The Phoenix Coalition to Free the UC
http://www.FreeTheUC.org

Press Alert - For Immediate Release

What: Student tree-sitters descend from redwood tree to accept arrest by UCPD
Where: at Sather Gate (and the “Phoenix Redwood Tree” next to Sather Gate), Sproul Plaza, UC
Berkeley campus
When: Wednesday, April 25th, 12:30pm
Contact: Jason Ahmadi: (408) 828-3705 (Tree-sitter spokesperson), Marcella Sadlowski: (562)
472-5276, Lexa Grayner (760) 519-7725, Matthew Taylor: (510) 684-7233

Wednesday April 25th, 2007 – At 12:30pm, UC Berkeley students Jason Ahmadi and Mike
Schuck plan to return their feet to the ground after a one-week occupation of a Redwood Tree on
Sproul Plaza on behalf of The Phoenix Coalition to Free the UC. After UC Police threatened
them with arrest yesterday, the two students decided to ‘turn themselves in’ to the police and
accept arrrest on behalf of the Coalition and its mission to democratize and demilitarize the
University, and divest it from unethical regimes and corporations. Phoenix Coalition members
will also hold a dance party on Sproul Plaza at noon immediately before the descent of the tree-
sitters, and pass out literature about a planned May 1st school boycott and walkout in support of
immigrant rights.

Schuck and Ahmadi report that the past week has been a tremendous opportunity to raise
consciousness among students about love, nonviolence, and the need to change UC Berkeley into
the University it should be. Their presence in the trees has helped create greater compassion,
awareness, and determination for change, and helped generate momentum and support for The
Phoenix Coalition’s objectives, which are to democratize the University’s decision-making
bodies (including the UC Regents which are appointed by the Governor), demilitarize all
aspects of the University’s functions especially its current nuclear weapons laboratory, and
divest the University from unethical corporations and regimes. In sum, the Phoenix Coalition
seeks to “free the UC.”

About the Phoenix Coalition: The Phoenix Coalition seeks to transform UC Berkeley from an
elitist, corporate, militaristic, autocratic institution into a responsible, just, equitable, diverse, and
democratically governed body that educates and works for the common welfare. Launched in
March 2007 by a broad cross-section of the student community, the Coalition seeks to overcome
systemic and structural problems within the University, as well as redress specific issues. Some
of the Coalition’s biggest concerns include stopping UC’s pending deal with British Petroleum,
ending nuclear weapons development, enforcing ASUC regulations that bar military recruiters on
campus, fair wages for UC employees (especially custodians), saving the Memorial Oak Grove,
and reform of the UC Police Dept. so it will stop harassing nonviolent protestors and create a
safe climate for students (especially women). Further details can be found at:
http://www.FreeTheUC.org.

The Phoenix Coalition is comprised of a variety of student groups and community organizations
who focus on the above problems individually, including: Association of South Asian Political
Activists (ASAPA), Berkeley Copwatch, Berkeley National Organization of Women (BNOW),
Berkeley Stop the War Coalition (BSTW), Fiat Pax, Student Coalition to Save the Oaks (SCSO), Students Organizing for Justice in the Americas (SOJA), and Stop BP-Berkeley. By joining
together, individuals, student groups, and community members believe they can accomplish
significant change that they could not on their own.

In the future, The Phoenix Coalition will assemble a list of specific demands and present them to
the UC administration, while organizing a variety of events and actions.

Members of The Phoenix Coalition explain the reason for their new movement as follows:
“The University of California is out of control! UC Berkeley is about to accept half a billion
dollars from British Petroleum -- an oil company with a history of ecological and human rights
abuses -- without student input or oversight. The UC refuses to pay workers equitable wages and
benefits that were promised to custodians and other workers. Meanwhile, hundreds of millions of
dollars are funding the destruction of native Oaks at the Memorial Grove. Military recruiters are
allowed at our career fairs despite ASUC resolutions barring them from campus. The UC has just
agreed to design the next wave of nuclear weapons, further endangering all life on this planet. An
architect of the Bush administration’s policy of legalized torture is allowed to teach
constitutional law at our school. Cal gear is still made in sweatshops, as the University stands
idle while Nike closes union factories. Student tuition has risen dramatically. Meanwhile, social
sciences continue to languish, education that promotes sustainability and peace is underfunded,
third-world studies is almost nonexistent, and Cal still does not have an adequate multicultural
center. The vast drop in minorities studying and working at Cal is a direct result of cuts in
recruitment funding. The UC Police Department is used to harass nonviolent protesters and
houseless people with no oversight, while students, especially women, do not receive the
resources necessary to stop violence and rape and create a safe climate on campus. Despite
student, faculty, and community abhorrence of these University practices and mentalities, student
tuition has risen dramatically to fund unethical programs. The UC Regents, who govern the
University, are not accountable to the students or to Californians in any way. The UC is, in the
words of one of its administrators, ‘a feudal state.’”

# # #

Press Contacts:

Jason Ahmadi, (408) 828-3705 (Tree-sitter spokesperson)
Marcella Sadlowski, (562) 472-5276
Lexa Grayner (760) 519-7725
Matthew Taylor, (510) 841-4061

email inquiries: freetheuc(AT)gmail(DOT)com
website: http://www.freetheuc.org
facebook group: “Free the UC!!”