From the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature
Pro-war activists on the UCB campus protest for military recruitment
![1_right_winger_on_ucb_campus.jpg](/uploads/2005/04/21/1_right_winger_on_ucb_campus.jpg)
As anti-war protesters gathered at 10:30 to prepare for a counter-recruitment rally, a single pro-war activist with "Protest warrior" sat off to the side looking nervous. About an hour later, a crowd of Berkeley Republicans gathered around the Republican Party table on the other side of Sproul Plaza and the group moved toward the anti-war protest trying to shout down the speakers.
The pro-war signs were rather interesting. Some mainly mentioned personal connections to serving soldiers. Others talked about allowing ROTC to have freedom of speech (a strange demand since the recruiters were not with ROTC and the university barred anti-war protesters from bringing signs into the building but had less of a problem when the pro-war people went inside) One sign told protesters to support recruitment since it prevents a draft. The common theme was one of support for the Iraq war combined with a desire for recruitment so serving soldiers could come home and Berkeley students wouldnt have to be drafted.
Among the crowd of mainly first and second year undergraduates were several filmakers making a film demonizing political activism on college campuses (one of the men who was doing sound was wearing a Stalin t-shirt probably as a joke but perhaps since Stalin hated dissidents too). Another person who took part in the protest was a shady local businessman named Sameer Parekh who made millions posing as a civil libertarian while promoting software that allows the current level of email spam (for anyone who thinks the open source computer counterculture is in some ways progressive you only have to look at Parekh to see how groups like the EFF mainly stand for freedom for those with money and power and care little for those on the other end of Bush's economic policies or US bombs)
The pro-war signs were rather interesting. Some mainly mentioned personal connections to serving soldiers. Others talked about allowing ROTC to have freedom of speech (a strange demand since the recruiters were not with ROTC and the university barred anti-war protesters from bringing signs into the building but had less of a problem when the pro-war people went inside) One sign told protesters to support recruitment since it prevents a draft. The common theme was one of support for the Iraq war combined with a desire for recruitment so serving soldiers could come home and Berkeley students wouldnt have to be drafted.
Among the crowd of mainly first and second year undergraduates were several filmakers making a film demonizing political activism on college campuses (one of the men who was doing sound was wearing a Stalin t-shirt probably as a joke but perhaps since Stalin hated dissidents too). Another person who took part in the protest was a shady local businessman named Sameer Parekh who made millions posing as a civil libertarian while promoting software that allows the current level of email spam (for anyone who thinks the open source computer counterculture is in some ways progressive you only have to look at Parekh to see how groups like the EFF mainly stand for freedom for those with money and power and care little for those on the other end of Bush's economic policies or US bombs)
![2_protest_warrior_waiting.jpg](/uploads/2005/04/21/2_protest_warrior_waiting.jpg)
![3_republicans_gather.jpg](/uploads/2005/04/21/3_republicans_gather.jpg)
![4_republicans_rally.jpg](/uploads/2005/04/21/4_republicans_rally.jpg)
![5_sign.jpgip0hxw.jpg](/uploads/2005/04/21/5_sign.jpgip0hxw.jpg)
![6_signs.jpg](/uploads/2005/04/21/6_signs.jpg)
![7_republicans_going_in.jpg](/uploads/2005/04/21/7_republicans_going_in.jpg)
![8_republicans_going_in2.jpg](/uploads/2005/04/21/8_republicans_going_in2.jpg)
![9_republicans_going_in.jpg](/uploads/2005/04/21/9_republicans_going_in.jpg)
![10_sameer_parekh.jpg](/uploads/2005/04/21/10_sameer_parekh.jpg)
![11_p4200103.jpg](/uploads/2005/04/21/11_p4200103.jpg)
![12_redstate_media.jpg](/uploads/2005/04/21/12_redstate_media.jpg)
Add Your Comments
Latest Comments
Listed below are the latest comments about this post.
These comments are submitted anonymously by website visitors.
TITLE
AUTHOR
DATE
Mike has a point
Sat, Apr 23, 2005 7:55PM
tech activism
Fri, Apr 22, 2005 7:18AM
Corruption of money and tech power
Fri, Apr 22, 2005 6:57AM
sure
Fri, Apr 22, 2005 6:39AM
Misunderstanding unrelated activisms
Fri, Apr 22, 2005 3:36AM
you're right, but i suspect you're drawing the wrong conclusions
Thu, Apr 21, 2005 11:07PM
huh?
Thu, Apr 21, 2005 11:04PM
George Soros, Rich Guy
Thu, Apr 21, 2005 10:32PM
Filthy Rich Hitler's Worthy Heirs
Thu, Apr 21, 2005 8:47PM
Nationalism: Worshiping A State To Justify Killing In Its Name
Thu, Apr 21, 2005 6:39PM
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!
Get Involved
If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.
Publish
Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.
Topics
More
Search Indybay's Archives
Advanced Search
►
▼
IMC Network