Man Chains Himself to Tree in Protest
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A 28-year-old homeless man chained himself to a ficus tree on Ventura’s Main Street to protest the tree’s imminent removal, as well as the city’s eviction of river bottom dwellers, police said.
Witnesses said Brandon Almquist wrapped a rusty chain around his waist and the tree before securing it with a small padlock about 10:15 a.m. in front of Trueblood Thrift store on the 200 block of East Main Street.
Police severed the chain with bolt cutters and then attempted to arrest Almquist.
“At first the cops tried to handcuff him, but he wouldn’t let them,” said Johnny Trueblood, owner of the thrift store. “But then they got him in some kind of nose hold and he let them.”
Trueblood said after the arrest, several other homeless people discussed chaining themselves to the tree before a city worker cut it down.
City workers cut down about two dozen ficus trees along downtown streets this week as part of Ventura’s multimillion-dollar revitalization plan.
Almquist was booked at Ventura County Jail on suspicion of resisting arrest. Bail was set at $1,000.
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