Mar 20, 2008 12:39 am US/Pacific
Bay Area Protests On War Anniversary; 150 Arrested
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5 / KCBS / AP / BCN) ―
Demonstrators marched through San Francisco's downtown and Mission District on Wednesday holding signs, chanting anti-war slogans and handing out "unhappy birthday" cake as part of a day of nationwide protests to mark the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
Nearly 150 protesters were arrested for blocking traffic and chaining themselves to buildings, police said. The intersection of Market and Montgomery streets was the site of at least half of those arrests.
The rallies, which drew hundreds to the city's busy financial district from as far away as Bakersfield, were "for the most part pretty peaceful,'' though some demonstrators threw glass Christmas ornaments filled with paint at police and four officers were struck by the "paintballs," said SFPD Sgt. Steve Mannina.
He said there were a few scuffles between officers and protesters, but there were no significant reports of injuries. Most of the arrests were made for trespassing, resisting arrest or obstructing traffic, he added.
Heather Levine, a Berkeley resident who attended the protest alongside members of the group Quakers for Peace, said she was shoved roughly by police officers who were pursuing a demonstrator who threw a paintball at the intersection of Market and Montgomery. However, she was not injured.
"It's been nonviolent, mostly,'' said Levine. "They (officers) were trying to keep it calm.''
Black balloons were tied to trees along the Market Street thoroughfare, and protesters at a table offered coffee and oranges and a cake reading "Unhappy 5th Birthday Stop the War Now" to passers-by.
"For five years some people have struggled to end the war, and some gave up in despair," said Siri Margerin, 56, of San Francisco. "We have to keep doing everything and we have to keep doing it all the time."
Across the street a few hundred protesters banging drums and waving a large banner that read "Was it worth it?" blocked morning traffic with an impromptu parade.
"I think it's important to continue even if you don't see change right away," said marcher Liz Moore, 23, of Berkeley. "It shows the rest of world and other people in the U.S. that a lot of American people haven't forgotten."
A representative of Collective Liberation, a group that fights against racism, whose members were among those arrested at Market and Third streets, said the traffic-stopping demonstration was to give a voice to those who didn't have one.
"A majority of this country opposes the war but they all couldn't be here. We represent the people who couldn't make it,'' said Clare Bayard of Collective Liberation.
The group of men and women were holding signs such as, "War kills everyone but corporate $,'' and chanting phrases such as, "Whose Streets? Our Streets,'' until they were arrested for obstructing traffic.
Also among those arrested at Market and Third streets was blogger Josh Wolf, who ran for San Francisco mayor after serving 226 days in prison for withholding evidence from the federal government involving another protest that had turned violent.
Another man arrested, Webb Mealy, said he was also arrested at the city's first war protest in 2003. He made a sign about 25-feet long that read "Unprovoked War Is Mass Murder," which was taken down by police just before they detained the group on the ground.
Others arrested Wednesday included a group of about 14 people who were locked themselves together at the Federal Reserve Bank building at 101 Market Street, and a smaller group that did the same thing at the Chevron Energy Solutions office at 345 California Street.
Berkeley Protest Targets Marine Recruitment Center
Across the bay in Berkeley, more than 100 anti-war protesters - mostly students from Berkeley High School - marched from a downtown park to a nearby Marine recruiting office at 64 Shattuck Avenue.
"We want the Marine recruiters to get out. They have no place in our schools," said Sareena Johnson, 15, a sophomore. "The schools are a place to learn, not a place to learn about joining the Army to die for a pointless war."
Protests remained nonviolent and no arrests were made, according to Berkeley police Sgt. Mary Kusmiss. About 50 extra officers were put on duty to handle the large crowd, she said.
Anti-war protestors from Code Pink, World Can't Wait, and Act Now
to Stop War & End Racism had gathered outside the recruiting center at dawn with chains, which police said might have been intended to lock themselves to security gates. However, officers had positioned themselves outside the gates before the early protestors arrived -- so they were unable to use the chains.
Earlier this year, the Berkeley City Council passed a controversial measure telling Marine recruiters they were unwelcome. Amid heavy criticism and threats by Republican lawmakers to withdraw federal funding, council members later moderated their position saying they oppose the war in Iraq but support the troops.
A handful of counterprotesters backing the recruiters in Berkeley waved Marine Corps and American flags.
"We're here because we support the Marines and their sacrifice and commitment to peace and serving our country. I believe they must be given our utmost respect," said Josh Curtis, 18, a freshman at the University of California, Berkeley, and a member of the Berkeley College Republicans.
Peninsula, South Bay Demonstrations Much Quieter
In contrast to San Francisco and Berkeley, smaller and more peaceful protests occured along the Peninsula and in the South Bay.
While the Peninsula Peace and Justice Center held a lunchtime vigil at Lytton Plaza in downtown Palo Alto, police had no reports of any significant arrests.
San Jose was similarly quiet with no significant arrests from a late afternoon anti-war march held downtown, according to San Jose Police Department spokesman Enrique Garcia.
Political action group MoveOn.org also organized evening candlelight vigils in two spots along the Peninsula: Redwood City at El Camino Real and Jefferson Avenue and in Palo Alto in front of City Hall.
Each location drew an estimated 100 people, organizers said.
At the vigils, participants heard stories and experiences from soldiers who have fought in Iraq, as well as the experiences of their families, said Elaine Elbizri, spokeswoman for MoveOn.org.
In Sacramento, about 50 people gathered on the steps of the state Capitol to voice their opposition.
"From Guantanamo to Abu Ghraib, we've been grieving the actions of our own country for five long years," said Frank Graham, a poet who organized that rally.
(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press and Bay City News contributed to this report.)
