COUNTERING MILITARY RECRUITMENT
Articles: Counter-Recruitment: General
Protesters dressed as clowns stage event at Army recruiting post
Fred Dodsworth, San Jose Mercury News
Summer 2006
The Clown Army tried to join the real army and the soldiers weren't happy.Two dozen protesters in clown costumes descended upon the Oakland Army Recruiting Center on Broadway on Thursday shouting that they wanted to join the service so they could use military equipment to bring fun to Iraq. Inside the recruiting office about six protesters disrupted recruiting efforts with chants and clown activities.
Jacob Crawford, a member of Berkeley CopWatch, documented the action until his video camera was wrenched out of his hand and broken by a soldier. He said the camera cost him $1,000 and he intends to file a claim for damages.
The soldiers called the police and the protesters were told to evacuate the army's office at approximately 2:30 p.m. or face arrest for trespassing, said Oakland police Sgt. Johnny Davis.
The protest continued outside on the sidewalk, eliciting honks from passing cars while police officers in three squad cars observed the activities from a distance.
``We will facilitate their First Amendment free speech rights,'' Davis said. ``They are allowed to protest as long as they are not within the commercial space and as long as they don't block the entrance.''
The recruiting station's doors were closed and locked after the clowns moved to the sidewalk.
``Yesterday we saw an ad on TV for the army,'' said a young woman in face paint and a clown costume who identified herself as Pvt. Dinosaur from Oakland. ``We want to join the army of fun so we can fly the big helicopters and drop candy on all the children of Iraq.''
The Clown Army began three years ago in England and came to the Bay Area three months ago, said a clown who identified himself as Maj. Mischief.
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