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URGENT! MINNEHAHA UPDATE
Title: URGENT! MINNEHAHA UPDATE
Author: Natalia
Date: 1-OCT-1999
Source: power4u <power4u@xxxxxxx>
Reference: none
On Monday a tripod was set up in the middle of Interstate Highway 55 to
protest its proposed reroute. People then moved existing construction
barricades into the street to shut down the highway. The road was shut
down for blocks all day and we had a big ol' street party. One woman
locked down to a hauling truck and blocked the front gate of the
construction site so they couldn't do any more work.
Seven people were up in an old-growth cottonwood tree that we thought
they were planning to take down that day. At about 5:00, 60 state
trooper cars came in. They arrested 13 people on the ground and
attempted to evict and cut the squatted tree. They broke out the cherry
pickers and fire truck ladders and wound up cutting the branches that
people were still in, almost killing the sitters.
Three people from the tree were arrested, with one sent to the hospital.
four people stayed up there. The police presence on the ground
continued...they vowed to deprive the remaining sitters of all food and
water, and they cut their lines so they can't get down safely.
On Wednesday a group of college students opposed to the reroute took
over the Minnesota Dept. of Transportation's (DoT) offices. 12 people
were arrested, and are still in jail.
The troopers and MN/DoT and the contractors, in a retaliation move, went
and cut thirteen trees on the site where the occupied houses used to be.
One person was arrested trying to get up a tree (she is also still in
jail), bringing the total number of arrests to 13...the same number of
trees they cut.
Today, we get the rumor that they're going to bring in the National
Guard, armed with rubber bullets, to evict our occupation on Saturday.
We don't know if this rumor is true, but we know something is going to
happen. State trooper helicopters have been encircling camp all week,
and state troopers on foot have been seen in the woods, scouting trails
and tree sits.
All tree sits are now being staffed 24 hours a day. 2 people came down
from the cottonwood sit today and are in jail...the remaining 2 say
they're in it for the long haul. The troopers are still on the ground in
an effort to starve them out. >>