UC Berkeley Protestors Removed from Tree, Tree To Be Replaced With Treadmills

Protestor-monkeys at UC Berkeley left their tree yesterday after occupying it for almost two years to fight the decision of the school to cut down a redwood in favor of building a new athletic center. After the school built a structure to reach them at the top of the 90-foot tree, the four activists resigned themselves to ground level and were arrested.

The LA Times reports:

The protesters surrendered to police at the top of the seven-story scaffold, where they were handcuffed and escorted down the structure's stairs to the applause of hundreds of onlookers, some of whom voiced support for the four men's cause and some of whom appeared happy that the 21-month protest was finally over.

Hours later, the redwood was cut down, paving the way for construction of a $125-million athletic training facility on the site next to the campus' Memorial Stadium.

 

"We are extremely pleased that this tree-sit has ended," said Vice Chancellor Nathan Brostrom.

While Berkeley students will be on the Nordic Trak, the protestors will be in jail. Still, there are usually pull-up bars and muscly guys in the big house, so really it's practically the same thing.