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Press release from the Cal Poly Humboldt Chapter of the California Faculty Association:

CFA Humboldt Condemns the arrest of students and faculty in response to Solidarity with Palestine protest on Cal Poly Humboldt Campus

The Cal Poly Humboldt Chapter of the California Faculty Association (CFA), a labor union that represents teaching, counseling, library, and coaching faculty of the California State University System, condemn last night’s actions of Cal Poly Humboldt (CPH) Administration as yet another dangerous escalation of their response to a peaceful campus demonstration.

Just after 9:30pm, Monday, April 29th, a multi-agency force of law enforcement descended on campus. For over 5 hours law enforcement threatened the use of chemical agents and kinetic projectiles via loudspeaker to disperse the crowd gathered on the quad. At approximately 3:30am law enforcement began to arrest peaceful student and faculty protesters sitting in a circle. At least one member of the press was arrested. 

CFA Humboldt strongly condemns the use of law enforcement to clear the quad. Over the course of the last week, student protesters have continued to ask for negotiations with CPH administration, in order to have a peaceful resolution to the protest. These are the actions of conscientious individuals working to end a genocide, not the actions of criminals as President Jackson and Sherriff Honsal repeatedly called the student-protestors.

University communications describe this morning’s law enforcement action as “necessary to restore order and to address the lawlessness and dangerous conditions that had developed,” though, the only danger was that imposed by the threat of police action. The statement further minimized the students’ brave actions to bring light to ongoing genocide by calling the sit-in a criminal activity and not free-expression or protest.

As these protests grow in number across the United States and across the world, underscoring the collective will and power of student organizing, one truth included in the statement is that administration feared this protest would encourage more students to think of the university as their own. Even now, there is a hard closure in place and residents on campus are directed to “NOT walk across campus.”

The environment of fear that the threat of police violence created has reverberated across campus and continues even now. All students were afraid to move freely about the campus, not because of protestors, but because of the threat of police action, including arrest. The alert to shelter in place that went out at 3:00 and 4:06am stressed that due to a level of increased criminal activity, it was dangerous to be on campus. But the protesters did the same thing they had been doing for a week: making signs, sharing music, praying, chanting in support of Palestine. The only difference this time was the impending police action – that is what made campus dangerous in the early hours of this morning. 

CFA Humboldt demand the following:

• Immediate release of all students and faculty arrested last night.
• Immediately reinstate any students suspended due to participation in the protests
• No academic sanctions for participants of the protest over the last week. 
• Barriers to Campus need to be immediately removed and campus needs to be reopened.  All members of the university community need access to campus.
• President Jackson must release a statement calling for a immediate ceasefire, taking note of College of the Redwoods President Keith Flamer’s statement to President Joe Biden
• Accountability from administration whose negotiations with students led students to believe there would be meaningful action on their conscientious demands 

The actions over the last week by CPH administration have eroded the trust of faculty, staff, students, and the larger Humboldt community. The campus community cannot begin to heal until our demands are met. 

In union, 

CFA Humboldt Executive Board

Here’s what the Outpost saw in Tuesday morning’s wee hours.

Just after 2:30 a.m., a column of law enforcement vehicles, including vans and buses, arrived on Cal Poly Humboldt campus carrying over 100 officers in full riot gear. With drones providing surveillance overhead, the officers immediately converged on the UC quad, dismantling protester-constructed barriers along the way.

With officers closing in, a group of between 20 to 30 protesters plopped down in a circle in front of The Depot. With other protesters and members of the media looking on, they chanted pro-Palestinian slogans and shared messages of love with each other one by one officers informed them they were being arrested, stood them up, zip-tied their hands, and led them off the quad. A few protesters lightly resisted by refusing to stand. Some were forced onto their stomachs so their hands could be bound.

With the arrests of the core group of protesters ongoing, law-enforcement set about moving back the rest of the crowd. Wielding poles and batons, the officers loudly repeated the phrase “clear the area” as they advanced on the remaining onlookers, pushing them from the quad toward the library circle driveway. Along the way, they checked the numerous tents between Siemens and Nelson halls for occupants, aggressively clearing them when they confirmed they were vacant.

Those who are arrested were led south, past the Van Duzer Theater, and down several sets of steps to Laurel Drive, where an area had been established in front of Gist Hall to process them. Officers took down their personal information and the medical team checked their vital signs before they were loaded up into one of several vans and carted away.

Officers on scene were unable to provide a count of just how many people have been arrested, but a few dozen seems a safe bet. Among those taken was Adelmi Ruiz, a television news reporter with KRCR’s Eureka bureau. By 4:45 a.m., just over two hours after the raid had begun, officers processed the last of the protesters. Other officers continued to patrol the campus, perhaps searching for stragglers.

Just after 7 a.m., Cal Poly Humboldt sent out the following statement:

On Tuesday, April 30 at about 0230, law enforcement began a series of actions to restore order on the Cal Poly Humboldt campus.

Law enforcement cleared and secured Siemens Hall and Nelson Hall East, as well as the area near those buildings. About 35 25 individuals were arrested, without incident. There were no injuries.

The operation was carried out by Unified Command, which is made up of law enforcement personnel from throughout the State of California under the leadership of Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal and University Police Department Chief Peter Cress.

At the time the operation was initiated, on-campus residents were advised by University text and emails to shelter in place. Others were directed to stay away from campus, which was already under a hard closure.

The operation’s objective was to establish control of the site; protect the rights, safety, and health of students and employees; eliminate the threat of violence and criminal behavior; and reestablish control of buildings and other property.

Those arrested faced a range of different charges depending on individual circumstances including unlawful assembly, vandalism, conspiracy, assault of police officers, and others. In addition, students could face discipline for conduct violations while any University employees arrested could face disciplinary action.

The University had made repeated efforts over the last week to resolve the situation. This morning’s enforcement action was determined to be necessary to restore order and to address the lawlessness and dangerous conditions that had developed.

What was occurring was not free expression or a protest. It was criminal activity, and there were serious concerns it would spread even further on campus.

The hard closure of the campus remains in place through May 10, and law enforcement is continuing to monitor the situation. For employees, your supervisor will contact you if you are authorized to be on campus.

Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal

“The law enforcement action at Cal Poly Humboldt was essential to reestablishing order on campus. When someone commits a crime and infringes on the rights of others, it becomes necessary for law enforcement to step in. I’m grateful to the agencies and officers who contributed to bringing safety back to our campus. I understand the widespread frustration caused by the campus closure, threatening behavior, and lawlessness we’ve witnessed over the past week. By restoring order, we’ve sent a clear message that the criminal and dangerous activities we experienced were not peaceful protests, but outright criminal behavior, which is unacceptable.”

University Police Department Chief Peter Cress

“The University Police Department is deeply grateful to the local and statewide agencies that lent support to our campus during this event. The support was critical in restoring an environment on campus where learning and work occur safely. UPD remains committed to a learning environment where everyone can be heard without breaking the law.”

Tom Jackson Jr., Cal Poly Humboldt President

“This is a difficult day, it breaks my heart to see it, and truly nobody wanted to see things come to this. We’ve all watched this with great concern, and always with the sincere hope that it would be resolved peacefully. Unfortunately, serious criminal activity that crossed the line well beyond the level of a protest had put the campus at ongoing risk. I commend the law enforcement team for their effort in resolving this very dangerous situation, and I’m incredibly grateful for the many agencies who advised us and who came to our aid in our time of need. I’m also very grateful for our many staff members who performed far and above their normal duties to help us protect the campus and maintain operations. Our focus for the entire time has been on doing all we could do to protect the safety of all involved, and we were very patient and very disciplined with that.”

More photos from the night below:

Frances Marie Richardson, born January 19, 1934, passed away on February 25, 2024, at age 90.

Frances was from Santa Cruz, but after becoming a Sister of St. Joseph and nurse upon her graduation from high school, she lived in many cities in California where the Sisters of St. Joseph had hospitals. She lived in the convent at St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka for several years while she worked as a nurse there. While she was a nurse, she was frequently called on to provide nursing care to patients who were having a hard time during their stay at the hospital because she had an innate ability to know how to reach those patients.

Frances left the Order of the Sisters of St. Joseph in her 50s, and moved to Home Health as it began its start in Humboldt County. While she was a Home Health nurse, Frances drove for many years to small towns across Humboldt County to give nursing care to patients in their homes.

After she retired, Frances stayed in Eureka at Seaview Mobile Estates on Humboldt Hill. Her best friend was Ann Boyd of Eureka, our mother and the reason Frances moved back to Humboldt County. Frances loved working in her yard, and every year grew quite a lot of vegetables and fruit. She loved that she had a view of the ocean from her home. She was a creative person. talented both as a painter and in making craft items from wood.

Frances was full of life and personality, and was always interested in, and had strong opinions about, world events. Frances was at Granada Convalescent for the last few years of her life. She remained a devoted Catholic until the end, and has now reunited with her loved ones. We miss her.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Frances Richardson’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.

Corky was a charismatic man who asked for little yet gave so much. People were naturally drawn to his carefree disposition and sunny smile.

Corky passed away on March 28, 2024 at the age of 69 after suffering an unexpected stroke at home. He was born on February 17, 1955 to Edward and Joyce Schoonmaker. Corky was born and raised in Eureka, where he graduated Eureka Senior High School in 1973, then graduated with an Associate Arts Degree from College of the Redwoods in June of 1977.

Joyce, lovingly known as the “Warden,” became a single mother when Corky was 4 years old. Even at an early age Corky had a mischievous side. Much to his mother’s dismay, it was common for neighbors to find a young, blonde, skinny Corky on their doorstep stating his mother had not fed him. He had of course been fed by his mother, but he insisted that each neighbor had a specific food item that was not to be missed.

In 1978 Corky met Jill at a Halloween party he and his friends attended. They began dating a few months later and were married in September 1981 at St Bernard’s Catholic Church in Eureka. Corky and Jill were blessed with three children, a daughter, Vanessa and two sons, Neal and Dean. Corky took pride in his family and was a loving father and devoted husband, always making time for his wife, children and granddaughter, Yvette. He never missed an art exhibit, theatrical or sporting event that his children participated in. He could often be found behind the scenes of these events assisting in one manner or another. Corky loved making people happy, teasing his wife and children, long camping trips with family, working in his yard, running heavy equipment, watching the 49ers and NASCAR (I don’t get the NASCAR thing), helping neighbors and meeting new people.

Corky worked for Humboldt County Public Works, Roads Division for many years, initially by running the brush cutter then working on the crusher crew and finally on the McKinleyville road crew. After 33 years of service, Corky retired in December 2015.

Corky was an avid runner throughout high school and college and became a member of Six Rivers Running Club participating in the Avenue of the Giants and the Clam Beach Run, among others. Corky was a member of Humboldt Redwood Cursillo during the 1990s and early years of 2000. Many, many friendships developed and flourished during these years and those relationships have carried his family through both highs and lows over the years. Prior to moving in 2017, Corky was a member of Christ the King Parish in McKinleyville as well as the Elks Lodge #652

Corky was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Joyce Schoonmaker, sister Lori Dinsmore, and brother-in-law Mark Bollmann and father-in-law Gordon Schuler. He is survived by his loving wife Jill, his daughter Vanessa (Cody Jones), sons Neal (Rebecca Curtis), and Dean Schoonmaker, sister Lila Bollmann (Randy Younger). Corky leaves behind many loving cousins, nephews and nieces that will never look at a game of hide and seek without remembering their fun-loving uncle.

Corky is best known for his quick-witted humor, and generous spirit. He loved his Hawaiian shirts but was a cowboy at heart. Corky did not want a funeral but rather a wake. With this request in mind, we look forward to celebrating Corky’s life at The Barn by Fernbridge, at 26 Goble Lane, Ferndale, on June 15, 2024 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. To honor Corky on this incredibly special occasion we encourage you to dress in your favorite Hawaiian style attire and don’t forget your cowboy hats and boots.

Corky’s remains will be interred in Humboldt County at a later date.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Corky Schoonmaker’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.

Video: Andrew Goff

UPDATE, 2:45 a.m.: As expected, cops have shown up on Cal Poly Humboldt’s campus in force and have made their way to the UC Quad where they have begun arresting protesters.

We will have more later this morning.

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Video: Andrew Goff

UPDATE, 1 a.m.: Well, it has now been nearly four hours of patrol cars rolling up to various spots on the perimeter of the barricades every half hour or so to play the recorded warning, giving protesters 15 minutes to disperse. At this point, the announcements are mostly being ignored.

Some protesters remain outside, chanting periodically. Others are resting or sleeping inside Nelson Hall East. About an hour ago a man blasting country music, who admitted to being “two beers deep,” drove up to campus to start some shit debate. He argued with a few protesters and declared “death to Palestine” before leaving.

Theories and speculation abound regarding what’s next, but for now the standoff remains a waiting game.

—Ryan Burns

UPDATE, 11 p.m.: Still a lot of feints and jabs from the cops’ side. The police car that has parked itself at various locations around the perimeter to play a recording is still doing that, per the Outpost reporters on scene.

One person who was on the fringes of the crowd has been taken into custody, as seen in the picture above.

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UPDATE, 10:15 p.m.: No police crackdown yet. Right now there are about 150-200 protesters gathered on and around the UC quad, per Outpost reporters Ryan Burns and Andrew Goff, at the scene. A patrol car periodically pulls up to various points on the perimeter to play the announcement shown in videos below, urging people to disperse.

Just now, a police officer gave protesters 15 minutes.

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UPDATE, 10:08 a.m.: The Outpost’s Ryan Burns was live from the university quad.

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UPDATE, 9:50 p.m.: Police are giving protesters 10 minutes to disperse.

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“A Small Campus in the Redwoods Has the Nation’s Most Entrenched Protest,” reports the New York Times this evening.

But possibly not for long, as a large police contingency has shown up to campus tonight. On the other hand: A lot of protesters, too. 

We’re updating.

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On 4/22/2024, at about 3:40 p.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the Tish Tang Campground near Hoopa, CA for the report of a possible drowning.

According to witnesses, a juvenile female had been swept away by the river current while attempting to cool off and two additional persons had jumped into the river in an attempt to rescue her.

Upon deputy arrival, the female was observed on a rock on the opposite side of the river and a second person was quickly discovered downstream yelling for help and holding onto a tree. A passing civilian boat assisted in bringing both subjects to safety. Both were transported to a local hospital by ambulance.

The Sheriff’s Office’s jet boat and a Hoopa Valley Tribal Police Department boat were launched near the area in which the third person, Joseph Viveiros Dawson Rodney Joseph Dawson Viveiros Jr., age 19, was reported missing. California Highway Patrol and US Coast Guard helicopters were also dispatched to aid in the search. While the search was ongoing, a family member of Viveiros jumped into the river and was swept downstream. The Sheriff’s Office jet boat was able to rescue the man, who was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

HCSO along with multiple other agencies searched the area where Viveiros went missing. An underwater ROV (remotely operated underwater vehicle) with sonar capabilities was used to aid in the search. The search for Viveiros Dawson has been unsuccessful.   

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank Humboldt County Special Services, Hoopa Tribal Police, Hoopa Volunteer Fire, Yurok Tribal Police, CHP Air Operations, United States Coast Guard, Hoopa Ambulance, Cal OES, Yuba County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit and the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit for their quick response and assistance in this operation.

UPDATE, 7:45 p.m.: After a mostly quiet day on Cal Poly Humboldt campus, a few hundred people have gathered on LK Wood Boulevard — the largest showing since the first night of the occupation a week ago — to wave signs and chant pro-Palestinian slogans as a few members of the California Highway Patrol look on.

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It was fairly quiet up at Cal Poly Humboldt today, one week after pro-Palestinian protesters first stormed Siemens Hall and set up camp. National media have come to town, memes have been promulgated, some property has been torn up and graffiti’d, and the university has gone back to COVID-era learning for the remainder of the semester. Various parties on campus, including the University Senate, have called upon President Tom Jackson to resign.

At least for the time being, though, things have settled into stalemate. Activists did their laundry, and supporters held a march and another teach-in near Siemens Hall. A man bearing an Israeli flag marched with them and was not abused.

Will the administration attempt to end the occupation with force before commencement, on May 11? It seems as though there would be no surer way of casting a pall over ceremonies, but it does seem just possible.

Large numbers of Highway Patrol — state government’s principal police agency — have been seen making their way into town. Earlier this afternoon, about 50 CHP officers were seen gathering at the agency’s headquarters on Arcata’s Samoa Boulevard before pairing up and leaving the scene in patrol vehicles. A CHP helicopter had lighted nearby.

Additional out-of-town officers have been spotted throughout the week, including patrol cars from other CSU campuses, including Chico and Channel Islands.

Would such a force assemble were it not intended to clear the campus? It’s possible, maybe. Maybe the hope is to intimidate the protesters into leaving voluntarily. (If they haven’t already, that is. Siemens Hall has been closed to visitors since the weekend, and it’s difficult to know what’s going on inside.) Maybe the officers are here as a contingency, in case things get more out of hand on campus. 

But certainly the fear on campus, among supporters, is that a crackdown could be imminent. The Outpost briefly spoke with one professor who was delivering masks and respirators to students. “Surreal,” the professor called it.

The Outpost’s Ryan Burns caught up with Abdi Soltani, the executive director of the ACLU’s Northern California chapter, who is on-hand to observe. 

“It’s really important for this university, working with its faculty and with its students, to resolve this issue through a response that does not involve a law enforcement escalation,” Soltani said. “It’s not for me to say, like, ‘What will that process produce?’ But to escalate to a law enforcement response, again, will not be good for the university or its community in the long run.”

Full Abdi Soltani interview, April 29.

Social media rumors have it that many of the out-of-town officers have put up at the Blue Lake Casino and Hotel. (The Outpost spotted a CSU Channel Islands police vehicle there earlier today, but that was the only one.) According to the Rancheria, which put out a statement today, its employees have been subject to harassment because of this, and it asks people to cut it out. Full statement below.

[DISCLOSURE: The Blue Lake Rancheria is a minority owner of the Outpost’s parent company, Lost Coast Communications, Inc.]

Press release from the Blue Lake Rancheria:

While Pro-Palestine protesters continue to occupy Cal Poly Humboldt’s campus, they have also turned their attention to the economic enterprises that are operated by the Blue Lake Rancheria, a Federally Recognized Tribe located in Humboldt County, situated in far northwestern California. Protesters claim that some law enforcement officers are staying at the Blue Lake Hotel and have begun to utilize intimidation and harassment tactics against Blue Lake Rancheria (BLR) and their businesses. BLR wants to remind the protesters that it is important to express their concerns peacefully and within the bounds of the law.

There have been unsuccessful attempts to disrupt BLR’s websites, threatening calls made to front desk staff, threats to harm the physical buildings in and around BLR, derogatory comments made to staff and patrons, social media posts naming employees and more. Understandably, these intimidating tactics have been unsettling to many of BLR’s hospitality staff who are members of Union Local 49 out of Sacramento.

Blue Lake Rancheria assures its patrons that these attempts have not been successful and that BLR has many safeguards in place to protect information and staff and ensure that the customer experience while at the Casino, Hotel, or other commercial operations across the property, will remain safe and enjoyable.

Blue Lake Rancheria recognizes and empathizes with the volatile circumstances between Palestine and Israel and desires a cease fire. They emphasize the importance of civil discourse (the practice of deliberating about matters of public concern in a way that seeks to expand knowledge and promote understanding) and localized peace. Ancestors of BLR Tribal Members ancestors experienced the genocide associated with Colonialism such as death, disease, loss of cultural practices, displacement and more, on a deeply personal and cultural level, BLR understands the significance of “Land Back” efforts, but they strongly discourage attempts to disrupt their business operations in the spirit of this movement. It is a direct contradiction to the movement.

Blue Lake Rancheria is committed to securing a better future for its people, protecting its sovereignty and heritage, and building a resilient, healthy economy and environment. They value community and education and work in service to support both. They have a history of progressive initiatives and actions. BLR is a Climate Action Champion that has been recognized by the White House for their innovative efforts to reduce the causes of climate change and has garnered attention and accolades for deploying the first-of-its-kind microgrid to build resilience in response to the climate crisis.

Further, BLR has distributed hundreds of thousands of dollars in student scholarships, provides over 40,000 meals annually to Tribal Elders across Humboldt and Trinity Counties, leads restoration and monitoring efforts for the Batuwa’t (Mad River), deploys air quality monitors across the region, supports firefighting efforts across the Western United States, serves as a resilience hub in times of regional disasters, sponsors programs such as Toys for Tots, Pathmakers Program, Humboldt Aquaculture Symposium, SAFE (Smoke, Air, Fire and Energy) Symposium, and more. Over the years, Blue Lake Rancheria Tribal representatives have been instrumental in assisting Cal Poly Humboldt’s Foundation to significantly move their portfolio into green investing and real estate holdings and away from many concerning sectors including direct investment in defense-based companies. This has been a source of pride for both the University as well as BLR.

It is the Tribe’s belief that an orderly resolution is possible between the protesters and Cal Poly Humboldt in a manner that can afford the students of Cal Poly Humboldt the opportunity to complete this year with access to the ceremonies and experiences they deserve while recognizing the complex challenges experienced by so many across the globe. This graduating class has endured more than its share of hardships during their university tenure, including the many impacts associated with COVID-19, death of fellow students, 6.4 Magnitude earthquake of 2022, regional climate crisis effects such as wildfire, air quality, sea level rise and more.

It is for these reasons the Blue Lake Rancheria calls for a swift and peaceful resolution to the protests, an end of the occupation of buildings on the Cal Poly Humboldt campus as well as an immediate end to the harassment and threats of unlawful activity currently being experienced by Blue Lake Rancheria’s Tribal Government and their commercial enterprises.