Any sentence is subject to federal sentencing guidelines.

Doyon made a brief court appearance Thursday. His next scheduled appearance is Sept. 29.

__._,_.___

Peace Camp 2010 protesters march to Santa Cruz police station

Camping ban protesters marched Tuesday from Santa Cruz City Hall to the lobby of the Santa Cruz Police Department where they attempted to retrieve all their property that has been confiscated from their camping sites. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)


NOTE TO READER: After only three people had been processed, police pre-emptively shut down the office, ordering all those waiting in the lobby (and cooling off from record heat) out of doors. While police take blankets/property of homeless people 24/7, they only return it during a 1 hour time slot, two days a week leaving homeless people out in the cold without their survival gear. ---Becky Johnson, Ed.



FURTHER NOTE: The photo of the interior is a tribute to the (occasional) journalistic independence of Dan Coyro, the Sentinel photographer. Trisha Husome, records manager, came out from behind the thick glass enclosure in which the employees work. She told him and the rest of us that photographing and recording wee "not allowed" in the building (though police have a video camera monitoring the lobby).

Dan and Peacecamp2010 supporters, myself included, ignored Husome's repressive advisory. I'll be playing some audio of the protest which will be archived at http://www.radiolibre.org/brb/brb100826.mp3

Last year Husome actually refused to provide documents under the Public Records Act because I was openly making an audio of our interaction (because of past difficulties and to keep an objective record of what went down). See "SCPD Covering Up False Police Report From Councilmember Mike Rotkin?" at http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/12/26/18468941.php

Not only were those homeless waiting for their property (and the public generally forced out of doors by four officers and a lieutenant ("lobby is closed"), but the police refused to give an explanation.

After Peacecampsters sat down (or lay down in the intense afternoon heat) to await the next 15 minute interval when the property officer would be "available", the police announced that the entire property room would be closed until next Thursday. When there would again be a narrow opening between 12:30 and 1:30 and another between 3:15 and 3:30. Unless the police again decide otherwise.

I did ask for the return of a table, two chairs, several "End the Sleeping Ban" signs, and the Peacecamp2010 teddy bear. I was told they couldn't help me because I had no "incident number". It did me no good to tell them the items weren't put in an incident report, as far as I knew. If anyone sees the downtown Officer Forbus, please advise him I'm trying to get my teddy bear released.
--Robert Norse

Camping ban protesters march to Santa Cruz police station
By J.M. BROWN
Posted: 08/25/2010 01:30:17 AM PDT

found online at: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_15886112



SANTA CRUZ --" A small group of demonstrators taking part in the protest against the city's overnight sleeping ban marched to the police department Tuesday in hopes of retrieving blankets, sleeping bags, signs and other items seized during recent arrests.

Participant Becky Johnson said at least two people were given paperwork to retrieve their property but wasn't sure whether any actually received it. Police confirmed some property was collected.

"We went there en masse and apparently overwhelmed their staff," Johnson said.

The police department allows people who have been arrested to pick up property during brief windows of time on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Due to cutbacks, the department only permits property pickup between 12:30-1:30 p.m. and 3:15-3:30 p.m. on those days.

No arrests or problems were reported during Tuesday's event. Johnson said there were no immediate plans to have another march Thursday.

Police arrested four people and issued 12 tickets outside City Hall between Saturday and 5 p.m. Tuesday. Protesters, who began their seven-week demonstration at the county courthouse lawn, are opposed to the ban against sleeping outside from 11 p.m. to 8:30 a.m., a law they believe unfairly targets homeless people.

They have asked police to check whether local shelters are full before writing citations and have vowed to stay until the City Council overturns the ban. The city attorney routinely dismisses citations if shelters were full on the evening of the day they were written.

"After failing to get traction at the county building, then failing again at City Hall, apparently the protesters are trying to gain traction at the police department," police spokesman Zach Friend said. "It's safe to say it's unlikely they'll get any traction here."

Camping ban protesters marched Tuesday from Santa Cruz City Hall to the lobby of the Santa Cruz Police Department where they attempted to retrieve all their property that has been confiscated from their camping sites. (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)

SCPD now enforcing "'anti-lodging" law at City Hall

by Becky Johnson
August 17, 2010

Santa Cruz, Ca. -- At 1:45AM, Santa Cruz Police swept through Peace Camp 2010 in a wave of ticketing, rousting sleeping bodies and telling them that "they can't stay in a place where people don't want them to be,." They wrote three citations, made no arrests, and left. None of them were for the Sleeping Ban.

Instead, in yet another legal turn more twisted than a Seaside Company roller-coaster, officers issued three 647 (e) misdemeanor "anti-lodging" laws instead of the famed "Sleeping Ban" which is the purpose of the protest.

It can't be fun for them. Last night, seven different raids resulted in zero tickets. "We have a new strategy here at Peace Camp,"explained spokesman, "Curbhugger" Chris Doyon. "No tickets if we can avoid them." Two campers, at each end alerted those sleeping of the police raid, so that by the time officers arrived, people were sitting up and no sleeping citations were issued.

The night before, 5 citations were written, and a pregnant woman was arrested.

Tonight they "caught" three. But the Sleeping Ban was not the law they chose to cite under. Could their legal department have told them to stop citing under the law? Officers had no answer for those who begged officers for a place they could go and legally sleep.

"You've been warned," one officer told a sleepy couple he had awakened. "If you stay in this place where people don't want you to be, you will be arrested." It's not like they could stay in the shelter.

According to DANIEL WHITE of the Homeless Services Center, the only shelter that they could stay in during summer is the Paul Lee Loft. It has a 4 - 6 week waiting list and a 30 day limit on staying there.

A reporter from the City on a Hill Press took photos as 72-year old, COLLETTE CONNALLY was awakened, id-checked, cited for illegal "lodging" and left with a yellow citation. Campers rolled out their blankets and went back to sleep. Never a dull moment at Peace Camp.

Early morning SCPD Raid on Peace Camp 2010 - 1 citation issued

by Becky Johnson
August 13 2010

Santa Cruz, Ca. -- Peace Camp 2010 has completed its second night at City Hall and the score

Sleeping is legal during the daytime and one of the Peace Camp demonstators takes advantage on August 11th at their new location, City Hall. Photo by Shmuel Thayer/SENTINEL

so far is 2 citations issued for illegal sleeping and one arrest. "Ocean" was arrested last night when he refused to give his name after being rudely awakened by officers in the wee hours of the morning. Ocean was handcuffed and booked into Santa Cruz County Jail.

Meanwhile, after 5 days in jail, Peace Camp 2010 protester, GARY JOHNSON has been released. Gary refused to cooperate with authorities while in jail, refused bail, and went on a hunger strike which he continued throughout his stay. He had been placed in solitary confinement at his own request. GARY donated all of his meals to his fellow inmates, which encouraged them greatly. Two days before his release, his worried brother found a sympathetic sheriff's deputy to check on him. The deputy returned saying Gary was "fine" and that "he'd been eating food for two days." Apparently that report was not correct.

"Police lie," commented protester, LEIGH.

While Peace Camp 2010 is attempting to go back to it's original raison d'etre by starting at 8PM each night and disbanding at 8AM, leaving the public building open and clear for business as usual, a small core of protesters remains during the daytime. For this, the City has bought and paid for a security guard from 8AM to 5PM daily who tells them where they can smoke a cigarette and to keep off of the grass.

Yesterday, RED and TODD HILL reported a hostile encounter with Parks and Rec groundskeeper, MIA DUQUETTE when she threatened to "blow them" if they didn't move.

"I guess she was doing some work around the grounds. She came by to inform everyone that she was going to be using use a leaf blower and that we" should move ourselves and move our things" because "she wouldn't want things blowing around and getting in our eyes," reports TODD HILL.

"I have a pretty decent sarcastic meter and her sarcasm was off the charts". HILL gathered his things and moved off. He did not witness what happened next.

"She had told Christopher that she was going to blow everyone in the space," both RED and CROW reported, the co-owners of an 8-month old miniature chihuahua puppy.

"She put the blower directly on him. She put the blower directly in my puppies face." RED reacted defensively and attempted to flee the scene.

"I walked backwards 10 0r 15 feet and she followed me and put the blower directly in my face."

DUQUETTE was seen a short while later, furiously hoeing on the grounds.

By contrast, both Officer FORBES and the security guard stationed to watch Peace Camp 2010's daytime tabling effort, have been courteous and restrained. Officer Forbes went out of his way to attempt to determine the owner of a shopping cart stuffed with salvaged electronic gear and an old mattress lodged across the street in back of the public library. A City truck came and picked up the garbage to cheers from those at Peace Camp who don't want those kinds of eyesores associated with their protest.

"Curbhugger" Chris Doyon is still suffering from lingering pneumonia which he succumbed to his first night in jail, and now is being exacerbated by sleep deprivation.

"I was handcuffed for four hours straight, and even then not allowed to use the bathroom. I was left in a freezing cold room with only my tee-shirt." DOYON was charged with PC 647 (e), the State anti-lodging law. But at City Hall, so far at least, the State law is being ignored.

That's not the only law being tested. Confusion has arisen over the newly passed smoking ban which bans all smoking at City Hall and on adjacent sidewalks. The ban also bans smoking at all "City buildings" but SCPD officers have been directly smokers to go across the street by the library to smoke, despite saying right on the side of the library "City and County Library." It is also run and funded by the City and is clearly is a "city" building.

One officer told protesters that the public sidewalk is okay but smoking on the brick sidewalk is not. A different officer told them to go across the street. The ordinance itself bans smoking "at all public buildings," which would make smoking in the street the only legal option.

"They just make it up as they go," says LEIGH.

Many ignore the ban and openly smoke anyway. Confusing things even more, one of the trashcans on the City Hall plaza has an ashtray. City Councilmember, DON LANE, who was a big pusher of the anti-smoking ordinance, is also one of the "pro-homeless" city councilmembers. Yet he supports the ban on Sleeping after 11PM citywide.

In today's SENTINEL, in a op-ed piece called "Snooze, You Lose", LANE's position is characterized as being " that people sometimes fail to make the distinction between protesters and transients -- and those who by circumstance or health find themselves without shelter and need help."

Is LANE arguing that we should only shelter the "good" homeless and arrest or cite those who remain sleeping outside of the shelters? Does he think "bad" homeless people should be routinely punished with sleep deprivation as a matter of law? With friends to the homeless like LANE, we don't need enemies. But then LANE has enriched himself off homeless efforts before.

Previously LANE was hired as the only paid employee to aid the Homeless Issues Task Force in 1999-2000. LANE then produced the final report minus the recommendation of that task force that the entire camping ordinance be thrown out or possibly re-written. More recently he urged that smoking be "confined to private places" even though many homeless people smoke tobacco and have no "private places" in which to smoke.

In the wee hours of August 13th, 4 police cruisers arrived with 6 officers to cite or arrest the sleepers. People quickly jumped up, many rolling up their bags, and only one citation was issued to one of the new, homeless youths.

"We at Peace Camp 2010 wonder how the citizens of Santa Cruz feel about this insane waste of resources deployed against a few peaceful people," wrote DOYON on twitter about the raid. The County must be wondering the same thing as they consider what comes next after making 9 arrests and issuing 25 citations for misdemeanor "lodging." 25 jury trials potentially await with defendants who, all but one, qualify for a public defender.

Contrary to reports, no one is TRYING to get cited. "We're trying to get the Sleeping Ban repealed," Doyon said. "No one WANTS to get arrested."

Santa Cruz homeless activists take their fight to City Hall, literally; city leaders vow to enforce camping ban

By JENNIFER SQUIRES and J.M. BROWN

August 12, 2010

found online at: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_15751792?source=most_viewed

NOTE TO READER: This article appears to be an updated version of yesterday's story. --Ed.

SANTA CRUZ -- One person was ticketed when a six-week protest of the Santa Cruz camping ban took up residence on the City Hall lawn early Wednesday.

The so-called Peace Camp 2010 changed tactics overnight when campers moved their demonstration from the county courthouse steps to the city property. Protest leader Christopher Doyon said they moved so they could better target the city ordinance that prohibits camping from 11 p.m. to 8:30 a.m.

Wednesday morning, a few men rested under a tree on the City Hall lawn while a woman and her puppy sat amid cardboard protest signs.

"We have not heard anything from City Hall," said the woman, who goes by Red. "Basically, we'd like people to notice."

A First Alarm security guard patrolling city property noticed the camping demonstration around 5 a.m. and notified police. A 20-year-old Salinas man was cited, according to police.

Officers will return nightly to ticket demonstrators, Deputy Santa Cruz Police Chief Kevin Vogel said.

"We're not going to issue any warnings," Vogel said. "The people involved in this protest have been warned for the past six weeks."

The demonstration began July Fourth on a swath of county-owned land in front of the Santa Cruz County Courthouse. Initially billed as a sleep-only protest, the activity morphed into an all-day hangout and drew criticism because of health and safety concerns.

Demonstrators were cited for violating a state anti-lodging law, not

the so-called "camping ban" that has been contested on and off in Santa Cruz for years.

The sleep-in was designed to specifically violate the municipal ordinance, but county officials said they couldn't enforce the city's law, while city police said they wouldn't write tickets on county property.

Demonstrators want the City Council to rescind the no-camping law and forgive all tickets ever issued under it. Red said it's unfair for people to have to pay hundreds of dollars in fines for falling asleep.

She said she started living on the street in May when her motor home broke down, was towed and sold at auction. She can't go to the homeless shelter because her pup, 8-month-old Wiley, isn't allowed, she said. Also, according to protesters, all of the beds at the Homeless Services Center on Coral Street are taken.

"There's no room at the shelter," Red said. "There's absolutely nowhere for us to go."

City Attorney John Barisone typically dismisses camping tickets if the shelters were full the night the citations were issued. However, Vogel said officers would continue to cite campers at the City Hall demonstration regardless of the situation at the shelter.

"The plan is enforcement," he said. "City Hall is not a place for people to sleep during the nighttime hours."

Councilman Don Lane, a longtime volunteer at the Homeless Services Center, said he supports ticketing those who violate the camping ban.

"The folks who are protesting are not really doing any favors to the greater homeless community in Santa Cruz, most of whom aren't involved in that protest," Lane said, adding that the demonstration tests the community's will to help those who truly need it. "People don't always make a distinction between activists trying to make a political point and the average homeless person who is just trying to get services and make their life a little better."

Lane acknowledged shelter beds can be hard to come by, but he said he doesn't believe the demonstrators have necessarily tried to seek shelter.

"From their perspective, they want the camping law to be enforced and get arrested to make a political point," he said. "What we're trying to do is say to people who are vulnerable to homelessness, 'At least go over and get on a waiting list.'"

Monica Martinez, executive director, confirmed there were no beds available Wednesday and that only five people signed up for the list, which is consistent with the five to 10 people who sign up on average every day. The center has 46 beds available for 30 days at a time, and every Monday beds open for those who are leaving.

"It could take a couple of days or it could take a couple of weeks, but those people who want beds get beds at the center," she said.

The River Street Shelter, a separate facility on the same Harvey West property as the Homeless Services Center, has a 32-bed emergency shelter for adults to stay up to 30 days, but about 60 percent of the space is set aside for referrals from the county mental health agency for clients to stay up to 90 days. The remainder of the beds are subject to a waiting list that requires checking in every two days.

Homeless camping protest plans to 'sprout like magic mushrooms' at Santa Cruz City Hall

by Jennifer Squires

Aug 11 2010

Article found online at: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_15734629?source=most_viewed

SANTA CRUZ - Demonstrators protesting the city's camping ban planned to shift their effort from the county courthouse steps to the City Hall lawn early Wednesday.

The so-called Peace Camp 2010 started July Fourth on the Santa Cruz County Superior Courthouse lawn, but after four consecutive nights of sheriff's deputies ticketing and arresting participants, the demonstration planned to relocate to city property around 3 a.m. Wednesday, demonstration leader Christopher Doyon, 45, reported.

"We are going to sleep and we are going to violate the sleeping ban in a very specific way," Doyon said.

He expected at least 10 participants and planned an early morning press conference.

A city ordinance prohibits camping between 11 p.m. and 8:30 a.m. Peace Camp participants aimed to attack that law, but their demonstration on a county-owned patch of grass in front of the court building caused confusion about what laws applied and which police agency should enforce them.

Sheriff Phil Wowak said that, although the city ordinance applies to the county land because it falls within the town limits of Santa Cruz, the municipal law is only enforceable by Santa Cruz city police.

In the past week, sheriff's deputies have cited more than 20 Peace Camp participants for violating a state anti-lodging law and several, including Doyon, have been jailed for refusing to leave the courthouse encampment.

Doyon said Peace Camp would "vanish like the fog in a breeze" from the courthouse steps and "sprout like magic mushrooms" at City Hall.

The renewed demonstration in front of City Hall will target the city ordinance. It also will be a sleep-only protest without people staying all day, making food and playing music. However, a small contingent will staff an informational table during daytime hours, he said.

The original Peace Camp demonstration drew criticism because it became an all-hours hangout with concerns about trash, human waste and drug use. This week, Wowak hired a private security guard to patrol the protest during the day.

Doyon said the change of venue in no way constitutes a concession by demonstrators, who are calling for the Santa Cruz City County to rescind the sleeping ban and forgive all camping tickets issued since 1978.

"I don't consider it a breakup at all. We're going to move," Doyon said.

Santa Cruz homeless protest relocated to City Hall lawn: Officials vow to enforce camping ban

By JENNIFER SQUIRES and J.M. BROWN - Santa Cruz Sentinel

Posted: 08/11/2010 07:37:33 PM PDT

Attorney Ed Frey uses his truck mirror to put on his tie before heading... (Shmuel Thaler/Sentinel)

Article found online at: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_15748265

SANTA CRUZ - One person was ticketed when a six-week protest of the Santa Cruz camping ban took up residence on the City Hall lawn early Wednesday.

The so-called Peace Camp 2010 changed tactics overnight when campers moved their demonstration from the county courthouse steps to the city property. Protest leader Christopher Doyon said they moved so they could better target the city ordinance that prohibits camping from 11 p.m. to 8:30 a.m.

Wednesday morning, a few men rested under a tree on the City Hall lawn while a woman and her puppy sat amid cardboard protest signs.

"We have not heard anything from City Hall," the woman, who goes by Red, said. "Basically, we'd like people to notice."

A First Alarm security guard patrolling city property noticed the camping demonstration around 5 a.m. and notified police. A 20-year-old Salinas man was cited, according to police.

Officers will return nightly to ticket demonstrators, Deputy Santa Cruz Police Chief Kevin Vogel said.

"We're not going to issue any warnings," Vogel said. "The people involved in this protest have been warned for the past six weeks."

The Peace Camp demonstration began July Fourth on a swath of county-owned land in front of the Santa Cruz County Superior Courthouse. Initially billed as a sleep-only protest, the activity morphed into an all-day hangout and drew criticism because of health and safety concerns.

Demonstrators were cited for violating a state anti-lodging law, not the so-called "sleeping ban" that has been contested on and off in Santa Cruz for years.

The sleep-in was designed to specifically violate the municipal ordinance, but county officials said they couldn't enforce the city's law and city police said they wouldn't write tickets on county property.

Demonstrators moved to encourage the City Council to rescind the camping law and forgive all tickets ever issued under it. Red said it's unfair for people to have to pay hundreds of dollars in fines for falling asleep.

She said she started living on the street in May when her motor home broke down, was towed and sold at auction. She can't go to the homeless shelter because her pup, 8-month-old Wiley, isn't allowed. Also, according to protesters, all of the beds at the Homeless Services Center on Coral Street are taken.

"There's no room at the shelter," Red said. "There's absolutely nowhere for us to go."

City attorney John Barisone typically dismisses camping tickets if the shelters were full the night the citations were issued. However, Vogel said officers would continue to cite campers at the City Hall demonstration regardless of the situation at the shelter.

"The plan is enforcement," he said. "City Hall is not a place for people to sleep during the nighttime hours."

Councilman Don Lane, a longtime volunteer at the Homeless Services Center, said he supports ticketing those who violate the camping ban.

"The folks who are protesting are not really doing any favors to the greater homeless community in Santa Cruz, most of whom aren't involved in that protest," Lane said, adding that the demonstration tests the community's will to help those who truly need it. "People don't always make a distinction between activists trying to make a political point and the average homeless person who is just trying to get services and make their life a little better."

Although Lane knows shelter beds can be hard to come by, he said he doesn't believe the demonstrators have necessarily tried to seek shelter.

"From their perspective, they want the (camping) law to be enforced and get arrested to make a political point," he said. "What we're trying to do is say to people who are vulnerable to homelessness, 'At least go over and get on a waiting list.'"

Monica Martinez, executive director, confirmed there were no beds available Wednesday and that only five people signed up for the list, which is consistent with the five to 10 people who sign up on average every day. The center has 46 beds available for 30 days at a time, and every Monday beds open for those who are leaving.

"It could take a couple of days or it could take a couple of weeks, but those people who want beds get beds at the center," she said.

The River Street Shelter, a separate facility on the same Harvey West property as the Homeless Services Center, has a 32-bed emergency shelter for adults to stay up to 30 days, but about 60 percent of the space is set aside for referrals from the county mental health agency for clients to stay up to 90 days. The remainder of the beds are subject to a waiting list that requires checking in every two days.

Santa Cruz Deputies Bust Up Homeless Camp

19 Citations Issued, 7 Arrested

POSTED: 9:30 am PDT August 8, 2010
UPDATED: 3:23 pm PDT August 9, 2010

by KSBW TV

found online at: http://www.ksbw.com/news/24555679/detail.html

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. -- Santa Cruz sheriff's deputies raided a homeless protest camp at the county courthouse after midnight Saturday, arresting seven people and issuing 19 citations.Deputies said about 70 people have been camping out in front of the building since July 4.On Monday, sheriff'sThe group was protesting the city's camping ban, which prohibits sleeping on private property from 11 p.m. to 8:30 a.m.Officials said the deputies confronted the campers at about 12:15 a.m. and told them they were violating the state's anti-lodging law.Deputies said about half of the demonstrators left and those who refused to sign the citation or leave were arrested.

Copyright 2010 by KSBW.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

5 Arrests, Over a dozen misdemeanor citations -- 12 more await arrest

By Becky Johnson

Santa Cruz, Ca. -- As nearly 40 people, mostly homeless, settled into their spot on the Santa Cruz County Courthouse steps, plaza, and lining the wheelchair ramps, a team of Santa Cruz County Sheriff's, headed up by Sgt. Fred Plageman, arrived and routinely shined flashlights into faces, shook people awake and handed them a typewritten letter claiming they were violating "California Penal Code section 647 (e)" the state's anti-lodging law. This, despite a letter recently delivered to Peace Camp 2010 co-founder, Ed Frey, by County Counsel saying that City ordinances can be enforced on the County -managed property located within the City Limits of Santa Cruz. Campers, who on Thursday night numbered 60 humans and 4 dogs, braced for citations under the infamous "SleepingBan" MC 6.36.010 section a, outlaws the act of sleeping between 11PM and 8:30AM while section "b" bans the use of a blanket.

Since Ed Frey had previously determined that the County camping ordinance only applies to unincorporated Santa Cruz County, that could not be used against the campers. No one expected to be charged with the antiquated State "anti-lodging" law which dates back to the days of slavery. And a misdemeanor at that.

Everyone was rousted. Old women. The sick. A young woman begged for a safe place to go. "I'm homeless, " she told the young deputy. "I feel safe here. If I go back down by the river I'm afraid I'll be raped."

"I don't know what to tell you, " he replied, " You can't stay here."

"Curbhugger"Chris Doyon who was videotaping,was the first to be arrested, apparently for a past warrant on a minor charge. Then Orbit, who had earlier in the day tried to get shelter at the Homeless Services Center, but was denied due to the lack of availability, was the next person arrested. Orbit didn't have the letter he had sought stating that there was no shelter for the night of August 6th - 7th since he had "not yet been cited."

One man repeatedly begged for a place where he could go and sleep legally. The stony-faced deputy kept repeating "I can't help you with that, but you can't stay here."

Gary Johnson and Romero were the next to be arrested for failing to leave when told. Finally, for merely lying down on a blanket, a deputy determined that Amber G. was "illegally lodging" within the State of California and arrested her.

Dianne,who has been sick for days,and only yesterday returned from a hospital visit, was ordered to get up, pack up, and leave. She tearfully begged deputies to not ticket her. "I'm leaving. Please don't cite me!" The shame-faced deputy had to back off while Dianne painfully got her things together.

Sgt. Plageman was heard to order overtime with his deputies to accomplish the task.

As of this writing, 12 more await arrest, covered with blankets and some even daring to sleep.

Peace Camp demonstration ready to 'bring on the battle'

By Jennifer Squires - Santa Cruz Sentinel

Posted: 08/05/2010 07:39:13 PM PDT

SENTINEL photo: Robert Norse works quietly while other campers clean up shortly after 8AM Thursday morning. --- Dan Coyro



found online at: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_15687212?source=most_viewed

SANTA CRUZ - Tensions surrounding a month-long homeless protest in front of the county courthouse are rising, but so far no action has been taken to enforce the city's camping ban.

For the second time this week, sheriff's deputies went to Peace Camp 2010 late Wednesday to shoot photos, talk with demonstrators and advise them they are violating the city ordinance, according to Sgt. Dan Campos.

"We've got some plans to resist the next time they come too," Christopher Doyon, 45, a homeless man who is the spokesman for the camp. "They're not going to get this easy."

Most of the 40 people camping on the lawn and stairs in front of the Santa Cruz County Superior Courthouse were cooperative and no citations were issued, Campos said

Peace Camp participants had a different take on the night. They termed the incident a "raid" and said they thought deputies invaded their camp and harassed sleeping people.

"They came in last night and they met some pretty stiff resistance," said Doyon. "We're not going to take this laying down anymore."

Wednesday, participants also argued with deputies, telling them they were violating campers' civil rights by waking people. Deputies also had come to the camp early Sunday morning, a calm visit that campers had expected.

The demonstrators are calling for the Santa Cruz City Council to rescind a city ordinance that prohibits camping in Santa Cruz between 11 p.m. and 8:30 a.m., as well as forgiveness for all camping tickets ever issued in the city.

Peace Camp participants have vowed to stay on the lawn until their demands are met and if police try to remove them, several have said they will not go voluntarily.

But some think the protest has lost its focus and should be moved.

Court employees are frustrated by the trash, human waste and bad behavior associated with Peace Camp 2010, according to Linda Sepulveda, the SEIU court employees president and a supervisor in the local court system. County employees, who are a part of another union, also may take action, she said.

Some employees are keeping daily diaries documenting issues with the encampment and plan to file complaints with the Sheriff's Office and the county Board of Supervisors, she said.

"What's upsetting to us is it's almost like they're spitting in our faces," Sepulveda said. "This is a place of law and justice and they're breaking the law left and right out here. Every day they push it a little further."

A maintenance worker, who is member of her union, told her Monday he picked up 450 pounds of trash that had accumulated during the weekend and that he regularly cleans up human waste, as well as feces from the dogs tethered to trees on short leashes. Also, people wash their hair in sinks in public restrooms and a panhandler cussed out an employee who declined to give him change.

"I understand that they have a valid point that they want a place to sleep, however it's gone beyond that and now this is just a loitering place. We've seen drug deals happen out front. We just saw a guy walking around drinking beer," Sepulveda said. "The originating issue has been lost now."

Doyon said many county workers support the Peace Camp cause. Demonstrators support deputies arresting people drinking or fighting and do what they can to minimize bad behavior.

"Nobody defecates in the bushes and there is no garbage, no rotting food," Doyon said. It's an encampment of homeless people, it looks messy."

Homeless "tent cities" have cropped up in Santa Cruz County in the past, such as Camp Paradise and a later encampment, dubbed "Camp Paradise II," behind a church near Cabrillo College. A flood washed out the original Camp Paradise, along the San Lorenzo River bridge near Highway 1 where about 50 people made homes for 10 months. The county red-tagged its successor.

But Peace Camp 2010 is a unique situation because it's a protest camp.

Seattle public officials dealt with a similar set of circumstances last year when a large group of disenfranchised people set up a tent city with the goal of providing safe and sanitary shelter for up to 1,000 people. The homeless camp, named Nickelsville after then-Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, moved seven times before it landed in Port of Seattle park in July.

Campers were evicted about 90 days later, during which several people were arrested for criminal trespassing, according to port spokesman Peter McGraw.

"We had given them several chances," McGraw said. "I think it was just finally the fact that permitting them to be there was not legal for them to be there."

But with Peace Camp 2010, it wasn't clear until last week if the city's camping ban applied to the demonstration, which is occurring on a county-owned swath of lawn.

Once city and county leaders determined the ordinance was enforceable, it became a question of which police agency would handle the situation and the Sheriff's Office, which has jurisdiction over county property and provides court security, eventually took charge of supervising the Peace Camp.

The Sheriff's Office continues to investigate the demonstration, but Campos declined to say if or when deputies plan to enforce the city ordinance.

"We want to give every opportunity for these participants to consider their actions before any enforcement is carried out," Campos said.

Doyon has said they will welcome camping citations, which they plan to paste onto a piece of cardboard under the title "Mike Rotkin's Wall of Shame," a challenge to the Santa Cruz mayor.

"We've got some plans to resist the next time they come too," Doyon said. "They're not going to get this easy. ... It's definitely reaching a new phase. I think people are stoked for it, they're excited to bring on the battle."

Santa Cruz Sleep-Out: 19 Days and Counting

Submitted by Nailen on Friday, July 23rd, 12:59 pm

Found online at: http://santacruz.kionrightnow.com/content/santa-cruz-sleep-out-19-days-and-counting-0

A group of activists and the homeless have been camped out at the Santa Cruz county courthouse for 19 days, and they say they have no plans to leave.

They're calling it Peace Camp 2010. About 30 people are camping out to protest the city's sleeping bans, and organizers say their numbers are growing.

Even though they're rallying against city laws, they are technically on county property.

City officials have said they can't enforce their ordinances there, and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office has no enforcement plans, either.

Organizers say they are trying to make a point, and it doesn't matter if it's on city property or not.

"We're trying to protest the problem and demonstrate the solution," said activist Christoper Doyon. He said they can provide a cheap and safe place to sleep.

Doyon said the protest won't stop until the sleeping bans are repealed, and they are also asking for amnesty for all sleeping tickets dating back to 1979.

An Open Letter to Mayor Mike Rotkin and Vice-Mayor Ryan Coonerty

As dawn rises, a Peace Camp protester openly violates the Sleeping and Blanket Bans on the steps of the Santa Cruz County Courthouse. Photo by Becky Johnson



To : Santa Cruz City Mayor Mike Rotkin
and Vice-Mayor Ryan Coonerty
re: Sleep-in at courthouse

July 31, 2010


Dear Mayor and Vice-Mayor,


Both of you have made statements to the press about our protest against the Sleeping Ban (MC 6.36.010 section a) which both mischaracterize our protest as being against the “camping ban” and which claim that our protest has grown so large as to be “unmanageable”.

You've also claimed that the Sleeping Ban has been in place for “forty years” which the mainstream press has picked up and echoed. Apparently none of you can do math. The Sleeping Ban has been in place for 32 years, NOT forty years!! This only proves that the mainstream media are not doing any fact-checking and only repeating ad nauseum what you and the SCPD tell them.

We had our largest influx of people on the days in which YOUR OWN CREWS from Public Works were out on the levee displacing dozens of poor and homeless people, routinely destroying their personal possessions, and DRIVING them to our doorstep. We gladly helped them out to a restful night's sleep which you have been depriving poor and homeless people of nightly in a cruel and pointless practice. It's also illegal as local attorney, Ed Frey has pointed out.

We take a nightly census and are averaging about 30 people a night. We peaked at 55 (the night your crews were driving people out) and our numbers have dropped to 45. Tomorrow, with social security checks issued on the first, we expect our numbers to drop dramatically.

So much for your “magnet” theory.

Mayor Rotkin, Vice-Mayor Coonerty, we say, please - let us talk. Our representatives are prepared to meet with you at any time, in any venue . It is time to have a real-time discussion free of sound bites and political sloganeering. The people of Peace Camp are in desperate need on so many levels, but having law enforcement hound and harass them for SLEEPING and for KEEPING WARM WITH A BLANKET is too much. We are standing our ground on this issue and now it is time for the two of you to deal with us and with it.

Please all ED FREY at 479-8911 to arrange a meeting.

Until then, we at Peace Camp 2010 will remain stalwart in our determination. Our cause is just, and the very lives of the most vulnerable are at stake. . We are committed to our goal and will doggedly pressure you throughout the summer and fall until you can find your way to a humane solution.

Sincerely,
Chris Doyon, co-founder Peace Camp 2010


CD/bj

Homeless camp out at Santa Cruz courthouse

by Lisa Amin Gulezian July 29, 2010

(Log onto website to view video)


FOUND ONLINE AT: http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/south_bay&id=7583503

SANTA CRUZ, CA (KGO) -- In Santa Cruz, there is a jurisdictional dispute over an ordinance that bans sleeping in public, but many are wondering who is enforcing it, since the homeless have been camping out for weeks.

There are a lot of homeless people camped out in front of the county's courthouse steps. They are supposed to first get a warning, then a citation, but when ABC7's cameras were there, they didn't see anyone out enforcing the ban Thursday night.

"We started July 4th and will continue to do it until we get justice," said protest organizer Ed Frey.

The homeless are protesting Santa Cruz's camping ban, which stops anyone from sleeping outside overnight. However, the protest is now moving into week four and the homeless present outside the courthouse 24/7.

"We get yelled at. When we come in, they make remarks to us. We had a guy wielding a machete the other day," said court supervisor Linda Sepulveda.

County workers have had enough of the close quarters, where they say, drug deals are also going down regularly.

"We're becoming a magnet for alcoholics, the criminal element; this is not our doing and not our fault," said Christopher Doyon who is homeless.

Those who work here don't care, they just want it to stop and they're letting the homeless know it.

Courthouse employee Pat Hammermaster said to a homeless man, "We think it's a slap in the face, this is where we have justice and we have to watch this happening out front where nobody does anything about it. I come to work every morning and I'm sick of it."

County workers have filed complaints with both the police and Sheriff's department. They say they haven't gotten much of a response.

"It's kind of a jurisdictional battle right now, between the Sheriff's department and the police department as to who is going to enforce the ordinance," said Hammermaster.

The county admits, there was some confusion over enforcement. The ordinance is a Santa Cruz city law, but the courthouse is on county property.

"You have to all talk it through and look at ordinances and what does the city ordinance say about who is authorized to do it," said Santa Cruz County spokesperson Dinah Phillips.

The county has now decided it will start enforcing the ban. Santa Cruz Mayor Mike Rotkins is calling the move long overdue.

"Now it's gotten completely out of hand and it's mushroomed in size and a lot of illegal behavior is going on," said Rotkins.

Camp organizers say that's not true. They vow to fight any citations or arrests that come their way.

"If you don't have a house, you still have to sleep, so why not somewhere& well, this is a good place?" said Frey.

The outside of the courthouse really transformed late Thursday night. There's a Porta Potty, a wash area, and a lot of sleeping bags, so people say they will continue to camp out until the ordinance changes.

(Copyright ©2010 KGO-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

"Troublesome and Unpleasant" Protest may face crackdown....or not

Santa Cruz camping law applies to demonstration at county courthouse, officials say

By Jennifer Squires

Posted: 07/29/2010 01:30:57 AM PDT

found online at: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_15628303

SANTA CRUZ -- The legal loophole that has allowed dozens of protesters to camp in front of the county courthouse for more than three weeks closed Wednesday when city and county officials determined the city's camping ban applied to the county property because it falls within city limits.

However, it remained unclear how the ordinance would be enforced.

"I think what they're going to do is notify all the folks and encourage them to move along," said county spokeswoman Dinah Phillips, who issued a statement Wednesday saying the city's no-camping ordinance would be enforced.

But sheriff's deputies were still formulating a response and city police said it's not their call.

"Why would we go? It's the county's property," Deputy Santa Cruz Police Chief Rick Martinez said. "We're not going to take action on our own on their property."

Demonstrators called the announcement a "scare tactic."

"It's not going to work," camp spokesman Christopher Doyon said. "We're not going. We're not afraid."

The demonstration, which protesters call Peace Camp 2010 and which is led by homeless advocates Robert Norse, Ed Frey and Becky Johnson, kicked off July Fourth and has continued unabated on the county-owned swath of land in front of the courthouse.

Sheriff's deputies enforce laws on county property, and there is no county ordinance that prohibits camping on that lawn. City law bans sleeping in public places from 11 p.m. to 8:30 a.m.,

but the initial thought was that Santa Cruz ordinances didn't apply to the county's territory. So the camp has grown from an overnight sleep-in to a 24-hour hangout while government officials, law enforcement officers and legal experts sort out what rules apply to the property.

Santa Cruz Mayor Mike Rotkin said that city laws apply to county property that falls within Santa Cruz city limits, and there has been a long-standing agreement that sheriff's deputies would provide law enforcement outside the courthouse and county building.

After several meetings with county and city officials, "all parties now agree" that county authorities can enforce city codes on their property, Rotkin said. In fact, he said sheriff's deputies always have had the right, as does the California Highway Patrol or any other police agency, to enforce city laws.

Rotkin was clear, however, that the push to enforce the camping ban now -- 24 days after the camp was established -- didn't come from the city.

"Nobody from the city is putting pressure on anybody about this," Rotkin said. "We have enough on our plate."

The atmosphere at the camp-in was calm Wednesday afternoon. Someone brought the protesters burritos, doughnuts and coffee, and the "traditional Santa Cruz Wednesday drum circle" was under way, according to tweets from the so-called Peace Camp 2010.

Word that they might be ousted from their camp didn't surprise demonstrators.

"There were several of us who figured that, that the laws are applicable here and they can cite us," said Doyon, 45, who is homeless. "We were prepared for that."

But, he said, sheriff's deputies have told him they have no intention of breaking up the camp, a place that Doyon said has given some homeless people the first safe night's sleep they've had in months.

On Tuesday, sleep-in participants marched to City Hall to demand the City Council revoke the city's no-camping law. The arguments were presented during oral communications, which allows comments on any topic, and the council took no action.

"I saw the fear of God in Mike Rotkin and Ryan Coonerty," Doyon said. "We definitely made our presence known. I think we're getting a lot of traction on this, and we're going to keep up the pressure."

Doyon said demonstrators will not leave voluntarily.

But court employees think it's time for the demonstration to go.

Labor unions are considering filing complaints about employees' work environments because of the camp-in. Employees working late or on weekends have reported more people inside the county building and courthouse who don't have authorization to be there.

Tim Newman, spokesman for the local court branch, said the protest has gotten more troublesome and unpleasant. While it hasn't blocked access to the courthouse or the adjacent county building, Newman said the demonstration seems to be beyond the control of the peaceful activists who launched it.

"It's seeming to attract a different element," he said. "We've had fights out there between campers."

Someone urinated on a trash can and one camper was arrested for public intoxication. The demonstration also accumulates a lot of trash, there's been some drug use and, on Tuesday, someone brandished a lead pipe, Newman said.

"People have the right to represent their views," Newman said, "but at some point I think some order needs to be restored out there."

Sheriff's deputies and city police are working on a plan to address the problems created by the camp, according to a prepared statement by sheriff's Lt. Craig Wilson. He said the area isn't designed for camping and lacks appropriate facilities, which creates health and safety concerns. Also, people are complaining about the demonstrators.

"We understand their rights," Sgt. Dan Campos of the Sheriff's Office said. "We also have some responsibility to the community."

City attorney John Barisone has agreed to help prosecute campers, should they be ticketed and taken to court, said Martinez with the Santa Cruz Police Department.

However, there is no time line to take action, according to the Sheriff's Office.

"Hopefully we can get this thing resolved sooner or later," Martinez said. "It's really going to come down to us working together."

An Open Letter to President Barack Obama from Peace Camp 2010

Photo: Christopher Doyon
sleeps on the courthouse steps
each night to protest Santa Cruz'
Sleeping Ban at Peace Camp 2010.


FROM:
Peace Camp 2010
Santa Cruz County Courthouse
701 Ocean Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Telephone: 831-675-6096

E-Mail: SCPeaceCamp2010@gmail.com


TO:
The President Of The United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500

Telephone: 202-456-1414


Dear Mr. President --

My name is Christopher Doyon, and I am a homeless man living in Santa Cruz, CA. This message is a plea for help with a man-made humanitarian crisis. Peoples lives and liberty are at stake, poor and homeless people are sick and dying from a terrible tyranny here in Santa Cruz. The brutal ban on sleeping anywhere in Santa Cruz, CA - even on private property, is tantamount to the criminalization of poverty and homelessness. We have gathered in the one last safe place in all of the City, the County Seat. Due to special rules this small property is exempt from the City of Santa Cruz campaign of terror against the most vulnerable of it’s own citizens. We have named this small sanctuary “Peace Camp 2010” and we have a web site at -- http://Peacecamp2010.blogspot.com where you can learn more of our plight.

I write to you as an ambassador of Peace Camp 2010. And I write to you not just as our President, but as a Nobel Peace Prize winner. I beg of you, PLEASE do not turn a blind eye to the plight of Peace Camp 2010. We ask only that you call the Santa Cruz County Sheriff and ask him not to brutally crush us. We are a non-violent and PEACEFUL assembly. And if you could spare just a moment, would you please phone Mayor Mike Rotkin and simply ask him to TALK to us.

There are elderly, disabled, veterans - young and old here at Peace Camp 2010. We have been driven from all over the city like some sort of class cleansing in a horrible campaign of extreme gentrification, and truth be told there is no where left for us to go. We are truly under siege, and at any moment they could come for us - please hurry, we need your help so desperately.





Christopher Mark Doyon

Peace Camp 2010 Ambassador

Peace Camp 2010 marches to City Hall

Ed Frey, "Curbhugger" Chris Doyon, and Orbit hold signs at a rally outside of the Santa Cruz City Council meeting demanding an end to the Sleeping Ban.
SENTINEL photo by Julia Moore

Homeless campers plead
with Santa Cruz city leaders
to change sleeping law

By SHANNA MCCORD

Posted: 07/28/2010 01:30:52 AM PDT

found online at: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_15619520

SANTA CRUZ -- The people camped out on the courthouse lawn at the County Government Center on Ocean Street since July Fourth protesting the city's camping law vow to stay put until Santa Cruz leaders lift the ban that restricts where someone can sleep during the day or night.

But no change in the law is in the works, according to city officials.

About a dozen members of the group dubbed Peace Camp 2010, led by homeless advocates Ed Frey and Robert Norse, marched to City Hall on Tuesday to berate the City Council into overturning the ban that has led to several homeless people in recent years receiving tickets from police who find them snoozing

Peace Camp 2010 participants arrive at City Hall. SENTINEL photo by Julia Moore

in parks or on beaches and sidewalks.

The group made a show outside City Hall with signs that said "Sleeping is not illegal" and songs criticizing city rules.

"Santa Cruz has a liberal reputation, but it's actually very conservative on this issue," said Norse, wearing a bath robe. "It is one of our most fundamental abilities and rights to sleep somewhere safely at night. Instead, they have a law to criminalize it."

Several homeless people and their supporters spoke during the "oral

Steve Argue protests the Sleeping Ban outside City Council. SENTINEL photo by Julia Moore

communications" portion of the council meeting, which allows comment on any topic not already under discussion by the council.

However, council members are not allowed to engage in issues brought up during that time.

Still, Councilman Ryan Coonerty, after being asked by a reporter, said he was not swayed by the group's comments that were often harsh and belittling.

"Desperate publicity stunts don't change policy or help those in need," Coonerty said.

Chris Doyon, 45, believes it's part of his "freedom and right" to sleep almost anywhere outdoors without harassment from police.

He said his request to the council was an easy one.

"We're not asking for money. We simply want them to lift the sleeping ban and let us sleep," he said. "It won't cost them a dime."

Doyon and others in his camp believe their protest is making a difference in public opinion.

"Surely, the City Council should be ashamed that they would treat poor people like this," Doyon said. "We should run them all out of office."

After 23 nights, an area near the county courthouse steps is filled with sleeping bags, coolers, food, books, backpacks and other personal belongings campers have brought with them.

Organizers say some nights have seen 55 people sleeping on the courthouse lawn.

Though the County Government Center is in city limits, it is county property and the county doesn't have a ban camping there.

Peace Camp 2010 demo enters 3rd week on courthouse steps as county officials weigh their options

Peace Camp demonstration enters third week on courthouse steps as county officials weigh their options

By Jennifer Squires

Posted: 07/21/2010 01:30:17 AM PDT

found online at: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_15564485

SANTA CRUZ -- Four people sit together playing bongos and a tambourine while a puppy lounges nearby.

A man wearing a bolo hat rollerblades in tight circles as tie-dyed fabric hanging from a tree flutters in the breeze.

Several people tucked into sleeping bags snooze, but the man who hung his hammock from the handrail has taken off.

No, it's not a summer music festival. This was the scene in front of the Santa Cruz County Superior Courthouse just before noon Tuesday, where demonstrators have been sleeping nightly since the Fourth of July to protest the city's camping ordinance in what they call Peace Camp 2010.

"This is a humanitarian issue," said Christopher Doyon, a 45-year-old homeless man who has been participating in the protest for about two weeks. "Folks have a right to sleep."

Demonstrators are protesting the city's camping law, which prohibits sleeping outside between 11 p.m. and 8:30 a.m. But the protest is squarely on county property and county code does not list the courthouse property among locations designated as no-camping zones like Paradise Park and Carbonera Creek.

Although the city's "sleeping ban," as opponents have dubbed it, has been a point of contention for years, frustrations hit a high mark earlier this summer when police said a man set fire to the city attorney's office because of the law. The city also is pursuing a permanent injunction against a homeless couple repeatedly ticketed for camping downtown.

A measure recently approved by the City Council allows the city attorney to increase ignored municipal code citations to misdemeanors.

But more than two weeks into the demonstration, city police have taken no action and don't intend to, unless the protest moves off county property, Santa Cruz Deputy Police Chief Rick Martinez said.

So the so-called Peace Camp, which includes 30-50 campers a night, presents a conundrum for city and county officials.

Some would like to see demonstrators move on. For example, court spokesman Tim Newman said the protest hasn't caused problems for the county court branch, but he was concerned campers may have impeded people's ability to access the local justice system.

However, in the 17 days since the protest began, the campers haven't caused significant problems. Trash cans fill up faster and sometimes the aroma of marijuana floats through the air, but the camp has its own portable toilet to mitigate issues with human waste, officials said.

"It looks like a slumber party," said county spokeswoman Dinah Phillips, who can see the protest from the window of her office in the county building. "They line their sleeping bags up."

Still, county officials spent much of Tuesday afternoon in meetings discussing the demonstration.

"We are keeping an eye on it, and we're evaluating our possible responses," Phillips said. "At this point, I don't know what actions we might take, but we're looking at them, evaluating them."

Demonstrators said Tuesday they have no intention of leaving. What had been billed as an 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. sleep-in has grown to a daylong hangout in what protesters have deemed the Peace Garden, a tranquil sitting area in front of the courthouse and surrounding lawn. And the demonstrators have a Twitter account to alert supporters of any attempts to end the protest.

Beyond drawing attention to the plight of homeless people in the city, organizers said the demonstration has given people a safe place to catch a few winks. Doyon said some fellow campers have told him staying on the courthouse lawn allowed them to have their first safe night's sleep in weeks or months.

"We have everybody coming here," said homeless advocate Becky Johnson, who helped organize the protest. She said the campers include the chronically homeless, travelers stopping in for a night, and a younger crowd that parties until 2 or 3 a.m., then comes by to crash.

One elderly, ailing woman joined the campers after sleeping on the San Lorenzo River levee, where she lived in fear of being raped or robbed. The woman, who uses a cane to get around, now sleeps with friendly faces at the courthouse, Johnson said.

Doyon said the group hopes their demonstration will lead local government officials to establish a safe, legal place for the homeless to camp.

"We've got fantastic support," said Doyon, dressed in mismatched camouflage gear and sporting a reddish beard and shaggy hair. "We're going to be relentless."

Phillips said county officials have not opened a dialogue with the group and don't plan to discuss moving the camp to another, more permanent location because the county already funds homeless services.

"Again, we're somewhat puzzled at the fact they have an issue with the city ordinance and we don't know why they're here on county property," Phillips said. "We wish they'd take this issue back to the city where it belongs."

All photos: Dan Coyro, SENTINEL July 21 2010