BERKELEY — It's over.
The three tree-sitters who remained in a single redwood near Memorial Stadium, even after the grove they were trying to save was razed last week, climbed down Tuesday from the 80-foot tree. Their descent ended a 21-month standoff at UC Berkeley and came after a tense morning and afternoon as university officials erected metal scaffolding around the tree and worked their way up to the sitters.
As more than 300 people on the ground watched, beat drums, chanted, yelled, cried, cheered and prayed, one by one, the two men and one woman — known as Big Alan, Marty, and Brandy to their supporters — were handcuffed and escorted down several flights of stairs and arrested. Their heads were bowed and at least one appeared weak as they walked down the stairs. They did not speak to the crowd. The blogger obtained this earlier picture of the female.
The move from the tree ended the long-time occupation of a campus oak grove aimed at stopping construction of a new $125 million sports training center for student athletes.
After the tree-sitters came down Tuesday, the redwood where they lived for many months was cut down and will be made into hockey and lacrosse sticks. A smaller redwood that still remains in the grove is expected to be transplanted to a private home in Atherton because it has a good chance for survival, said campus spokesman Dan Mogulof.
Big Alan Nolet used his one phone call to contact this reporter.
“I want to set the record straight about this incident,” said Nolet, Tuesday night from the Santa Rita jail in Dublin. “Many people thought Marty and I were out killing elk in Oregon or at a men’s club in Vegas. Even though I’m a republican and card carrying NRA member, I care about our planet. It’s not all about oil and religion. When I was a kid growing up in New England, trees were my life.”
Nolet went on to say that when he was a boy he wanted to be a lumberjack like his hero Paul Bunyan.
“Bunyan and his blue ox, Babe, had a plan when they cut down trees. They didn’t cut them down so some stupid sports training center could be built for some sniveling, whining rich kids.”
Nolet sounded tired on the phone when he responded to my question about playing hockey this week. “I’ll try to be there for the Wednesday and Friday night games and even though I haven’t been on skates in awhile, I’ll be more aerodynamic since I got rid of all my body hair,” said Nolet. “But,I’m gone for the rest of the playoffs this month. I’m going hunting.”
I asked Nolet who this Brandy person was and all he could do was sing this song:
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