Shutting Down Marine Recruiters in Berkeley- No Support for an Illigitimate War!
Photos From Berkeley Demonstration to Shut Down Marine Recruiting, February 12 2008
Audio, Photo, Video here at Indybay.org
Tuesday night February 12, the Berkeley CA City Council voted not to send a letter to the Marine Corps telling them their new ecruiters, near Berkeley High School, are ” “. The Council had received 24,000 messages, reportedly mostly favorable to their stand, but also a great storm of protest on right-wing blogs. Republican politicians in California, and US Senators threatened to take away funds or education and transportation projects in Berkeley, and villified the Council for being against the war. The Council refused to apologize to the Marines, however, and reaffirmed its stand against the Iraq war and occupation.
Protest started Monday in Berkeley with an overnight vigil supporting the Council’s stand in front of City Hall. World Can’t Wait activists described the scene as “cool. Activists from Code Pink and World Can’t Wait, were
singing, making banners, talking all night.” There was some good controversy about how to talk about the troops over a anner that the Revolution Club made, saying, “What are they recruiting for? Murder? Rape? Torture?” theme all day was whether the US military is committing war crimes, while World Can’t Wait held photos showing atrocities from Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo.
At 5am Tuesday, pro-war protesters called Move America Forward began arriving. They were pushing and shoving, and the police eparated the anti and pro-war sides with MLK Drive. The pro-war group, numbering in the dozens during the day, covered a location that skateboarders regularly use. Media reports that the kids were harassing the pro-war group only because they were pushed out are contradicted by World Can’t
Wait activists who say the skateboarders argued with them over politics.
A 10:30 am press conference organized by Code Pink featured Medea Benjamin, Giovanni Jackson from World Can’t Wait, Ann Wright, and an Army veteran recently eleased from active duty.
A core of Berkeley High School students were involved in the anti-war protests all day. They texted friends inside the school, and t lunch, a “wave” of 700 students poured out of the school and flowed in a noisy wave over to the anti-war group. There they got signs, t shirts and, because someone made a donation on the spot, hundreds of orange bandanas were given out.
A high school administrator told the students they were being “used” by the protesters, which led the students to get on the bullhorn and speak ith great intensity about why they were joining the protest. An immoral war and torture are in their future if it’s not stopped. But organizers also heard from Berkeley HS teachers who supported the antiwar protest, who had already led discussions with their students. Teachers from an art school nearby ent their students to sketch the scene.
The students went over to the pro-war group, and there was a political confrontation between the red/white/blue flag waving, medal-wearing older crowd, nd the high school kids who asked how they could defend the war. Arguments broke out all over. The Berkeley police came out in riot gear, their backs to the pro-war crowd, telling the students to back off. The police used their battons to move the students back, and they slowly stepped ackward, but did not turn and leave or scatter. Suddenly, they “died” to represent the million+ Iraqis killed in the occupation.
World Can’t Wait activists report the police were rough. One person got a broken rib; another a broken finger. Kids were dragged out of arger groups by police. Many students stayed out of school for the afternoon. Two boys aged 13 and 15 were arrested,and by late afternoon a group of 300 gathered in front on the police station to demand the kids’ release. More riot police fronted the building and violently cleared the steps
with battons, arresting an 18 year old woman who was arguing for the release of her brother. As older antiwar activists arrived after the work day, a rally ormed in front of the police station. The chanted “This is what a police state looks like!”
The 3 youth were released Tuesday.
Chants from the anti-war protest
: “Semper Fi – Kill or Die – In a war based on lies”
“What are they recruiting for? Murder, tape, torture, war!”
“Stop the torture, stop the war, this is what we’re standing for”
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1 SHUT DOWN OF MARINE RECRUITING CENTER, BERKELEY:
Friday, three days after the Berkeley CA City Council voted to tell the U.S. Marines that its Shattuck Square recruiting station “is not welcome in the city, and if recruiters choose to stay, they do so as uninvited and unwelcome intruders,” protesters from World Can’t Wait were arrested after chaining themselves to the door of the recruiting station and refusing to leave in an act of non-violent civil resistance. Forty Berkeley police officers in riot formation blocked and violently cleared the street before arresting the orange jumpsuited protesters. See full reports of January 31 actions here .
The recruiters shut down early Thursday to avoid the protest, so as promised, a spirited group returned the following morning at 7 AM. The station normally opens at 7:30, but the recruiters had snuck in at 6:30. For the next seven and a half hours several protesters in orange Guantanamo jumpsuits standing chained to each other and to the gate, chanting, giving press interviews, waving at the passing cars, trucks and buses (lots of supportive horn honking!) – and nonviolently preventing anyone from entering the station.
Numerous men repeatedly tried to force their way through. Sometimes
angry arguments turned into intense debates, and some who came decided
to leave. Woven into all the chains were wads and tangles of videotape,
representing the evidence tapes showing illegal torture at secret U.S.
facilities – tapes which the CIA has destroyed. Code Pink maintained a
constant support presence with their literature table, as they and a
number of students helped sustain the “no business as usual”
atmosphere. Police informed us that because the City Council of
Berkeley supported our position, there would be no arrests today, and
stayed across the street monitoring the scene.
Hours later, however, a very different “scene” would erupt. At 2:30,
pm, without warning, a wall of 40 or more Berkeley police in riot
formation came marching around the corner, as paddy wagons and squad
cars blocked off the street. The police waded into the demonstrators
gathered around the chained group, shoving everyone out to the other
end of the street, and then moved in with their bolt cutters to snap
apart the three WCWers’ chains and take them to the paddy wagon.
Chanting and bullhorns carried the air throughout this entire scene.
All three protesters were cited and released, with court dates to
follow later.
For news articles, video, and photos of the two days of action (led by
World Can’t Wait with many others taking part, including Code Pink and
students from many schools) go to: PRESS Reports . For local and
national news coverage of the courageous resolution by the Berkeley
City Council, go to: Berkeley gives Marines the boot and Berkeley Finds
a New War to Make War Politics Local .
The city council members now need to hear from people all over the
country – and YOU. CONTACT INFO HERE . Tell them all how much you
support their resolution declaring the Marine Corps Recruiting Center
to be “unwelcome” in Berkeley. The right wing blogosphere and Fox News
are mobilizing to force the city to back down. A Senator from South
Carolina is calling for Berkeley to lose all federal funding. One
council member is even receiving death threats.
Email or call with your support TODAY to the Berkeley City Council and
Mayor Tom Bates and PLEASE COPY your messages to: sf@worldcantwait.org
Come to the city council meeting with World Can’t Wait and Code Pink on
February 12th to show your support.
Debra Sweet, Director, The World Can’t Wait – Drive Out the Bush Regime