“Touchdowns, not trees!”

“Trees are for Stanford!”

the sign would be even funnier if one of the jailed protesters was named “firewood”

I have pictures of crying hippies, trees being knocked down, hippies fighting with frat guys, and a guy playing a ladder as a musical instrument. Oh and I have some highlights from a discussion between two hippie ladies about how the seagulls flying overhead have no place to nest now that the trees are gone. I’ll put all of this into a fanpost later tonight.

What is going on at the grove right now?
Looks like Hippie Dance Party 2008 in the middle of Piedmont

Anyone?
Is that a fight or a dance off?

    UC Berkeley today began clearing the Memorial Stadium oak grove where tree-sitting protesters have been camped for nearly two years in an attempt to block construction of a sports training facility there.

    Arborists wielding saws began thinning a portion of the grove as several dozen protesters shouted from the median on nearby Piedmont Avenue. The action came a day after a state appeals court refused two groups’ request to stop the project.

    "It’s surreal to see the grove finally be cut down, after so much energy and effort and spirit was put into protecting it," said Daria Garina, a UC Berkeley junior and supporter of the tree-sitters. "It’s tragic and awful."

    Workers in two cherry-pickers stripped most of the branches off the redwood where the tree-sitters reside, while the protesters swatted them with sticks.

    A worker was struck on the head by a bottle from the tree-sitters’ perch but was able to continue trimming, officials said.

    UC plans to remove some of the larger trees today but has no immediate plans to forcibly remove the four remaining tree-sitters, campus spokesman Dan Mogulof said.

    A group of oak tree advocates and a Berkeley Hills neighborhood group planned to appeal the decision to the California Supreme Court.

The San Francisco Chronicle

University of California, Berkeley spokesman Dan Mogulof said the university today began tearing down oak trees next to its football stadium as the first step in a project to build a news sports training center adjacent to the stadium.

    Mogulof said this morning that the university would only be "pruning" trees today in the wake of a court ruling on Thursday that allowed the university to go forward with the project after a 20-month legal battle.

    But at a 4 p.m. news briefing next to the football stadium, Mogulof said the university actually began tearing down trees today and plans to tear down a total of 42 trees by the end of the day Monday.

    He estimated that about four to five trees had been removed as of 4 p.m. today.

    Videographer LA Wood, who has filmed activities at the grove of oak trees since a UC Board of Regents committee approved the project December 2006, said at least six trees have been taken down so far.

    Michael Kelly, the president of the Panoramic Hill Association, which is one of three groups that filed suit to try to stop the project, said he thinks at least a dozen trees had been removed.

    Wood accused UC officials of issuing a "misleading" statement about their plans for today.

    "They didn’t prune trees, they killed them," Wood said.

    Four tree-sitters remained in a single tree near the stadium and at least 50 supporters had gathered near the site to watch the trees being cut down.

    Wood said he thinks the university wouldn’t have cut down the trees today if there had been a larger group of protesters.

    Mogulof said there are currently 70 oak trees in the grove next to the stadium and when the university finishes the work, 20 will remain.

    He said the university will plant three new trees at the site for every one it removes.

    Mogulof said the university expects that it will take two and a half years to build the new sports training center.

    Shortly after 5 p.m., UC police detained Ayr, the leader of the ground support team for the tree-sitters.

    Kelly, who witnessed the incident, said Ayr had been arguing with a small group of university students who supported removing the trees and were carrying a sign that said "Free Firewood."

    Kelly said he didn’t think Ayr did anything to warrant being detained.

CBS5

Crews began cutting down trees next to Memorial Stadium at UC Berkeley late this afternoon, 21 months after activists climbed into the trees to protest the university’s plan to raze them to build a $140 million sports training center center.

    Work crews with chainsaws and bulldozers arrived at the university grove Friday and by 4 p.m. six trees had been chopped down.

    Clad in black ski masks, the four remaining tree protesters who were driven into a single redwood several months ago, remained in the tree today at at times sparred with arborists, tossing a bottle and branches toward the crews.

    Arborists trimmed most of the branches from the redwood, leaving the few tarps and wooden platforms and the tree sitters alone before moving on to other trees on the south side of the grove.

The San Jose Mercury News

Thanks to Kleph for this one.

EARTHQUAKE!

Wow, what a day! I just finished reading through all of the postings in the last two posts. There’s almost five hundred! Great coverage CGB! Kudos to all who contributed today.

I have to admit though, I’m kinda surprised (and relieved) that the hippies didn’t cause more trouble. I guess their bark was much worse than their bite. It seems even they are finally beginning to realize the utter futility of their actions.

A few radicals cannot stand against change that aims to better the lives of hundreds of dedicated student athletes. For once I feel a small glimmer of hope that the vocally tyrannical minority of Berkeley will not rule over all. This is a good day folks. Rejoice.

Sorry everyone, I had a long day that involved going up to the stadium twice!

I’m now at my computer and ready to process my photos.

They might not be the quality of protestshooters, and somehow I can’t get them up as fast, but they’re what I’ve got. To be continued…

Can’t wait! Let’s see what you got! I think they’ll be stunning…

97 photos!

I think that will be trimmed down a bit before I’m done tonight, but I know I have a series of one of the trees falling.

Don’t rush the editing process on account of me Nick. I will be up late…

Plus I’ve got more pictures (almost 50) up at http://www.dotpicture.net

alrighty kids, reading through the usual msm accounts of the situation yesterday you would think all of northern california was aghast at this terrible affront to humanity… er, treemanity… um, whatever. but reading the accounts of the protests yesterday it seemed something was… missing from the coverage.

oh yeah, the general consensus that these are goofball hippies and not at all representative of the community. funny, as hard as it is to find that sentiment in the regular news outlets, it’s just a google blog search away…

I have not been proud, however, of the actions of tree sitters and others who have sought to stop the construction of the sports training facility adjacent to Memorial stadium on the Cal campus. They have made fools of themselves and Berkeley and cost the university literally millions of dollars. Their protest was not in the spirit of the 60’s. It was more akin to a bad satire of real democratic protest.

Riku Writes

But the lies [of the tree sitters] are no surprise. They’ve been using any lie they can for the last two years to try and win some public support, which has been few and far between outside of a small radical community in Berkeley.

Excuse Me For My Voice

It’s just a little sad to see the issue resolved. The tree-sitters became a part of Berkeley, and even though I didn’t exactly agree with their methods, I did agree with their general argument: the University could have found a better place to build, even if it would have cost a little bit more or been a little farther away.

SoMuchTasty (Livejournal)

While I consider myself an environmentalist, I’m with the University on this one. Most of the faculty, staff and students also seem to have had more than enough of the squatters and are looking forward to them finally being gone. Not that the squatters are going to disappear tomorrow, though, just because the University cuts down the trees they planted and have legal permission to remove.

Wombat Nation

The Berkeley campus of the University of California, certainly not even a centrist institution is growing weary of some of the Berkeley residents. These are the people living in the trees on campus for years, preventing an athletic center from being built. These great unwashed (literally as there are no showers except rain in the trees) useful idiots and environmentally-challenged people are in for a surprise… Imagine the stench when these vermin finally get forced down. The University should make sure they have at least 50 gallons of Febreze handy.

Liberal Fair

I am tired of this absurd Berkeley drama. The university wants to build a new sports facility. Doing so requires taking out a small stand of not-so-special oak trees. People are outraged and filed lawsuits to stop construction. Tree-sitters have occupied the trees for several months. Today, the court gave UC the right to move forward with construction, but the tree-sitters aren’t leaving. So, ring the trees and spray Round-Up in the wounds.

my back 40 feet

what really struck me as interesting after pulling this together was a series of different searches on this subject brought up nothing supporting the protesters. even the websites of the groups that back the tree sitters seemed idle.

Dear friends of the Grove,

A sad day has come – UC has demolished the Memorial Oak Grove.

http://berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2008-09-04/article/31057?headline=Spectators-Mourn-as-UC-Destroys-Memorial-Grove-Two-Arrested

Berkeley Grandmothers for the Oaks invites you to a memorial ceremony and interfaith prayer gathering tomorrow (Sunday September 7th) at 2pm at the Oak Grove. Local Native American leaders have announced their intention to place tobacco and offer prayers at the remains of the “Grandmother Oak,” the oldest tree in the grove, who was older than the University.

Four tree-sitters remain perched in their lofty platform in the redwood tree. We have heard that UC gave notice that they will discontinue sending food and water to the treesitters on Monday morning.

Finally, here is a message we received from Julia Butterfly Hill that we thought you might want to hear…

“i heard about what is happening at the grove. i want you to know that i am holding you and everyone and of course the trees in my heart, thoughts, and prayers. You all have been extraordinary in your stand. And the trees know this and say thank you. As do i. love, julia”

Please call the ground support phone # for any questions about tomorrow’s gathering, 510-938-2109.

Sincerely,

Save the Oaks Campaign