(Occupy the Farm) Protesters will end UC farm encampment

[alp227]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Occupy the Farm protesters agreed Saturday to end their three-week encampment on UC Berkeley property in Albany, but rebuffed an invitation from the university to discuss how area can be used for both urban farming and for research.

Instead, the several dozen protesters set up ladders to scale the fence UC had erected around the area along San Pablo Avenue known as the Gill Tract and said they will continue to tend the vegetables and fruit trees they've planted on two of the five disputed acres.

As a result, the UC Regents said they won't drop the civil lawsuit they filed Wednesday accusing 13 protesters of trespassing.

"The fact that they are insisting on maintaining their ability to have free and unfettered access to our property does not even come close to meeting our minimal conditions," said UC Berkeley spokesman Dan Mogulof. "All they needed to do was agree to work with us to coordinate activities."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/05/12/BAL01OH8DA.DTL

[freshwest]

1. UC doesn't want this, as shown by their bad faith actions at the link, IMHO.

The Occupiers' reasons for not attending are well-founded. This is valuable real estate, don't expect UC to give anything. UC is more likely giving away this piece of the commons to a corporate group that is giving them money. They don't want to see the rabble interfering and complaining.

I've seen some of these urban gardens fall on their faces because of control issues from people who never wanted them to exist in the first place. The institution gets a boost from talking something good, then leave the plants without water, mow them over or forget it when the PR job is over.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

3. And UC's obligation to accomodate these guys is what exactly?

There are plenty of organic farming communes in California if they are so inclined...

[freshwest]

4. And their obligation to corporate sponsors is more than to the tax payers? I'd ask.

But this is a battle that will not be won as shown by the long history, many years of fighting over this plot of land. Most of these things are just showplaces.

Occupy may have support but they've likely reached too far in this conflict to win on the ground or even ideologically. I don't think they will win in that neighborhood.

Please detail the organic communes you mention in other areas. Even though this was about urban gardening, not these convenient other areas.

As is typical in disputes over land, it is an exact plot of ground being fought over, just as the veterans home in the Brentwood neighborhood, or the place in San Diego with the Cross.

Sometimes people are not willing to just go to another place. Your claim they can have a garden somewhere else doesn't address this issue, just dismisses it.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

5. I find dismissing the occupiers comes easily

[freshwest]

6. Then just reply 'Screw Occupy' instead of asking anything. N/T

[Mz Pip]

2. I live in Albany

Here's an update on the situation.

http://albany.patch.com/articles/advisors-meet-with-uc-dean-to-discuss-future-urban-farming-research-at-gill-tract