Denialism

Berkeley Tree Sitters Come Down

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by

Chris
in

It’s been an exciting day here at UC Berkeley. Four helicopters have been buzzing the office since about 8 AM, because the UC decided to erect a scaffold around the lone tree left in order to extricate the tree sitters. I got to watch about 12:00 today. There were probably 400 observers for the final hour, where workers assembled the scaffold and started to pick apart the encampment near the peak of the tree.

Apparently the remaining four tree sitters negotiated with UC officials, and came down voluntarily, which is good, because the risk to personal safety was very high. If the tree sitters were injured, the police would not be found liable, absent unreasonable or abusive behavior (but, a lawsuit would be expensive). If the police were injured by virtue of the sitters’ actions, on the other hand, the tree sitters could be criminally liable. I’m glad it didn’t come to pulling people out of the trees!

Part of the negotiation includes the creation of (you guessed it) a committee to deal with land use issues, but the tree sitters are not immune from criminal or civil prosecution. Charges could be quite serious. The cost to the UC is estimated to be $750,000. And at times, the tree sitters hit workmen and police with bottles and urine and feces.

I imagine the next stop for the tree sitters is the hospital. This protest started in December 2006. While some sitters rotated in and out, access to the tree grove has been limited by police for a long time, meaning that the men removed today from the trees have been up there since at least August 2007. I wonder what health effects one experiences from being outside 24 hours a day, in a tree, in cold, foggy weather! From the looks of the pictures, it’s not good for your hygiene.

i-7b232fbe3d5eb721aff2d43d9dfbc49c-trash.jpgNor was it good for the hygiene of UC-Berkeley. Now that our friends are down from the trees, I hope that they remove the encampment established next to the law school. The ground crew for the tree sitters was large, and they had a more or less permanent presence on Piedmont Ave. Perhaps you were imagining something quaint, like a group of campers. Nope. Here’s a typical example of the type of junk that gets collected by this crowd. You might get an idea of what my school has had to deal with…

Comments

  1. D. C. Sessions

    Here’s a typical example of the type of junk that gets collected by this crowd. You might get an idea of what my school has had to deal with…

    There really are eternal verities. Recalling the 60s (so you know I wasn’t there) you could always count on radical environmentalists to totally trash a place.

    We even had some great cartoons about charging off to a demonstration against air pollution in a fleet of smoke-belching refugees from recycling.

    Reply
  2. rpenner

    Hello. Until recently my brother was one of the Bookstore’s assistant textbook managers. I frequently visited your beautiful campus, and I am happy to see the end of this phase.

    This sideshow was simply no substitute for “The Naked Guy.”

    -RP

    Reply
  3. Physicalist

    Ahhh. I miss Berkeley.

    Reply
  4. The Chemist

    Oh, I would not tolerate that shit. I would take a couple of friends and that picture and totally pepper the campus with flyers. Stupidity is one thing, but hypocrisy is inexcusable.

    Shame them into picking up after themselves, or something. Geez.

    Reply
  5. Anonymous

    Shame on UC Berkeley. SHAME ON YOU!!!!!

    Reply
  6. Anonymous

    WOW, IT’S AMAZING HOW APATHETIC UC BERKELEY STUDENTS ARE THESE DAYS. THEY COULD’VE PUT THE SPORTS FACILITY IN A BETTER PLACE. THESE TREES WERE CUT DOWN NEEDLESSLY AND ALL YOU PEOPLE CAN DO IS COMPLAIN ABOUT TRASH THAT’S MORE LIKELY BEEN LEFT BY YOUR FRAT BOYS.

    THANK YOU TREE SITTERS, FOR ELUCIDATING HOW FUCKED UP YOUR ENEMIES ARE.

    Reply
  7. Chris H.

    @Anon– where could the sports center have gone? As I explained in an earlier post, the campus is bounded on three sides by businesses and major roads. The on-campus options all involve cutting down trees.

    And our frat boys have sufficiently good taste not to wear earth tones or amass such accoutrements. It’s neoprimitivism on parade!

    Reply
  8. The Chemist

    @Anon,

    TYCLO. It makes you look like a douche. That and the “tree sitter” crap you’re spouting (or sprouting if you prefer.)

    Reply
  9. ivy privy

    I’M GOING TO POST IN ALL CAPS SO YOU KNOW I’M JUST AS RATIONAL AS ANONYMOUS. HOW WONDERFUL TO SEE THOSE PIMPLES ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE BERKELEY CAMPUS FINALLY PINCHED. GOOD RIDDANCE.

    Reply
  10. Ren

    Is that a goose head with electric wall socket fixtures on it? What was the purpose of that? Are we sure they’re not just homeless people?

    Reply
  11. Natalie

    Ren, they can’t be both?

    Reply

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