Posted on 01/20/2005 10:38:08 PM PST by TFFKAMM
Several thousand demonstrators rallied at Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco on Thursday night, protesting the inauguration of President Bush and calling for an end to the war in Iraq. After the rally, demonstrators marched along Market Street, effectively closing the street.
Speakers at the rally gave fiery denunciations of Bush and his policies, with many shouting personal insults and some comparing his actions to that of the Nazis in pre-World War II Germany.
"Today is a sad day in history. A war criminal has been sworn in as president," said Alicia Jrapko of International ANSWER, the group that organized the rally.
San Francisco police did not estimate the size of the crowd as the department no longer does such counts, said spokeswoman Officer Maria Oropeza. During the rally, the central portion of Civic Center Plaza was filled with people, and the march stretched multiple blocks.
Other Bay Area cities also held anti-inauguration rallies Thursday. About 200 people gathered in downtown Berkeley to hear the first of a series of readings of Langston Hughes' celebrated poem, "Let America Be America Again...."
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
What do you mean "eliminate?"
As in "Zot"?
Such veracity of conviction to not even travel to DC?
Couch activists!
The rats are protesting freedom.
You'll see. Soon.
Just got here huh? Bet you don't last long.
NUKED!!!!
Nice kitty!
Darn. I wanted to play with the carcass.
Sorry.
The benefit of using about twelve windows at once (I still have the offensive post up).
Well Freepmail it to me, without haste!
Sent.
ROTFLMAO!! I remember that one, but I missed the initial nuking.
http://www.dailycal.org/article.php?id=10530
Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates to Plead Guilty to Theft
Mayor Agrees to Support Legislation Making Newspaper Theft Illegal
BY PAUL THORNTON
Contribution Writer
Thursday, December 12, 2002
The Alameda County District Attorney charged Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates Thursday with theft for stealing 1,000 copies of the Nov. 4 edition of The Daily Californian.
In a statement to the Daily Cal, Bates said he will plead guilty to the infraction charge, and will pay the $250 fine. The copies that Bates has admitted to stealing included the endorsement of his opponent in the November election, then-Mayor Shirley Dean.
In addition to the fine, Bates has made arrangements with the Daily Cal to pay a restitution of $500 to cover the cost of the trashed Nov. 4 Daily Cals.
"I feel terrible about my actions, and I feel this is a step toward restitution with the Daily Cal," Bates said.
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/cctimes/4688601.htm
Posted on Sat, Dec. 07, 2002
Berkeley mayor admits taking newspapers from Cal
Tom Bates wanted to win, so he disposed of his opponent's endorsement
By John Geluardi
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
BERKELEY - Newly sworn-in Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates has admitted to removing approximately 1,000 copies of Cal's Daily Californian newspaper from campus racks and throwing them in garbage cans one day before the Nov. 5 election.
That edition of the paper carried an endorsement of Bates' opponent, two-term Mayor Shirley Dean. The next day, Bates routed Dean by taking 55 percent of the vote.
According to Bates, he was campaigning on campus Nov. 4 and was so engulfed in the efforts to win that he made an error in judgment.
"It was a mistake made in the heat of battle," Bates said. "It was absolutely inappropriate and now I want to move past it and focus on all the positive things I talked about during my campaign."
Questioned shortly after the incident, Bates had denied any involvement.
Dean agreed it was a stressful campaign, but is very concerned about the incident.
"We were both tired and worn out," said Dean, who engaged in more than 30 debates with her challenger. "However, I have to think this shows a fundamental character flaw."
According to University police Capt. Bill Cooper, a petty theft report was filed with the Alameda County District Attorney's Office on Nov. 27. He said the report contained at least three witness accounts that identified Bates as the person who took the newspapers from the racks and deposited them in various garbage cans around Sproul Plaza.
Cooper said the report also contained a statement from Bates' attorneys that said he accepted responsibility for the theft of the newspapers.
Assistant District Attorney John Adams said they are reviewing the case and may decide whether to go forward with charges sometime next week.
Daily Californian editor Rong-Gong Lin II said he was stunned by the admission.
"I am absolutely appalled that a Berkeley mayoral candidate, a few feet from the birthplace of the Free Speech Movement, would steal newspapers," he said. "I am shocked beyond belief."
Lin said that there had been rumors that Bates was involved in the trashing of newspapers that day, but said that when reporters questioned him, Bates denied any knowledge of the incident.
The Daily Californian ran an editorial Thursday calling for Bates' immediate resignation.
"Bates has proven he is more than capable of selfishly immoral and politically petty acts, first attempting to silence the Daily Cal's endorsements then subsequently lying about his actions repeatedly," the editorial said.
And the point of this article is.......
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