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Code Pink April Fools' Day Hoax: We've Kicked the Marines Out of Berkeley! Tue, Apr 1, 2008 at 3:04 pm Code Pink -- which already has quite a track record of ill-conceived stunts -- added another lamebrained publicity blunder to their resume today with a puzzling April Fools' Day hoax in Berkeley. This morning, a press release made the rounds of Bay Area activist groups and media outlets announcing that the Marine Corps was finally pulling its recruiting office out of Berkeley, and that a press conference and subsequent party were to be held at noon outside the office. I immediately suspected an April Fools' Day prank, but couldn't at first figure out who had sent the press release, since the wording only made Code Pink seem like children fantasizing about "wish-facts" that can actually come true if you just pretend hard enough. Surely it was someone yanking Code Pink's chain, mocking them for their infantile antics. So I decided to swing by the office at noon to watch how the whole thing played out -- and see if Code Pink or anybody else was actually taken in by the hoax. Imagine my surprise, then, when I discovered Code Pink themselves setting up the faux news conference. The entire thing turned out to be a Code Pink production. Medea, I ask you: is your goal really to expel the Marines from Berkeley, or just to draw attention to yourself? Because in what way will pretending that you've won the battle actually further your cause of winning the battle in reality? Code Pink members assumed various mystifying personae for the prank. Here, local CP leader Nancy Mancias plays the role of a faux counter-protester, holding up a "Code Pink Lies!" sign while wearing a sweatshirt from Move America Forward, the conservative activist group that has faced off against Code Pink in Berkeley several times. But not everything at the event was even that understandable. He seemed to be wearing a real Marine Corps uniform, but under the circumstances, one had to presume that he was part of the joke too, in some way. It was hard to tell, though, because he just stood there silently, holding a sign that defied interpretation. However, I really got confused when Code Pink leader Zanne Joi approached him and started pestering him with questions. She did not seem to be acting -- she appeared to be truly disturbed by his presence. One wonders about the psychology behind a stunt like this. Did they think that the Marines would actually be forced to cave in because someone play-acted their capitulation? Or was the goal simply to "get publicity" for the cause? There's an old saying in the entertainment industry: "No publicity is bad publicity." In politics, however, the reverse seems to be true: "All publicity is bad publicity." Hasn't Code Pink yet learned that stunts like this only end up being counter-productive? That earning the derision and loathing of millions of people does nothing to achieve their "goal" -- whatever goal that might be? Anyway, the press conference skit finally got under way, with local comedian Ed Holmes portraying the building's landlord.
This video shows how essentially amateurish the whole thing was. The first part shows the actor who was wearing the pink uniform, who was claiming to be a Marine Corps spokesman. He was so bad at reading his lines and at improvising that it was painful to watch. Stupid's Day" founder Ed Holmes portraying the building's landlord. Notice how in both cases, Medea Benjamin can't stand being upstaged, and cheers louder than the speakers at the podium. There were a handful of media members on hand, yet probably nothing like what Code Pink had hoped for. But really, they should be grateful so few people fell for their hoax. When you embarrass yourself, it's better if no one's looking. Of course, this means that our proposed Wednesday afternoon vigil will not have to happen after all. It's very welcome news and, of course, a real victory for Code Pink and Berkeley. You'll notice that Code Pink will be there (54 Shattuck Square) on Tuesday, April 1, at noon, to celebrate. Some of us will be joining them and you're invited as well. Code PINK intends to BE THERE noon tomorrow with champaign, flowers & chocolate! For Immediate Release: CONTACT: Shamszad Realty, 510-848-xxxx Marine Office of Manpower Plans and Policies, 703-784-xxxx CODEPINK, 415-342-xxxx WHEN: Tuesday, April 1, 12 noon WHERE: Marine Recruiting Station, 64 Shattuck Square, Berkeley WHO: Sasha Shamszad, landlord; CODEPINK spokesperson Sasha Shamszad, landlord for the Marine Recruiting Center in Berkeley, has reached an amicable agreement with the Marines to redeploy from Berkeley. Details of the agreement will be outlined at the press conference. "The situation was becoming untenable," says Mr Shamszad. "The presence of the Marines sparking daily protests have had a negative impact on local businesses. The city has been forced to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in police overtime. And some groups have been calling for a national boycott of our city. So I sat down with representatives of the Marines and we worked out a solution." "We just came out with a national productivity study by office, and the Recruiting Center in Berkeley was in the bottom ten percentile," says Michael Applegate, Director of the Marine Manpower Plans and Policy Division. "It's a three-person office in a high-rent district bringing in an average of only 14 recruits per month. So we were happy to work out an agreement with Mr Shamszad. For us, this has nothing to do with protests outside the station, but is simply an issue of strategic redeployment." The protest group CODEPINK was delighted to hear the news. "While we still don't know the details, we are have happy to hear that the Marines will be closing their doors and respecting the anti-war values of the residents of Berkeley," said CODEPINK co-founder Medea Benjamin.
ProtestShooter on Apr 1, 2008 at 4:51 pm: With all the newspapers running the estimate from the police that this has cost the city $210K in overtime and associated items like buying lunch for the cops they've got to be under some kind of pressure to wrap this quagmire up somehow. But just declaring victory and losing any credibility with the local media?
Cinnamon on Apr 1, 2008 at 6:25 pm: That guy with the "I Thought Berkeley Wouldn't Judge Me" sign looks like the real deal, but it's hard to tell. All that aside, welcome to the blogosphere (sort of), Zombie!
Thanos on Apr 1, 2008 at 6:56 pm: It's great that you've taken the leap friend, I thought we'd never pry that near-luddite soul of yours away from your fixation with hand-coding html. Welcome, I will throw a sidebar and page link your way to start building authority.
MikalM on Apr 1, 2008 at 7:11 pm: "Medea, I ask you: is your goal really to expel the Marines from Berkeley, or just to draw attention to yourself? Because in what way will pretending that you've won the battle actually further your cause of winning the battle in reality?" I think we both know the answer to that one, Z As I've pointed out before, anyone who would legally rename themselves after one of the most famous filicidal figures of world literature is a Drama Queen of the first order. As for the Marine with the sign: if he's genuine USMC, he's violating a well-known UCMJ stricture that prohibits attending any political rally or gathering in uniform. As always, thanks for your tireless monitoring of Bay Area moonbattery.
It's a cardboard box with a flap up and one side poorly colored brown with marker. Did they spend their alloted budget for the publicity stunt on that tacky pink dress coat for Sgt.
Ringo the Gringo on Apr 1, 2008 at 9:16 pm: I'd love to stay and chat on zombies first blog thread but I'm watching Mary Poppins with my daughter right now and Mary Poppins is a long movie.
George Bentley on Apr 1, 2008 at 9:42 pm: Good work zombie, as always. Tring to figure out the left is like reading a really bad book, at some point you just don't want to any more.
She's got the pink scarf, the wacky glasses and there are peace signs on the "Code Pink Lies" sign. In Code Pink's eyes, aren't marine supporters warmongers? Obviously n...
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