Supporters have tried to persuade police to let them throw food and water to the man.  Police say they will arrest and charge anyone who tries with aiding and abetting. 

Sacramento Police Sergeant Andrew Pettit says the department has spent more than $370,000 in the past two months policing Occupy Sacramento protests.

PETTIT: "Those officers could have been used for anything.  They could have been used for proactive work, traffic enforcement, responding to your house on a 9-11 call. Unfortunately, they're stuck there having to monitor this person in a tree."  

Pettit says the police and fire departments first devised a plan to respond to a medical emergency should the man fall out of the tree.  He was tied to the branch he was on and had been observed sleeping.