treesitters voluntarily come down, University makes commitment, request for bail funds,

Dear friends of the Memorial Oak Grove,

Today, after 648 days, the treesitters and the University of California reached an agreement that brought the Oak Grove treesit to an end.

The treesitters agreed to come down voluntarily, and University representatives agreed that they would make a public statement that the University will create new ways for the community to be involved in land use decisions going forward. What form precisely that will take is yet to be determined.

It is up to the community to ensure that the format is substantial, and that the community is involved in the beginning, brainstorm phases and on an ongoing basis with land use.

The University representatives and treesit supporters agreed that confrontations are in no one's best interest, and it is a mutually shared interest for real cooperation to take place.

The supporters of the treesitters have made a request for bail funds... please visit:
http://oaksarrestees.org/
click on "donate"
or if you'd rather send a check, make it out to "Oaks Arrestees Defense Committee" and mail it to....
Oaks Arrestees Defense Committes
1610 North Normandie Avenue, #210
Hollywood, California, 90027

Many brave souls are in jail right now, including the four treesitters who surrendered to the UC Police (Huck, Mondo, Shem, and Ernesto), as well several ground supporters who were arrested today.

Also, Native American leader and organizer Morningstar Gali requested that UC Police honor a prior commitment they made to allow the Native Community to enter the remains of the grove and place tobacco at the stump of the Grandmother Oak once the treesitters come down. Thus far, UC Police have refused to respond to this request. If you agree that UC Police should allow the ceremony to happen, please call the office of Chief of Police Victoria Harrison at 510-642-1133 to express your views, or send an email to vlh [at] berkeley.edu.

Furthermore, treesit supporers want the stump of the Grandmother Oak returned to the Native community so that they may create drums and other religious artifacts. If you agree, please state this desire as well when you contact Chief Harrison.

The treesitters say that they sincerely thank you for your love, your time, your letters, your food, your water, your witnessing, your words, your presence. We know many of you contributed deeply to this campaign in many ways, and many of those contributions have gone unrecognized and unseen. So know that whether your participation was visible or not, the treesitters say that your support for them -- and most importantly, for the trees -- is deeply appreciated.

This email list is obviously winding down, although it is possible that something new that relates to community relationships with UC could be created. Stay tuned for that.

If you're curious what ground supporters are up to now, you can reach them at 510 938 2109. And again, ground support says a way to help out those who have done so much is to visit:

http://oaksarrestees.org/

Sincerely,

Your friends from the Oak Grove