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Despite the fact that the pro-military
and anti-war demonstrations in front of the Berkeley City Hall have continued,
although in smaller numbers than predicted, the nationwide criticism forced the
City Council to change the attitude and take back some of the words used to
describe the Marines - “uninvited and unwelcome intruders.”
City Council members announced
they were thinking about reversing some of the declarations, showing their
support for those serving in the armed forces, but at the same time they were
planning on reaffirming their anti-war stance.
The Code-Pink activists’
demonstrations in front of the Berkeley recruitment office, calling for the
bureau to be closed, raised waves of protests across the country, and thousands
of e-mails and letters have been sent to the City Council, most of them disapproving
the city’s stance against the Marines.
Washington decided to respond to
the protests by threatening to cut $2 million of the federal funding to the
city if the anti-Marines declarations will continue, especially since a public
institution supports the protesters through such harsh declarations.
Out of the thousands expected to
take part in the rallies, around 500 showed up, some of them holding “Peace”
signs and asking for the troops to return home, while others were shouting “Shame
on Berkeley!” and “Stop Bashing Our Boys.”
The Code-Pink militants said
young people were recruited and sent to Iraq and Afghanistan to kill or be
killed, and that the state doesn’t take care of them afterwards. At the same
time, pro-troops militants said the Marines were the best thing they could
possibly have.
Following the weekend protests,
Sgt. Pauline Franklin said in a CNN interview: “There is no plan for the office
to move” and recruiters were sent there “to provide information to qualified
men and women who are looking for opportunities that they may benefit from by
serving in the military.”
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