Tree-Sitter Extraction Live Blog
I moved the previous text to the entry body behind the fold.
I just spoke with Goldblooded. He is at the grove right now. He says that they are constructing a metal tower around the base of the tree. It is similar to the drum major's tower, he tells me. He says they are moving slowly, but have enough poles to make it to the top. It is unclear exactly what this metal tower is for, but one would think it relates to the extraction. Here is the ABC7 Live Feed if you want to keep an eye on things. When I hear more, I'll pass word along to here. Of course, as citizen journalists, if you hear of anything, similarly post it here.
It appears that things are coming to a head at the oak grove. Keep it locked here for all the action. We got people watching the feed and people at the location sending reports back in.
We interrupt the regularly scheduled open thread on Aaron Rodgers for this following announcement. It (might be) Going Down! No, not the trees (that was Friday) and not WSU (that was Saturday). I have received word from Goldblooded and TheNick that the extraction has begun. I am sure they will bring back great stories and photos, but we are all citizen journalists here. We can't depend on the Carolyn Joneses of the world to give us a fair run down of the extraction. So, if you can make it out for this once in a life time (hopefully!) event, you better hightail. It could be over by now, who knows? GO BEARS!
Edit: Just heard from Goldblooded and TheNick again. Goldblooded said he saw another cherry picker making its way towards the grove. TheNick said that the cherry pickers were cleaning up branches (ostensibly to help the extraction), but have stopped that process for now. There is a bit of a lull in the action, he tells me. KRON4 didn't seem to report that the extraction was taking place. So, we are getting conflicting reports here. Perhaps they are waiting for this new cherry picker to make it. We shall see, I guess.
Edit2: TheNick and GoldBlooded tell me that a fire truck and more cops came, but it's unclear now where they are. Both have left for now, so if anything does happen, it might be late night. Boo to false alarms! Yay to extraction!
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Live shot
didn’t show any extraction going on, just cutting additional tree limbs underneath the sitters
Daily Cal reporting the same thing.
http://www.dailycal.org/article/102534
You’re taking more attention away from Rodgers just to spite CaliSeth aren’t you Twist?
by BearsNecessity on Sep 8, 2008 6:07 PM PDT up reply actions
I wondered if something was going on...
I was in class all afternoon and between 430 and 530 helicopters were circling around making all sorts of noise. For a while the professor was barely even audible.
I’m disappointed that all that noise was over nothing. I was hoping to come home to glorious headlines of how the remaining tree-sitters were pulled out of the trees or fell onto inflatables. I wonder how many hours of footage these news stations have of trees with nothing really going on around them. It seems every day during the summer the campus would be buzzing with the noise of helicopters all afternoon.
Dude, they're frickn having tea
… they’re not suffering up there… they’re actually having a good time.
Those dudes must be sun burned and tired. It doesn’t look like they have a platform to really sit on or lie on so they are sleeping straddling the tree and branches all day? Then they only have a limited amount of water and food? Then they piss and poop right off the tree?
Does anybody know what resources they have up there?
www.californiagoldenblogs.com
seems everyone – and i mean everyone – had a bylined story on this today. which is a good thing since you have to wade through all of them to get any idea of the substance of what happened yesterday.
On Saturday, university officials believed that they had struck a deal with the four tree-sitters: they would descend from their hand-built, solar-paneled perch about 100 feet up in exchange for the university’s increasing its tree-replacement program and allowing a vigil for a fallen tree.
Mr. Mogulof said that deal fell through on Sunday after protesters on the ground made more demands, including immunity for some tree-dwellers who are accused of tossing their human waste at the police.
But the sitters and their supporters felt they would be losing a bargaining tool if the tree-sitters came down. They asked that the campus promise permanent and long-term discussions over the campus’ use of land, as well as payment of $6 million in mitigation-that would be donated to groups of their choice- before the sitters leave the trees.
The mediator [identified by The Daily Californian as Peter Bluhon] met with protesters and campus officials over the weekend, but talks ended after an apparent split among the protesters, Mogulof said.
“It appears the tree-sitters and their supporters could not come to an agreement within themselves,” he said.
bottom line? we wait. and, it should be noted, your own daily californian is beating the pants off the major dalies – up to and including the vaunted grey lady – in both stories and photography.
And, if you want to get your hackles up, you should pop over to this story under the headline “”http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2008/09/07/18534041.php" target="new">UC Berkeley commits 1st hate crime against WWI Veterans."
Just wanted to note that again the ego of the ground support winning out over reason. They NEED something to hang their hats on, so they cant let the tree-sitters leave. They even note that they’d lose a bargaining tool. Its so stupid.
"Save The Oaks: Overthrow Capitalism" said Dumpster Muffin sanguinely
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
probably news choppers. from the live feed it looks like they are starting their day giving interviews and boasting about the glorious bolivarian revolution or whatever as usual.

ok, there is a chopper feed now. shows two big cranes and a bunch of activity building something at the base of the tree.

Goldblooded tells me that the tower is for a staircase and that the staircase goes up about 1/6th of the tree as of now.
"Save The Oaks: Overthrow Capitalism" said Dumpster Muffin sanguinely
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
that’s what it looked like when the copter zoomed it (sorry, dinna get a screengrab of it). kinda like the scaffolding you see on construction sites. i imagine the tarps on the cranes will rise to the level of the sitters while they build the tower beneath. which explains why they cleared all the extra limbs yesterday – they now have clear access to the level the sitters are at.
Ok, apparently the first arrest of the day has been made. Again, the FIRST ARREST OF THE DAY has been made.
Who had 9:22 AM in the pool?
"Save The Oaks: Overthrow Capitalism" said Dumpster Muffin sanguinely
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
Do u mean the first extraction???
"It's not my fault your team's so shitty" - every AL Manager to Bob Geren
don’t think so, it looks like all four are still in the tree (but have their battle hoods on. dudes, you ain’t the FARC and that tree ain’t ingrid betancourt)

No access to TV...
Please keep updating here…this is fascinating!
Those thingies on the cherry (hippie) pickers look like mattresses…
I thought they were poo-protectors for the guys working at the base of the tree, but maybe you’re right.
Are you saying the live webcam isn’t working for you?
"Save The Oaks: Overthrow Capitalism" said Dumpster Muffin sanguinely
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
Goldblooded tells me the stairs are about a quarter of th way up. He also says that the sitters are trying to do something with rope, but he cant really tell whats going on. Maybe the live feed shows it better.
"Save The Oaks: Overthrow Capitalism" said Dumpster Muffin sanguinely
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
Do we have a screengrab of that?
"Save The Oaks: Overthrow Capitalism" said Dumpster Muffin sanguinely
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
Goldblooded tells me that there are 4 cherry pickers and a crane twice as tall as Memorial Stadium are moving in. He also says Saint Dumpster Muffin is there and she is continually banging on the “poop bucket.” Not sure what that is, per se.
"Save The Oaks: Overthrow Capitalism" said Dumpster Muffin sanguinely
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
Goldblooded says that the tree sitters lowered themselves a bit below their platform using rope and are sitting there. Not sure how that relates to OskiMonsta’s view that one of them jumped on top of the cherrypicker.
"Save The Oaks: Overthrow Capitalism" said Dumpster Muffin sanguinely
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
Do you guys see that dude out on a branch?
Crazeee!!
"It's not my fault your team's so shitty" - every AL Manager to Bob Geren
Looks like he's going to end his life . .
"It's not my fault your team's so shitty" - every AL Manager to Bob Geren
He says that “Erik” (perhaps Ayr) is telling the cops to put their helmets on and clear the area. Not sure what that means exactly.
"Save The Oaks: Overthrow Capitalism" said Dumpster Muffin sanguinely
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
We need some play by play here
"and he’s reaching for the shit bucket . . . He’s down to his last ammo . . . "
"It's not my fault your team's so shitty" - every AL Manager to Bob Geren
The most amazing, sensational, dramatic, heart rending,
exciting, thrilling, tree extraction in the history of sports . . . There will be no more hippies!
"It's not my fault your team's so shitty" - every AL Manager to Bob Geren
Goldblooded says that the sitters are throwing lines of rope from the tree. They are either working on coming down or trying to get ropes down for more people to climb up. That might make sense as to why Ayr is trying to get people closer to the tree.
"Save The Oaks: Overthrow Capitalism" said Dumpster Muffin sanguinely
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
Damn it! This is going to ruin my
work production for the day.
Why can’t they just hire a sniper and kill 2 birds with one stone so to speak?
"It's not my fault your team's so shitty" - every AL Manager to Bob Geren
A what now?
"Save The Oaks: Overthrow Capitalism" said Dumpster Muffin sanguinely
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
A trebuchet. Basically, a really large, powerful medieval weapon for slinging large boulders. Also, a highly entertaining way of removing hippies from trees.
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
It’d be great if it was like a totally random run in by the nWo or something like that.
"Save The Oaks: Overthrow Capitalism" said Dumpster Muffin sanguinely
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
Or Ayr had somehow comandeered one. And then they had a high stakes battle atop cherry pickers.
God, this would make a GREAT movie!
Another arrest of a ground support person, I am informed.
"Save The Oaks: Overthrow Capitalism" said Dumpster Muffin sanguinely
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
So is this the Return of the King (Tedford)?
Or are we still on The Two Towers?
"It's not my fault your team's so shitty" - every AL Manager to Bob Geren
by oaktownmario on Sep 9, 2008 10:01 AM PDT up reply actions
Goldblooded tells me that one sitter is climbing up to the god pod
"Save The Oaks: Overthrow Capitalism" said Dumpster Muffin sanguinely
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
I seriously think these dumb hippies
want to die and become martyrs for their twisted cause. Heck, it sure beats getting a job . . .
"It's not my fault your team's so shitty" - every AL Manager to Bob Geren
I'd say the same thing but I can't see anything
on that crappy abc video, and I especially can’t see any hyperboles . . .
"It's not my fault your team's so shitty" - every AL Manager to Bob Geren
by oaktownmario on Sep 9, 2008 10:10 AM PDT up reply actions
CBS story:
BERKELEY (CBS 5) ― Crews wearing hazmat suits moved cranes and scaffolding into place Tuesday in an apparent attempt to remove the remaining 4 tree-sitters protesting plans by UC Berkeley to expand athletic facilities.
The move comes a day after university officials vowed to use force if necessary to remove the protesters from the tree. Crew have already removed 40 of 42 trees in front of Memorial Stadium to make way for a new sports training facility.
Recent court rulings have giving the university the green light to go ahead with their project following a 21-month standoff with tree-sitting protesters.
An agreement that called for the tree-sitters to receive food, water and other support from backers on the ground expired at 9 a.m. Monday.
<a href=“http://cbs5.com/video/?id=”mailto:38895@kpix.dayport.com">38895@kpix.dayport.com" target="new">This is a video apparently of Ayr being upset with a reporter. I havent watched it myself, its from the CBS story.
"Save The Oaks: Overthrow Capitalism" said Dumpster Muffin sanguinely
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
The video of Ayr being upset is very funny if it’s the one I saw earlier – she mentioned no student support and he blew up.
by protestshooter on Sep 9, 2008 10:11 AM PDT up reply actions
http://cbs5.com/video/?id=38895@kpix.dayport.com
That link might work better.
"Save The Oaks: Overthrow Capitalism" said Dumpster Muffin sanguinely
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
I think he was throwing handfulls of dirt at the cops.
by protestshooter on Sep 9, 2008 10:16 AM PDT up reply actions
Some dumb hippie got taken down on the ground by police
He was not one of the tree sitters. It was on the abc video link at the top of this page.
"It's not my fault your team's so shitty" - every AL Manager to Bob Geren
by oaktownmario on Sep 9, 2008 10:19 AM PDT up reply actions
Anybody know who that was?
"It's not my fault your team's so shitty" - every AL Manager to Bob Geren
Cut back to the tree. Whoever is directing this opus for ABC deserves an emmy.
by Tony M on Sep 9, 2008 10:18 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
that was a nice little scrum
theres no way these sitters get pulled from the tree without some sort of injury
I honestly hope no one dies
but I think it’s a real possibility and would just make things worse for everyone . . .
"It's not my fault your team's so shitty" - every AL Manager to Bob Geren
by oaktownmario on Sep 9, 2008 10:20 AM PDT up reply actions
Well, I want them to die,
but because of dysentery and cholera, in jail, from basically living/eating/breathing in close proximity to their own shit for 2 years. Not because of a fall.
by Spazzy Mcgee on Sep 9, 2008 10:52 AM PDT up reply actions
I agree
unfortunately, it’s not because of any real feeling of these hippies value to mankind, but because it would complicate the situation to no end. And it’d make people feel sad.
I’m not sure if this makes me a bad person, but it’s true.
Don’t worry. I’m thinking the same thing.
by CaliforniaBone on Sep 9, 2008 10:23 AM PDT up reply actions
We're right there with you . . . nothing bad in that thought
"It's not my fault your team's so shitty" - every AL Manager to Bob Geren
by oaktownmario on Sep 9, 2008 10:25 AM PDT up reply actions
Scaffolding
As the scaffolding goes up, those chances are going down – there will be less distance to fall. This is why the route they are taking is very wise.
There are still 4
I think 1 or 2 are in the godpod, and/or on the other side of the tree
"It's not my fault your team's so shitty" - every AL Manager to Bob Geren
by oaktownmario on Sep 9, 2008 10:22 AM PDT up reply actions
One is below the pods, using ropes
"It's not my fault your team's so shitty" - every AL Manager to Bob Geren
by oaktownmario on Sep 9, 2008 10:23 AM PDT up reply actions
GoldBlooded informs me that the stairs are about 50% finished. The police crane is hovering around trying to talk to the sitters. Prolly telling them that their time is up and if they dont come down, bla bla bla bla. Its a bit unclear but it seems that the hippies keep trying to throw a rope to no avail.
"Save The Oaks: Overthrow Capitalism" said Dumpster Muffin sanguinely
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
I think they're trying to get more people up in the trees
lame, but that’s what they’re probly trying
"It's not my fault your team's so shitty" - every AL Manager to Bob Geren
by oaktownmario on Sep 9, 2008 10:26 AM PDT up reply actions
cops just pulled some harness looking thing
into the cherry picker
this is fascinating
i can’t look away. this must be what it’s like to watch car chases on TV in LA.
So, basically, you gotta Go Bears!
I think the final move may be to tie themselves to the tree.
by protestshooter on Sep 9, 2008 10:28 AM PDT up reply actions
Maybe the police should change their negotiation techniques
and start telling the sitters they should consider “revolutionary suicide” . . . that would make the extraction quicker . . . but it would cause a shitload of controversy.
"It's not my fault your team's so shitty" - every AL Manager to Bob Geren
“Come on… Everyone loves a martyr! You’ll get 20 unshaven hippies in your yogurt and sandal filled heaven… You’ll meet these trees there too!”
Is it just me?
Or does anyone else want them to starting cutting off some of the other branches?
Yeah, it seems like they could strip everything on that one side – oh, somebody’s pulling crap down.
by protestshooter on Sep 9, 2008 10:30 AM PDT up reply actions
Thanks Bears,
you just got the FBI, CIA, NSA and whoknows who else in on this Blog discussion b/c of that J word. Just Great!
"It's not my fault your team's so shitty" - every AL Manager to Bob Geren
by oaktownmario on Sep 9, 2008 10:31 AM PDT up reply actions
TwistNHook's seditious activities need to be reported
under some Patriot Act provision I don’t bother to memorize
by BearsNecessity on Sep 9, 2008 10:35 AM PDT up reply actions
GOLDBLOODED TELLS ME THAT THE ARBORISTS ARE DISMANTLING THEIR PLATFORM FROM THE BOTTOM!
"Save The Oaks: Overthrow Capitalism" said Dumpster Muffin sanguinely
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
I think there's one in the god pod, no?
"It's not my fault your team's so shitty" - every AL Manager to Bob Geren
by oaktownmario on Sep 9, 2008 10:32 AM PDT up reply actions
10:30 now ..
What’s the over/under on # of hippies left on the tree by midnight?
I take zero
They aren’t building that scaffolding for the fun of it. This ends today.
If Sarah Palin was there they would have been out of that tree 20 months ago.
by protestshooter on Sep 9, 2008 10:36 AM PDT up reply actions
"Quick Robin"
Hand me the “Treesitter Repellent”
by BearsNecessity on Sep 9, 2008 10:37 AM PDT up reply actions
Goldblooded says they are moving all their stuff up to the God Pod.
"Save The Oaks: Overthrow Capitalism" said Dumpster Muffin sanguinely
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
Yeah, 'cause THAT'S gonna work...
as if the extractors can’t just move the crane higher.
“They’ll never catch us up here!”
It will be hard to drag them out of it, and it shakes around in a dramatic fashion.
by protestshooter on Sep 9, 2008 10:37 AM PDT up reply actions
The cops should just wait until they’re finished transfering their supplies up there, and then go grab the God Pod.
Put on some sort of forklift attachment to the crane...
then come up from underneath and just pop the god pod off the tree… then the tree sitters come to the cops pre-packaged.
Too many live events today!
This and the apple event are spreading my attention, it’s so hard to concentrate… (http://live.gizmodo.com/ if you’re interested)
If he doesnt announce a price cut, I’m not interested…much.
by CaliforniaBone on Sep 9, 2008 10:40 AM PDT up reply actions
Do negotiators ever have to keep their word?
After all, don’t the hippies get arrested when they come out, end of story?
so, I tried to go back to work
I swear to Tedford, the first line in the document I’m reviewing is:
015320 Tree Care and Protection.
Tedford wants me to blow off work and watch this unfold.
my computer is the only one that gets the live feed
I’ve actually been shooing people away all morning so I can get work done LOL.
also, you’re not the boss of me ;-)
(hehe)
For those of us who cant watch the video, if the comments could be a bit more specific, wed appreciate it.
"Save The Oaks: Overthrow Capitalism" said Dumpster Muffin sanguinely
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
He said “A true measure of how conscious these protesters are of the environment is to see how many of them work with the university to plant new trees.”
by CaliforniaBone on Sep 9, 2008 10:48 AM PDT up reply actions
Also, there was a lot of footage of the protest below, one arrest, some crane footage, and an angry protester.
by CaliforniaBone on Sep 9, 2008 10:48 AM PDT up reply actions
Sure thing
Currently they’ve panned up toward the god pod, showing one guy climbing up to it and one person already in it, in addition to two people further down the tree. Harder to see when zoomed out though.
It’s tought to describe. One hippie is up on the Pod now, and I’m starting to suspect that it’s actually a spaceship. The hippies will flee, orbit the earth in suspended animation until the age of Man has ended and the earth has cooled again.
by Tony M on Sep 9, 2008 10:49 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
You lose at life.
Ergo, I win. WOOOO!
by BearsNecessity on Sep 9, 2008 10:57 AM PDT up reply actions
Ugh, I need a 2 hour nap
This is like watching Ben Braun’s offense …
or washington state off/def/speacial teams/coaching
by AlucardXVIII on Sep 9, 2008 10:48 AM PDT up reply actions
Wazzu’s PA announcer is more entertaining than this.
by CaliforniaBone on Sep 9, 2008 10:49 AM PDT up reply actions
No, that was excitingly bad
This is like watching Fresno State’s off/def/special teams/coaching
by BearsNecessity on Sep 9, 2008 10:50 AM PDT up reply actions
Goldblooded tells me that the stairs are about 3/5ths of the way up. Time is running out for the hippies.
Should we get a new thread soon?
"Save The Oaks: Overthrow Capitalism" said Dumpster Muffin sanguinely
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
4th arrest of a ground support person.
"Save The Oaks: Overthrow Capitalism" said Dumpster Muffin sanguinely
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
That staircase they’re building doesnt look very sturdy…any sort of rumble and the entire thing would shake violently.
Really nice views now
Looks like that scaffolding is going up nicely. They’re showing the view from the helicopter panning around the tree with the stadium in the background.
This grove was actually the site of an ancient staircase that was originally here before the university was...
the fact that they dare to build a new staircase is opposite to everything I believe in!
MUST. DESTROY. Or at least raise a stink (both metaphorically and bodily) about it.
I dunno, reminds me of Dawn of the Dead. Which means the hippies are going to turn into zombies and we are all fucked.
by BearsNecessity on Sep 9, 2008 10:59 AM PDT up reply actions
If it's the first, we could just shoot them and we'd be fine
Gotta be the second.
by BearsNecessity on Sep 9, 2008 11:02 AM PDT up reply actions
I want something funny
like if they held up a sign to the camera that said ‘Free Mumia!’
I hate you and your new threads. Thread-killer!
by RemorsefulBruinBabe on Sep 9, 2008 11:39 AM PDT up reply actions
That thread was dead when I got there!
"Save The Oaks: Overthrow Capitalism" said Dumpster Muffin sanguinely
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
ok ok fine.
I didn’t get here until around 11:30 anyway.
by RemorsefulBruinBabe on Sep 9, 2008 11:51 AM PDT up reply actions

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