A Series of Tubes

The Tree sit officially ended apparently. The treesitters went into talks with the University. The talks did not end with either side agreeing to anything. The treesitters just came down. So at the end of 13 months the University got everything it wanted and the treesitters got none of their demands met.  Below are the official statements released by the treesitters and the University.  I really don’t see how the treesitters can spin this as a positive development.  The University cut the trees down this weekend.  Here are the official announcements of the end of the treesit:

Santa Cruz, CA — After 13 months as a symbol of community resistance to UCSC’s destructive expansion plans, the Science Hill Tree Sit ended around 9 am this morning. The end of the Tree Sit was peaceful and no one was hurt, though one person was arrested. The Tree Sit was one aspect of a larger movement opposed to the University’s plans to destroy 120 acres of campus, and that resistance will continue. An official Tree Sit statement will be made at 2pm at the site of the former Tree Sit on Science Hill. Tree Sitters and Tree Sit supporters will be available for questions.

Later on the treesitters issued another press release as did the University:

The University’s statement: http://www.ucsc.edu/news_events/messages/text.asp?pid=2628

There isn’t a whole lot in the statement other than “we put up a fence and cut the trees down”.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 12/13/08

CONTACT: Jennifer Charles (831) 430-6791

LRDPaction.media@gmail.com

Press Release: TREE SIT ENDS BUT RESISTANCE CONTINUES

Santa Cruz, CA — Over four hundred days ago, a handful of activists climbed up into the trees on Science Hill as a symbol of resistance to the university’s plan to destroy 120 acres of campus forest. For the past 13 months, the tree sit has drawn attention to UCSC’s reckless plan to develop upper campus without regard for the welfare of one of Santa Cruz’s last wild ecosystems.

At approximately 8 AM this morning, the tree sit drew to a close as police seized control of Science Hill, arresting one Tree Sitter. Later, a tree cutting service hired by the university cut down a grove of 100 year old redwood trees to make way for construction of a new Bioscience building.

The three clusters of redwoods which have now been clearcut were inhabited since November 7, 2007, when over 500 students, alumni, and community members rallied in opposition to the University’s “Long Range Development Plan”. The Tree Sit and the University entered mediation to find a solution to this conflict, but the University was unwilling to modify any of their plans, despite the devastating effect that upper campus development will have on the Santa Cruz ecosystem. Precious watershed regions, unique manzanita groves and hundred-year old redwood forests will be destroyed by the University’s development of the wild lands just north of campus. The homes of such rare native animals as the burrowing owl and the endangered red-legged frog will be irreparably damaged.

The Tree Sit tactic was employed due to the University’s failure to meaningfully address the concerns of Santa Cruz city and county officials, community members, environmentalists and UCSC faculty and students. Instead of acting upon the concerns of the thousands of people who have voiced opposition to increased University construction, UCSC has spent tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to hire riot police to intimidate community members who oppose their plans.

The end of the Tree Sit is not the end of resistance to the Long Range Development Plan. The determination and integrity that sustained the 13 month occupation will continue to incite action against the Long Range Development Plan. The diverse communities that united to oppose the destruction of upper campus are renewed in their commitment to resistance.

And that’s that.  13 months after it started, the treesit is over.  I honestly didn’t think that the treesit would end with the treesitters just giving up.  I thought that the treesitters would remain in the trees until they were forced out so that they could have another confrontation with University police.  It was a really bad PR move on the part of the University and the campus police to choke students at the end of Tent University in 2005.  Of course you can see the beginning of the end in this press release from December 2nd, 11 days before the treesitters came down:

Press Release:  UCSC and Tree Sitters begin Mediation Process

Contacts:
Jennifer Charles, Science Hill Tree Sit, lrdpaction.media@gmail.com, (831) 430-6791
Jim Burns, UCSC Director of Public Information, jrburns@ucsc.edu, (831) 459-2495

For Immediate Release:

Santa Cruz, CA — The University of California, Santa Cruz and the Science Hill Tree Sitters announced Tuesday that they are seeking a mediated resolution to the 13-month protest.  Both parties are hoping to reach a peaceful end to the protest before winter break begins.

At the end it states that both parties want the treesit over by winter break.  Well I can tell you that the University wanted the treesit over a long time ago so the only group to change their tune was the treesitters.  Sitting in trees when it is raining and very windy is no fun, so I’m sure that the thought of spending another winter break in the trees did not sound appealing.

My favorite quote from the Mercury news article is:

Dani Drake, a one-time UCSC student who took part in the mediation, said “I will never waiver in defense of the earth”

Does Dani not know that she is being quoted for an article about the end of the treesit?