Speakers from all over California came to talk about alternative solutions to gang injunctions and to discuss methods to defend civil and human rights Saturday at the University Union at Sacamento State.

The free event, hosted by Sac State’s Serna Center and titled Statewide Summit on Gang Injunctions ?” Civil Rights and Social Justice: A Case for Alternatives to Gang Injunctions Part 2, came in the wake of the establishment of a gang injunction in West Sacramento.

The gang injunction imposes a 10 p.m. to sunrise curfew in areas identified by the West Sacramento Police as street gang areas and makes it illegal for individuals identified by the police as gang members to associate with each other in public.

Summit Committee Chair and event coordinator Phil Barros was pleased with the turnout.

Instead of talking negatively about injunctions, the speakers presented alternatives to gang violence and ways to avoid being cataloged in the injunctions.

The idea is that if enough people understand how to rise above the situation, then there wouldn’t be a reason to worry about injunctions .

Many of the speakers had experienced civil rights violations and had plenty to say about it.

Francisco Romero, teacher and member of the National Council of La Raza ?” the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States ?” spoke at length about growing up in Los Angeles.

We believe that human rights, as well as civil rights, are important, Romero said. If we don’t take the time to organize this, no one will.

Sac State Chicano Studies Professor Eric Vega painted a grim picture of realities that are changing our nation. He said our cities and towns should “expect not to be tortured by those who wear badges.”

A great number of community organizations got together to continue the dialogue that we started here, said Santos Torres, director of the Serna Center. The police need to be involved in that dialogue.

Torres said in order for West Sacramento Police to become a better unit, they could start by becoming better citizens in their communities and learn more about the culture surrounding their communities.

For more information about gang injunctions and the event call the Serna Center at (916) 278-4512, or go towww.csus.edu/sernacenter.

Josh Staab can be reached at [email protected]