Judge orders tree-sitters at Cal to get down

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | October 2, 2007 | Carolyn Jones

[KingofZion]

Berkeley's tree-sitters must climb down from their roosts or face five days in jail and a $1,000 fine apiece, an Alameda County judge ruled Monday. Superior Court Judge Richard Keller granted UC Berkeley a preliminary injunction against the protesters, who have been perched in an oak grove near Memorial Stadium since December hoping to stop the university's plan to build a sports facility there. *** University officials asked for the injunction because of what they described as rapidly increasing safety and sanitation problems at the grove. UC police have issued almost 200 citations for trespassing, assault and other infractions, and some officers have complained of being hit with feces and urine from the tree houses. Several of the tree houses also have propane tanks for cooking. ***But protest leaders, many of whom were at Monday's hearing, said they have no intention of abandoning their 10-month-old demonstration. "We're committed to protecting our grove," said a 39-year-old Berkeley resident who calls himself Ayr and who has been providing food and water to the tree-sitters since the protest began. "Nothing changes for us. To me, this ruling clarifies that the system is there to protect the powerful." *** One hiccup in the university's request for an injunction is that it names only one of the half-dozen or so protesters who dwell in the trees, 36-year-old David Galloway, who goes by the name "Elm." Many of the others wear masks and do not give their real names. Galloway said he ripped cartilage in his arm trying to run up a tree to escape a campus police officer recently. He said he's been in the trees off and on since January. He acknowledged that he has used a propane stove to cook food and to "treat people's wounds" but denied posing a danger to anyone.

[Wacka]

The cops have said hunting knives and pepper spray have fallen out of the “peaceful protester’s” tree houses.

[cdbull23]

I could care less about the trees these hippies are fighting to protect (trees that were planted by the university in the first place, by the way).

But to be honest, though I've never made it up to Tightwad Hill, it is one of those classic college traditions that I'll miss (if it indeed is going to be closed).

[Slicksadick]

"Girdle" each and every tree. Dead in a few months.

[Abathar]

When I was a kid these got anything I wanted out of a tree, bet they work here too...

[L,TOWM]

Awww, these tree sitters are’nt even real hippie scum, justa pack o’ wannabees. During the Tennessee vs. Cal f’ball game, they showed shots of the tree sitters, an I saw ‘em passin up a big frikkin pack of Charmin TP. For Crowe’s sake, what kinda hippie scum uses ANY TP?

One good thing from my unfortunate circumstance of being a Kali native, is that I know my long-haired, maggot infested, dope smoking hippie scum when I see ‘em, and these wannabees sure ain’t the genwine article.

[tupac]

Send up a troop of wild monkeys. They are extremely offensive at close range.

[vetvetdoug]

Jerry Clower sez "knock em'out John!!!".