People's Park Emergency Meeting

Thank you for your interest and love of Peoples Park. On December 28th, the University hired a private company to bulldoze the west end of the Park adjacent to Haste St.

A partial list of the plants destroyed: Manzanetta, apple tree, bamboo, blackberry, ice plant, lemon tree, vitex, jasmine, butterfly bush, at least two plum trees, one was pruned too high to pick fruit from, rose bush, hemlock yucca tree, coffee berry, pineapple, guava, and kiwi trees. The Pergola was removed and destroyed. The damage would be in the thousands.

Here are a couple of articles that were in the media on what happened including photos: http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/12/28/18703537.php; http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2011/12/28/18703530.php

As a result of the destruction in the park both individuals and groups who use the Park on a daily basis have gathered together to take action against the University. The groups include members of Food Not Bombs, Occupy Berkeley, Hate Camp and Peoples Park Forever Committee.

The ideas of action being considered at (1) submitting a claim against the University for the replacement value of the matured trees, plants, flowers, scrubs, cacti and landscaping (2) starting an on-line petition against the Chancellor condemning the University for its action; (3) filing a lawsuit for a violation of the public trust.