Thread: Council Designates Berkeley as Sanctuary for Multiple Causes

Council Designates Berkeley as A Sanctuary for Multiple Causes
By Kate Sturla
Contributing Writer
Wednesday, April 9, 2008


Most UC Berkeley students know their school is located in the city of Berkeley.

What they may not know is that it's also situated in a nuclear-free zone, a refuge for illegal immigrants, and a sanctuary for medical marijuana users and conscientious objectors.

All these designations come from Berkeley's City Council, which has a long history of passing resolutions taking stances on national issues. In addition to declaring itself nuclear-free in 1986, Berkeley has passed measures addressing more recent concerns.

Last year, the council reaffirmed a 1971 resolution declaring Berkeley a city of refuge for illegal immigrants. The City Council cited the deportation of a family in the Berkeley Unified School District and "an increased climate of intimidation and fear among Latino families" as reasons for revisiting the resolution.

Introduced by Councilmembers Dona Spring and Kriss Worthington, the resolution states that no city employee should assist in the enforcement of federal immigration law unless by doing so they are breaking state or federal law.

"I think it sends a message to federal legislators that we're not going to participate in their regressive approach to immigration," Spring said.

Federal and state laws still take precedence, however, which limit Berkeley's ability to implement these resolutions as policy.

But Councilmember Kriss Worthington said he thinks passing resolutions has a symbolic effect and "creates the possibility to be a leader ... to get information out to people."

The council cited its status as a city of refuge in its decision to reaffirm a 1991 decision making Berkeley a sanctuary city for conscientious objectors, and extended protections to soldiers classified as AWOL or deserters by the military.

"If war resisters sought sanctuary in Berkeley, they wouldn't have to worry about Berkeley police or any other Berkeley agency coming after them," said Robert Meola, the chairperson of the Peace and Justice Commission, who authored the resolution.

Similar to the city of refuge resolutions, the City Council also advises employees not to participate with the federal government in medical marijuana raids.

"Berkeley is an international symbol of certain points of views??-the whole free speech, free thinking ... peace and justice," Worthington said.

But he said Berkeley's leadership role can sometimes "lend itself to making mistakes, like the stupid letter to the Marines."

Still, Worthington hopes that by raising these issues, the City Council can increase its visibility and lead to real change.

"I try to word (the resolutions) in a way that isn't just Berkeley-specific. I try to word them in a way that they can be taken to multiple cities and get them to sign on."
http://www.dailycal.org/article/101212/ ... ry_for_mul

Berkeley, where the Clinton's cut there liberal teeth