“There’s nobody on God’s green Earth that can convince me that somehow building two huge buildings next to a poor tree is going to somehow quote unquote, ‘save the Pino,’” Paredes said. … It’s almost like a little treasure for us.” But organizers weren’t swayed by his pleas. A petition to County Supervisor Hilda Solis circulated quickly, amassing almost 16,000 signatures asking the politician to “save El Pino from being cut down.”įour days after the Día de los Inocentes prank, Gastelum told The Times, “I never want anything to happen to that tree. The rumor was false, but it ignited a grassroots upheaval to “save” the tree. 28 - a prank holiday known as Día de los Inocentes - a rumor spread on a “Blood In, Blood Out” fan page, claiming that Gastelum planned to chop down the tree. Until that happens, organizers plan to keep showing up every week.īack on Dec. Community organizers fear that the development will harm the tree’s delicate root structure, and say that Gastelum should donate the plot back to the community (noting that it could qualify as a tax deduction) or sell it back to the county for its fair market value. They fear for the health of the tree - and for what it represents in the fight against gentrification in East L.A.Įl Pino sits on a lot that has, for the past five years, been owned by a developer, Art Gastelum, who, despite stating that he won’t cut down the beloved tree, plans to build a duplex around it. 3, when hundreds turned out - in lowriders and on foot - to show their support for El Pino.
![el pino blood in blood out el pino blood in blood out](https://s.productreview.com.au/products/images/137163_omron_1a1b.jpg)
Paredes and Lopez started coming here Jan.
![el pino blood in blood out el pino blood in blood out](https://ih1.redbubble.net/image.2001900355.2424/fposter,small,wall_texture,product,750x1000.jpg)
community members gather to discuss future plans for protecting El Pino.