> I remember as far back as 1984 being in demos against Reagan's wars
>in Central America where the Palestinian issue was consistently raised, as
>well as during the first intifada in the late-80s. I spoke at a massive
>antiwar conference in Alexandria, VA in 1990 where the main issue was the
>Palestinian struggle. So, are you suggesting that your pals in ANSWER were
>the first to bring the issue to light? I'm sure they'd have no prob taking
>the bows.
I can remember attending actions and conferences on behalf of Palestinian rights in the 1960s, as well, but you must also be aware that most elements of the national antiwar movement did not participate in such manifestations. My reference in the article was to the fact that “This was the first time since Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories as a consequence of the 1967 war that the major sector of the U.S. antiwar movement and the left in general united in defense of the Palestinian people and their right to self-determination and statehood.” The forces in Washington April 20 (and of course in San Francisco as well) comprised virtually all of the major organizations in the antiwar movement united, with the left, in massive national demonstrations with the issue of Palestine at the very core for the first time. This was an important qualitative change from the past.
In terms of the speakers, which you found boring, you must remember that the majority of the 50,000 people at Ellipse rally (CNN said 60,000 by the way) were Palestinians, Arab-Americans and members of the Muslim community -- most of them new to the protest movement -- who gave every evidence of appreciating what they were hearing from the speaker’s platform. I also thought there were several really good speakers at the concluding rally at the Mall. Of course it’s different when you are watching it all on C-Span, as you evidently were. If you were there I think you would have felt an exciting current throughout these crowds -- particularly the intensity generated by the Palestinian/Arab-American contingents -- that helped sustain one over the slow or dull moments, the repetitions, the tiredness. And there was also a sense, for many of us at least, that we all were making an exceptionally important anti-imperialist, anti-colonialist and pro-peace statement to the world from the geographical headquarters of world reaction and war. Of course, some of the speeches were boring. Of course, everything could have been done better. But on balance such inevitable negatives amount to a very small part of what was a big victory for our movement. Such victories are rare, and often they do not last, so I think it’s best to savor them when they happen.
Jack