Mar 14, 2008 10:04 pm US/Pacific
Berkeley Reviews Police Tactics In Marine Protests
BERKELEY (BCN) ―
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Pro- and anti-military demonstrations on opposite sides of the street at Berkeley City Hall on February 12th.
CBS
The Berkeley Police Review Commission voted Thursday to review the Police Department's crowd control tactics, a result of a petition suggesting police violated first amendment rights during recent U.S. Marine Corps recruitment protests.
Activist groups World Can't Wait and Berkeley CopWatch submitted the petition with more than 65 signatures and a nine-page "history of incidents," to request Thursday's 6 p.m. special meeting on police procedure. Activist group CodePink also presented concerns to the commission.
Police Review Commission Officer Victoria Urbi said the groups reported that a veteran at one rally was knocked to the sidewalk and that overall police have been too abrasive.
The commission's response was to form a subcommittee that will analyze police behavior during past rallies and present any recommendations to the council, a process that could take more than four months, Urbi said.
She said the commission also voted to send a two-member delegation to meet with the police chief and the city manager to prepare for a heated March 19 demonstration in front of the recruitment center.
CodePink spokeswoman Zanne Joi said she was concerned with increased hostility and more restrictions from police, such as limiting banners and flyers since, the Berkeley City Council voted in favor of the activism.
Joi said she didn't leave the crowded meeting until about 9:30 p.m., when the scene started to settle down.
(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Bay City News contributed to this report.)
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