Tree Sitters, Lumbermen Face Off in Ukraine Forest

Environmental activists in Kharkiv, Ukraine documented a June 1 confrontation with workers assigned to cut down trees in Gorky Park. According to a blog post here, the tree removal was part of a government plan to ease traffic on the city's main thoroughfare, Sumska Sreet.



User name: iskremas
Date uploaded: June 2
Location: Gorky Park, Kharkiv, Ukraine
Views: 9,869
Synopsis: At the start of the video, lumbermen dressed in black link arms and push through the activists' defense line. At 2:12, a worker cuts down a tree, which falls onto a nearby tree occupied by an activist. A fist fight and shoving match ensue. The lumbermen continue cutting trees (3:54) around the tree sitter in hopes of forcing him out of his perch. His fate is unclear from this clip. According to the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group, 10 activists were arbitrarily arrested shortly afterward.

Click here to watch this video on YouTube.




User name: GovoritUkraina
Location: Kharkiv, Ukraine
Date uploaded: June 2
Views: 13,811
Synopsis: Additional footage that appears to include video taken by a treesitter at 2:12.

Click here to watch this video on YouTube.