People’s Park, January 15, 2019 – People’s Park was attacked by tree cutters and many police in the early morning, surrounding trees while chainsaws chopped more living trees from the East-side forest.
Updated with 30 photos.
5:08 am
More than 15 cops are at the park in force.
5:12 am
They came about a hundred deep or so
6:04 am
Tree cutters are operating. Chainsaws are going.
6:40 am
It’s a mess out there. The camp is cleared and the trees are coming down. The police are surrounding each tree as they begin to cut. There is one news van. I called Channel 7 and Marie King called Channel 4. The police have strung caution tape around the entire east end of the Park, Bowditch is closed. They would not allow me to walk up Haste.
I saw and spoke briefly with Ruben Lizardo of UC Capital Projects. I said we had questions and would be in touch.
Ninja (David Joshua Teague) live-streamed on Facebook. (1 hour, 28 minutes)
Adam Ziegler, Michelle Lot, and James Cartmill have been arrested. The tree-sitter was removed, but not charged or arrested.
7:35 am
Two paddy wagons in the parking lot across from the People’s Park.
8:58 am
I was in a vehicle parked on Haste near Bowditch early this morn and witnessed the entire operation as it arrived and rolled out, from that vantage. Seems Command was right outside. We were surrounded by tactical personnel, a variety of vehicles, but couldn’t see all the way over to the protest camp very well.
I’d had strong intuition of this coming down since Sunday, although not at quite this scale. Just as I was wondering how wrong I was, only a few hours ago…
Sunday, after the meeting, I was concerned that there was NO signage identifying and positioning the action to the public, which I’ve regarded as of the utmost importance. I offered to produce some pieces, and to contribute ALL the necessary materials and supplies… if someone could provide transport to my storage and back.
As it is now, the media has plenty of shots and footage of shabby camp remains and wild-eyed, wet wingnuts ranting obscenities and incoherent accusations or threats – which I’m sure will become the promoted face and message of it all.
I hope folks have learned an important lesson from this progression, albeit an expensive one.
9:03 am
I saw several marching phalanx formations arrive. My initial impression was maybe 200 or so. The persons in yellow raincoats are not UCPD. Campus “escorts”? ROTC?
9:18 am
It’s the Highway Patrol.
9:26 am
BPD had some late night rendezvous with UCPD the past two nights, but no visible particiation this morn. Just State Cops, huh? A few nights ago, I’d spotted several “men in black” in the background taking pics/vids when UCPD confronted camp, then they faded back to surveillance positions on properties across streets.
9:33 am
Please guys keep safe,thank you for being there
10:09 am
So, this is interesting — UC posted this very informative press release about 17 hours ago to cover their asses.
https://news.berkeley.edu/2019/01/15/peoples-park/
This timeline of events was gather from the People’s Park Committee mailing list. Contributions by Lisa, Christopher, Andrea, David, Eleanor.
Photos after the second tree killing
These photos are from around 3:45 PM January 15, 2019 a few hours after the tree killing and arrests of protestors who were defending the remaining trees of the East-side forest of Peoples Park. At least seven trees in this community of conscious living tree beings were cut down including two beautiful young olive trees who were always visited by this writer, and others had massive limbs removed. All of these trees had many friends and visitors. This gut wrenching loss adds to the loss on December 28 of about 28 trees. The community of local individuals of various species are shocked and devastated by this terrible attack and destruction of habitat.
Photos with commentary by Greg.
Last updated 11:55 pm