This is a continuation of the evening Berkeley Marine protest shoots. If you haven't seen it yet, start on page one.
The newly installed line o' cops. (I'm a moderate so they're a line o' cops. On one side they're actually a line o' pigs, and on the other a line of Law Enforcement Officials although after the way the pro-Marine side was treated the one issue people can agree on is that nobody's real fond of Berkeley PD although it's pretty easy to have sympathy for them after watching the anti-Marine group try to provoke them.)
I tried to get one where the state flag wasn't drooping, but what can you do?
This guy was very typical of the pro-Marine side in that he wasn't chanting or generally making a fuss, he was just standing there with a sign and pleased when anybody paused and read it or took a picture.
Oh, come on, you knew there had to be truthers there.
Update: In an odd twist of fate, this is apparently Jasper Summer who killed himself about two months later. The whole story is rather bizarre.
The pro-Marine sound system had fired up and a couple of songs in they played the National Anthem. This was kind of bad for me because I was trying hard not to make it obvious that I was on any particular side. But if you sing or take off your hat you're marked. I decided I needed to take at least one picture while I was deciding.
And then #30, the guy on the left, decided to shove me - hitting my camera arm hard enough that I almost dropped my camera. It was totally uncalled for, too, I wasn't doing anything, and he said something about being too close to the police line but others were closer. I was facing away from the police line, having moved past it, and was still for some seconds. He had to walk over to me to shove me. Berkeley PD is very quick to go right to physical action instead of a verbal command - I know they whacked a lot of the anti-Marine protesters with batons when they got too in their face (none of the pro-Marine protesters gave them the excuse as far as I know).
More media - I believe that's called a scrim. In any case it diffuses the light so the reporter looks better.
I didn't really have a long lens - this is a massive crop, but you get the idea. There were 4-5 helicopters overhead.
Sigh. That's the Veterans Memorial building if it isn't obvious. It borders one side of the park. I'm sure tomorrow the city council will rename it to the "Innocents Raped By Marines Memorial". The flags here and elsewhere are at half mast because of the death of Congressman Tom Lantos, which was the day before.
Lots of Marine Moms. The guy in the foreground was the only guy in uniform I saw - he wasn't protesting as such - he mostly kept his distance and kind of watched from across the street. (I believe it's a violation for active duty types to protest but if you're in the reserves or whatever it's different. I have zero idea what this guy's status is.)
Big row of bikes with flags - this was just a small portion.
Just a lot of anti-Bush stuff - these guys never stay on target. It's just, oh, it's a protest, grab the sign, we only need one because it's all the same.
Let me reinforce that "Keep your Burka, I'll keep my clitoris!!!!!!" Best Sign Ever. On the different photo reports I've seen everybody has a picture of this sign.
You can see most of the crowd in front of city hall was pro-Marine, not to mention all the ones across the street. Despite this the rumor was that they gave only 25% of the seats inside to the pro-Marine side and 75% to the anti-Marine side. (Update: They later let anybody speak that wanted to, one minute each, from about 9:30pm - 12:30am, requesting that people left the building once they were done speaking to leave room for more people.)
Yet another group of police. You would find lines of them at fairly random locations, usually dual lines pointing both ways. Everybody just walked around them, so I don't really understand if they were trying to seperate people, or if it's just that they have to stand somewhere and it's safer to be back to back.
Lots of random interviews happening.
OK, I can't resist, just one more truther shot.
Smug, much? Again, look at the sign, it's not new. These same guys just show up anywhere there might be a crowd. Everybody needs a hobby.
Just a Berkeley shot - this is bread left out for the homeless. There were more loaves on the ground. Nobody seemed interested - it's not like Berkeley doesn't have lots of shelters and free food and such.
Couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, for the record.
Former Mayoral candidate, Zachary RunningWolf. Oh, dear God, I've just been shooting Berkeley protests a few times and I'm starting to recognize people.
If you're as much of a glutton for punishment as me, on to part three!
You can contact me at info (at) ProtestShooter.com
