Posted on 02/18/2008 4:56:15 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
BERKELEY, Calif. -- As hundreds of protesters on both sides of the Iraq War debate demonstrated in Berkeley Tuesday, the city's mayor told officials with the Marine recruiting office in town they should not expect an apology.
"I think it's unwanted," Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates said. "I think it stands (that) we didn't want them here and they came here. And (they are) unwelcome, you know we'd like them to leave voluntarily. So I don't think an apology is in order."
At first glance the statement appears to be a "flip flop" from the statement Bates made last week, when he issued an apology to family members of those serving in Iraq.
"We apologize for any offense to any families of anyone who may serve in Iraq. We want them to come home and be safe at home," Bates, a retired U.S. Army captain, said last week.
Last week's apology apparently had not been directed at officials at the Marine recruiting station.
Scores of activists have been pouring into the city over the last several days as the Berkley City Council prepared to consider rescinding a letter it drafted last month to the recruiting center telling Marines they were not welcome in the city.
The letter said the Marines at the recruiting office were "uninvited and unwelcome guests."
The letter was never sent.
Dozens of people packed the council chambers as the meeting began. On one side of the room sat anti-war activists, including members of the group Code Pink. On the other were members of pro-troop groups, including some who held up photographs of young men in uniform.
The meeting followed a daylong rally by both sides outside City Hall. Both pro-military and anti-military groups were out in the pre-dawn hours with signs voicing their opinions about the hot-button issue.
"This is very personal," said Lonnie Piet, of Sacramento, who joined the pro-troop organization Move America Forward outside City Hall hours before the scheduled vote. Piet, whose son is a Marine, said he wants a personal apology from council members and anti-war group Code Pink.
"The Marines have the right to recruit anyone, anywhere," Piet said.
Move America Forward demonstrators waved flags and held signs including "Boycott Berkeley for Bashing Our Boys" and "Support our Troops."
On the other side, protesters with Code Pink held bouquets of flowers and waved signs saying "Peace Now" and "Bring Our Troops Home." The group has been protesting outside the recruiting office for months.
"We want to ask the Marines to not recruit in our community. The majority of citizens here are fervently against the war," said Code Pink protester Cynthia Papermaster, who has lived in Berkeley since 1965. "We're not against the Marines, but against what they're recruited to do."
Several police were deployed to the protest scene at about 6 a.m. in anticipation of the large crowds. They were carrying their riot gear.
Police made a handful of arrests for minor scuffles between the protesters, said Berkeley police spokesman Sgt. Mary Kusmiss.
Several police were deployed to the protest scene at about 6 a.m. in anticipation of the large crowds. They were carrying their riot gear.
Some activists held signs opposing the war in Iraq. Others expressed their opinions by holding U.S. Marine Corps flags. Several people at the rally held American flags.
Many protesters came specifically to protest against Code Pink.
Bad blood has been building partly because the Berkeley City Council passed a resolution giving the anti-war group a place to park in front of the recruiting station. Some have said that meant the city giving was giving Code Pink a place to continuously protest the Marines.
“The passed ordinances are far beyond the realm of civil politics," said David B. Norris of the group Veterans of Foreign Wars. "It is one thing to oppose military operations in Iraq, but it is completely different to declare war on the men and women who faithfully serve the elected officials of this city. Our troops deserve our unwavering support for their dedication and commitment to our country."
"What they have done in Berkeley is they have set aside a parking spot and in my opinion a public right of way, a public transportation corridor, specifically for a private organization -- in this case Code Pink -- to harass and annoy the United States Marine Corps and their recruiting efforts," said East Bay Republican Assemblyman Guy Houston. "We think that playing around and having an agenda with the public right of way is subject to ramifications. There is $2.3 million in proposition 1B transportation dollars. We think that should be in jeopardy."
Code Pink members have made their organization infamous by intentionally getting arrested at protests and congressional hearings.
The recruiting office opened in Berkeley in late 2006. It operated quietly until four months ago when Code Pink began holding regular protests.
SLIDESHOW: Code Pink Images http://www.nbc11.com/slideshow/news/14781881/detail.html
The petition
We, the undersigned condemn the Berkeley City Council’s treasonous attack on US Marine Recruiters stationed in their city. We ask that Congress cut off funds from any and all municipal entity within the confines of the city of Berkeley, California, until such time as the city council withdraws it’s action.
The City Council has voted to tell the Marines their downtown recruiting station is not welcome and “if recruiters choose to stay, they do so as uninvited and unwelcome guests.”
The measure passed last week by a vote of 8-1.
The council also voted to explore enforcing a city anti-discrimination law, focusing on the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.
In a separate item, the council voted, also 8-1, to give the Marxist protest group Code Pink a parking space in front of the recruiting office once a week for six months and a free sound permit for protesting once a week.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/cutoffberkeleynow
If you wish to, please share with your friends or e-mail to your address books. You DO NOT have to donate at the petition site, there will be a page asking for one for the site after you sign, just back out or exit. Your signature will already be on the petition.
http://www.fourfriedchickensandacoke.blogspot.com
I couldn’t get beyond the first paragraph.
Outrageous.
Now if only Berkeley would pull a Kosovo act we could be rid of it.
No kidding, is everyone in berzerkly spineless?
Sounds like someone needs to open the whole can of whoop-ass on the city council and mayor...
figuratively speaking of course (snicker, snicker)
Open mouth, change foot, Mayor....
This guy is a real schmuck and a putz.
How does one RETIRE as a Captain??????
Somebody needs to bust Hizzoner in the grill, good and hard.
Worthless no-good b@stard!
):^(
Would some one correct me if I'm wrong, but-doesn't one have to serve a minimum of 20 years in the Armed Forces to retire? Are there any 20 year officers that are still at the rank of Captain? Wouldn't a 20 year Captain generally be considered a Dud? What am I missing? (Or is this the DBM being lazy again?)
(A)Perhaps he came up through the ranks, or (B)(much more likely) he was a f*ck-up?
Those same Marines they are deprecating
would give their lives in the
defense of their fair city
Scumbags
His biography on the net. He was an Army Reserve Captain:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Bates
I don’t want to change the subject or denigrate the Marines, but last night I realized the recruiting center is basically a job (or career) center.
Then the “uninvited and unwelcome guests” comment got my gears grinding.
Maybe we should all show up at our city council meetings and demand that illegal immigrants be lablelled “uninvited and unwelcome guests”. Then we can demand a parking space and sound amplification equipment permit in front of illegal immigrant job centers so we can informally close them using the slogan “no business as usual” as Code Pink did in Berkeley to the Marines.
We probably wouldn’t be successful but we could give liberal city council members apoplexy (a goal in itself), make people think and show those Pinkers we fight back.
If this is inappropriate on this thread please let me know.
ALL Federal money out of Berzerkly, NOW! ALL OF IT!
This clown mayor thinks he’s important because he opposes the Marine Corps. These leftist idiots are losers, and should remain losers. The United States should stop kowtowing to these whining idiots.
I don’t want Berkeley here.
Master Bates, or rather his constituents, need to learn an economic lesson out of this.
Im guessing this guy was a misfit the entire time he was in the military and they finally got rid of him.
“Either resign or we get rid of you capt.”
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