RochesterConservative.com

By Kristin Bender STAFF WRITER and Angela Hart Correspondent
Mercury News

BERKELEY — The crowd at Berkeley City Hall is growing, and the number of
pro-military supporters is roughly double that of anti-war demonstrators.

About 500 people have arrived after a day of pro-military
and anti-war groups clashed over the city’s recent stance against U.S. Marine
Corps recruiters.

Both groups plan to re-assemble before the 7 p.m. city council meeting where,
members will consider rescinding a statement saying Marine recruiters are
unwelcome in the city.

Following is a running journal of events dating back to this morning
until the start of the meeting:

4:35 p.m.

Red, white and blue far outnumbers pink now in
the runup to the 7 p.m. city council meeting.

Three people have been arrested today, Berkeley police said.

Pete S. Alvatore, age unavailable, of Rocklin near Sacramento, was arrested
shortly after 1 p.m. on suspicion of brandishing a weapon, said Berkeley police
Sgt. Mary Kusmiss.

A group of Code Pink supporters wrapped Alvatore in a large banner and he
claimed he needed the knife to free himself, Kusmiss said.

One of the Code Pink supporters, from San Ramon, took his picture. He was
arrested because police concluded he brandished the knife in a threatening
manner and also made a death threat to one of the Code Pink members, Kusmiss
said.

Two teenagers, one 15 and the other 13, were arrested about 3:30 p.m. on
suspicion of disturbing the peace and challenging someone to a fight, Kusmiss
said

The teens, both skateboarders, got into an argument with pro-military
supporters. Police asked both to avoid confrontations and to not ride their
skateboards, but they did anyway, Kusmiss said.

Police had to use some force to subdue both. A crowd of about 200 people
converged at the police station afterward, angry over the arrests.

“The goal here is to ensure that all the protesters can express themselves
freely, and when officers are issuing orders, if officers feel there is a public
safety threat, they are going to use methods to disperse the crowd,” Kusmiss
said.

2:50 p.m.
A speech rally by members of Move America Forward has begun with nearly 200
people waving American flags, directly across the street from Code Pink
demonstrators, in the park across the street from the old City Hall.

“It’s hard to get through these deployments,” said Deborah Johns of Granite
Bay, near Folsom, who also is a Blue Star mom. “Stop harassing our military!”
She supports the recruiting station.

Eve Tidwell flew in this morning from Columbus, Ga., to represent a mothers
organization that supports Army soldiers from nearby Fort Benning, Ga.

“Yes, we use the word God, and yes we use the word bless,” said Tidwell, clad
in all red, white and blue and referring to how parents frequently say “God
bless the troops.” Tidwell plans to return to Georgia tonight.

“The Star-Spangled Banner” is being looped in the background.

2:40 p.m.

High school students have been a fixture at the protests today, despite
potential consequences.

“I’m skipping school to support what I believe in,” said Erin Kerr, 15, a
Berkeley High School sophomore. “My parents know I’m here and I don’t care if I
get suspended.”

“I’m skipping school, I don’t support the Marine recruiting center,” said
Alex McCoy, 14, a Berkeley High freshman. “I’m here as a high school student to
get people’s attention.”

Some Berkeley High students have been suspended for skipping school for the
protests, but he shrugged that off. “I would have come here no matter what,” he
said and preferred to be at the protest instead of in class. “Most of my
teachers are here too.”

2:15 p.m.

Both protest crowds have largely dissipated and the lawn in front of the old
city hall has been overtaken by nearby high school students getting out of
class.

The demonstrators plan to re-group in advance of this evening’s 7 p.m. city
council meeting intended to resolve the controversy one way or another.

Some protesters from the anti-war group Code Pink have moved to the front of
the Marine recruiting station that has been at the center of the controversy.
The station was closed.

1:20 p.m.

The two primary groups demonstrating — the pro-military Move America Forward
and the anti-war Code Pink — have dissipated considerably since the morning,
allowing a relative calm to come over the City Hall lawn.

A handful of teachers from Berkeley High School, located across the street
from the old City Hall, have brought out their students so they can see their
lesson plans play out before heir eyes.

Phil Halpern brought out his fourth-period communications and social justice
class.

“It’s a great exercise in democracy for them to see this,” Halpern said.

Special education teacher Leah Katz said she has encouraged her students to
witness the demonstrations, and plans to encourage students in other classes to
take part as well.

At least one student said he was left with no choice but to watch the
protests after he was barred from returning to class after leaving without
permission.

Now, the crowd of about 250 high schoolers are the dominant population on the
lawn. Some students, however, saw it more as a chance to get out of class,
evidenced by the sight of teen couples necking in the midst of the protests.

Some students have sat down on the area of the lawn that police designated to
Move America Forward, and some members of the pro-military group are trying to
get them to leave, leading to verbal confrontations.

12:45 p.m.

The Move America Forward crowd has multiplied. Hundreds wear military gear
like hats, pins, uniforms and carry American flags — more than 50 flags waved
in the air.

Code Pink members marched around the other group on the City Hall lawn,
chanting “‘make love, not war.”

Protesters then mixed together, and small groups yelled at each other,
leading police officers in riot gear to break up the groups and create a 10- to
15 foot separation between them on the City Hall lawn.

Martin Luther King Jr. Way has been closed.

Music blared over loud speakers, played by a military band.

12:30 p.m.

Police have separated the two main protest groups, Code Pink and Move America
Forward, trying to keep about 150 anti-military demonstrators away from about
300 pro-military people.

A physical confrontation occurred between a Move America Forward member and a
Berkeley High School student after the groups were separated. The pro-military
protester, who punched the student, was detained by police.

12:15 p.m.

In the background, a radio plays the Bob Dylan anthem, “The Times They Are
A-Changin’,” followed by Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth.”

Across the street, supporters for Move America Forward waved their Marine and
American flags.

Marysville resident Nick Tanguay, 43, sports a shirt saying “Places to go,
people to piss off.”

He’s here today in support of the Marines. “I agree with a lot of what they
say, but when they attacked the Marines, that was enough,” he said.

Tanguay’s oldest son has been a Marine for two years and he is proud of him.
He lifts his pants leg up, the denim crinkles around his knee and displays a
tattoo portraying his son’s face with a Marine’s hat on.

Tanguay doesn’t like President Bush, but he supports the military. “This is
an unjust war, but the anger should be directed at Bush and our government, not
the Marine Corps,” he said.

Mary MonkowskI, 56, came to Berkeley from Portland, Ore., after seeing a
video on the Internet about the protests.

“To harass the troops is the cheap easy way out of an incredibly complex
problem,” she said. “It is wrong to blame the military for the decisions made by
the executive and legislative branches of our government.”

12:15 p.m.

Ann Wright, 61, spoke through a megaphone.

“We don’t support an illegal and immoral war …we want this recruiting
station out of here,” Wright declared. “They lie, they cheat and this system is
sucking our young men and women in,” she said.

“We need to take our country back,” she said.

Wright spoke for the organization Veterans for Peace. She said she ended her
29-year military career in 2003 because of her opposition to the Iraq war. The
Honolulu resident travels all over the United States speaking out against the
U.S. engagement in Iraq.

Protester Hal Muskat reclined on a lawn chair.

“I think the City Council is righteous and courageous, and I’m here to
support them,” he said.

“It’s already working, no matter what happens in those chambers tonight,”
said Muskat, also a member of Veterans for Peace. “Maybe Berkeley can show the
world what we stand for and maybe in ten years the rest of the country will
follow, and kick out the recruiting stations.”

11:45 a.m.

Demonstrators were outside the old City Hall, chanting,”Skateboard, don’t
waterboard” as Berkeley High School students skate by. Many were skipping school
and coming out on their lunch breaks to learn more about opposition to the
Marine recruiting station and the war in Iraq.

“I’m here to hear the opinions,” said Tessa Roe, 15, a student. “I think it’s
inappropriate to try to recruit kids for the army and the war. I’d rather have
the … money spent to keep our library open longer, so we can learn for
ourselves and decide what we want to do.”

While the students shouted along with the honking cars driving by, speeches
were held at the Code Pink campsite.

10 a.m.

Honking, hooting and hollering.

That was the sound of the morning commute today on Martin Luther King Jr. Way
in Berkeley.

Code Pink, a women’s peace organization, supporters shouted “We are the true
patriots” through blowhorns, while pro-military organization Move America
Forward supporters yelled back “We’re all-American.”

The divide between the two groups is only 6 feet long, the distance of
roadway separating the screams and cries of outrage at each other’s views.

The signs waving in the air mimic the protesters’ chants. ‘”Support victory,
surrender is not an option,” adorned one sign of the pro-military groups, while
“You can’t attend college in a body bag” could be seen on one carried by their
opposition.

Heide Unger, a Move America Forward activist, traveled from Gilroy to take
part in the activities.

“I should have brought some garlic to ward off the evil from Code Pink,” she
said.

Unger carried a bronze Civil War medal in her back pocket that belonged to
her great-great grandfather. Her walker was partially hidden under her flag and
red, white and blue sweaters.

“I support the federal government and the Marine Corps,” Unger said. “The
Code Pink people grabbed my wrist and tried to pull down my flag earlier this
morning, but I didn’t let go.”

Berkeley resident Bill Newton, 59, came from work at UC Berkeley to see the
commotion.

“I had to walk over here to check it out,” Newton said. “Frankly I think the
City Council is pretty stupid. But the war is pretty stupid too.”

Police officers were watching both sides to keep things from taking a violent
turn.

Oakland resident Becky Lyman, 37, a Code Pink activist, has camped out in
front of the old City Hall since Monday night. Coffee in her hand, she said she
feels like both sides want a common goal: the best thing for the country.

“We have opposing ways of approaching that,” Lyman said.

“Bring our soldiers back now,” she yelled.

“Killing is not the answer,” she screamed.

================================

Interesting that various dirt and fallout about Berkeley seems to be
popping into the news about now:

Berkeley Rent Board member facing charges

UC Berkeley Chancellor disses the Council

Love it!