Save the Oaks 24-Hour Community Tree Sit-in

02/15/07 - Berkeley, Calif. -Professionals, grandparents with children in tow, UC Berkeley alumni and faculty, and many others will learn the ropes of tree-sitting by participating in a "24 Hour Community Tree Sit-in" organized by the Save the Oaks Coalition, starting at 9 am Thursday, Feb. 15. The Memorial Oak Grove, which UC Berkeley (UCB) wants to level to make way for a sports training facility is below UCB Stadium on Piedmont Ave. just north of Bancroft Way. The convergence of new tree-sitters will join several activists who have been perched on platforms in the trees since Dec. 2.

This outpouring of support tangibly illustrates the broad community support for the threatened oaks. Those coming to the grove have expressed they want to see the tree-sits remain “as long as it takes” to secure protection of the grove. A list of the tree-sit schedule, with biographical info, will be available at the press conference.

The event will kick off with a press conference at the grove at 9 am February 15, and scores of people will take turns for 30 minutes to 1 hour at a time, sitting in an oak tree. This will continue until 9 am Friday.

Those signed up for tree-sit stints include: UCB faculty members, student athletes, a graduate student pursuing a Ph.D. in African Diaspora Studies, a family of five, several octogenarians, a High School teacher, an Alta Bates doctor, UCB alumni, a financial consultant, a fitness trainer, and philosopher.

Four lawsuits have been filed to stop construction, and although a preliminary injunction was recently granted, the University maintains that it still intends to cut down the trees to build their facility. UCB faculty, alumni, City of Berkeley officials and many others are urging the University to look instead to the other viable sites for the facility. Under City of Berkeley law, it is illegal to cut these heritage oaks.

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