Eagles Up! In Berkeley Today

The Code Pink idiots were able to shut down the recruiting office in Berkeley again:

But I have a feeling they won’t be successful at shutting it down today. Thats because at 10am this morning the members of Eagles Up will converge at the Berkeley Marine Corps recruiting center to show support for the Marine Corps:

Due to the garbage in Bezerkeley, we’ve made a decision to have a massive show of support for the Marine Recruiters, and Veterans everywhere. Bezerkeley, the City Council, the Mayor, Code Pink and the other moonbats want to step all over veterans, past, present and future. We need to show them we’re not going to allow that in Berkeley or anywhere else. I’m not using the term “demonstration” for two simple reasons – “demonstration” is tied together with “counter demonstration”. Neither of those terms come in to play in this instance. I want a true “Support the Troops” event. Come by motorcycle, car, truck, whatever means you have. Bring an American Flag, and if you have them, Flags of the Armed Forces. If you want to make signs, please limit them to support ie: So and so, or family of, or organization so and so supports the troops. And one other – VNSZ (Veteran’s No Spend Zone) Lots of those.

When you eat or fuel in this location or any location outside of Berkeley, please keep the receipts – if we have a big enough group, I will collect those receipts and deliver them to the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce on Monday the 24th. Hopefully with the assistance of the news media.

While wandering around like any other tourist, if you talk to shop owners, please remember, we’re not there to get in THEIR faces, but to make a point to the City Council. If our presence, our taking parking places, our not spending money has a negative impact on the individual business owners, they will need to go to make a decision on who to recall and who to vote for. If the individuals don’t like the war, don’t like the administration, don’t like the military, GTG, but what the City Council has done is baloney! Besides, if they don’t like the military, then why would they want our money.

I’m asking Melanie Morgan and MAF to start speaking at 12 in front of the Recruiting Office. Other speakers are welcome. I’m asking Capt Lund and some of his staff to be there, in uniform of course.

Purpose of this Mission is to show support for the troops in general, all veterans, and for the Marine Recruiting Office. It is not for physical confrontation – that needs to be avoided. We need to set the example – Code Pink, ANSWER and the other moonbats would love to see us get slammed in the media and they will try to do that. On Feb 12 there were a couple of people attending who apparently were there just to cause trouble. Please be careful. I am by no means saying “turn the other cheek”. I’m just asking that you are careful with any response – let them take the fall.

The media picked up on the story:

About 500 motorcyclists are expected to converge on the U.S. Marine recruiting center today to support the Marines who have been the target of protests by many anti-war groups for several months.

A group called Eagles Up will gather in Emeryville this morning and buy food, water, gas and other supplies needed for the day. They will keep their receipts and on Monday event organizer Doug Lyvere will present the stack to the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce, he said.

The idea is to penalize Berkeley financially for its recent anti-military vote. On Jan. 29, the council called the military recruiting center “uninvited and unwelcome intruders.”

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. Still, they refused to apologize.

Lyvere said they want to send a message of support for U.S. Marines.

“We expect a massive crowd to send a message to the city of Berkeley, CodePink and any other anti-military group that Americans are sick and tired of their hateful, dangerous behavior,” said Doug Lyvere, Eagles Up organizer. People will come from all over the state and beyond, organizers said.

The group is expected to be at the center from about 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Hopefully I can get some pictures of the event later today to put up. Until then, send an email to the guy who organized the whole thing, Doug Lyvere, to show him some gratitude for a job well done.

UPDATE

ProtestShooter attended and took some pictures:

The author said it was a good turnout:

Walking towards the office – blocks away – I started seeing collections of bikes. Locals will recognize Bongo Burger – it’s a ways away from the office. Basically it’s impossible to get a count because the bikes were all over the city, and the people were coming and going, but, well, you’ll see the turnout…

Well, actually you won’t see the turnout, because I don’t have a lens wide enough and even if I did there was no one place to even see the whole thing. But you get the idea. My best guess is about 500 people, but again, it was hard to count – you would think that was it and then another 50 motorcycles would zip by looking for parking. And remember, that’s a tiny fraction of the bikes…

Sounds like a great job by everyone involved!

UPDATE II

More great pictures:

Curt

See author page