The 8 demonstrators, that briefly blocked Highway 1 in Monterey with a “Black and Brown Lives Matter” protest last month, have been charged with misdemeanors, and cited and released. The largely peaceful and lawful protest, (designed to raise awareness about police brutality against ‘people of color’) crossed the legal line when they briefly shifted onto a southbound lane of the highway. The demonstrators were given the option of leaving the roadway peacefully or being arrested. All but 8 left the roadway. Those 8 are scheduled to return to a Monterey County Court Room the end of May. In Santa Cruz it was a different story when 6 protestors chained themselves to heavy debris on the highway, and refused to move for hours, snarling traffic during the Morning Commute. They were protesting potential tuition hikes at U-C-S-C. Those students turned down plea deals today, and have pleaded Not Guilty to misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and being a public nuisance. The 6 have been suspended from the University, and (in fact) their suspensions have been extended from2 weeks, to an entire semester. Those 6 protestors are scheduled to return to court April 30th.
