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Marines say they’re not leaving Berkeley

BERKELEY, Calif. — While anti-war protesters chained themselves outside a Marine Corps recruiting center here, a spokesman said Corps does not plan to abandon the office even though the City Council has officially rolled up the welcome mat.

The Berkeley City Council voted Tuesday to tell the Marines that if its recruiters choose to stay in their rented downtown space “they do so as uninvited and unwelcome guests.”

Gunnery Sgt. Pauline Franklin said Friday that while the Corps respects city officials’ right to free speech, the Marines would not be leaving.

Conservative bloggers and Republican Sen. Jim DeMint, R-South Carolina, lashed out at Berkeley following Tuesday’s resolution. DeMint said he would draft legislation to strip the city of federal money, including funds destined for UC Berkeley, for school lunches in the Berkeley Unified School District and public safety.

“The First Amendment gives the City of Berkeley the right to be idiotic, but from now on they should do it with their own money,” DeMint said in a statement.

Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates said he would speak with the Marines’ landlord to see if the recruiters could break their lease early without penalty.

A retired Army captain, Bates also said Friday that he wants the council to amend its resolution because it “did not adequately differentiate our respect and support for those serving in the armed forces and our opposition to the Iraq war policy.”

Berkeley police arrested three of the protesters who chained themselves together and blocked people trying to enter the recruiting station. They were cited for misdemeanors and released.

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