Posted on 02/15/2008 10:36:37 AM PST by SmithL
BERKELEY -- Citing the absence of U.S. Marine recruiters at their Shattuck Avenue station this morning, anti-war protesters looking to keep up the momentum of this past week's demonstrations claimed victory.
Anti-war groups -- including World Can't Wait, Code Pink, the ANSWER Coalition and Veterans for Peace -- descended upon the station to prevent people from entering. Some protesters said they planned to chain themselves to the door.
But the 20 or so protesters who showed up around dawn have yet to see a single recruiter.
"If this is all it takes to shut down the Marine recruiting center, we've succeeded," said Oakland resident Sabrina Martin of World Can't Wait, which organized the protest.
While there is still the possibility of recruiters showing up later in the day, World Can't Wait organizer Giovanni Jackson was already putting the morning's effort in the win column.
"We're declaring victory if they don't show up, and it looks like they haven't," Jackson said.
This morning's protest follows Tuesday's daylong demonstration leading up to the City Council meeting, where members voted to rescind a statement that called the Marines "unwelcome intruders" in what was intended to be a vote against the war in Iraq.
That topped about two weeks of controversy garnering national media attention and moves by Republican congressmen and senators to strip the city of federal funds.
That controversy came to a head Tuesday night, when council members rescinded the "unwelcome" statement but did formally apologize to the Marines.
One man was on hand this morning to protest the protesters. He did not speak, electing to hold up a sign saying, "The U.S. Marine Corps: Defending Berkeley's right to be a laughingstock since 1775."
"The U.S. Marine Corps: Defending Berkeley's right to be a laughingstock since 1775."
BINGO!
a Letter to the Mayor!
Dear Mayor Bates,
In that you and your city have chosen to gravely insult the brave men and women, who have indeed bought you that right with their blood, I am informing you that my company will no longer do business with any of our current suppliers located in the Berkeley, California metro area.
In that my company is in international resort real estate development, and do business with and am associated with, developers and investors worldwide, I am informing all of my contacts, associates and patrons that we will no longer do any business of any sort with anyone living in the Berkeley area.
In that we/MDG Resorts are currently building a state of the art mega-yacht marina, all of the suppliers of Marina equipment, all owners of Yachts , all suppliers of Yacht materials & supplies, all yacht brokers and all tangential yacht business purveyors will likewise be informed that we will not do any business whatsoever with anyone from the Berkeley area.
Likewise all suppliers of building materials, both interior and exterior, currently associated with any of our several resort developments (Brisamar 300+ villas and 200+ condos: Porto Hussong, www.portohussong.com
500+ condos, 180 slip mega-yacht marina) both of which I might add have international recognition by virtue of glowing reports in Robb Report, Wall Street Journal, Yacht World, Forbes.
I will likewise inform all of our investors, most of whom are very wealthy yacht owners, casino owners, high net worth international businessmen, of our decision to essentially boycott all products and providers located in, or associated with in any way whatsoever, Berkeley, Ca.
Trust me when I say that having been in the real estate development business for over 35 years, our list of contacts and associates is long and very, very impressive. We, and I personally, are going to recommend that they ALL along with us boycott your city, its purveyors, suppliers, and businesses and CHARITIES of every kind.
You have every right to choose to take the obnoxious anti-military stance you have taken, and as stated, that right was bought for you with the blood of better men than you.
I too have every right to do all that I can to insure that your city suffers consequences arising from that obnoxious, sickening stance.
Cordially,
Brian G Dennard
Principal
Director
Meridian Development Group, LLC
619 807 2444
www.mdgresorts.com
www.portohussong.com
Haha - idiots - they’re at yer skrools recruitin’ yer kiddies!
The Marines should tell the Berklidiots that if the police won’t enforce the law and keep the trespassers from blocking their entrances, the US Marine Military Police will enforce the law for them and arrest any trespassers and hold them at Gitmo for trial and sentencing.
Read post 2, letter from developer to Berkley Mayor
I call “Thunder Dome”...
USMC VS whiny Hippy protesters in hand to hand combat... winner takes all!
Gads, would I love to see the marines take on the Berkelely police. Heck, the marines would win...even if unarmed. However, methinks the Berk police are probably more on the sides of the marines than on the side of the loony mayor. However, when the libocrit holds the purse strings, one obeys.
At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child – miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied, demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic, and useless. Liberalism is a philosophy of sniveling brats.
– P.J.O’Roarke
Great letter.
Did anybody think that the Marines may have taken a 4 day holiday, it is Presidents day on Monday
LOL wouldn’t it be a hoot if while these dingbats were declaring victory for “no-show” recruiters, it turned out they didn’t go to the office because they were addressing an assembly at the high school or something similar?
During the two weeks after I finished boot camp, I took leave, but wasn't charged for it, because I was willing to work at my hometown recruiting office 5 days a week during that time (mostly making coffee and such, I was just an E-2 at the time). Anyhow, that was a lot of what we did, going around to various high schools and talking to the kids. You may well be right.
Outstanding!
This is the way to get the attention of the anti-American moonbats. Even if they don’t care you can bet your last buck the business community does.
The Marines paid to defend Berkely.
The rest of the country they do for free.
Presumably they realize they aren't going to actually win this, so they will try to spin a victory however they can.
Pathetic.
I’ll bet that if Operation Rescue was in Berkeley chaining themselves to an abortion clinic, the mayor would certainly call out the law and have these people arrested. Probably break a few of their arms in the process as well. (This happened in L.A. back in the late 80’s).
Ain’t it the truth!!!!!
tagline...
This is good, but I’d like to know how much RENT the marines are paying to the owner of the space and what the situation is regarding an early vacancy from there. Not that I’m condoning the Leathernecks to retreat, heaven forbid, but I’d like to see who got their panties in a bunch if this idea were floated.........
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