Long Beach : Woman Arrested in Clash Over College Garden Site

The latest clash between Cal State Long Beach officials and organic gardeners resulted in the arrest Tuesday morning of one woman and the removal of several others, who were escorted by police off the garden site to another part of campus.

Anna Christensen, one of a handful of gardeners who had been maintaining a 24-hour watch at the site since last week, was arrested by campus police for trespassing, officials said. Christensen and the others were angry about the removal last week of what had remained of their garden plots, including chicken-wire fences and some of the heartier plants.

Tuesday’s clash occurred when campus workers tried to erect an 8-foot-high fence around the parcel. Several of the protesters refused to leave, and university officials called police. Most of the protesters then moved their tents and provisions to a dormitory across the street. University officials said the fence is needed to keep vandals off the property while they prepare it for an archeological survey this summer.

Among those kicked off the site was Lillian Robles, an American Indian elder who is protesting the university’s plan to develop the site with commercial and residential buildings.

The property, which has been home to the gardeners for 23 years, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its historical significance as an Indian heritage site and burial grounds.