Occupy the Farm under attack! Support needed tonight!

UCPD attempt raid, blockade Gill Tract

09 May 2012

At 6:30 AM this morning, several dozen UC police officers brought a bulldozer to the Gill Tract, deposited large concrete barriers at gated entrances to the Gill Tract Farm, and U-Locked the gates shut. They threatened people with "chemical agents and impact force", and appeared prepared to bulldoze and destroy the farm. Community members immediately mobilized to defend the farm, walking past police lines and hopping fences to get into the tract. The police since removed the bulldozer, but the entrances remain blocked to vehicular traffic. People are still able to enter and leave the farm on foot, however, and there have been no arrests.

The UC Administrators timed this police action to coincide with Professor Miguel Altieri's planting of his research crops, which was to proceed as scheduled, with assistance and cooperation of the Gill Tract Farmers Collective. Despite the police blockade and intimidation tactics, Professor Altieri brought his tomato plants onto the Tract and held a press conference, and then with assistance from Gill Tract Farmers and community members, officially began the planting of his research areas.

The Gill Tract Farm Collective calls on all supporters to mobilize tonight May 9th, and get to the farm by this evening prepared to stay overnight to defend it from any impending police raid.

Re-convergence plans have been announced: if UCPD removes the farmers from the land, the following evening we will gather en masse at the Albany Community Center on 1249 Marin Avenue at 5pm, and march to the Gill Tract to take back the space. Supporters that cannot come to the farm are urged to make phone calls to UCPD at 642-3333 and to UC Spokesperson Dan Moglof at 510-919-6954 to demand that they lift the blockade and stop lying to the media.