Students defend Salvation Army’s right to raise money at UC Berkeley

Students at the University of California – Berkeley (CAL) rallied behind the Salvation Army on Thursday after the student government passed a resolution calling for a ban on the philanthropic organization over alleged opposition to homosexuals.

Students at the University of California -- Berkeley rallied behind the Salvation Army on Thursday.

The student organizer of the rally, Nils Gilbertson, said students had to fight the bias of their radical student government.

“Students agree with us that the Salvation Army does great things in our community,” said Gilbertson, who is also the president of the Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) at CAL. “They deserve to be here on campus.”

The resolution, passed by the Associated Students of the University of California ASUC), last month demanded the charity be banned from campus claiming that they deny charitable services to members of the LGBT community.

Administrators at CAL told Campus Reform last week they were reviewing the student body’s recommendation.

The Salvation Army, however, said it is in fact not their policy to discriminate based on sexual preferences and dismissed the resolutions accusation as mere “Internet rumors.”

“The only requirement for service from the Salvation Army is demonstrated need and our ability to meet it,” said Kathy Lovin, a spokeswoman for the Salvation Army.

At the event on Thursday, Students in support of the Salvation Army solicited donations from students and requested they sign a petition standing with the charity.

YAL members additionally displayed signs at their table. One accused ASUC members of being “arrogant senators undermining charity.”

According to Nils, Klein Lieu, a student senator who vote voted to ban the Salvation Army confronted his group and expressed his resentment toward the charity.

Campus Reform could not reach Lieu for comment by the time of publication.

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