SFist: UC/Berkeley Uses Force to Oust Tree-Sitters

wallcloud

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:46:19 -0800

I had the immense joy of debating some tree sitter supporters up at the grove yesterday. I pretended at first not to know very much about it and had a lovely time getting them to slowly admit that the trees aren't old growth and are actually being replaced. My favorite, though, was the befuddled, but very nice tree sitter supporter who didn't think arborists were the most qualified to remove the tree sitters' structures. (Seriously, who's more qualified?) Oh yeah, and we got it all on video.

pepelicious

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:18:58 -0800

I'm in the same boat as everyone else commenting in that the lack of any pro-treesitter outrage - here or in the media- is pretty telling. I'm sure there would be minimal PR blowback if they forcebly removed them from those trees.

bluecanary

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:05:59 -0800

My husband's boss is apparently very pro-tree sitter and grows increasingly disgusted with my husband's semi-humorous comparisons of the sitters to monkeys in the zoo flinging feces around. So far, that's the only person I've heard defend this "Summer's Eve" set. (thanks for that expression, btw)

mdw0526

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:07:09 -0800

Finally. They never should have been allowed to stay in the trees for a year and a half.

Brock Keeling

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:05:42 -0800

aj, i highly doubt any tree protester will comment here as fostering a discussion about the environment isn't really their point.

Angrybat

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:03:16 -0800

I'm with you guys (so far). No sympathy. If you really want to help the environment, there are a million things you can do more important and effective that this attention-whoring stunt. It'll be interesting to see if there are any pro-tree-sitter comments here.

aj

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:02:04 -0800

Sue them and their heirs, parents, et al. for police costs, as well as hazmat cleanup for all that urine.

jacksevanroo

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:00:35 -0800

Cut off their supply of weed and funyuns, and those tree sitters will be gone in hours.

Akit

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:50:24 -0800

Make them cry in horrid pain: Cut down all the branches except for the one keeping their platform stable.

DC1974

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:32:42 -0800

I wonder if they realize that the carbon reducing benefits of a tree are pretty much over once the tree gets to be about 50 years old. Although, these don't sound like the kind of people to weigh empiricist evidence against whatever they thought of while high.

bluecanary

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:28:33 -0800

They should handle this red-state style and chop those trees down with the sitters in them. Let them weep for the environment from a hospital bed. They can afford the medical bills after all, since it's all on daddy's dime anyway.

funnyblossom

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:22:00 -0800

Ah, the wonders of trust fund babies and the air thats wasted upon them. If I knew at lease one these masked cowards in person I'll slap them around for the rest of the human race.

mariconsoy

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:07:36 -0800

don't trees burn in berkeley?

katerose26

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:59:55 -0800

I saw footage last night of one of the protesters pissing from a tree onto the "sacred" grounds they are supposedly protecting. What a joke.