Oak Grove update by tristan

Thursday Aug 30th, 2007 10:11 PM

Resistance to the fence around the Oak Grove continues in court and "on the ground."

On Wednesday, August 29 the police stormed the area of a nine month tree-sit to save an oak grove from extermination. They did not affect the tree sitters but constructed an eight-foot fence around the areas with tree sits.

The University owns the land and plans to cut the trees and build a parking facility and training gym for the football team. Many people and groups oppose the cutting including the City of Berkeley.

The struggle goes on. People gathered and at 5:00 there were over 200 people. many students were present as well as Berkeley residents. People shook the fence and called for it to be torn down. The main concern was that the tree sitters would run out of food and water and would be forced down. The University said that this was not their plan and in an email sent to over 40,000 UC students and staff they claimed that the reason was the safety of the tree sitters during football games. The first football game of the season is on Saturday. Five more will follow in the next three months.

To get food to the tree sitters people first threw small items but most missed and fell to the ground inside the fence. later a tree sitter moved to a tree close to the fence and lowered a line to haul food and water up. One officer cut lines with a pole saw while other officers pushed the crowd back outside the fence. There were two arrests in a scuffle at this point. Some people then sat down and blocked Piedmont way. Eventually the police relented when faced with a large crowd of people linking arms around others who filled bags and sent them up into the trees on lines. Dozens of bags were sent up and the tree sitters are now set for many days. There are now eight tree sits and they are all connected with ropes so that the sitters can move from one to another.

Today, August 30, there was a court hearing. There is a big court case and the outcome is to be decided on Sept. 19. On that day people should be prepared to defend the grove with energy. Until then the UC is prohibited from moving forward with the project. Our lawyers said that this was moving forward but the judge decided that the fence can stay for now.



Friday, August 31, there is a TREE DE_FENCE party. Everyone should come. Please do. Also a rally and march on both Friday and Saturday at 11:30 am. Saturday at 2:00 there is a pic-nic and leafletting to all of the football fans to say: "Go Bears - Save Oaks."

A tree sitter hauls up a bag of food during Wednesday's rally.

Tree sitters wait for more food and water to be passed to them.

Tree sitter wait for police to move to try for more food.

The crowd pulls on the fence.

Police keep the crowd from the fence.

Tree sitters hand bags of food across.

A student digs away at one of the poles supporting the fence.

A tree sitter climbs across to get more food as cops try to cut the line he is standing on.

The next day, August 30, all day vigil at the fence. Come support on any day.

March and Rally on Friday and Satuday.

September first at 2:00 pm there is a community pic-nic and football fan outreach.

Save the Oaks - Free the Land

Tree sitters converse with those on the ground from the closest tree.

Most of the flowers put on the fence on Wednesday were torn out by the police but a few remained.

Tree sitters talk to those on the ground.

Playing music at the vigil on the ground.

Cartoon posted at the Grove.

Vigil on the ground and info table.

A guy puts up a sign to let the cops know what we think of the fence.