Michelle Malkin » Talk back to Berkeley: Sign the petition; Update: Troop-bashers go berserk, chain themselves to recruitment center; mayor wants to evacuate Marines

Talk back to Berkeley: Sign the petition; Update: Troop-bashers go berserk, chain themselves to recruitment center; mayor wants to evacuate Marines

By Michelle Malkin • February 1, 2008 04:40 PM

Update 2/2 . Internet undercover photojournalist Zombie has fresh photos of the Berkeley siege. Here’s how the anti-troop loons defaced the Marine recruitment center this time:

***

SFGate photo gallery of the siege at the Marine recruitment center.

Update 2/2: The Marine recruitment center in Berkeley is under siege and anti-war zealots are completely unhinged…

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 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 will 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.”

Oh, I love how the SF Chronicle characterizes bloggers as “ballistic,” and not these nutballs trying to drive the Marines out of Berzerkeley:

The mayor wants to evacuate the Marines and is casting the city as the victim:

Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates offered Friday to help the U.S. Marines leave town by negotiating an end to the lease for their recruiting station, even as he backpedaled on a City Council resolution declaring the Corps “uninvited and unwelcome intruders” in the city.

In the face of an onslaught of pro-military criticism from around the country, Bates, a retired Army captain, also issued a statement that said the City Council’s resolution Tuesday night “did not adequately differentiate our respect and support for those serving in the armed forces and our opposition to the Iraq war policy.” He said he would ask the council to modify the resolution at its next meeting, scheduled for Feb. 12.

A Marines spokeswoman said Friday that the Corps has no intention of abandoning its space at 64 Shattuck Square that has been the subject of protests for months.

In an interview Friday, Bates said he has received more than 1,000 e-mails on the resolution, mostly from “the right wing that has really seized up on this and mobilized to pound us.”

Darn right.

More at Gateway Pundit.

Looks like the Berkeley city website has either crashed or been shut down.

Contact info:

Mayor - Tom Bates
2180 Milvia Street, Berkeley, CA 94704
Email: mayor@ci.berkeley.ca.us
TEL: (510) 981-7100
FAX: (510) 981-7199
TDD: (510) 981-6903
Office Hours: Mon-Fri 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

====================
CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
====================
Linda Maio
Phone: (510) 981-7110
FAX: (510) 981-7111
Email: lmaio@ci.berkeley.ca.us

Darryl Moore
Phone: (510) 981-7120
Email: dmoore@ci.berkeley.ca.us

Maxwell Anderson
Phone: (510) 981-7130
Email: manderson@ci.berkeley.ca.us

Dona Spring
Phone: (510) 981-7140
Email: spring@ci.berkeley.ca.us

Laurie Capitelli
Phone: (510) 981-7150
Email: lcapitelli@ci.berkeley.ca.us

Betty Olds
Phone: (510) 981-7160
Email: olds@ci.berkeley.ca.us

Kriss Worthington
Phone: (510) 981-7170
Email: kworthington@ci.berkeley.ca.us

Gordon Wozniak
Phone: (510) 981-7180
Email: GWozniak@ci.berkeley.ca.us

City Auditor
Ann Marie
TEL: (510) 981-6750, TDD: (510) 981-6903
Office Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm
Email: auditor@ci.berkeley.ca.us

Melanie Morgan e-mails me another update:

Senator DeMint’s staff is reporting that they have been contacted by many other Senators to co-author legislation to strip Berkeley of pork barrel spending totalling over $2 million for the City Council’s outrageous attempts to run the USMC Recruiting office from it’s Shattuck Avenue location.

Senator DeMint’s office is just a few hours away from completing the final legislative draft.

On the Congressional side, Republican lawmakers are hearing from thousands of constituents about the efforts to silence the free speech rights of our troops by running the Marine Recruiting office out of town, and they are rushing to complete their own companion legislation. Move America Forward is urging people to contact Congressional representatives to keep the pressure on.

Senator DeMint has shown great leadership in fighting back against the left-wing, anti-war, anti-troops politicans who populate Berkeley city government and the crazy moonbats at CodePink, International A.N.S.W.E.R., and MoveOn.org who support them.

e have been contacted by Marine groups across Northern California, Cal Berkeley Young Republicans, SF State Young Republicans and a tsunami of e-mails in support.

The MAF petition denouncing the Berkeley City Council crashed earlier today after your blog posting due to the huge traffic surge, plus my appearance on Your World with Neil Cavuto.
We have fixed the problem, and our server is now fully capable of handling the influx.

Folks can sign the petition glitch-free now at www.moveamericaforward.com

In addition to marching on the Berkeley City Council on February 12th, the next regularly scheduled meeting, several Marine veterans groups are planning to jump aboard their motorcycles and join us in protest.

Cal Berkeley Republican students are coming, San Francisco State University student Republicans, as well as Joe and Jane Citizen.

Judging from the response to our office, there are going to be a LOT more folks who join in.

Our phones are flooded with people who are insulted, angry, and frustrated at what has transpired in Berkeley, not just in the San Francisco Bay Area, but across the country as MoveOn.org proceeds with it’s incremental strategy to oust military recruiting efforts and undermine support for our military men and women who are the BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST this country has to offer.

MoveOn.org lost the public relations battle to end this “illegal, immoral, unjust war” this summer and they have lost every single vote in Congress since.

The pro-troop side is winning, but we still have big battles to fight.

Watching the back of our miitary men and women is our duty, and our responsibility and our honor.

THANK-YOU FOR YOUR HELP!

***

Move America Forward’s Melanie Morgan sends word of a new petition protesting Berkeley’s discrimination against the Marines. She tells me: “We will be delivering the petition in person to the City of Berkeley at the next regularly scheduled meeting. Thanks for helping to spread the story of the outrageous conduct and slander against our troops.” The petition is here. The text:

To: The City Council, Mayor and City Manager of Berkeley, California

We, the undersigned, do register our complete outrage with the City of Berkeley for the recent resolutions that criticized our Marines, as part of an effort to harass the Marine Recruiting Center and chase all vestiges of the United States military outside of the city of Berkeley, California.

We take particular umbrage with the instructions given to the City Manager of Berkeley to tell the United States Marines that they are, “uninvited and unwelcome intruders.”

It is shameful for you to attack our military men and women who nobly and bravely serve this nation to protect our security and defend our freedoms and liberties. Those liberties include the right to Freedom of Speech, which you seem to believe should not be afforded to the members of the United States Marine Corps and service personnel in other branches of the Armed Forces.

I call upon you to immediately revoke the resolutions passed that defamed and insulted our U.S. Marines and issue a public apology to this nation, and in particular, the honorable and heroic men and women of the United States military.

If you’re not yet motivated to speak up about this madness, here’s the text of the Berkeley city council agenda with the “Peace and Justice Commission’s” recommendation that led to the resolution giving Code Pink special parking privileges and a free sound permit to protest at the Marine recruitment center:

From: Peace and Justice Commission

Recommendation:

1. Direct the City Attorney to investigate and report back to Council within 60 days on City options for enforcing Chapter 13.28 of the Berkeley Municipal Code, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, with respect to military recruiting offices in Berkeley;

2. Direct the City Manager to send letters to the Marine Corps Recruiting Station at 64 Shattuck Avenue and to General James T. Conway, Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, advising them that the Marine recruiting office is not welcome in our city, and if recruiters choose to stay, they do so as uninvited and unwelcome intruders;

3. Encourage all people to avoid cooperation with the Marine Corps recruiting station, and applaud residents and organizations such as Code Pink, that may volunteer to impede, passively or actively, by nonviolent means, the work of any military recruiting office located in the City of Berkeley.

***

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#201

On February 3rd, 2008 at 3:18 pm, DBNinKY said:

3. Encourage…and applaud…Code Pink…to impede…the work of any military recruiting office located in the City of Berkeley.

Isn’t this council breaking some federal law by actively encouraging citizens to interfere with a branch agency of the United States government? Supposing this council of confederates had encouraged interference with the US Post office in their community, what then?

DITTO #194: Why isn’t Toad Pink concerned about the abortions in Berkeley, if they’re truly worried about children?
#202

On February 3rd, 2008 at 3:21 pm, DougT said:

Six years in USAF here…during the Reagan years, mostly in PACAF: Hawaii, Japan, Korea…did a lot of work helping to improve the ROKAF.

Land, sea and air power combined make a formidable and irresistible force, doesn’t it?

(How can Navy have such a good ground game on the gridiron?)
#203

On February 3rd, 2008 at 3:30 pm, Christian Soldier said:

#202 AF

To your question: I’ve been trying to figure that one for years.

This “greatest country on earth” does have it all covered with our “greatest military on earth”.
#204

On February 3rd, 2008 at 3:31 pm, Izuko said:

If I was still young enough, I would make a show of going down to that recruiting station, even though I live in Virginia, and enlisting. As it is, I’ll have to settle for Navy OCS.
#205

On February 3rd, 2008 at 3:33 pm, Wade said:

Send up a seasoned battalion of Marines from Pendleton for a weekend of liberty in Berkley. And, bolt-cutters, don’t leave home without them.
#206

On February 3rd, 2008 at 3:45 pm, Blind_Mule said:

DougT said:
(How can Navy have such a good ground game on the gridiron?)

Sea leg’s, they bob and weave alot or maybe it is because some of them will become Marine Officer’s.
#207

On February 3rd, 2008 at 4:39 pm, Christian Soldier said:

Blind_Mule:

December 6 - I’ll be looking for the “bobbing and weaving”.
#208

On February 3rd, 2008 at 6:55 pm, lcl4 said:

People in CA preparing to petition Berkeley for the same privileges for anti abortion protests at their killing factories. Prepared to sue the city if denied.

That will make their pointy little heads explode.
#209

On February 3rd, 2008 at 8:45 pm, Tennessee Dave said:

I couldn’t stand it anymore. I sent the Code Pinkos this message on their web site:

Your organization has to be made up of the most moronic group of people ever organized on this earth. If you don’t like the war–that’s fine–but protest against the government that makes the policy, but not the military. Your protests are akin to protesting against cops for writing speeding tickets, not the city council that made the rule.
I don’t question your patriotism because you cannot question something that someone doesn’t have.
You protest against the very people that protect your right to free speech and keep this country safe; the very people that in case of a natural disaster would rescue you from peril, give you food and shelter, and evacuate you from harms way; and you protest the very people that would respond to a terrorist act to keep this country free.
What have you done? Not much I think.
Your priorities in life are not in the correct order.

I know it will fall on deaf ears, but I feel better.
#210

On February 3rd, 2008 at 9:08 pm, TK-421 said:

@104, some jerk knocked me out and took my armor, dumped me off here, say wheres the nearest Imperial outpost?

I kid, anways @ Retfireman

“What is needed is some serious legislation from Washington and from Sacramento in order to fix what is severely broken in that city…and in the various other enclaves of uber-Liberalism, COmmunism and Socialism in California. What was once seen as esoteric and rebellious, something to be treated as a curiosity has now turned into something entirely dangerous. The precedents going on in this country over the last 6-7 years have set in motion events that will echo for many years, and our enemies have long memories and have been watching very, very closely.”

Its not just in CA, its a cancer that spreads into Urban areas, but the ignoring started back in the 60’s. Thats how a minor itch becomes a threat, and for the record the west has a horrific track record on remebering history. And honestly, the events you speak of have been action for a while, I’ve been picking up on it. And its both far right and left. And quite frankly from what I’ve seen I’m thankful for 9/11. For the main reasson I believe with out that spark we would be having a civil war now. And I still suspect it will happen, just a couple of years from now.
#211

On February 3rd, 2008 at 9:10 pm, CrazyFool said:

I wonder what would happen in a private citizen (or a few… dozen) were to come to the recruitment center with a set of bolt cutters and insist of exercising their right of assembly.

Why did it take the police 7 1/2 hours to cut the chains? Were the ‘protesters’ holding hostages? Making threats?
#212

On February 3rd, 2008 at 10:51 pm, Ombre Rose said:

Evacuate all American military from there - seal it off as NO BOUNDS, NO MATTER WHAT.
Cut ALL Federal spending there - NO MATTER WHAT.

Write ICHABOD over the signposts, wipe the dust from your feet AND LEAVE.
#213

On February 4th, 2008 at 7:37 am, gunslingerpatriot said:

The last American leaving the peoples republic of berkley take down and bring the Stars and Stripes with you-its offical, berkley is now under socialist control.

GSP
dhimicraps the new chicken!
#214

On February 4th, 2008 at 2:06 pm, Tommygun said:

To Christian Soldier @ #188

There are several organizations which do such advocacy. Three I have worked with are:

http://www.protestwarrior.com (I was the Northern and Western Missouri Chapter Leader for several months before my entry into military service)

http://www.freerepublic.com (no official actions, but it is a central location to meet people and organize) (I worked with “FReepers” in my area on annual and weekly events in central Missouri)

http://www.unitedamericancommittee.org (I organized several Missouri events for their “Rally Against Islamofascism Day” events in 2006 and 2007)
#215

On February 5th, 2008 at 7:14 pm, sfcmac said:

On February 3rd, 2008 at 2:01 pm, Blind_Mule said:
That’s the shock and awe of the Corps, the enemy look’s at our uniforms and say’s “look at their nicley starched hat’s and their pressed uniform’s” and while there looking at how good we look we put a bullet in their head.

Any thing you say, jarhead.

“Semper Stupid”