Occupation of UC Berkeley Land Continues for 17th Day

A standoff between protesters and the University of California at Berkeley over a 10-acre plot of university-owned agricultural land in Albany continued into its 17th day today.

Anya Kamanskaya, of the group Occupy The Farm, said the ball is in the university's court after protesters issued a response late Monday to the university's proposal to resolve the standoff.

UC Berkeley spokesman Dan Mogulof said the university planned to respond to the protesters' letter later today.

Occupy the Farm activists moved onto the site, which is known as the Gill Tract and is located near the corner of Marin and San Pablo avenues, on April 22, which is Earth Day.

They've planted vegetables at the site and say they are occupying the land because they want it to be preserved for sustainable agriculture.

They allege that UC plans to replace the current agricultural land with commercial, recreational and open space.

But university officials say the existing agricultural fields will continue to be used as an open-air laboratory by the students and faculty of the College of Natural Resources for agricultural research.

They say the parcel of land slated to be developed is to the south of the Gill Tract, at Monroe Street and San Pablo Avenue. That land hasn't been farmed since World War II, according to the university.

Kamanskaya said UC police officers came by the site early today to warn protesters that they are trespassing on university property, but she said that isn't unusual because police have been issuing such notices since the protest began.

She said activists "are committed to farming the land here" and have no plans to leave.

From June 2008...

BERKELEY, Calif. (KCBS) -- One woman was arrested Tuesday as authorities removed some of the structures that have housed tree sitting protesters in an oak grove UC Berkeley wants to cut down to make way for a $125 million athletic facility.

The protester was taken into custody after she reportedly bit one of the workers removing her supplies, according to police. Officers cordoned off part of Piedmont Avenue near Memorial Grove and brought in arborists to remove the platforms and gear the tree sitters have used to maintain their perches since December 2006. A university official had earlier said the tree sitters themselves would not be removed yet.

“One of the things we’re most concerned about is safety and security, of our police officers and the people in the trees. That’s the reason we’re not forcibly removing people from the trees today,” said Dan Mogulof, a spokesman for UC Berkeley.

Tuesday was not the first time the university has removed scaffolding built by the protesters, but removing the people has proven more difficult. One witness told KCBS reporter Tim Ryan at the scene that some of the tree sitters threw urine they had collected in buckets at the police and arborists to discourage them from climbing.
http://www.kcbs.com/In-Berkeley--Down-from-the-Trees/2427277
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"At least one tree sitter on Tuesday began throwing bags of human waste on the approaching arborists."
http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/news/print.asp?id=25637

“She said activists ‘are committed to farming the land here’”

Oh, please. Like this little twit or her fellow travelers know anything about real farming. Actual farming is some of the hardest work a man can know, full of backaches and heartaches. I worked one summer on my uncle’s farm in Arkansas and had my eyes opened big time. And that was after years of experience working in the family vegetable garden every spring and summer (which is in itself more work than these folks probably have done).

Oh, please. Like this little twit or her fellow travelers know anything about real farming. Actual farming is some of the hardest work a man can know

"I don't want to work
I want to bang on the drum all day"

Todd Rundgren - Bang on the Drum All Day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZclddLcOYYA
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