Press Release via email from Melanie Morgan, Chairman of Move America Forward:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Pro-Troop Group Demands of US Attorney: “Investigate Anti-American Activities in Berkeley”
City Accused of Encouraging Interference with Federal Officers
SAN FRANCISCO---A law firm representing a pro-troop organization has sent a letter to the U.S. Attorney in San Francisco asking the federal government to investigate whether the Berkeley City Council’s official anti-Marine position and encouragement of anti-war groups to “impede” the work of Marine recruiters constitutes a breach of law. If the City Council violated the law, the letter asks the U.S. Attorney to prosecute the perpetrators.
The letter was drafted by the attorney for pro-troop organization Move America Forward (website: www.MoveAmericaForward.org), which is the nation’s largest pro-troop grassroots nonprofit. The correspondence also voices concerns that the Berkeley Police were unresponsive and negligent to public safety during a protest the group organized in Berkeley on Feb. 12, 2007. The original copy has already been mailed and an additional copy will be hand-delivered Monday morning with a press conference immediately following.
“We will explore every avenue to ensure that Marine Corps personnel are not harassed for simply doing their jobs, especially not by a city government,” said Catherine Moy, Executive Director of Move America Forward.
Move America Forward has been active in organizing demonstrations as well as several ad campaigns rebuking the Berkeley City Council since they called Marine Recruiters “uninvited and unwelcome intruders” at a Jan. 29 council meeting. The council also reserved a publicly funded parking space and gave free sound permits to a radical anti-war group protesting the office.
“That is a blatant misuse of tax dollars and a violation of civil rights” said Moy, referring to the privileges granted to Code Pink, the antiwar group that received special treatment from the council.
“We have been fighting them all the way and this is simply the next step,” said Melanie Morgan, Move America Forward’s co-founder. Morgan is also demanding that Berkeley’s mayor give a full and official apology to all military personnel, veterans, and their families, and rescind the resolutions giving special treatment to Code Pink.
“Berkeley has got to realize that we’re not going away,” Morgan concluded.
WHEN – 10:00 AM Monday March 31st, 2008
WHERE – North Entrance of U.S. Federal Building, 450 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, Ca.
CONTACT – Ryan Gill, MAF Operations Director (650) 678-7732
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