Columbia woman who staged 8-day protest in tree acquitted

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A Columbia woman who sat in a tree for eight days to protest a trail project has been acquitted of trespassing. Sutu Forté, was acquitted Thursday after a one-day trial. Forté staged the protest in the fall of 2019 in Columbia to try and stop the construction of a concrete Shepard-to-Rollins Trail. She spent eight days in an oak tree before she was removed in a firetruck bucket, arrested and charged with trespassing. The tree was cut down the same day and the trail opened in 2020.