Three people have been arrested after a scuffle with campus police near the site of a long-running tree-sitting protest at the University of California, Berkeley.

The incident began late Wednesday night after about 50 people went to the protest site in support of the tree-sitters.

Protesters say one tree-sitter was accused of trying to cut through a fence, and two supporters were arrested from the scuffle that ensued. The three face vandalism and other charges.

Tree-sitters have been perched in an oak grove since last December to protest plans to cut down most of the trees to make way for a new sports center.

A judge has ruled that the university can evict the protesters, although campus officials have not tried to forcibly remove them.

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