It Could Happen Here Lochiel Part 2: The End of the Tree Sit
Oct 26, 2026
A return to Lochiel traces the fallout from border-wall construction and the federal response to land defenders. It covers raids on the tree camp, arrests, chemical agents, agency cooperation, and the destruction of Grandmother Tree. The story also follows renewed tree-sit resistance, growing solidarity, mutual aid, and how encampments can nurture movements long after the camp is gone.
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Public Land Agencies Also Enforce State Violence
- Federal land agencies combine conservation roles with substantial law-enforcement power.
- Rangers assisted ICE in detaining campers while wildfire staffing collapsed, revealing whose interests public-land enforcement can prioritize.
Border Patrol Toppled Grandmother Tree
- Border Patrol surrounded the camp, used chemical irritants, and brought a cherry picker to remove a tree sitter.
- Workers cut branches before an excavator toppled Grandmother Tree, and ten people were arrested.
Tree Sitters Delayed Wall Construction Again
- A new tree sitter and a vehicle lockdown repeatedly halted wall construction.
- Border Patrol used pepper balls, tear gas, pain compliance, and a dangerous exhaust-filled enclosure near the locked-down protester.
