UC Berkeley Rumbles Over City Council's War Criticism

Pro- and anti-war groups plan protests
By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 12, 2008 4:42 PM CST
UC Berkeley Rumbles Over City Council's War Criticism
UC Berkeley students walk by Sather Tower on the UC Berkeley campus April 17, 2007 in Berkeley, California.   (Getty Images)

Berkeley is getting a little of its ‘60s vibe back, with pro- and anti-war groups gearing up for a night of demonstrations as the City Council decides whether to revoke a letter critical of the Marine Corps, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The council’s letter, written 2 weeks ago, demands that the Marines abandon their recruiting post near the UC Berkeley campus.

"This is a great gift to us to be able to ignite a national debate," said a spokeswoman for an anti-war group. "We're drawing a line in the sand on Shattuck Avenue and saying the war stops here." But some dislike the focus on the council’s actions: "The tragedy is that the issue of the war seems to have gotten lost,” said one professor. "The issue instead has become Berkeley itself." (More US military stories.)

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