UC Police Invade Memorial Oak Grove Tree-sit
Berkeley - January 12, 2007

This morning, just before 6 AM, over twenty campus police officers from the University of California at Berkeley entered the Memorial Oak Grove and forced the tree-sitter support team from the property. The police, under direction of Assistant Chief Mitch Celaya, then ordered UC campus crews to remove everything from the site.

When asked why he chose to act under the cover of darkness, The assistant chief said that the University wants to return the area to its natural condition before the students return from semester break. Citing section 602 of the California State Penal Code, Celaya stated that the ground support team had not been noticed of this action because there was no legal demand to do so.
Both ground support supplies and personal property were seized and indiscriminately bulldozed into a waiting truck and hauled off. Celaya said that the material in the dump truck was evidence of trespassing, but clearly made no attempt to identify ownership or contents.

The community began to arrive at the scene shortly after the police invasion and remained on the sidewalks next to the Memorial Oak Grove until the UC police had withdrawn. Six tree sitters now occupying the grove watched from above. Berkeley's urban tree-sit, now in its 42th day. Berkeley Internet NEWS

Third Berkeley Tree-sitter Cited, not Arrested at Oak Grove
December 14, 2006
For the record: Last Thursday evening a graduating UC Berkeley student was caught propelling down from a tree in the Memorial Oak Grove by UC campus police. He was cited & released, not arrested for trespassing on university property and then released after being ticketed. This student is the third person to be cited by the campus police in connection to the occupation of the Memorial Oak Grove.

The citation restricts him from returning to the site for 7 days. Community members have voice concern that enforcement of trespassing laws has been selective. Many of those who have taken their turn sitting in the canopy, like fellow UC students and even this reporter, were not cited. Video source: unnamed. Berkeley's urban tree-sit, now in its 12th day.Berkeley Internet NEWS

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