Spiral Dance Ritual Comes to Berkeley's Oak Grove; One Month Anniversary of Tree-Sits Observed as Lawsuits Head to Court 1-4-2007
For Immediate Release -
Contact: Karen Pickett, Bay Area Coalition for Headwaters 510-548-3113
Berkeley, California-As three earthquakes registering over 3.5 on the Richter scale punctuated the debate about a major UC Berkeley construction project on the Hayward fault, site of the recent earthquakes, opposition to the project is growing by leaps and bounds. Three lawsuits with no fewer than 13 plaintiffs will have a hearing in court on January 11, the seismic safety issue being primary in all of these suits. A similar lawsuit brought by the City of Berkeley has a hearing scheduled for January 18, and on January 5, a fourth lawsuit against the University is expected to be filed by the "Save Tightwad Hill" group. A request for an injunction to halt the Univeristy's construction plans until the legal actions are resolved will be heard before Judge Laurence Apel on Jan. 11 in District Court at 600 Washington St. in downtown Oakland. It is open to the public.
Meanwhile, the grove of heritage oaks at issue in this debate remains occupied by intrepid tree-sitters and their support crews, after a month of rain storms and cold weather. To celebrate the one-month anniversary of the tree-sits, activists will hold a "spiral dance" at the oak grove on Saturday, Jan. 6 at 2 pm. A spiral dance is a celebratory ritual often held on earth-based holidays like summer solstice and Halloween.
A diverse collection of people have contributed their voice and resources to the opposition to the university's massive construction project, scheduled to begin in a couple months on the site at the east end of UCB campus on Piedmont Avenue north of Bancroft. Students, City of Berkeley officials, the Panoramic Hills Neighborhood Association, the non-profit Save the Oaks at the Stadium (SOS), Rainforest Action Network, Earth First!, the California Oaks Foundation, the California Native Plant Society, and many community members have either joined the legal actions as plaintiffs, or otherwise campaigned to stop the ill-advised sports stadium expansion.
As the tree-sits have continued, many people have dropped in to the site to visit the tree-sits, including City Council members, international visitors to Berkeley, tv crews, and neighbors. Saturday's Spiral Dance is open to the public.
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