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.
You know, I wonder what the left-wing blogosphere would be saying if it were an abortion clinic, or, say, the offices of the San Francisco Chronicle. Do you suppose under that circumstance, the cops would have taken 7 1/2 hours to deal with it, and issued only citations in two of the three cases?
The important thing is to recognize that their conscience is superior to one’s.
I’m also intrigued at the notion that physically blocking someone’s entry into a public building is “nonviolent.” What will these “nonviolent” folks do if someone tries to pass through their blockade?
Then you are the bloodthirsty aggressor for trying to cross their line of peace and understanding…
I’m sure that this has been stated elsewhere, but why don’t the Democrat candidates get asked about this shit, but every Republican has to be grilled over South Carolina having the Stars and Bars on the State Capitol grounds?
Hi Dan,
I’m left thinking that the question boils down to whether the city can enforce its own “public-access” codes governing its public buildings?
Like, if I’m trying to enter my local Berkeley Post Office to check my mail, and some gang-bangers are blocking the way, can I count on the city-cops to be allowed to enforce my public right to free access?
The immediate impression I get from the (most recent) Berkeley fiasco is, the answer is “No.”
However, to give the City’s Fathers* their due, if the target building had been, say, a public library, they may have dispatched law-enforcement more quickly. Can’t be sure, though.
Jeffersonian,
It’s kinda like, Black-Water-Security-style vs. Berkeley City Council, huh? Godzilla vs Mothra!
If this had happened at one of Trump’s Chicago properties, or on the marble steps of some private casino in LV, they would’ve been bounced off the premises in a teenager’s minute by private security.
No. Questions. Asked.
* or Whatever (to trump pretend outrage from gender-tribalists).
I gotta ask one question of the Marines though:
What kinda quality of a Marine can you possibly get from the kids in Berkley?
Scape-goat
What kinda quality of a Marine can you possibly get from the kids in Berkley?
UC Berkeley, SFSU, USF all have students from places all over the country. The majority of them are not leftist moonbats. There’s even ROTC at UC Berkeley.
Nitpick Alert: The “Stars and Bars” flag was the first official flag of the Confederate States of America, resembling, to a certain extent, the present flag of the State of Georgia (but with seven stars arranged in a circle in place of Georgia’s state crest).
The flag everyone foams at the mouth about, based on the St. Andrew’s cross design, is one of many forms of the Confederate Battle Flag, used by troops to eliminate confusion between the rebels’ Stars and Bars on the one hand, and the Union’s Stars and Stripes on the other.
There were two subsequent “official flags” of the CSA, both using the battle flag as part of their design. Neither was ever referred to as Stars and Bars.”
“UC Berkeley, SFSU, USF all have students from places all over the country. The majority of them are not leftist moonbats. There’s even ROTC at UC Berkeley.”
Ah. So they import their courage and common sense from the outside.
I understand now.
What kind of Marines would allow their office to be blocked for that long? Are they that out of money that they can’t go to a hardware store, buy some lock snippers or some acetylene torches, and open up their office themselves? Least they could do get a white cane and some sunglasses and just start opening the doors from the inside and acting surprised that the doors won’t open.
That’s how I’d handle the situation at an abortion clinic, recruiting office, or even a fucking petshop.
jon –
It’s a lose-lose situation for the recruiters.
As previously pointed out, this is not “non-violent” protest. This is trespass, and it’s also happening on public right of way.
The CITY won’t enforce the contract/property rights of the lease holder, aka the U.S. Marines. So, supposing the Marines do buy a set of bolt cutters and do a snip and carry?
First off, you get spit on. Second, more cameras than Britney Spears ever thought could exist take stills and video as you nudge aside (a) somebody’s grandma clad in a “FUCK BUSH” pink tee or (b)a 28 year old coed whose armpits have never seen a razor nor her 44 extra floppies a bra or (c) some local council prick who wants some points for his next election. Third, regardless of where the command to a act came from, you receive official notice that SOMEBODY in either the Marine Corps, DoN, DoD, or other gubmint agency is “concerned” about this display of state tyranny against citizens exercising their first amendment rights….
…. at which point we get back to “it’s not a peaceful protest”.
I was a production recruiter in the Bay Area 87 – 88. I thought that San Francisco was a magnificent city. Such a shame that the defining characteristic I remember is not the bridge, nor the hills, but rather the smell of urine and shit permeating U.N. Plaza.
My e-mail to the asshats at Bezerkely:
“Gentlemen,
This is a letter of protest over your treatment of the heroes who are members of the United States Marine Corps.
My son, Cpl Matthew J. Ford just completed a 6 month tour of duty as a member of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East.
For your information, as part of their mission, the 22nd MEU, on board the USS Kearsarge, ran a huge humanitarian mission giving aid, relief, medical assistance and clean water to thousands of people in the country of Bangladesh, which had been hit by a huge cyclone.
The actions by the city of Berkeley are despicable, spitting in the face of the men and women who protect your privilege of free speech. And it is a privilege, bought with the blood of men and women far better than you.”
Michelle Malkin has the email addresses on her site.
[…] Danny Collins: You know, I wonder what the left-wing blogosphere would be saying if it were an abortion clinic, […]
I find this somehow fitting.
The important thing is to recognize that their conscience is superior to one’s.
One’s…what?
To TmjUtah, sometimes you just have to take on the assholes. Lose/lose? If you aren’t willing to handle things yourself, then you do so on the city’s timeline. I bet they had more important/pressing issues than three doofuses chained to a door. Now, if you make a 911 call to the police saying you are about to put the acetylene torch to the chain, I bet they’ll come in a hurry.
Sometimes you have to make the police do their job. When I once suggested that some homeless guys looked like they were about to smash the car that was parked illegally in front of my driveway, they came in about ten minutes and had the asshole’s vehicle towed. The first call, an hour earlier, merely reporting the car? They said they’d work on it.
Sometimes you have to be an asshole to deal with an asshole. Dealing with civil disobedience is one such time. Sure, you take the chance that you will look badly. But if you are in the right, go for it. If the protesters are going to have to do something drastic, at least let them have something to show for it. I bet there are many people who can show off the scars that police dogs gave them and say, “That’s so you can vote.” I doubt many will say, referring to the burns on their arms, “That’s why you have to use the Internet to schedule a recruiting visit in Berkeley, California.”
Never mind, Xanthippas. You wouldn’t understand.
the article isn’t clear, but are recruiting offices always open? I mean, I know recruiters do a lot of work outside of the office, so maybe they just weren’t there until late afternoon. OTOH maybe the Marines just thought it would be more fun to have the police handle them. BECAUSE OF THE HYPOCRISY!!!
Maybe next time they can try the FD. I’m sure sone kind of fire code was violated blocking egress from a building.
The ones I’ve seen keep more or less regular office hours. In a nearby town the recruiters’ offices are inside a regional shopping mall.
If anyone is interested in seeing what these pinkafools are doing, zombie has posted pics
These are the same ilk that tried to get Junior ROTC banned from the schools. Heaven forbid that anyone ever get to make a choice not approved by these commie has-beens. Even if it helps a kid.
I’m just waiting for the bumper sticker: “PC Choice, or No Choice at All”
After the demonstration dissolved, and everyone packed up their stuff and left, a crew-cutted employee came out of the Marine Corps office with a hose and washed away all evidence of the protest. Good as new!
…
It seems that every evening, the Marines send out the Hose Brigade to erase any trace of the ideological struggle.”
Heh.
Please stop by http://www.MoveAmericaForward.org where we have a response, relevant graphics, video, and contact information, and an important petition to sign. Beyond that, please join us if you can at the next city council meeting on the 12th…