ANSWER Coalition claims credit for immigrant rights demonstrations
According to Brian Becker, National Director of the ANSWER coalition, his organization is the one that is primarily responsible for the massive demonstrations for immigrant rights. Exploitation by the "left" -- ANSWER Coalition claims credit for immigrant rights demonstrationsby Anonymous
09 Apr 2006
According to Brian Becker, National Director of the ANSWER coalition, his organization is the one that is primarily responsible for the massive demonstrations for immigrant rights.
ANSWER Coalition claims credit for pro-immigrant demonstrations
The past few weeks have seen historic demonstrations, as hundreds of thousands of people, largely immigrant workers, have taken to the streets to oppose the racist HR 4437. In Los Angeles, protests drew as many as 2 million people. These demonstrations are much, much larger than any protests--antiwar, labor, whatever--in recent memory in the U.S.
Who or what is the driving force behind this incredible outpour of dissent?
According to Brian Becker, National Director of the ANSWER coalition, his organization is the one that is primarily responsible.
In a press conference in Washington, DC on April 3, representatives from the ANSWER coalition claimed that, not only were they the ones behind the massive protests in Los Angeles, but that they were the initiating organizers of the May 1 Great American boycott. (see www.wpherald.com/storyview.php )
ANSWER's website (see answer.pephost.org/site/News2) claims that in the Los Angeles demonstrations, the "A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition has been deeply involved in mobilizing for the mass actions in Los Angeles and elsewhere. A.N.S.W.E.R. volunteers and organizers have been working round the clock to help in logistics, organization, mobilization and all the other tasks involved in showing authentic solidarity with the immigrant workers movement."
Which is odd, because a call placed to the actual organizers of the protest in Los Angeles and of the May 1 Great American Boycott revealed that no one there knew of any ANSWER involvement. None.
One of the activists there said, "The only time we saw anyone from ANSWER was when they approached us about having one of their people speak. They were really very rude and pushy about it, too."
He said, "We didn't know anything about the press conference in Washington. No one checked with us. We found out about it by reading the news and there were all these white activists that we have never seen before claiming to be the real organizers of our March 25 event. Then they claimed that they were the organizers of the May 1 event. It's one thing to show solidarity with our movement, but that's not what they're trying to do. They're trying to co-opt what we're doing in order to get their name out there. They're even raising money in the name of our event. Really, it's just another example of exploitation of immigrant workers, by people who claim to be in 'solidarity' with us."
We should all call ANSWER at (202) 544-3389 and ask them to stop using a legitimate movement for their own profit.
Related
* http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20060404-104238-6979r
* http://answer.pephost.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=7696