Say Anything Blog

Code Pink has been granted special protest permits - complete with exceptions for parking, etc. - by the Berkeley City Council which allows the groups never-ending protest in front of the city’s local Marine recruiting center.

Now the Berkeley College Republicans, in a flash of genius, have applied for the same permits and exceptions.

The Berkeley College Republicans are looking to get the same permit privileges that anti-war group Code Pink use to protest outside the Marine recruiting center in Downtown Berkeley.

Working with Councilmember Kriss Worthington, the group is asking for sound waiver permits and a parking spot reservation outside the center on Wednesdays from 12 to 4 p.m., the same time Code Pink protests outside the center, said Kimberly Wagner, activism chair for the Berkeley College Republicans.

“(Code Pink’s) claim is that they’re protecting free speech,” she said. “I kind of don’t feel they are, they are inhibiting the recruitment center in general. It’s important that they are not unopposed, that there are people willing to fight them. Even though it’s Berkeley, the liberal center of America, there will be people (opposed).”

Worthington is working to have the item appear on an agenda in May.

One would think the Berkeley City Council would have to honor this request on the basis of the 14th amendment, if nothing else.  After all, under the 14th amendment all citizens of this country are to be afforded equal protection under the law.  That means the city council can’t play favorites with protest groups.

What would be fitting is if the College Republicans protested in front of the local Code Pink headquarters to impede activity there as much as Code Pink as impeded the recruiting efforts of the Marines.