For immediate release

July 23 2008

SAVE THE OAKS, Berkeley CA

Contacts:

Gabriel Silverman (510) 938-2109

Zachary Running Wolf (510) 467-4482



High Stakes Parade and Rally from The Memorial Oaks to the Maudelle Shirek Building (Old City Hall)



On July (Thursday) 24, 2008 Grand Mothers for the Oaks and Save the Oaks supporters are rallying across from Memorial Oak Grove on Piedmont Ave. (North of Bancroft Ave.) at 3:30 p.m. to be followed by a festive parade of merry puppets and music.



The high spirited Save The Oaks wave of hope parade will wind its way from the Oak Grove and will re-group in front of the Maudelle Shirek Building (Old City Hall ) at 2134 Martin Luther King, Jr. Way (At Allston Way) for a 4:30pm rally prior to the 5:00 p.m. public comment session that will be held before the City Council convenes in closed session to meet with its attorneys concerning the City of Berkeley v. University of California, Berkeley, and Regents of the University of California and the long-awaited decision issued by Alameda County Superior Court Judge Barbara Miller .



According to oak grove recent tree sitter Millipede "We need the City Council to stay on the lawsuit or the trees will go down. This beautiful, peaceful Oak Grove will be gone forever. We have gone so far, for so long and for the City of Berkeley to bail out now is selling all of us out."



This is a high stakes meeting and the University and the City of Berkeley are being urged to do the right thing and realize the incredible lasting harm if the trees are allowed to go down. It would be a huge slap in the face to the diverse broad based community and tree sitters that include local residents and students, who have been fighting to protect these trees and have the new Sports facility built at identified alternative sites that are more appropriate.