URGENT! MINNEHAHA UPDATE

[RangoonPost@xxxxxxx]

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. >>