A pro-tree sitter account of the forceful removal of one activist who reportedly bit an arborist:
After a morning that saw UC campus police and their tree climbers
removing traverse lines and tree sitter supplies, the university called
a press conference. As the press corps gathered at the north end of the
stadium, UC Berkeley spokesperson Dan Mogulof recounted the morning's
activities. When asked about the fate of the tree sitters he said, "At
this point, we don't see a way to physically remove the people in the
trees in a manner that minimizes the chances of anybody getting hurt."
>However,
less than an hour later, UC's climbing team returned to the grove and
began a second assault. This time their aim was the removal of the tree
sitters. The extraction team moved in on one of the lone female sitters
known as "Millipede" who hung suspended on a traverse line.
As
they maneuvered a large basket crane into position, the extractors
banged into her several times. Her screams could be heard all over the
grove as more than a hundred supporters watched below. Millipede was
wrestled onto the platform and lowered to the ground. Campus police
immediately arrested her and took her away.
It is doubtful that
any of those working with the UC police in the trees today were trained
in tree extractions. Clearly, their actions were cause for concern. UC
can only be thankful that no one was critically hurt.
No mention of the biting in this account, but the CBS 5 story does:
Protesters vowed they would not give up and some tossed buckets of
urine at police and arborists, hitting a few targets, according to
Mogulof. An acrid tang hung in the air afterward.
One female tree-sitter allegedly bit an arborist and was taken into custody by police, Mogulof said.
The
woman, who other protesters said goes by the name "Millipede," was
pulled from one of the trees and placed in police custody about 4:30
p.m. Charges may be filed against her for attempting to assault police
officers and arborists, authorities said.
"They grabbed the
woman and took her down from the tree as she was screaming," said Doug
Buckwald of a group called Save the Oaks at the Stadium.
Watch this YouTube video shot my those sympathetic to the tree sitters to see "Millipede" taken, screaming like they were pulling her arms off, from the oaks, which, according to those chanting in the video, are heroes.
