Code Pink hits the trail Avoids face off with biker Marines

Code Pinko cowards have much in common with other criminals. They only like to assail easy targets. Once they had notice that the Marines Biker Club was paying a visit to Code Pink's headquarters in Albany, the lily livered cowards left only a sign as their welcome wagon.

"Sorry we missed you boys."

Sure they are... Club member, George Newkirk, hit the nail on the head.

"Yeah, I look at that as the enemy always runs when the marines have landed."

You make me proud, boys. And remember, the rubber side goes down.

Oh the irony.... CodePink's Meda calls on Marines for personal safety

Chutzpah... that's all I have to say.

Eamon Kelley, the young Marine who is featured in Move America Forward’s TV commercial that ran on Fox News earlier this week, could hardly believe his own ears when Benjamin called on the Marines for help.

Kelley, who is recovering from back surgery, spent his day in Berkeley, where CodePink continues with Berkeley council’s blessing, to keep a virtual blockade at the recruit center, expanding its efforts to harass American troops and to turn back any young Americans looking to enlist.

snip

“While we were at the protest in Berkeley from 12 to 4 p.m., a white Volvo drove by and a man spat upon CodePink,” Kelley wrote in an email to MAF’s Melanie Morgan. “They chased him down the street and got into a verbal altercation. The police were NOWHERE in sight.

“That’s not the best part, ready for this?

“Medea Benjamin yelled and I quote “Marines!” She actually yelled for our help because this man had stepped out of his car. I even asked her if she was yelling Police and she told me, “I said Marines” then put her arm around my friend Allen (the Marine Vet). Ironic?”

snip

Yesterday in front of Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, Calif., Medea Benjamin gave new meaning to the old adage: Ah, the things you see when you don’t have your camera.

read article in entirety here

Oddly enuf, haven't seen this in a US media outlet yet. Canada's Canadian Free Press picked it up, johnny on the spot.

Berkeley vs the USMC - UPDATE

It was Feb 9th when I last posted that the Calvary was enroute to Berkeley in the wake of their "Marines uninvited and unwelcome here" letter and attitudes. That calvary was comprised of pro military supporters in the form of veterans, ex-veterans, military families, and private business that were threatening boycott of anything Berkeley.

The following week's council meeting... after hearing 125 speakers - pro and con - battle over the USMC recruiting office on University... resulted in the council opting to NOT send the letter to the USMC "uninviting" them. However they still refused to apologize for the rigamarow, and sealed the event with an official kiss and blessing - siding with the anti-war supporters.

Guess what... NOT GOOD ENUF! sez many with cash in their wallets.

Today's Contra Costa Times (thank heavens, a brief EX stomping ground for me...) sez business in Berkeley is having trouble.

"We're hearing of folks canceling reservations and canceling hotel rooms, and we know there is a direct correlation. How big, I don't know. We're in a tough economic period anyway," said Ted Garrett, chief executive officer of the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber has received an estimated 300 e-mails, letters and faxes from people upset about the council's action and its refusal to apologize, he said.

snip

Mo Hallaji, owner of Pollo's at Shattuck Avenue and Addison Street, said his business has declined 10 percent to 15 percent this month because of the traffic jams and fighting associated with the protests.

"They are killing our business," he said. "Everybody is against the war, but that is not the right way to go about it if you want to accomplish something."

Quentin Moore, owner of Berkeley Hardware on University Avenue, is not far from the U.S. Marine recruiting center, at 64 Shattuck Square, and the protests might be causing a downturn in his business.

"I see maybe two or three customers in here, and maybe (the protests) are the reason," he said.

snip

"The downtown is like a full-time circus right now. There isn't a day when we're not hearing the drums and the noise. I think it's off-putting," said Susie Medak, managing director of the Berkeley Repertory Theatre.

snip

Many were angered by the move that they viewed as anti-troop and anti-American. An estimated 30,000 e-mails were sent to City Hall, condemning the council's move.

Gee... wonder why? It appears that the council's half-hearted withdrawal of their insidious letter is not the only deterrent. Code Pink and their new cohorts in business/economic crime - the orange wearing The World Can't Wait (what a clash of colors...) are still on the warpath in the streets, trying to ram their agenda down the community's collective throats. To top it off, they refuse to take any responsibility for the business decline, blaming it on the economic downturn instead.

CodePink leaders, who went door-to-door Tuesday passing out sandwiches and pink window signs reading "Another Berkeley Business for Peace," deny that the protests are affecting downtown business.

"If they want to blame the downturn in the economy on a protest against the Marines, it's a pretty bad excuse," CodePink co-founder Medea Benjamin said.

City Councilwoman Dona Spring also does not view the protests as a problem. She said only the businesses on the same block are being affected.

"Every anti-war group in the East Bay wants to come and protest. This is where the action is," she said.

Right... These people need to get a *real* job to fill their day.

The final two graphs are a real hoot...

Deborah Badhia, executive director of the Downtown Business Association, said the fallout and the protests have been a "hardship" on businesses.

"In spite of any political issues that are going on, we still want the public to know that they are welcome and invited in Berkeley," she said.

That is unless you are a USMC warrior, or any pro-military/veteran citizen in the USA.


H/T to Dinah Lord

Calvary enroute to Marines aid in Berkeley Brian Dennard quietly leading charge with MDG's wallet!

I mentioned in the below post, "Berkeley Mayor: ex military with forked tongue", that there was a letter written to Mayor Bates from a higher up official from mega development firm. This letter stated that the firm would be boycotting any Berkeley suppliers - indeed *anything* and *anyone* from Berkeley - as a response to the City Council's attempt to drive the Marines out of the city limits.

Reports have been verified via The Absurd Report of the letter from Brian Dennard of Meridian Development Group, LLC.

MDG is a mega developer with high dollar developments in Baja, California under way. And he let the Mayor know, in no uncertain terms, that Berkeley would not see a dime of his company's money.

In that you and your city have chosen to gravely insult the brave men and women, who have indeed bought you that right with their blood, I am informing you that my company will no longer do business with any of our current suppliers located in the Berkeley, California metro area.

In that my company is in international resort real estate development, and do business with and am associated with, developers and investors worldwide, I am informing all of my contacts, associates and patrons that we will no longer do any business of any sort with anyone living in the Berkeley area.

In that we/MDG Resorts are currently building a state of the art mega-yacht marina, all of the suppliers of Marina equipment, all owners of Yachts , all suppliers of Yacht materials & supplies, all yacht brokers and all tangential yacht business purveyors will likewise be informed that we will not do any business whatsoever with anyone from the Berkeley area.

Likewise all suppliers of building materials, both interior and exterior, currently associated with any of our several resort developments (Brisamar 300+ villas and 200+ condos: Porto Hussong, www.portohussong.com 500+ condos, 180 slip mega-yacht marina) both of which I might add have international recognition by virtue of glowing reports in Robb Report, Wall Street Journal, Yacht World, Forbes.

I will likewise inform all of our investors, most of whom are very wealthy yacht owners, casino owners, high net worth international businessmen, of our decision to essentially boycott all products and providers located in, or associated with in any way whatsoever, Berkeley, Ca.

Trust me when I say that having been in the real estate development business for over 35 years, our list of contacts and associates is long and very, very impressive. We, and I personally, are going to recomend that they ALL along with us boycott your city, its purveyors, suppliers, and businesses and CHARITIES of every kind.

You have every right to choose to take the obnoxious anti-military stance you have taken, and as stated, that right was bought for you with the blood of better men than you.

I too have every right to do all that I can to insure that your city suffers consequences arising from that obnoxious, sickening stance.

Dennard... no doubt one Code Pink would classify as a "capitalist pig"... is a citizen hero. The letter made the rounds quietly on the Internet via emails - unpublished in the media public domain - as he sought no attentions for him or his firm. But it has been yet one more crosshair trained on the anti-military community. And the result is that the calvary is enroute to Berkeley - ground zero - for their Tuesday council meeting.

Hundreds of protesters from across the country and the political spectrum are expected to descend on City Hall with bullhorns, drums, banners and plenty of vitriol in anticipation of the City Council's debate over the Marines' recruiting station in town.

The ruckus started last week when the council voted to send a letter to the Marines, calling them "unwanted intruders" for opening the recruiting center on Shattuck Avenue last year. At the same time, the council granted Code Pink a parking space and a sound permit to make it easier for the peace group to conduct protests outside the center.

On Monday, Councilwomen Betty Olds and Laurie Capitelli introduced an item for this week's meeting, asking the city to retract its statements about the Marines and clarify that the city is against the war, not against the armed forces.

"We're starting to get people coming in from all over the U.S.," said Catherine Moy, executive director of Move America Forward, one of several pro-military groups planning an all-day protest Tuesday at Maudelle Shirek City Hall. "People are pretty upset. We want to avoid clashes, but it could be really, really big. We don't really know what's going to happen."

Peace groups, disgusted that the council would cave in to pressure from the pro-military groups, plan to host their own rally, an "emergency 24-hour peace-in vigil," complete with singing, drums and dialogue.

"We want to protect our city from the onslaught of the right wing," said Code Pink spokeswoman Zanne Joi. "We're facing people who are willing to kill or send other people's children to kill to get what they want. We understand the reality of that, and we're prepared to face that in a nonviolent way."

Too late now, Berkeley. Try as you will, your actions belie that "not against the troops" crap. You laid your cards on the table one too many times. Your Mayor has publicly proclaimed he supports Code Pink's agenda - a world without a US military. And now patriots, such as Dennard, are willing to penalize you where you will feel it the most - in your city's wallet.

Then you have some simple minded Berkeley'ites trying to come up with other sale'able reasons as to why they think the recruiting office should be moved out of the city. For the most part, responses to Debra Saunder's column on Feb 5th were surprisingly in favor of telling the council that they were way out of line.

But then you get comments from poster, Sahajyoga who patiently tries to explain that the whole bru'ha'ha has nothing to do with hating the military, but is really a legit power under the guise of city zoning ordinances and the types of businesses that were allowable... .... thereby aptly demonstrating that during her/his yoga sessions, he/she has clearly spent far too much time with the blood rushing to the head.

The USMC recruiting office is located near University Ave and Shattuck... a few blocks from the campus. Now while general zoning ordinances may nail some specific businesses as being inappropriate near a campus... i.e. perhaps sex shops, liquor stores, half-way houses for predators... it's highly unlikely any court in the nation could find their way to calling a career option business inappropriate for the region. Afterall, what is a university but a place filled with youth who are looking for their future paths?

As if one absurd suggestion wasn't enough to prove damaged brain cells, the same poster then compounded it with another desperate grasp of straws - stating it was the perogative of the owner of the property. Sahajyoga obviously was clueless that it wasn't the property owner kicking the Marines out - it was the city council. Quite frankly, if I were the landlord, I'd be downright pissed at the council for interfering with a solid paying tenant and sweet lease agreement.

It's almost absurd they think of ways to defend the city council's actions. The council has no right to exercise "free speech" for others, so it can't be a 1st Amendment issue. They have rightly allowed Code Pink to protest. However Code Pink has broken sundry laws by subverting others' individual rights with physically blocking doorways... and never been prosecuted for such, of course. As is usual in Berkeley attitudes, the only free speech allowed is that of the progressive liberal voice. God help they'd respect one's right to decide to enlist.

Dennard's simple letter, DeMint's Semper Fi Act requesting Berkeley federal funds be diverted to the USMC instead, and even countless liberal anti-war Berkeley residents who are appalled at the council actions, have inspired a host of folks to travel to California's "foreign soil" for the upcoming council meeting. The fact is, all the drums, dialogue and chanting in the world is not going to stop Code Pink's private and sacred nirvana from being shaken to the core. The "silent minority" is heading their way.... silent no more.

And it's about bloody time!

Berkeley Mayor: ex military with forked tongue

On Jan 31, Fox ran the article of the Berkeley City Council's decision to allow Code Pink easy ability to disrupt and protest the presence of a Marine recruiting office. They want it moved.

BERKELEY, Calif. — Local officials in this liberal city say it's time for the U.S. Marines to move out.

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 this 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 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.

Mayor Bates issued a statement on his mayoral site. It was the usual pol doublespeak... the will of the Berkeley people... nonsense.

However what really caught my eye was the beginning excerpts:

I have heard from people all over the country regarding the action taken by the Berkeley City Council regarding the Marines recruiting center.

Let me be absolutely clear that this is not about the men and women who are serving our country in our armed forces. I am a retired U.S. Army Captain and I respect the choice of those who are serving our country.

However, this community strongly opposes the war in Iraq and the foreign policy of the current administration. I believed from the beginning that this was an unjust, illegal, and immoral war of choice.

Now let's add this to the kitty/fodder: his Fox quote:

"I believe in the Code Pink cause. The Marines don't belong here, they shouldn't have come here, and they should leave," said Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates.

Aside from the obvious official hatred for a citizen who happens to be a Marine, and how it has become cityu policy to make them unwelcome.... Bates mayoral position starkly contrasts with his quotes. He "respects" the active military's choice. But he doesn't respect granting any Berkeley denizens the right to choose a military career within city limits?

What a crock of shit... Code Pink's stated "goal" is evident in their Mission Statement:

Mission Statement

CODEPINK is a women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement working to end the war in Iraq, stop new wars, and redirect our resources into healthcare, education and other life-affirming activities. We reject the Bush administration's fear-based politics that justify violence, and instead calls for policies based on compassion, kindness and a commitment to international law. With an emphasis on joy and humor, CODEPINK women and men seek to activate, amplify and inspire a community of peacemakers through creative campaigns and a commitment to non-violence.

In short, Code Pink aims for no wars, and to them, that means no military is necessary.

Bates says it's "not about the men and women who are serving their country in the armed forces".... but on the other side of his forked tongue, also says he believes in the Code Pink cause of no needed military, no future wars.

Reconcile that one, Mayor... if you can.

In the meantime, there's unverified rumours of a letter by a mega developer who told Mayor Bates, in no uncertain terms, that they will be boycotting business with any suppliers, and anyone from Berkeley for that matter. More when it can be substantiated.