Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
San Francisco Chronicle
March 23, 2008
Pg. B1
By Carolyn Jones, Chronicle Staff Writer
BERKELEY -- Berkeley hosted a decidedly different kind of protest Saturday when about 400 flag-waving, leather-clad, pro-troops bikers roared into town to show their support for an often besieged Marine recruiting center in the city.
"I'm here because I support my Marines," said Steve Bosshard, a retired San Francisco police officer who came from Santa Rosa. "I don't like what Berkeley's done. They don't realize the effect it has on the troops."
The center was criticized by the Berkeley City Council and is often the target of protests.
Saturday's demonstrators, most of whom were veterans or families of those currently in the military, said they were protesting the council's decision in February to waive the amplified-sound permit fees and provide reserved parking in front of the Marines' office for Code Pink, an anti-war group that stages protests at the center.
Saturday's protesters gathered at the recruiting station and sang the Marine Corps hymn and national anthem, revved their motorcycles and waved flags. A small contingent from Code Pink stood on the fringes, having mostly peaceful conversations with their pro-Marine counterparts.
There were no arrests by Saturday afternoon.
The demonstrators said they plan to boycott Berkeley businesses until the council is recalled, apologizes or grants free permits to a pro-troop group.
The group that organized the protest, Eagles Up, had to pay for their permit.
The gathering outnumbered Wednesday's anti-war demonstration at the center, marking the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war.
"We're going to stop giving any business to Berkeley and Alameda County, said Brian Dennard, a San Diego businessman at Saturday's rally. "We want to bankrupt this city."
Berkeley merchants said they weren't overly fazed by the boycott.
"It hasn't affected me at all, not one bit," said Tim Barnard, owner of Pie in the Sky pizza restaurant on Center Street. "We've been busy the whole time, even during the Code Pink protests."
Eagles Up members said they were going to collect their receipts from the weekend and present them to Berkeley City Hall, demonstrating how much money the city lost due to the boycott.
Berkeley residents making their way through the flag-waving crowd were mostly unimpressed by the protest.
"I'm against the war, but this is fine," said Davis Beekman of Berkeley. "It's a spectacle, a good photo op."
Recent Cal graduate Brendan Kussman said he was heartened by the protest.
"I think Code Pink has pissed off a lot of people," said Kussman, a theater major. "But overall, I think it's great we're in a country where people can come out and do this."
March 23, 2008
Pg. B1
By Carolyn Jones, Chronicle Staff Writer
BERKELEY -- Berkeley hosted a decidedly different kind of protest Saturday when about 400 flag-waving, leather-clad, pro-troops bikers roared into town to show their support for an often besieged Marine recruiting center in the city.
"I'm here because I support my Marines," said Steve Bosshard, a retired San Francisco police officer who came from Santa Rosa. "I don't like what Berkeley's done. They don't realize the effect it has on the troops."
The center was criticized by the Berkeley City Council and is often the target of protests.
Saturday's demonstrators, most of whom were veterans or families of those currently in the military, said they were protesting the council's decision in February to waive the amplified-sound permit fees and provide reserved parking in front of the Marines' office for Code Pink, an anti-war group that stages protests at the center.
Saturday's protesters gathered at the recruiting station and sang the Marine Corps hymn and national anthem, revved their motorcycles and waved flags. A small contingent from Code Pink stood on the fringes, having mostly peaceful conversations with their pro-Marine counterparts.
There were no arrests by Saturday afternoon.
The demonstrators said they plan to boycott Berkeley businesses until the council is recalled, apologizes or grants free permits to a pro-troop group.
The group that organized the protest, Eagles Up, had to pay for their permit.
The gathering outnumbered Wednesday's anti-war demonstration at the center, marking the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war.
"We're going to stop giving any business to Berkeley and Alameda County, said Brian Dennard, a San Diego businessman at Saturday's rally. "We want to bankrupt this city."
Berkeley merchants said they weren't overly fazed by the boycott.
"It hasn't affected me at all, not one bit," said Tim Barnard, owner of Pie in the Sky pizza restaurant on Center Street. "We've been busy the whole time, even during the Code Pink protests."
Eagles Up members said they were going to collect their receipts from the weekend and present them to Berkeley City Hall, demonstrating how much money the city lost due to the boycott.
Berkeley residents making their way through the flag-waving crowd were mostly unimpressed by the protest.
"I'm against the war, but this is fine," said Davis Beekman of Berkeley. "It's a spectacle, a good photo op."
Recent Cal graduate Brendan Kussman said he was heartened by the protest.
"I think Code Pink has pissed off a lot of people," said Kussman, a theater major. "But overall, I think it's great we're in a country where people can come out and do this."