Activists
Concerned As Tensions Escalate in the Forest
Unknown Person Provokes Violence in Freshwater
Activists supporting the on-going tree-sits in the Freshwater watershed expressed
concern today as a fight broke out between Pacific Lumber employees and a
person unknown to the activists. The activists associated with Earth First!
and others carrying out the protests in opposition to liquidation logging
by Maxxam/Pacific Lumber have been resolute in their commitment to non-violent
tactics, even in the face of violence. Protesters have been assaulted,
hog-tied, and placed in extremely dangerous circumstances as PL-hired climbers
have been carrying out a campaign to remove tree-sitters from their perches
in giant old growth trees. Climbers have in some cases climbed the redwood
trees 150 to 200 feet up, hand-cuffed activists' wrists and ankles before
lowering them to the ground. At least two criminal assault complaints have
been filed by activists injured on the ground. In the face of all this, activists
have not only remained non-violent, but insisted that everyone participating
in the protests attend non-violence trainings.
However, on Friday morning a person not affiliated with any of the activists
entered Pacific Lumber property near the tree-sits and ended up in a physical
altercation with PL security and loggers. This individual was in this area
on his own accordance and entered into the fall zone area. As activists
yelled at him to stop, he allegedly brandished a knife, was apprehended by
the logging contractor's security personnel and was arrested.
Tree-sitter Opal, who was present at the scene said, "We do not condone
this behavior. We do not know who this guy is, or where he is from. He is
certainly not with Earth First! He showed up a couple weeks ago out of the
blue, encouraging behavior that is contrary to our non-violence code. We do
not know if he is a provocateur or wingnut or both. He is not in any way,
a representative of the forest defense movement. We urge all newcomers, to
participate in non-violence training. We also ask that Pacific Lumber stop
cutting trees within tree-sit areas in order to diffuse tensions."
At last Tuesday's Humboldt county Board of Supervisor's meeting, tree-sitter
Remedy, who lived in an old growth redwood tree in Freshwater for 362 days,
urged the supervisors to help prevent further casualties as tensions mount,
asking them to recognize the casualties already incurred due to Maxxam's takeover
of Humboldt county resources, including
--Once- abundant runs of Salmon
--Countless hillsides
--Several families' homes in Stafford, buried in mud
--The intergrity of state agencies, specifically Calif. Dept. of Forestry
and the Board of Forestry
--Truth
--Justice
--David Nathan Chain aka "Gypsy", killed in 1998 when an angry PL
logger felled a tree on him.
As protests continue, PL is in court answering environmental groups and the
Steelworkers union challenge to their Sustained Yeild Plan, and the county
DA has filed a $250 million fraud lawsuit..
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