Chuck - I think you miss the point here. The immigrants' rights mobilizations of recent days succeeded largely because constituency groups, like unions, fraternal associations, churches [not primarily liberal denominations, but normally conservative congregations of Roman Catholics, Evangrelicals and Pentacostals - such as Victory Outreach, etc fully participated and helped mobilize their members. How many unions or churches participate in a meaningful way in Answer? Virtually none. The sectarians of Answer are incapable of this. UFPJ may an actual coalition but I don't think that its constituent non profits like Global Exchange etc are truly capable of mobilizing people at this scale.
In the 1980s and before old left groups, like the old SWP or the CP, whatever their respective faults, and solidarity groups like CISPES at least understood this and made an effort to actually ORGANIZE people (through tabling, house parties, public forums etc), which necessarily meant more than calling a demonstration and hoping someone shows up.
If the experience of the anti-187 movement in California is any precedent, it is wrong to attribute the large participation and the emotions among the participants to narrow self interest. Participation amonng citizens and legal residents of Latino background who resented the slurs of the immigrant baiters.
Lest one doubt the signficance of this mobilzation, recall that historically Los Angeles was a haven of the open shop and white racist politics (ala Sam Yorty, etc) Now, thanks in large part to the anti-187 mobilization it is arguably the most union friendly city on the west coast. SR -------------- Original message -------------- From: Chuck <chuck at mutualaid.org>
> > That turnout is really inspiring. But it's a different demographic from
> > the antiwar crowd, no?
>
> Not only is it a demographic, but the people who protested this past
> weekend will be directly affected by the proposed legislation. Many more
> of them face the prospect of arrest, imprisonment, deportation,
> disruption of families and death.
>
> The members of the anti-war movement face few similar risks, despite
> their liberal whining about government spying.
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