Despair after 200-year-old ‘grandmother’ tree toppled for Trump’s border wall: ‘It crushes your heart’
Protesters spent months occupying an ancient cottonwood. Then a tense standoff with US border patrol came to a head
TL;DR
- A 200-year-old cottonwood tree near the US-Mexico border, called the 'grandmother,' was destroyed for border wall construction.
- Land defenders occupied the tree for over 70 days in an effort to save it.
- Federal agents arrested protesters, some forcefully, to clear the way for contractors to fell the tree.
- The San Rafael valley, where the tree stood, is a vital wildlife corridor between the US and Mexico.
- The construction involves building two 30ft-tall walls and has been criticized for its speed and environmental impact, including water depletion.
- Protesters have employed nonviolent tactics, leading to arrests and reports of physical altercations with agents.
- Environmental advocates and a local congresswoman have expressed heartbreak and vowed to fight against the waiver of laws for border infrastructure projects.