by Juliana Birnbaum Fox
No to a U.S. Marine recruitment center Oponents to the Iraq war protest in Berkeley against a U.S. Marine recruitment center. (photos by Juliana Birnbaum Fox)
Protesters on both sides of the Iraq war issue descended on downtown Berkeley last Tuesday to make their opinions known to the City Council regarding the Marine recruiting center there. After months of protesting and campaigning outside the center, led by the feminist peace group Code Pink, the Council voted 6-3 on Jan. 29 to send a letter asking the Marines to leave.
The controversial declaration called the recruiters “unwelcome intruders,” and a parking spot outside the Marine center and a noise permit for their bullhorns was granted to the protesters. The letter also accuses the United States of having a history of “launching illegal, immoral and unprovoked wars of aggression.”
“Military recruiters are salespeople known to lie to and seduce minors and young adults into contracting themselves into military service with false promises regarding jobs, job training, education and other benefits,” the letter continues.
A national firestorm of reaction was sparked, including in Congress, where Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., introduced a bill last week to cut $2 million of Berkeley’s federal funding.
“It’s a national embarrassment. It’s time for Berkeley to realize that actions have consequences,” he said in a prepared statement.
The Council has also received more than 25,000 emails and phone calls, both raging against and enthusiastically thanking them. Both sides claimed victory on Wednesday, when the council voted 7 -2 not to send the resolution to the Marines, but to restate the council’s opposition to the war, and not to apologize.
“We’re thrilled with what the council did,” said Rae Abileah, national coordinator for Code Pink. ”They voted against apologizing to the Marines, and we still have our parking space. And they created a national dialogue about the war.”
The dissenting votes came from Betty Olds and Gordon Wozniak, who felt the council should have gone a step further and said they were sorry for causing offense.
“We insulted the Marines and they deserve an apology,” said Wozniak at the council meeting. “At this point, the issue is not the war. The issue is what the Berkeley City Council did. We failed our city.”
Three people were arrested for assaulting opposing protesters- and a fourth for allegedly slapping a police officer – in what was one of the largest demonstrations in the city in years. The scene was reminiscent of Vietnam war protests, which were famously intense in Berkeley.
“Never again should anybody say, where are the youth in all of this,” said Code Pink activist Zane Joi at the protest as students from nearby Berkeley High School challenged war supporters and attempted to ‘take the park back’ from them. “They are right here.”
Council chambers were crowded with protestors on Tuesday evening, both congratulating the council and condemning them. Public testimony went on for hours, and continued on Wednesday morning.
Peace activists are taking a new strategy, working to place a resolution on the local ballot to kick the recruiters out of town.
“We want voters to be able to decide … just like they have a say whether a liquor store or porn shop opens near a school,” Jodie Ebans, a Berkeley yoga studio owner who co-founded Code Pink.
