Berkeley passed a measure last week encouraging protesters to gather outside the Marine office.

Republican lawmakers in Washington fired back this week, threatening to take back more than $2 million of federal funding to the city as well as money designated for the University of California-Berkeley, the campus that became a haven of protests during the Vietnam War.

The battle erupted after the Berkeley City Council approved a measure last week urging the Marine recruiters to leave their downtown office.

"If recruiters choose to stay, they do so as uninvited and unwelcome intruders," the item says.

It goes on to say the council applauds residents and organizations that "volunteer to impede, passively or actively, by nonviolent means, the work of any military recruiting office located in the City of Berkeley." 

Outside the Shattuck Avenue recruiting station earlier this week, a handful of protesters with the anti-war group Code Pink camped out, strumming a guitar as they sang anti-war songs and held signs against the Iraq war.

"Time to end the war, time to end the war, time to end the war right now," they sang to the beat of "I've Been Working on the Railroad." 

One giant sign said, "No Military Predators in Our Town." Another message on a pink placard read, "Join the Marines. Travel to Exotic Lands. Meet Exciting and Unusual People -- And Kill Them."

Zanne Joi peered out from under her straw hat. "This Marine recruiting station is trying to recruit our youth to go to Iraq to kill and be killed. And we are against that," said Joi, a member of Code Pink Women for Peace.

"This is part of a multi-pronged effort to end this war."

Protester Sharon Adams added: "This recruiting station recruits people to go fight and then once they fight and they serve their country, our country doesn't take care of them. That's a shame."

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But not everyone here supports the protesters.

Forrest Smith, who described himself as a veteran of U.S. Special Forces, said his son recently returned from a tour in Iraq and his daughter served in Afghanistan.

"My position on this is the Marines are the best thing we have," said Smith, decked out in Army fatigues.

He blasted the City Council for its action. "It's clearly an abuse of power."

A group of young students who strolled down the sidewalk shared that sentiment. They derided one of the protesters who argued the United States was involved in an illegal war in Iraq.

"Where's the logic in that whatsoever?" one of the young men said. "That's our national security, and you're here protesting the Marines."

Another said, "It makes me sick. It makes me sick."

Gunnery Sgt. Pauline Franklin, a spokeswoman for the Marine Corps Recruiting Command, told CNN there is "no plan for that office to move."

She said recruiters are there to "provide information to qualified men and women who are looking for opportunities that they may benefit from by serving in the military."

"The Marine Corps is here to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, which does guarantee the freedom of speech," Franklin said. "In terms of the situation in Berkeley, the City Council and the protesters are exercising their right to do so."

In Washington, a group of Republican lawmakers have introduced the Semper Fi Act of 2008 -- named after the Marine motto -- to rescind more than $2 million of funds for Berkeley and transfer it to the Marine Corps.

"Like most Americans, I really get disturbed when taxpayer money goes to institutions which proceed to take votes, make policy or make statements that really denigrate the military," said Sen. David Vitter, R-Louisiana, a co-sponsor of the bill.

He told CNN he believes the bill will pass. "I think it's going to have significant support."

The bill's co-sponsor, Sen. Jim DeMint, R-South Carolina, said in a written statement, "Berkeley needs to learn that their actions have consequences."

Berkeley's declaration, which was introduced by the city's Peace and Justice Commission, accuses the United States of having a history of "launching illegal, immoral and unprovoked wars of aggression and the Bush administration launched the most recent of those wars in Iraq and is threatening the possibility of war in Iran."

It adds, "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."

Out on Shattuck Avenue, it appears the protesters have no plans to leave anytime soon. "We are the civilian population; we control the military," Adams said. "We the people have to take back our control of the military."

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Bay Area CODEPINK is rocking our world. One of the pillars of the war machine is military recruitment; our sisters in Berkeley, California are using all their energy and love to bring that pillar down!

Last year, much to the shock of anti-war Berkeley, a Marines Recruiting Station opened in the heart of the city. CODEPINK has been protesting its presence ever since with breastfeeding circles, yoga, singing and other life-affirming vigils. The citizens of Berkeley have made it clear that they reject Bush's failed military policy in Iraq and refuse to participate by allowing military recruitment of their children into an endless occupation.

Last Tuesday, the Berkeley City Council voted to send a letter to the Marines Recruiting Station stating they're unwanted intruders in the community; they also voted to give CODEPINK a parking space and sound permit to demonstrate outside the Station.

The following day, CODEPINK launched the first ever zoning initiative to limit military recruiting stations in the area and the Berkeley City Council is doing what they can to adopt the measure quickly. [To read about the historic initiative, which has spawned news stories, support around the country, and more hate mail than we've received in a while, click here.]

The Berkeley City Council has been bombarded with hateful messages from pro-war forces, as well; your positive words are crucial to the forward movement of the campaign.
Please click here http://codepinkalert.org/article.php?id=3622  
to thank the Berkeley City Council for voting to stop the war machine in their community!

This Valentine's Day, follow the lead of CODEPINK Berkeley activists, and bring the peace-making power of love to a military recruiting center in your own town! CODEPINK is planning Make Out, Not War actions at recruiting centers around the country.

Valentine's Day Kiss-In at Military Recruiting Centers Now who could resist a KISS-IN So how many people could sit around all day and Kiss their sweetie, To help stop war. I sure could.

[THANK YOU ELSIE E. FOR THIS!!!  BMT]

http://www.codepinkalert.org//article.php?list=type&type=343  

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Initiative sponsors include Berkeley residents, CODEPINK, and individuals from many organizations, including Watada Support Committee/API Resist!, and the National Lawyers Guild.

CODEPINK ALERT for Berkeley, CA Residents:

Sign our initiative to refine Berkeley zoning laws for military recruiting!  For more info call (510) 524-2776 or visit the CODEPINK local office on Solano Avenue in Albany!  Also, join our weekly protest outside the Marines Recruiting Station on Shattuck Square at University!  Click here for action details.

Download and read the text of the initiative

NEW! Read our Berkeley Recruiting Action FAQs!

See action highlights from the daily vigil outside the Marines Recruiting Station in Berkeley.

Download info about the Regulating Military Recruiting Coalition

RECENT PRESS & NEWS COVERAGE

Berkeley Finds a New Way to Make War Politics Local New York Times, February 1

Berkeley Council Tells Marines to Leave Contra Costa Times, January 30, 2008

Supporters, protesters wage a war of words over Berkeley recruiting stationSF Chronicle, October 18

Demonstrators face off on Iraq in Berkeley Inside Bay Area
October 18

'Marine Recruiters 'Traitors,' Say Code Pink ProtestersCrosswalk.com
October 18

Medea Benjamin on Hannity & Colmes, October 5

Code Pink Confronts Recruiters- Berkeley Daily Planet October 5

YouTube Coverage of the Berkeley Recruiting Station Actions

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