More than thirty trees were killed by UC Berkeley in an early morning sneak attack, which they called “Deferred Maintenance”.
UC Berkeley cut at least 22 trees down, starting around 5:00 AM, Friday, December 28, 2018 in a sneak attack. The one page statement they showed protesters said about 41 trees were marked for removal.
Park advocates are organizing a vigil and camp out in the early morning of Saturday, December 29, 2018, to protect remaining 5+ trees that are visibly marked with orange spray paint as well as unmarked trees. People are documenting the crime scene with photos and videos.
It feels awful. Each tree is/was a living individual just minding itself and neighbors. Photos were taken of all visible stumps, with and without a tape measure to show the size and to count the rings and estimate the age of each living being that was cut down. Many stumps are probably buried in the deep layer of wood chips, spewed across the East side of the park, the shredded bodies of killed trees, killed because of of human greed.
Humans are sickeningly greedy, taking the lives of a community of trees in the East side of People’s Park to expand their greedy space wasting architecture and to protect their electrical wires, their capitalist academic profiteering, the construction industry profiteering, the landlord profiteering, the goods and services profiteering, all preying on students and families of students, while damaging the open space and beautiful trees of People’s Park that many people from all walks of life enjoy. Why do humans keep destroying open space and trees in the city? Don’t they ever get sick of the apartment boxes, pollution, asphalt, cars and noise?
Many beautiful trees remain, but many are marked for destruction.
Park supporters are organizing for a campout at midnight to protect the remaining trees and hold UC Berkeley accountable for their tree killing.
Photo documentation of 22 killed trees, and remaining trees of the East side of People’s Park
22 killed trees
These are good sized trees, all shapes and sizes and species. All living beings in a community forest. They had been here for many years, some decades. They communicated via their roots, branches and leaves and subtle fragrances, electro-biochemical communication systems beyond the understanding of humans. They were violently killed by some people. Why?
Maimed trees
A vital urban forest, decimated
At least 22 large trees were destroyed December 28, 2018 in this small forest at the East side of People’s Park in Berkeley, California. This next group of photos shows a significantly thinned forest, the ground covered in a thick layer of wood chipped from the killed trees. This is a tragic scene of carnage.
Trees remaining but marked for removal
Please help try to save these remaining beautiful trees, these beautiful living beings. We want them in our community, even if they are not perfect. They are conscious, just like we are.
These trees are beautiful, stately, elegant, good-natured, righteous, upstanding, lively, peaceful, cleansing, healing, thoughtful, intelligent, patient, calm, strong, enduring, wise.
A view of the East Side near sunset
You might not know these trees or their names, but they are individual beings. They are conscious beings.
Go to the park, the forest, the gardens, the inhabitants and the visitors. Know it, and protect it.
— Greg Jalbert, December 28, 2018, 11:27 PM