The protesters denied anyone entry into the US Marine Corp offices for 7 1/2 hours!
And the mayor was not any help to the US Marines…
Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates offered to help the U.S. Marines leave town on Friday!
“I spoke with the landlord, who is a very nice friend of mine, and the Marines have a year and a half to go,” Bates said. “I’m sure if they wanted we could work it out (so they can leave) without penalty. The situation there has disrupted the whole block.”
The protesters tried to block anyone from entering into the building.
Since when is it legal to block a government office entrance for 7 hours?
Don Spark falls to the ground when he and other anti-war protesters tried to prevent an unidentified man, right, from entering a Marine Corps. recruitment office in Berkeley. (Chronicle photo by Paul Chinn)
** SIGN THE PETITION!
Anyone who is forced to listen to this crap outside their office door for 7 hours deserves your support:
Singer-Songleader Betsy Rose leads “It Isn’t Nice” at CODEPINK’s press conference to announce the launch of a ballot initiative to limit zoning for military recruiters. The press conference took place outside the Berkeley Marines Officer Recruiting Station on January 30, 2008.
Facing off over Marine Corps / 3 war opponents chain selves to door of recruiting station, and right-wing blogosphere goes ballistic
Two men, foreground, try to force their way through anti-war protesters chained together. (Chronicle photo by Paul Chinn)
It took the police 7 and a half hours before they arrested the protesters who were blocking the door of the US Marine Corp office.
SF Gate and LGF (quick hits) reported:
As the right-wing blogosphere railed and a U.S. senator vowed financial retaliation against the Berkeley City Council for its effort to boot the Marine Corps out of town, three anti-war protesters ratcheted up pressure from the left by chaining themselves Friday to the front door of the downtown Marine recruiting office.
The demonstrators snapped their locks shut at 7 a.m. and spent the next 7 1/2 hours blocking the door, waving and chanting as hundreds of cars driving by honked in support. Finally, at 2:30 p.m., police snipped the chains and arrested them.
Two of the three were cited for blocking a business and released, and the third was booked into jail on an unrelated traffic warrant, police said.
The demonstrators promptly said they would keep protesting outside the recruiting station at 64 Shattuck Square until the Marines leave Berkeley – which is what the City Council advised the service to do in a vote Tuesday night that called the Marines “unwelcome intruders.”
The council also voted to allow members of Code Pink, the protest group that helped organize Friday’s blockade, to park at a designated space in front of the recruiting office every Wednesday afternoon and operate a loudspeaker.
More… Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee who sponsored several earmarks for Berkeley opposes any legislation to punish the city:
Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, who sponsored many of the earmarks issued to Berkeley organizations, objected to DeMint’s effort, her staff said.
“The congresswoman would strongly oppose any attempt to punish the people of Berkeley by stripping them of much needed federal funding,” said Cleve Mesidor, a spokesperson for Lee.
Previously:
Code Pink Defaces US Marine Recruiter’s Office in Berkeley
Code Pink Founder: “I Don’t Need Soldiers to Protect Me”
Code Pink Radicals & Pro-Military Supporters Collide in Berkeley
Jackassery Rewarded
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