Michelle Malkin was at UC Berkeley today to talk about her book:
In Defense of Internment: The Case for Racial Profiling in World War II and the War on Terror
Pretty good turn out for the protest. Very good turn out to hear her speak. I was there early and got in to line late, and I did not get in. The university would not give the Young Republicans a bigger room to host the talk. Many local stations showed up, C-SPAN was there taping too.

When I was getting in line an old Japanese man standing in line pointed out the protestors and asked: "are they trying to get in too?" Someone else in line said no, they were just here to protest. Old man: "Why? They weren't interned, I was." When they stopped letting people in he went to the Young Republican organizers and they let him and his wife in.

I was chatting with the guy right in front of me in line while we waited. The main organizer was coming out of a side door and spotted him, then told him to wait a moment. I turned to him and said, "dude, hook me up!" He asked to make sure I wasn't there to heckle or make trouble, I pointed out that I have short hair and I shave. He knew important people and he could get me in, he bragged. As soon as the other guy walked back over to us he asked the kid in front of me: "just you?"
"Yep."
"Come on in."
He didn't even turn to look back as he walked in the side door. Weasel.
I tried to talk my way in at the front, but the police were firm on not letting any more people in than they had seats in the room. 380 people I was told. I hung out outside and watched the C-SPAN feed as the protesters moved in to the building and finally up to the doors. A lot of taunting and provocation on the part of the protesters, mostly banging and chanting the whole time though.
I overheard this several times among the protesters: "so who is Michelle Malkin?"
and
"What did she write about?"
quote of the day: "what are we protesting?"
Good times.
  ¶ 9/08/2004 11:28:00 PM