This morning I got a text at 5:30am telling me that #occupysantacruz was being raided, so I drove down to the courthouse to film. I crossed the street (it could be argued that I didn’t cross the empty street at the corner) and turned on my camera. Immediately, a cop detained me for jaywalking. Here’s the interesting part: he told me that I didn’t have to get a ticket if I would just leave and not come back for two hours. He told me he had no interest in debating what was and was not public property. I argued with him for awhile and then acquiesced.
It was clear that he didn’t care about my jaywalking and was only using it as leverage to clear me off of public property.
I wonder what would have happened if you’d fled back across teh middle of teh str33t…
I know, right? He kept gesturing to “go” by pointing back the way I’d come.
I lived in Capitola for a couple years. The cops there would just take our “stuff” and tell us to go home. No names, nothing but our stuff.
Wow, he wouldn’t even tell you where you *could* stand. Bravo for you keeping cool, and keeping the camera rolling!