door.

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Code Pink Protesters Try Witchcraft at Anti-Marine Rallies
Thursday, May 08, 2008

By Jana Winter

Feb. 12: Members of Code Pink and other anti-war protesters are separated by Berkeley Police officers from supporters of the Iraq War.
Code Pink is now resorting to witchcraft to beef up the number of its supporters protesting Berkeley's controversial Marine Corps Recruiting Center.

The women's anti-war group has told ralliers to come equipped with spells and pointy hats Friday for "Witches, clowns and sirens day," the last of the group's weeklong homage to Mother's Day.

"Women are coming to cast spells and do rituals and to impart wisdom to figure out how we're going to end war," Zanne Sam Joi of Bay Area Code Pink told FOXNews.com.

The group's week of themed protests, which included days to galvanize grannies and bring-your-daughter-to-protest, appears to have done little to boost its flagging numbers.

A FOX News camera, which has a 24/7 live shot of the recruiting center's front door, recorded little action, and the gatherings have, until this point, been ill attended.

•Click here to watch the FOXNews's Berkeley protest cam.

In February, the Marine Corps Recruiting Center was the site of fierce pro- and anti-war protests. It made national headlines when Berkeley's city council voted to send a letter to the recruiting station advising the Marines they were not welcome. Council members later moderated their position, saying they oppose the war in Iraq but support the troops.

Code Pink — which was given parking and noise permits by the city council and is allowed to protest during the recruiting center's business hours — has been protesting daily since September.

The group frequently announces bizarre theme weeks in front of the office, but their numbers have been dwindling and the events get little media attention.

Now, after three months of continual protest, their actions barely capture the attention of even the Marines at the recruiting center.

Capt. John Paul Wheatcroft said he's unfazed by Code Pink's antics.

"They're always in pink and wear funny things, half-shaved heads, one side with hair and the other one bald, yeah, I'm pretty much used to anything," he told FOXNews.com.

Code Pink said that grandmothers did show up for Monday's protest — some over 90 years old, some in wheelchairs — and began knocking on the door of the recruiting center.

• Click here to see pictures of past protests.

"The grandmothers were here and tried to get recruited," Joi said. "They tried to have conversations with the Marines, but the Marines were too scared to talk."

Wheatcroft, who was the Marine on the other side of the door, said that he was not afraid of the grannies. He just didn't open the door.

"Most of the time they are just practicing their right to protest and their freedom of speech or whatever, so it's not usually a problem for us. But sometimes it crosses the line, and that happened [Monday] when the grannies were here blocking the entrance and banging on the door," Wheatcroft told FOXNews.com.

On Tuesday, Code Pink's theme was "Fierce mothers raging against war," Joi said, to talk about all the mothers killed and raped in war. Wednesday's theme was "Bring your daughter to the protest," where daughters explanied why they don't want their parents fighting the war. Thursday is "Sisters don't allow sisters to live in war zones" day, and the week wraps up Friday with "Witches, clowns and sirens day."

Code Pink isn't the only group rallying around the Marine recruiting center that has seen its numbers drop.

Kimberly Wagner, Berkeley College Republicans activism chair, who is dating a Marine, said her group has been trying to keep up a presence outside the center since Feb. 13, when Code Pink's parking permit went into effect.

The college Republicans are fighting to acquire the same parking permits that Code Pink has. A resolution to grant the group an equal permit will be entered and voted upon in the May 20 city council meeting.

Wagner said showing up to rally is especially hard now due to final exams, which begin on Monday, but she said she will be there — this week and every week — "as a reminder to Code Pink that not everybody agrees with them."

When asked if she was planning any special events to counter Code Pink's theme week, Wagner said: "We try not to do anything embarrassing." She added, "We're just going to stick with our regular thing because we have lives and they don't."

But if events this week are an attempt by anti-war protesters to remarket their cause, the Marine recruiters in Berkeley tell FOXNews.com that Code Pink's presence outside their office has helped — not hindered — their mission.

"Ironically, it's actually helped us by putting our name out. We're now well known. And people know who we are, and where we are, and they come in to talk to us about enlisting. They've gotten us the publicity that we could've never afforded to pay for ourselves," Wheatcroft told FOXNews.com.

"Just in the last three weeks, 10 people came in looking to apply, looking to become Marine officers, and that's much higher than normal," he said.

Wheatcroft could not give exact figures on recruiting numbers, and officials at the Marine Corps' national headquarters did not respond to repeated requests for information.

As for what's brewing outside his recruiting center this week, Wheatcroft responded, "I think witches won't shock me, but it'll be a change of pace, so that's nice.

"Do you think they'll bring their cauldron?"

Great story, Cal. What a hoot.

Code Pink gets to do what they do and practice witchcraft thanks to the millions of other Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen that have given their lives for freedom and liberty. People like these Code Pink members don't know how to spell selfless sacrifice or even appreciate what those Marines do for them on a daily basis.

Ah, America...gotta love it!

Send this to Shep, he probably funds them.

I loved the part about the Marine's sense of humor about it all.

Some folks just desperately need to hate and fight...something.

Makes them feel like gettin up in the morning.

Shep is probably an honorary member...

quote:

Some folks just desperately need to hate and fight

Every once in a while you accidentally stumble on truth. It's just never quite how you intended it.

quote:

"Ironically, it's actually helped us by putting our name out. We're now well known. And people know who we are, and where we are, and they come in to talk to us about enlisting. They've gotten us the publicity that we could've never afforded to pay for ourselves," Wheatcroft told FOXNews.com.

"Just in the last three weeks, 10 people came in looking to apply, looking to become Marine officers, and that's much higher than normal," he said...

LMAO.....fooking idiot pinko's.

Do any of you KNOW that the Marine Corp is part of the US NAVY

if you can ansewer that one they er ah maybe you get credibility

BOOM way over your heads

No gee whiz Rich, I did not know that. Hmmm, amazing. Wow. You're a fooking genius.

Of course you did not because you cannot add........but i AM HERE TO HELP YOU MY FRIEND ok?

My daughter used to watch some show called the charmed ones or something like that. About witches in San Francsico. Too funny.

quote:

Originally posted by rich4eagle:
Do any of you KNOW that the Marine Corp is part of the US NAVY

if you can ansewer that one they er ah maybe you get credibility

BOOM way over your heads

my idiot nephew was in the marines, and he refused to believe that one. not to many people know that the marines are a branch off of the navy and that the airforce is a branch off of the army. and not to many people realize that the army trains close to 85% of all of the armed forces.

Your nephew was in the Marines and didn't know they were born from the Navy? Odd.

quote:

fooking idiot pinko's.

You are officially 100 years old.

quote:

Originally posted by shepwrite:

quote:

fooking idiot pinko's.

You are officially 100 years old.

I take that as a compliment, but then you're too lame to understand why. Anyone who does not think those people are fooking idiots does not understand the beautiful irony in their idiocy. I cannot expect someone as far left as you to understand the complete moronic position these people take, and the utter failure they're having getting that message across. The Marines are fooking LAUGHING at these people. I think that is great. Those people need to go get a job. They protest one thing, yet there effect is that recruitment - in fooking Berkeley no less - is way up.

Not the desired effect they wanted, but then again these people do not think things threw anyway so why am I not surprised.

I think you missed my point. It was just the use of the word "pinko," which is right up there with "hippy."

quote:

Originally posted by shepwrite:
I think you missed my point. It was just the use of the word "pinko," which is right up there with "hippy."

Hippy, Pinko, Commie, etc...I didn't miss your point. You missed mine, but as I stated you are far left of center, so I don't expect us to be on the same wave length. That is a good thing, trust me. This is a left leaning board.

quote:

Originally posted by Mr. T:

quote:

Originally posted by rich4eagle:
Do any of you KNOW that the Marine Corp is part of the US NAVY

if you can ansewer that one then er ah maybe you get credibility

BOOM way over your heads

my idiot nephew was in the marines, and he refused to believe that one. not to many people know that the marines are a branch off of the navy and that the airforce is a branch off of the army. and not to many people realize that the army trains close to 85% of all of the armed forces.

The Air Farce is not a branch of the Army it was broken off in 1947 for photo ops and golf ......which is what the Air Farce has accomplished since then

and you are smoking dope to think the army trains 85% of all forces

When the going gets tough it is the Navy and then the Army ......sorry and the Marines are part of the Navy

nobody asks where is the Army in a crisis but where are the Carriers.......and no one cares where the Air Farce is

quote:

Originally posted by rich4eagle:
The Air Farce is not a branch of the Army it was broken off in 1947

Pay attention - he said that.

quote:

and no one cares where the Air Farce is

Huh? Ever hear of Military Air Lifts in times of catastrophe? Ever hear of close air support? Yeah it is all about the Navy. Okay.

I'd write Rich into my novel but I don't want it to be a comedy.

One word - JOINT (no, not the kind some of you like to smoke)...that is what the military is all about these days and why, regardless of what you think about GWOT, the US military is the envy of the world.

Translation: intra-service rivalries are for Cold Warriors and armchair generals who don't understand combined arms operations. The arguments of who's better and who can piss the farthest don't matter to the professionals anymore. It is all about one team and getting the job done.

Liberal commie pinko witches don't rate!