This is, quite simply, a very one-sided account of what happened, that totally ignores the context of the S29 protests adn the other groups who had spent 6 months organizing them. Actually, it was the Anti-Capitalist Convergence who held the first national protest against the impending war (beating ANSWER to the punch by a few hours). What's more, the ACC went ahead with an *unpermitted* march through downtown Washington, DC. This was far more confrontational than the anemic events that ANSWER put together and I would argue, was more significant in that it showed that militant protest was possible just weeks after 9-11 had unleashed a cavalcade of flag-waving. The ACC protest drew 2000 people, which was far smaller than we expected for our protests if 9-11 hadn't happened. ANSWER managed to draw 7000 people and they should get credit for that, but any discussion of S29 has to give credit to the ACC for being the only original coalition to adapt to the situation and continue with the protests.
The pullout of the Mobilization for Global Justice impacted the plans of many and caused more than a few people not to come to the ACC's protest. If the Mobe had made a decision to protest, the ANSWER event would have been dwarfed.
> A huge crowd was already at the Ellipse, and it continued to grow to an
> estimated 50,000 people, according to ANSWER organizer Monica
> Moorehead.
Are these typical cooked-up figures by IAC leaders?
> The majority of participants at this rally were
> Palestinians, Arab-Americans and Muslims, attracted by ANSWER’s
> unambiguous opposition to the invasion, the ongoing occupation and the
> denial of freedom to the Palestinian people.
Yeah right. I bet if you had polled them they wouldn't have had a fucking clue as to what ANSWER's position was. This is pure propaganda designed to give ANSWER the credit for A20.
A number of speakers from
> various Palestinian and Arab-American organizations addressed the
> Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They were joined by Tariq Ali, the
> well-known Pakistani playwright and left intellectual (appearing as the
> representative of London’s large Stop the War Coalition), who told the
> crowd that “the real problem in the world is state terrorism -- and the
> people who organize that terrorism are in Tel Aviv and their backers are
> in the White House.” Many other speakers, such as former Nobel Prize
> winner Helen Caldicott, and Larry Adams of the NYC Labor Against the War
> coalition, discussed a multitude of issues from the war on terrorism to
> the danger of nuclear weapons, the situation in Colombia, the Navy
> bombings in Vieques, and so on. A special taped message to the rally
> from death-row political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal was played over the
> speaker system.
What the fuck does Mumia Abu-Jamal have to do with any of this? What about hearing from the thousands of other articulate guys in prison?
> Another large crowd, estimated by organizers as up to 25,000 people,
> attended the United We March coalition’s morning rally by the
> Washington Monument’s Sylvan Theater for a more traditional antiwar
> gathering. Speakers included Amy Goodman of Pacifica radio and the
> elderly pacifist leader Dan Berrigan, among others. New York State
> Green Party organizer Mark Dunlea estimated that 1,000 Greens from
> across the country were at this rally.
This just ain't adding up fella. If we know that 75,000 people attended A20, you've accounted for all of them in these two staging areas.
> The big convergence of all the organizations and demonstrators took
> place on Pennsylvania Ave. after 2 p.m. -- a result of ANSWER’s non-stop
> efforts in the weeks leading up to April 20 to convince the other
> groups, primarily the United We March coalition, to cooperate in a
> united front march to the Capitol after the separate morning rallies.
This is fucking bullshit! ANSWER's efforts in the weeks leading up to A20 were nothing but divisive. Ask the other organizers!
If ANSWER was so fucking interested in unity, why didn't they join one of the other coalitions? Why is it so fucking hard for them to ANSWER this simple damn question? Is there any form of accountability in the peace movement? Is the peace movement going to allow themselves to be led around by the nose by this band of liars and movement parasites?
> The concluding unity rally on the Mall opposite the Capitol boasted a
> wide variety of excellent speakers chosen equally by ANSWER and the
> United We March coalition. The co-chairs were Amy Goodman from
> Pacifica and Randa Jamal, a Palestinian activist. The crowd was so
> large that only those within several hundred feet of the stage were able
> to see or hear clearly. The mall was filled for several long blocks,
> and there were a few mini-rallies and one rousing musical event taking
> place throughout the throng.
Ok, here's another batch of lies. First of all, the stage that was used was controlled by a religious group from Howard University (sorry I forget their name). They allowed the anti-war and pro-Palestine groups to use the stage. It should be clear that ANSWER didn't organize this stage and couldn't even organize their own stage back at the Ellipse.
> This day had to come, finally -- the day when the U.S. antiwar and left
> movements united massively to oppose Sharon’s invasion and to support a
> fair deal for the Palestinian people. It was obviously not easy for
> ANSWER to bring this about.
It wasn't easy because ANSWER didn't bring anything about. ANSWER should get props for turning out several thousand people and organizing buses, but politically speaking, their days are numbered as a front coalition for the WWP/IAC.
There was sharp resistance by certain left
> and peace groups which didn’t want to emphasize support for the
> Palestinian people for fear of hampering efforts to attract “broad
> forces” to the event. Also, some others wish to isolate the upstart
> ANSWER because they cannot countenance a strong anti-imperialist
> organization in a prominent position within the movement.
There is growing opposition to ANSWER for many reasons. One of these reasons is that is simply repeats the shallow anti-imperialism of the IAC, which sees a friend in any thug who opposes U.S. imperialism. This should raise alarm bells for any true anti-imperialist, who can separate solidarity and support for the victims of imperialism from the brutal thugs who lead the same people.
Support the Iraqi people, yes, but don't support Saddam Hussein.
> Historically,
> peace movement politics has never been a picnic. But ANSWER prevailed
> this time -- and the accomplishment of April 20 will make all our
> progressive movements stronger and enhance the struggle against the
> warmakers at home and abroad.
If you are implying that ANSWER made A20 possible, then I think we all need to make a better effort to make it clear that ANSWER/IAC is marginalized in the peace movement. This implication is offensive to all the groups who really organized for A20 and who didn't simply move their protest from one date to another to capitalize on the work of others.
ANSWER is not the anaswer.
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