Protester arrested after 17-day tree-sit

BERKELEY , Calif., March 15 (UPI) -- A protester who roosted in an oak tree on the University of California, Berkeley campus for 17 days came down and was promptly arrested for trespassing.

Former business student Michael "Fresh" Schuck, 25, climbed the tree Feb. 27 to raise awareness for multiple campus matters, including the school's $500 million research agreement with the energy supplier BP, the remains of American Indians being kept by the Hearst anthropology museum and actions to democratize the school's Board of Regents, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Saturday.

"I felt like it was the right time to come down. My goals were accomplished. I wanted to raise awareness and create a discussion and dialogue," Schuck said after leaving the tree Friday.

Schuck reportedly is friends with other Berkeley protesters who have been tree-sitting in Memorial Stadium oak trees since Dec. 2, 2006, in an effort to stop the trees from being cut down to make way for a sports training facility.