Jul 3, 2008 7:54 pm US/Pacific
More Cal Tree-Sitters Abandon Berkeley Perch
BERKELEY (CBS 5 / KCBS / BCN) ―
Only three tree-sitters remained late Wednesday afternoon in a grove of oak trees near the University of California, Berkeley's football stadium — after four tree-sitters came down from their perches during the past 24 hours, ending their participation in a lengthy protest.
Protesters have been living in the trees since Dec. 5, 2006, when a UC Board of Regents committee approved building a sports training center next to the football stadium. The project calls for cutting down some of the oak trees.
The project has been on hold since Alameda County Superior Court Judge Barbara Miller issued a preliminary injunction against it in January 2007. Miller issued a mixed ruling on the case two weeks ago and will have another hearing on July 18 that could clear the way for the project to move forward.
Beginning Tuesday about 11 p.m., police arrested Drew Beres, 19, after he and two other individuals were seen coming down from the trees. Beres was immediately apprehended and charged with a probation violation, violation of a court order and trespassing; the other two protesters went up another tree. Beres was later released from the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.
About 12:25 p.m. Wednesday, two other tree-sitters, Pamela "Olive" Zio, 19, and Travis "Bird" Richey, 19, both peacefully came down after a two-hour negotiation with UC-Berkeley Assistant Police Chief Mitch Celaya.
Campus spokesman Dan Mogulof said the university agreed to let the two protesters make an on camera statement to a videographer who is recording the events at the oak grove.
Zigo and Richey said one reason they decided to come down was so that more food and water would be left for the remaining tree protesters.
Both teens were charged with trespassing and violation of a court order and later released from Berkeley City Jail.
A short time later, about 1:45 p.m., Amanda "Dumpster Muffin" Tierney, 21, also came down peacefully. Tierney had previously told police officers that she was suffering from an unspecified medical problem and descended once she was promised she would receive medical care, Mogulof said. She was transported to Highland Hospital.
But Doug Buckwald, a spokesman for the tree protesters, accused the university of a delay in providing Tierney with medical treatment.
He said Tierney first "experienced medical difficulties" about 11 a.m. and asked that a doctor she trusted, Dr. Larry Gedard, a board-certified emergency room physician, be allowed to meet her at the bottom of the tree when she descended.
According to Buckwald, Celaya refused to allow Gedard inside the grove and only allowed Gedard to help Tierney after she collapsed on the ground several times when she descended a few hours later.
Once Tierney is healthy enough to be processed, she will be charged with trespassing and violating a court order, according to Mogulof.
He said the university planned to communicate with the remaining three tree protesters and "will continue to supply them with essential daily supplies of food and water."
"We are pleased that our approach seems to be working as we move a few steps closer to a safe but certain end to this situation," Mogulof said.
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