Jul 9, 2008 3:44 pm US/Pacific
Cal Changes Diet Given To Berkeley Tree-Sitters
BERKELEY (BCN) ―
University of California, Berkeley officials adjusted the type of food they are providing to tree sitters Wednesday in response to dietary recommendations made by the campus' medical director, a university spokesman said.
Each day, each of the tree-sitters will receive 1,800 calories, given in the form of three energy bars that contain 2,400 calories apiece, according to UC Berkeley spokesman Dan Mogulof.
Campus medical director Dr. Brad Buchman determined the tree-sitters each need that amount to meet "essential requirements," Mogulof said.
"While we want sustaining the protest to be difficult for them ... we don't want it to be dangerous," Mogulof said.
The oak trees have been occupied by tree-sitters since Dec. 5, 2006, when a UC 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.
Three of the four remaining sitters have been in the trees for at least several months.
The fourth protester joined the ranks Sunday by climbing up a telephone pole near the barricade and over into a tree south of the tree where the three other protesters are living, according to Doug Buckwald, a spokesman for the tree-sitters.
The newest protester, a man in his 30s who goes by the name Jeff, brought a backpack of supplies with him but accidentally dropped the backpack while climbing into the tree, Buckwald said.
Jeff then yelled to the other protesters, who coached him on how to move over to the platform in their tree.
Jeff made it to the platform Monday after several hours of careful climbing across the grove, according to Buckwald.
Mogulof said he is glad the tree-sitters are in one tree.
"We'd much rather have them in a single tree than spread out among the grove," Mogulof said. "It's safer if they're not traversing back and forth between the trees."
The food and water being provided to the tree-sitters has not increased since Jeff joined the group; the only change was in the brand of energy bars they are being given, according to Buckwald.
Mogulof confirmed the university switched energy bar brands and said Buchman, the campus medical director, has determined what UC Berkeley is providing to the tree-sitters is "sufficient to meet essential requirements.
"If they don't like the current conditions, there is an easy solution: they can come down and continue this protest in a manner that is consistent with the law, and respectful of the rights of others," Mogulof said.
The three bars sent up Wednesday morning were ER Bars wrapped in cellophane, according to Buckwald.
Mogulof said the university began providing food to the tree-sitters the weekend of June 28 and 29. Buckwald said that since then, the university has been giving the tree-sitters food every other day.
A 21-year-old protester who had been living in the oak trees was hospitalized for about an hour after she descended from the grove July 2., Mogulof said.
Amanda Tierney, known as "Dumpster Muffin," received medical attention from an emergency room doctor and was then taken to Santa Rita Jail, according to Mogulof.
She was found to have two outstanding $10,000 theft warrants out of Santa Barbara, Mogulof said.
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