Posted on 02/20/2008 10:41:01 AM PST by SmithL
Thirty UC Santa Cruz faculty and staff members are supporting a legal defense fund for tree-sit demonstrators they say are merely exercising "civil disobedience."
Professors Bettina Aptheker and Paul Ortiz, nationally known social activists, have founded an nonprofit advocacy group called "Friends of Flora and Fauna" with the help of filmmaker Mathilde Rand. Also involved is professor Zack Schlesinger, who was arrested in December for bringing hot tea and soup to tree-sitters. Former Santa Cruz mayors Jane Weed, Bruce Van Allen, Celia Scott and UCSC professor Tim Fitzmaurice also are supporters, according to a solicitation letter Aptheker said her group has mailed to more than 600 "progressive" residents.
UCSC spokesman Jim Burns said the support is to be expected: "On a campus as diverse as ours, it's not at all surprising that there would be UCSC people who would lend their name to a letter of this nature."
The university says the tree-sit violates an overnight camping rule and endangers demonstrators and pedestrians. Schlesinger, student Cruz A. Molina and seven others not directly tied to the campus were brought to court by the UC Regents in December in an attempt to shut down the three-month protest over UCSC's Long-Range Development Plan, a growth plan to add 5,000 students by 2020.
Most defendants and others arrested at the site since November are not accused of climbing into four redwood perches, but rather "aiding and abetting" by bringing food or other supplies. A judge will hear arguments March 6.
The letter seeking money for legal fees told potential donors their contributions would be tax-deductible and "provide help to people putting themselves on the line to question UCSC expansion plans that could damage the environment, degrade the quality of education at UCSC and impose unacceptable traffic, water and housing impact on Santa Cruz communities."
"The lawsuit, which demands punitive damages from supporters of the tree-sit, appears designed to intimidate and stifle protest and dissent," the letter said. "UCSC's bullying tactics are inappropriate, and especially egregious when aimed at people who have very little money."
"We'll give money to anyone who was arrested," Aptheker said Tuesday. Schlesinger said he will pay for his own defense.
UCSC's handling of the demonstration, which has included at least two pepper spray-laced melees, has put it at odds with some high-profile employees. But several professors who support the legal defense group said Tuesday they don't fear retribution.
"It would be foolish," said Aptheker, who also brought food to the tree-sit but was not cited. "The letter is basically to say, 'That's enough,'" she said.
Literature professor Christopher Connery said he supports the defense fund because, "I felt actually that the university or some people in the university are just taking too confrontational an attitude toward protests of any kind. The university should understand that the faculty are the university. I don't think the university should be arresting them."
Tree-sit spokeswoman Jennifer Charles said lawyers representing defendants are working for free, "but there are other legal expenses that could with court cases, so it will be helpful."
Is there a logging operation on campus? Or are they just sitting in trees because they want attention?
I’d like to support anyone who infiltrates the tree-sitters camp with chainsaws and firehoses. These punks don’t own the property, so they’re trespassing.
Ugh again. A twofer in today’s paper making this county look ridiculous.
more than one group of tree dwellers?
This disgusting creature is the daughter of Herbert Aptheker, the chief theoretician of the Communist Party USA, and Stalinist lackey and apologist.
no, send up a bear :)
Can’t imagine paying tuition to have these nitwits teach my child. When are these fools going to take their place in society as adults? The sixties have been over for almost 40 years.
Brought in a copy of the Scotts Valley Press-Banner to the office so we can goof on the Crime Report over lunch.
I like the idea of chasing a Bobcat or a Cougar up the tree to see what happens, it would be fun.
“Friends of Flora and Fauna” ..Hmmmph...
More like ‘Mental Offal for Making Mankind Inevitably Extinct’...”MOMMIE!!!!!!!”
There is a reason why UCSC’s mascot is the Banana Slug!
>>”The lawsuit, which demands punitive damages from supporters of the tree-sit, appears designed to intimidate and stifle protest and dissent,” the letter said. “UCSC’s bullying tactics are inappropriate, and especially egregious when aimed at people who have very little money.”<<
I’m just wondering where these people will be when the 2nd gets shut down. Will they be supporting us?
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