Federal Judge Morrison England denied a motion by attorneys for Occupy Sacramento Thursday to order a temporary restraining order against the city from enforcing a parks ordinance that limits park hours. The motion was filed Tuesday as an emergency request by local civil rights attorney Mark Merin on behalf of Occupy Sacramento in an attempt to prevent the city from arresting protesters who remained in Cesar Chavez Plaza – the site of the occupation since Oct. 6 – in violation of park curfew. “I’m disappointed in the decision,” Merin said after the ruling. “Obviously, we hoped the judge would see the case differently than he did.” The restraining order motion was part of a recent lawsui

Occupy Sacramento participants once again stood their ground at Ceasar Chavez Park in Downtown Sacramento. At midnight, an hour after the park is officially closed, dispersal orders were given and 4 (including one in a wheel chair) were arrested peacfully. 

Why Occupy? Right now, regular folks ― young, smart, educated young people ― are frustrated because they don't see a way to claim their piece of the American dream. For Julio Escobar, 19, a Sacramento City College student who grew up in Oak Park, the decision to stay and offer himself up for arrest by not leaving Cesar Chavez Park was one of principle.   The issue with the park started on Oct. 6, when 19 protestors elected to stay after closing at Cesar Chavez Park on behalf of the 99%. The nineteen took the bullet for the majority refusing to leave in civil disobedience despite repeated warnings by the police to disburse or be taken to jail. A video of the events unfolding can be se

'Occupy' protesters in Sacramento marched on Capital Mall Friday afternoon with a stop at the Bureau of Indian Affairs at 650 Capital Mall with some definite opinions of Columbus and the recent celebration of Columbus Day. After their brief stop and rally at John E. Moss Building, they continued east on Capital Mall where they rallied again on the north steps of the Capital Building See video from demonstration>> View some other 'Occupy' articles on SacPress>>      

Authorities said 20 protesters were arrested at about 12:45 a.m. Friday when they refused to leave Cesar Chavez Plaza, the site of the Occupy Sacramento demonstration. Both police and protesters described the arrests as peaceful. “They went without any problems or issues,” said Sgt. Andrew Pettit, spokesman for the Sacramento Police Department. “They were booked for failure to disperse after a lawful order.” Anthony Bondi, a spokesman for Occupy Sacramento, agreed. “It was completely violence-free,” he said Friday afternoon. “The protesters laid down and chose to be arrested.” Despite what some protesters said they think was an overbearing police presence, Pettit said units involved w

Around 20 medical marijuana supporters protested Friday in front of the Sacramento Federal Courthouse. The protest started at 10 a.m. and is scheduled to end by 1 p.m.

Protesters took to Cesar Chavez Plaza Thursday to fight what they say is the richest 1 percent of Americans controlling 50 percent of the country’s wealth – and they plan to “occupy” Sacramento for at least a week. “I’m out here to fight for the people so we can get power back from the corporations,” said Neph Garcia, a diesel mechanic from Woodland. “The 1 percent is making the decisions, and the 99 percent suffers from those,” he added. “We have to be free from corporate decisions. The politicians are pretty much their puppets.” About 300 protesters with Occupy Sacramento assembled at Cesar Chavez Plaza downtown on Thursday morning before setting off on a march around the Capitol, cha

A proposed amendment to the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op bylaws is being seen by some as a necessary procedure to ensure equality, while others see it as an attempt to take the members’ voice away on certain issues. All 12,000 co-op members will have the chance to vote on the amendment, which must pass with at least a two-thirds majority in the next election cycle, scheduled for late summer or fall, said Board Member and Policy Committee chairwoman Michelle Reynolds. According to Reynolds, the amendment proposed at the June 7 board meeting is a procedural process designed to ensure that the co-op has written anti-discrimination policies in its bylaws after a restructuring of its polici

Equality Action NOW Hosts Event at the Crocker Art Museum Today, California Governor Jerry Brown officially proclaimed Sunday, May 22, Harvey Milk Day. Last year Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law the Harvey Milk Day bill, in honor of the slain San Francisco supervisor who fought for LGBT rights. The proclamation begins by saying, “In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man in the history of the United States to be elected to public office. This milestone achievement gave hope to millions of gays and lesbians across the country that a day would come when they could live their lives openly and honestly without fear

Four Sacramento State University students are facing disciplinary actions from the college for their participation in the three-day sit-in sy Sacramento Hall, which ended April 16 at 3:30 a.m. with police in riot gear. Last Thursday, the students – Nora Walker, Yeimi Lopez, Amanda Mooers and Mildred Garcia – had their first hearing inside Lassen Hall with a disciplinary officer, as many of their supporters stood in front of the building wearing tape across their mouths and carried signs with messages like “Defending education is not a crime” and “Silence is the quest before the storm.” In recent weeks, the protesters ignited a proverbial flame on campus that spread across an estimated 1,

In a display of symbolic death to the local workforce, a man dressed in a grim reaper costume stood with scythe in hand in front of the Sacramento Municipal Utilities District building on 65th Street Monday morning along with a half dozen other workers from the Carpenters Union Local 180. Protesters passed out fliers claiming that SMUD outsourced labor for the Solano Wind project to an out-of-state general contractor who made $830 million in 2009, but SMUD calls the protest a disruption of business with "false and inaccurate claims" about the project. SMUD states as many as 180 local construction jobs will be available in the Solano County area because of the project and that they didn't

The rain didn't stop an estimated 13,000 college students and faculty from marching on the State Capitol Monday to demand legislators work out their differences and put tax extensions on the ballot, which educators have said would make next year's cuts more bearable. Students were bused from all over the state to the Towe Auto Museum, where the march officially began. Called the “March in March,” Monday's protest was the fourth year in a row that the same group came out to the Capitol in such large numbers. As it stands now, Gov. Jerry Brown's proposed budget for fiscal year 2011 assesses a $1.4 billion cut to higher education, including $500 million to University of California schools a

About 20 protesters – many of whom were in wheelchairs – were arrested Wednesday afternoon after blocking L Street in front of the Capitol to protest cuts to in-home care services in the state budget. “Those services provide the means for people to live independently and stay out of nursing homes,” said Peni Hall, who came from Berkeley to participate in the protest but who left the street before officers started making arrests. About 40 police and CHP officers arrived at the protest, said Sgt. Norm Leong, spokesman for the Sacramento Police Department. “We were notified of an improvised protest in the middle of L Street,” Leong said, adding that he believed the group had a permit to pr

Monday the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit placed their own stay in the Federal Prop 8 Case, which doesn’t allow the issuing of marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Once again disappointment, and for some, anger has invaded the lives of many same-sex couples who were set to take their vows on the West Steps of the California State Capitol Building today. In place of the planned Wedding Ceremonies, leaders of the LGBT Community are calling for a Protest Rally and March around the State Capitol. This will begin on the West Steps at 6:00pm, Wednesday August 18 (when hundreds of same-sex marriages would have taken place). Equality Action Now as well as organizations thro

Following a five-month hiatus, intriguing closing argument to the Federal lawsuit against California’s Proposition 8 were heard in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco on June 16, and a decision in the case is expected shortly. The leadership of Sacramento’s Equality Action Now, a local, grassroots civil rights organization and the Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center are planning to respond to whatever ruling Judge Vaughn Walker decides in the case with a rally at the Sacramento G&L Center, 1927 L St. As of this writing there are no indications when the ruling will take place. Organizers are preparing for any day or time it could be announced. There were rumours flying yesterday that t

      Members of the Westboro Baptist Church plan to picket May 2 and 3 at the California State Capitol Building, the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Shalom School, McClatchy High School and the Jewish Federation of Sacramento.       The Westboro Baptist Church regularly pickets funerals of soldiers and homosexuals and has recently gained media attention because of the United States Supreme Court Case they are involved in regarding a demonstration that members of the church made at a marine’s funeral.       McClatchy High School Principal Greg Purcell said that the administration is meeting next week to discuss how they can minimize the effect of the protest.       Regarding McClatchy

      A small group of people started gathering in front of McClatchy High School today, at 3 o’clock, to show their support for gay rights. Among the group, were protesters who had gathered earlier at the capitol, students from neighboring schools, and the press.       It was nearing the scheduled time for the arrival of the notorious anti-gay protester, Fred Phelps and his clan, from the Westboro Baptist Church. They were scheduled to arrive at 3;15pm, according to their website godhatesfags.com.       The high school was ready with a dozen staff members standing guard in the front drive way. A number of students chose to dine in restaurants across the street, having a nice vantage point

The California State University system faces a $1.27 billion dollar cut in its 2009-10 General Fund Budget from one year ago.  While total enrollment is up 4,000 students across the CSU system, budget outlays are 55 percent less than they were in 2008-09. To balance the CSU budget, the CA Board of Trustees has enacted a three prong approach. Teachers will be furloughed twice a month in order to save jobs, classes are being cancelled to save cash, and students will see a 32 percent increase in their student fees.  This is the seventh time in eight years that student fees have gone up, and students are finding it very difficult to graduate because the classes they need have either been canc

About 1,500 people gathered on the west steps of the State Capitol Friday afternoon to express their anger with state environmental regulations, which they said were responsible for increased unemployment in the state. Present at the event were talk radio hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty, Congressman Tom McClintock and Mark Meckler, head of the Sacramento Tea Party Patriots and the event's organizer, as well as several business owners and a representative from the National Tea Party Patriots organization. In addition to the protesters on the west steps, many tractors, big rigs and other trucks carrying signs and honking in support of the protest were on the streets around the Capitol.

Press Release Contact: 1. Marielle Tsukamoto 916-685-6747 mariellet@frontiernet.net   2. Patricia Pratt 916-482 3018 cell: 916 730 9380 quiltsrpat@aol.com Twenty-five Sacramento groups Oppose Nuclear Weapons Twenty-five local Sacramento organizations and hundreds of supporters will come together on Sunday August 9th for the 64th Annual Day of Remembrance and Action to Oppose Nuclear Weapons. This family-friendly event will be held at the CSUS Alumni Center. Doors open at 4pm for networking and viewing sponsor tables with the program from 4:30-6pm. The event is free and there is adjacent free parking beside the center. For directions, go to http://www.sacstatealumni.com/alumniCen