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Support Rally at Oak Grove: Grandmothers to Bring Food for Tree-sitters June 28, 2008 For Immediate Release - Contact: Oak Grove Tree-Sit Ground Support: Ayr Support Rally and Grandmothers to Bring More Food to Tree-Sitters Gesture By UC to Stop Denying Water Seen As A Good Sign for De-escalation Berkeley, CA- On Sunday, June 29 at 2 pm, the Berkeley Grandmothers for the Oaks and other community members will bring water and food to the Memorial Oak Grove tree-sitters amid a major support rally for the oak grove on Piedmont Avenue in Berkeley. UC Police recently brought a limited supply of water bottles and some energy bars to the activists maintaining their perch in the oak trees while Judge Barbara Miller resolves the case still in dispute. Up to then, University of California (UCB) police and administrators had vehemently maintained that they would not allow any food or water to be provided to the protesters. The situation at the oak grove has escalated in the last week and a half, after UC police and contract climbers with heavy equipment went after the tree-sitters using aggressive tactics on Tuesday, June 17, the day before the long-awaited court decision in which both sides claimed victory. Those aggressive tactics However, since then, UCB has been blocked from proceeding with their construction and the injunction Miller put in place in February 2007 barring alteration of the site by UCB remains in place. There have been many arrests of both people on the ground and a few tree-sitters, and the issue of allowing food and water has been hotly debated in City Council chambers, private meetings with University officials, at the grove with UC police and in the press. The UCB police have also put up new barricades, blocked Piedmont Avenue, blocked the City sidewalk, and even prevented Berkeley City Council member Dona Spring access to the sidewalk last Sunday, forcing her to maneuver her wheelchair into the street. Long-time ground support Ayr said, "Thanks to community support and political pressure and legal work, the University had to provide a limited amount of water and Cliff bars. We want to make sure people in the trees stay safe and fed until the grove is finally legally protected." One of the grandmothers said that while it is a good sign that the University allowed a few gallons of water and some power bars up in the trees, a few power bars won't sustain the sitters for long. "We need to step back and look at the situation calmly and with humanity", she said. "We believe the University will not be able to build their facility legally, and that is why the sitters are still protecting the trees. We believe we will prevail in the end." ###  << Back to Press Release Archive | Latest Press Release | Newsroom Subscribe Get action alerts, updates, and other important news in your email inbox by signing up with your email address here: Learn more about events | See the BACHList FAQ |
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