Jul 10, 2008 6:32 pm US/Pacific
UC Berkeley Gives Tree-Sitters Energy Bars
Reporting
Sherry Hu
BERKELEY (CBS 5 / KCBS) ―
University of California, Berkeley officials have adjusted the type of food they are providing to protesting tree-sitters in response to dietary recommendations made by the campus' medical director. Now the tree-sitters will be provided with energy bars each day.
Even though there are four tree-sitters, they will only get three energy bars.
"Right now we're providing the equivalent of 1,800 calories a day per person, and a sufficient amount of water," said U.C. Berkeley spokesman Dan Mogulof.
Those bars contain 2,400 calories apiece.
The oak trees have been occupied by tree-sitters since Dec. 5, 2006, when a U.C. Board of Regents committee approved building a training center next to the football stadium near the grove of oak trees. The plan calls for cutting down many of the trees.
"I think the university is intentionally trying to make things difficult for the tree sitters," said Doug Buckwald, who represents the protest group Save The Oaks. "But they want to make it appear as if they're providing for all their nutritional needs, so it's kind of a game they're playing."
The university first began providing the energy bars last month, but only every other day until now.
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