Posted on 06/13/2006 10:30:29 AM PDT by SmithL
Los Angeles -- Sheriff's deputies began evicting people from an urban garden early Tuesday and arrested at least seven as protesters chained themselves to barrels of concrete and others, including actress Daryl Hannah, sat in a large walnut tree.
"I'm very confident this is the morally right thing to do, to take a principled stand in solidarity with the farmers," Hannah said by cell phone. Asked if she willing to risk arrest, she said, "I'm planning on holding my position."
About 350 people grow produce and flowers on the 14 acres of privately owned land, in a gritty, inner-city area surrounded by warehouses and train tracks. The garden has been there for decades but the landowner, Ralph Horowitz, now wants to replace it with a warehouse.
At daybreak Tuesday, 120 deputies, including riot forces, showed up to serve an eviction order that a judge signed last month.
Seven people were arrested for allegedly violating a court eviction order and obstructing sheriff's deputies enforcing the order, said Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Kerri Webb.
As many as 20 demonstrators inside the garden chained themselves to each other, the tree or 55-gallon concrete-filled drums.
"It's a massive show of force," said environmental activist John Quigley, who was in the walnut tree. "Our goal is to hold as firm as we can, obviously in a nonviolent manner."
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
I nightstick probably wouldn't phase Daryl Hannah. Chances are she took a lot worse from Jackson Browne.
They already did! Then, when they didn't use it, he sued and made them sell it back to him.
So, the celebs had the opportunity to buy the land. But buying the land wouldn't have brought the media out in droves and they wouldn't have gotten their names in the paper.
You've got a good pernt there.
I believe they already did that once and were forced by the courts to return/resell to the owner when they did not use the property for the purpose for which it was originally condemned.
In the mean time squatters began farming the property.
The city already did. The project they grabbed it for fizzled, so they sold it back to him for more than they paid. He offered to sell it to the "farmers" if they could raise the money. They did not, and he now wants them off. Sounds fair to me.
If Darryl Hannah and those other filthy rich entertainers really wanted to help, why don't they purchase the land?
Like Baez and Glover are 'winners!'
Did you see Hannah in Kill Bill? Pretty? No, harsh would be more like it.
Bocci Balls
Why does this make me giggle?!?!
Wouldn't "Squatters" be a more accurate term than "urban farmers?"
It sounds like they had raised over $6 million for the property, but the owner was asking 16.
lol.
Problem Solver!
Such an excellent idea!
susie
Bet they understand property rights when it comes to their OWN property. They would certainly call the law if they had squatters in their estates.
susie
"About 350 people grow produce and flowers on the 14 acres of privately owned land..."
If requirements of the law are met, it could qualify as a "prescriptive easement."
If the requirements are NOT met, then the property owner can use the police to move people off the land, as in this case.
Apparently these squatters do NOT respect laws.
Bingo! I think a bunch of "homeless" people should start digging up her grass and planting rutabagas. She certainly will have no right to have them evicted.
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