Berkeley: Save Our Oaks.. off with the fence

The trees were planted there as landscaping. Are you going to come and demonstrate at my house when my wife prunes our roses this winter? These are not old growth trees.

According to UC Berkeley, four trees on the site — three oaks and one redwood — pre-date the stadium.

DO YOU REALIZE THAT THERE ARE TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILLION LIVE OAK TREES IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA?!?!?!? Most of them are mature. There is a total of ONE BILLION oak trees in the State.

Don't you think it is RIDICULOUS to block an important project, one which the campus community approves of (thousands of petition signatures), one that could help save the lives of hundred of students and staff currently working under dangerous conditions, all this FOR FOUR OAK TREES?!?!

Do you also realize that the campus tree count will increase substantially after this project is built, and that the whole parking lot north of the stadium will be converted into a pedestrian, tree-lined plaza?

This cause is morally bankrupt, protest for the sake of protest demeans worthy environmental causes. The oly real supporters of this protest are the wealthy dwellers from Panoramic Hills (median home price of $1,250,000) who hate the campus community and are using you as their pawns. Why can't you devote your effort to plant trees elsewhere and actually make a significant contribution to the environment?

Move on already Mark! I bet you're not even from Berkeley and have NOTHING TO DO with the area.

It's true, millions more oak trees in California are at risk, with increasing development and suburbanization. If you setup a tree sit elsewhere in the state let me know and I'll come take pics.

The struggle at UC Berkeley is a microcosm of a growing global movement to protect Sacred Sites and Ancestral Remains. We resist as UC Berkeley desecrates ancestral remains both inside The Hearst Museum and outside in the Oak grove. By marching we show our solidarity with those taking direct action and putting their bodies on the line to protect sacred sites and prove that no repressive fences or museum walls will prevent us from defending human rights.

THE MEMORIAL OAK GROVE TREE SIT is by far the longest ongoing urban tree-sit protest in history, now approaching it's one year anniversary on December 2nd. The Oak Grove is in an area considered sacred by the Ohlone. The oak grove has not been excavated, but it's likely that an Ohlone village was in the general area, said Malcolm Margolin, author of "The Ohlone Way" and publisher of Heyday Books in Berkeley. The University's environmental impact report says "there's a high likelihood of archaeological sites within the site boundaries." A partial skeleton and 18 Native American burials was unearthed and removed during stadium construction in 1923. Corrina Gould, an Ohlone Indian from Berkeley, said, "These are sacred sites for the Ohlone. We are still living. We are not in the past."

Wounded Knee Deocampo from the Vallejo Intertribal Council, said, "It is time to put a halt to digging up sacred sites. We would never dig up your cemeteries. These are sacred places as much as the pyramids of Egypt."

"We heard that UC Berkeley wasn't allowing any food or water to be given to the tree sitters so we went to bear witness and offer our prayers," said Jimbo Simmons of the International Indian Treaty Council. "We were offering prayers and tobacco for the defense of this sacred Ohlone site and held a peaceful vigil for about an hour, then we witnessed one of the tree-sitters being violently attacked by a police officer.

Indigenous-led environmental and social justice movements is what's going to redefine how the majority sees and deals with issues.

Just a curious thought on the legal side. I am sure the police will cite this to be the case. The 50 people on this prayer virgil, did they have the proper legal right to assemble? We as americans have the freedome to assemble but we must do so in an orderly way, that means getting a permit and filling out forms. If they had not and just gathered supporters then took to the street then they bring on the police actions. Now the police actions themselves are a different case altogether, but if the police were trying to disperce an Illegal assemble of people then they will try to justify there actions and the use of force.

If that is the case then the battle is lost.


So before I chime in on my opinion on this I would want to know a little bit more details on this case. Wouldnt you?

hey!
i was there that night of wednesday november 14th. i came with Blackfire, burning sage, with lit candles, and singing songs. what the police did was WRONG that night, slamming one of our sisters down on the ground just for speaking her mind...they were all ready to beat people down...and for what? we came in peace...and they were not ready for that i guess. we will fight for our rights tho...we must save these sacred sites and trees!!! does anyone have a video of that night??????? or know where i can find one????? we must let people know how the cops were behaving that night.
thank you >:)

Berkeley, CA -- Three people were violently arrested by University of
California (UC) police officers at a midnight prayer vigil at the
long-standing Oak Grove tree-sit on UC Berkeley's campus. More than 40
people, lead by a group of Indigenous peoples, walked in procession to
the Tree-sit to show support for Human Rights and Sacred sites and
hold a prayerful candlelight vigil at the area, which is a sacred
Ohlone burial ground.
"We heard that UC Berkeley wasn't allowing any food or water to be
given to the tree sitters so we went to bear witness and offer our
prayers." said Jimbo Simmons of the International Indian Treaty
Council. "We were offering prayers and tobacco for the defense of this
sacred Ohlone site and held a peaceful vigil for about an hour, then
we witnessed one of the tree-sitters being violently attacked by a
police officer. More officers arrived wielding batons and were very
aggressive, they pushed me and abusively arrested two other people."
Simmons stated.

In the peaceful actions that lead up to the arrests, members of the
diverse group of supporters made an offering of ceremonial sage,
water, food and prayer songs to the tree-sitters to resist illegal
sanctions of food and water placed by the University.

Earlier in the day, University officials declared that no food, water,
or "objects" could be delivered to the forest defenders, in an attempt
to starve the resisters out of the trees.

"We came out to pray and offer medicine," said Morning Star Gali of
the Pit River Tribe and part of the Native American NAGPRA Coalition.
"The cops responded with riot gear and violence."
"This exhibits the ongoing Human Rights abuses committed by the
University. They refuse to comply with NAGPRA by holding 13,000 of our
ancestors remains and now they assault us while we pray at our burial
grounds."
An hour into the vigil, one of the tree-sitters came down to see what
was going on and a security officer grabbed his leg and violently
pulled him to the ground from the tree he was in. The officer
brutalized the tree-sitter for up to 5 minutes within the fenced area
while pushing his face into the metal fence in front of the crowd.

Up to 30 additional police officers arrived, many in riot gear, some
with shotguns. They proceeded to aggressively attack the peaceful
crowd with batons, breaking the finger of a journalist and brutally
arresting two more supporters.

At some point during the brutal police attack, both fences surrounding
the tree-sit were apparently torn.

"This wasn't an isolated attack on our peaceful protest." Stated Ayr,
a founder of the tree-sit.

Zachary Running Wolf, also a founder of the tree-sit, was arrested the
previous night on charges of vandalism and trespassing, although he
was not at the scene at the time of the alleged crimes.
"This is a clear issue of racial profiling and targeting of a
well-known Indigenous activist." Said Ayr.

"With the addition of two fences and cutting off the tree-sitters
access to food and water, the University is escalating the situation
by choosing violence and confrontation instead of the peaceful
resolutions that we have presented." Ayr stated.

The tree-sitters have agreed to come down if the University agrees to
protect the site from any and all development.

"They put more fences up after they said they were going to take them
all down 3 days ago.
They should immediately remove them and stop arresting the brave
people defending this Sacred site. The University should also
immediately release all political prisoners that have been arrested."
Ayr Said.
The prayer vigil was held in anticipation of a pending court decision
concerning the legality of UC Berkeley's plans.

Judge Barbara Miller is expected to return her decision any day in the
multiple lawsuits against the stadium expansion project. UC Police
are preparing for the violent extraction of all the tree sitters. UC
Berkeley officials have stated that no matter what Judge Miller
decides the University will try to end the tree-sit protest.

"What occurred tonight is a clear violation of our Human Rights."
Stated Jimbo Simmons. "As native people we pray, as Sundancers we pray
to the trees, to Grandfather and to Creator. Some have used the tree
as a way of communicating with the Creator. The trees represent part
of that connection. The threat of these trees being cut down is also a
violation of our rights."

"We'll be continuing to go to the Oak Grove to offer our prayers. Is
this how the police are going to respond?" Stated Mr. Simmons.


Three individuals that were arrested are Clara Luna, Nathan Pitts, and
Alekey Maromyguin. At their arraignment they were charged with
multiple counts of misdemeanor battery of a police officer,
trespassing, vandalism, resisting arrest, and violation of a court
order. They were forced to pay more then $8000 in bail were released
around midday on Friday the 16th.
The charges given to those arrested were all misdemeanor infractions.
processed through a traffic court, which demonstrates that police
claims in the media are false and that the protesters did not attack
police with any liquid which supposedly burned officers eyes as, UC
Berkeley Assistant Police chief Mitch Celaya falsely claimed in The SF
Chronicle on Friday the 16th.

Actually the sidewalk where the vigial took place is the property of the city of Berkeley. If anything the UCPD was beaking the law by violating the rights of these peaceful citizens on city property.

A gathering of people peaceful or what ever would still need some permission to assemble. I see there was a charge of Tresspassing as well a violation of a Court order. Those two are what the Police will use as a defence to there actions and the out come.

The next virgil should do what ever it can to conduct a legal and peaceful march. Beat them at there own game! dont play into it.
March accross the street... go out and by a model helocopter or something to deliver food to them... think creatively and positively... hot air balloon that can hold 5 lbs..send um water,. but dont put yourself in front of the police only to get beat down and break ther law.

Anyone want to create a creative group to help come up with new ideas to help support this group as well as the ones in southern cali send the word out.

To clarify, misdemeanors and infractions are not the same thing, and the arraignment on these charges occurred in a criminal courtroom, though driving without a license and DUI charges are also heard there (those are also criminal charges, believe it or not -- talk about racist laws against immigrants who the law tells they can't get a license). These protesters face the possibility of jail sentences as a result of conviction on any of the charges. It's also possible they won't have jail sentences, but will just pay fines, or even have the charges dismissed. I just wanted to clarify the seriousness of the legal situation they find themselves in right now. It's really important that the folks who saw first-hand what went down make themselves available to the protesters' defense, and step up to tell what they saw in concrete terms. I wish you well in getting your voices heard on this, and a shout out: may the truth come out! I'm with you, Luna. Blessings.

This is a sacred burial site. It's as important as Arlington National Cemetery.

I find the actions of UC Berkeley officials to be profoundly Immoral, and in respect to Native American Burial Sites - Illegal! UC Berkeley is supposed to be an institution of Higher Learning - but how can that be; - When it destroys Native American Burial Grounds - for a stadium!

Claims of this area being a sacred site are largely made-up, right up there with Zachary Brown claiming that he represents 80,000 local Native Americans...

It is an extremely privileged stand to take for so many non-natives to comment that in their opinion the oak grove is not a sacred burial site. Aren't all burial sites sacred? Is my grandmothers not worthy of protecting but yours is? Is it because you have read the corporate media stories that are trashing the tree-sitters and are victim to the lies that claim that it was "once" a burial site? The proof of the shell mound sites with 18 ancestral remains came directly out of UC Berkeley itself. Right next to the faculty glade on campus is an existing village site with burials still in tact that the university poured concrete over in order for campus walkways to be built.
It is always interesting and none the less baffling how Native people are always regarded to in the "past tense", our words are deemed not credible and how non-native people claim to be the "authority" over us. You perfectly exemplify the universities stand in not respecting Native people -- the living or deceased.

Keep perpetrating your white privileged spouts righteousness against those you deem lower then you!

Those trees are a joy to local folks and sacred to the American Indians and also I believe Irish folks, at least those who have not lost their link to the past.

That was a peaceful vigil of people gathering in honor of the trees, in honor of a bunch of strangers that gathered that night on the spur of the moment to provide moral support those that have been sitting in the trees to save them for the seven generation to come.

It is so easy for folks to destroy things, particularly ancient oaks and more that CANNOT be replaced in a few years or ten years. This is an older grove of about 100 trees that miraculously survived. This Special Oak Grove survived because folks in past years retained a memory and sense of Mother Earth and the importance of people to be able to keep in touch with the Earth. Those trees and the open space they represent provide habit for animals, are a burial ground, a special place to reflect. We and UC Berkeley do not need to chop down those trees. UC Berkeley is demonstrating GREED, LACK OF CONCERN for nature and the wonder of things.

These trees should be able to remain. Even a child, a small boy that lived in the neighborhood came by, said he used to visit the tree sitters, said he enjoyed the trees and hoped they would remain.

Those that make decisions to destroy Ancient Trees, neighborhood, Sacred Sites often are far removed from the area in question, do not live their, are sitting on a PILE OF MONEY MADE ON THE BACKS OF AVERAGE AMERICANS, ARE SITTING ON A PILE OF ANTICIPATED RETIREMENT MONEY, HAVE HUGE HOMES AND WASTE LOTS OF ENERGY AND RESOURCES and are out of touch with the need to conserve natural resources, to leave places for the winged ones the four footed ones and other creatures of the Earth to survive.

I personally viewed the Grove of Trees in question and strongly feel they should remain in place.

Those ancient oaks provide acorns that are the substance food of Native peoples in the past. Leave those natural resources and foods which can serve as an educational place for children of the area.

Leave a place of peace and relaxation.

Let the trees that help provide air to breath stay and don't pave over additional areas of the Earth.

I am impressed with the metal fence in Calgary. I really like how there is only the one.