Last Four Oak Grove Tree Sitters Forced Down

At 8:00 am the university attacked the Oak Grove for the last time. The rest of the trees in the grove that the university planned to cut had been cut on friday (9/5/08). Saturday and Sunday they ground up all of the trees to wood chips. Only the redwood tree with four tree sitters remained. Today (9/8/08) workers slowly built a scaffolding all the way up the Redwood tree. Hundreds of supporters, curious students and media members gathered for hours. many were outraged to see the beautiful grove destroyed and their friends endangered. Police arrested five people during the day. Finally the scaffolding reached up to the tree sitter's platform. Arborists then used chainsaws to cut branches and part of the platform. The tree sitters faced inevitable arrest but the university faced a tremendous challenge to get them in a dangerous way with hundreds of people looking on. So at this point the sides negotiated. The university agreed to allow tree supporters to have input on a lands commission and have a say in future projects. The tree sitters came down. No one died. they were arrested. The tree was cut into four sections and carried off by the crane. So ends a 21-month chapter of struggle. It meant so much to so many of us. I still remember lichens, footholds, views - all gone now.

People came by asking what we will do now. There are many things to do. Injustice and destruction is everywhere so it makes it easy. Join us or do it yourself. See you in the trees somewhere.