Posted on 09/17/2008 2:30:00 PM PDT by SmithL
BERKELEY (CBS 5 / BCN) ― Three tree-sitters said Wednesday they don't regret trying to stop the University of California, Berkeley from building a sports training facility next to its football stadium.
Eight days after the last tree-sitter came down from a 90-foot-tall redwood tree, ending a 21-month protest at a grove of trees next to the stadium, tree-sitter Raul Colocho said, "On one level it was a wonderful experience to be up there.''
But Colocho, also known as "Huck,'' said "it's a shame'' that the university cut down more than 40 trees after it won court approval to go ahead with the $125 million project.
Speaking at a news conference next to the site from which the trees were removed, Colocho said, "It was devastating to see the trees go.''
Armando Resendez, known as "Mando,'' called the protest "an act of civil disobedience'' and said, "We didn't do any harm.''
Ernesto Pena, who goes by "Nesto,'' said, "We tried to stay positive when we were in the trees and we knew what we were in for.''
Colocho, Resendez, Pena and a fourth tree-sitter, Michael Schuck, were arrested on misdemeanor trespassing charges by campus police when they came down from the tree on Sept. 9.
Colocho, Resendez and Pena have been released from custody on bail, but Schuck remains at the Alameda County Jail in lieu of $15,000 bail.
Interesting that three of the four have Hispanic names.
They’re doing the jobs Americans don’t want. Duh.
I guess it’s time to go back to our jobs now! Oh wait...never mind.
A 90 foot redwood is an awesome thing. You’d think a decent architect could have come up with some way to preserve some of them.
Congressman Billybob
All along I have thought that this whole thing was perfect poetic justice. The colleges crank out liberal, environmentalist, anti-capitalistic moonbats and then they have to turn around and deal with them on their own campus! BWAAAAAA!!!
Here at U.T., they did a stadium expansion and moved several old oaks to other locations on campus before construction commenced. I realize that redwoods are larger trees, but I wonder if that would have been possible in Berkely.
There are plenty of hippies in Austin, but as far as I know, none of them complained about the construction or relocation. They would have been shot out of the trees on day one, but still...
The trees that were cut down were landscaping for the stadium.
New landscaping will be going in (including trees!) when the center is built. It’s going to be very beautiful.
I have 50-foot redwoods in my backyard I planted 10 years ago. No big deal.
There are many redwoods left on the UCB campus, one is even digitalized.
Well, not quite. The protesters have nothing to do with the University. They are not students and they come from out-of-state.
Great = I get to pay for this idiot’s room and board since I’m a resident of Alameda County - SHEESH! Maybe we can deport him to Santa Monica or Santa Cruz??
Where’s my fav...DUMPSTER MUFFIN?
If that tree sitting had happened in Mississippi, by the second day, about 40 mud-gripped pickup trucks with 80 guys name Bubba and Junior; all with huge chain saws and 20 cases of Bud, would have shown up. Timberrrrrrrrrrrrrr...........
The only people that sit in trees in Mississippi are hunters in camo, waiting for a buck or turkey.
I’ve got him residing in my town-I’m in Dublin.
LLS
Does this mean the last tree is vacated and there are no remaining participants in this pathetic effort?
A waste of time, money and resources didn't harm a thing
Vacated? The trees are GONE!
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