Misplaced Pages

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55-626: Act Now to Stop War and End Racism ( ANSWER ), also known as International A.N.S.W.E.R. and the ANSWER Coalition , is a United States–based protest umbrella group consisting of many antiwar and civil rights organizations. Formed in the wake of the September 11th attacks , ANSWER has since helped to organize many of the largest anti-war demonstrations in the United States, including demonstrations of hundreds of thousands against

110-466: A Chronicle reporter covering the event had already determined that only 3,000 people were present... Mainstream media undercounting of progressive demonstrations is nothing new, but this one had a magician's touch. Analyzing the width and pace of the march together with the time required for the march to pass a certain point, Becker argues that the Chronicle ' s estimate is "impossible." Some on

165-629: A Peaceful Pacific," which featured ANSWER organizer Derek Ford. After several Asian women were killed in a hate crime in Atlanta on March 16, 2021, the ANSWER Coalition organized a nationwide day of action to protest the anti-Asian hate crime. ANSWER sees the hate crimes as "the result of the growing hostility towards China". In March 2023, the ANSWER Coalition organized demonstrations in Washington, D.C., and other American cities against

220-658: A form of genocide against the Iraqi people and that the only correct position for the U.S. antiwar movement was to demand, 'No war against Iraq.'... The economic sanctions ultimately took the lives of more than one million Iraqis, most of them children under the age of five, according to the UN's own statistics... The question for the antiwar movement is this: are we building a movement that comprehensively challenges imperialism or are we opposed only to certain tactics employed by imperialism such as overt, unilateral military invasion?" Regarding

275-435: A percent for every paragraph printed about the event. March for Women%27s Lives The Women's March was notable for its inclusivity and diversity, with participants from all walks of life, ages, races, genders, and sexual orientations coming together to advocate for progressive causes. The event featured speeches and performances by a range of prominent figures, including celebrities, politicians, and activists. While

330-558: A powerful antiwar protest. And most of the public will see it that way too." Although ANSWER worked with United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ) to build the September 24, 2005, Washington, D.C. rally, a December 2005 statement by the UFPJ Steering Committee says that UFPJ "has decided not to coordinate work with ANSWER again on a national level. The document cites three reasons for the decision: The document says that

385-546: A progressive magazine of Jewish interests, contained a special section entitled Authoritarianism and Anti-Semitism in the Anti-War Movement? According to Tikkun , "many Jews report that they were encountering what they perceived to be anti-Semitism at anti-war demonstrations organized by International A.N.S.W.E.R." Tikkun described the perceptions of anti-Semitism as based on Israel being singled out for criticism and A.N.S.W.E.R.'s refusal to "acknowledge or support

440-464: A protest could make them an easier target for government surveillance . A study of 342 US protests covered by The New York Times newspaper from 1962 to 1990 showed that such public activities usually affected the company's publicly traded stock price. The most intriguing aspect of the study's findings revealed that the amount of media coverage the event received was of the most importance to this study. Stock prices fell an average of one-tenth of

495-399: A strike' when it will create a humongous burden on immigrant groups. They need to stay in their box." Brian Becker, ANSWER's national coordinator, responded that ANSWER has in fact been involved in immigration in the long term, and that "We are just part of the coalition; we are not spearheading it at all... Whatever the immigrant rights community calls for is what we support." In August 2007,

550-503: A systematic and peaceful nonviolent campaign to achieve a particular objective, and involve the use of pressure as well as persuasion, they go beyond mere protest and may be better described as civil resistance or nonviolent resistance . Various forms of self-expression and protest are sometimes restricted by governmental policy (such as the requirement of protest permits ), economic circumstances, religious orthodoxy, social structures, or media monopoly. One state reaction to protests

605-505: A way of protesting. Any protest could be civil disobedience if a "ruling authority" says so, but the following are usually civil disobedience demonstrations: Blogging and social networking have become effective tools to register protest and grievances. Protests can express views or news, and use viral networking to reach out to thousands of people. With protests on the rise from the U.S. election season of 2016 going into 2017, protesters became aware that using their social media during

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660-440: Is influenced by individuals' ties within social networks . Social connections can affect both the spread of factual information about a protest and social pressures on participants. Willing to participate will also vary depending on the type of protest. Likelihood that someone will respond to a protest is also affected by group identification, and by the types of tactics involved. The Dynamics of Collective Action project and

715-545: Is involved in advocacy for rights for undocumented immigrants , believing that all immigration should be legal. ANSWER became involved in immigrant rights activism through protests against Save Our State , a California -based anti-undocumented immigration protest group, and the Minutemen Project , a group which patrols the U.S.- Mexico border to prevent illegal border crossings, and which ANSWER views as practicing racist vigilantism . These protests began soon after

770-440: Is the use of riot police . Observers have noted an increased militarization of protest policing in many countries, with police deploying armored vehicles and snipers against protesters. When such restrictions occur, protests may assume the form of open civil disobedience , more subtle forms of resistance against the restrictions, or may spill over into other areas such as culture and emigration. A protest itself may at times be

825-534: The D.C. Department of Public Works claimed that ANSWER broke city ordinances by putting signs, advertising a September 15 antiwar march, on utility boxes and using an adhesive that is difficult to remove. Additionally, the National Park Service, which administers many of the parks in the District of Columbia, claimed that the signs were defacement of federal property and ordered the group to remove

880-501: The Global Nonviolent Action Database are two of the leading data collection efforts attempting to capture information about protest events. The Dynamics of Collective Action project considers the repertoire of protest tactics (and their definitions) to include: The Global Nonviolent Action Database uses Gene Sharp's classification of 198 methods of nonviolent action. There is considerable overlap with

935-653: The Iraq War . The group has also organized activities around a variety of other issues, ranging from the Israel / Palestine debate to immigrant rights to Social Security to the extradition of Luis Posada Carriles . ANSWER is closely associated with the Party for Socialism and Liberation and characterizes itself as anti-imperialist , and its steering committee consists of socialists , communists , civil rights advocates, and left-wing or progressive organizations from

990-549: The March 20, 2010 anti-war protest in Washington, D.C. In response to the escalating tensions in Iraq between U.S. military and diplomats and Iraqi shia militias in correspondence with Iran, ANSWER called for a national demonstration against war in Iraq and aggression against Iran. The call for the demonstrations was made public via social media on January 1, 2020, but the importance of the proposed demonstrations on January 3, 2020, when

1045-521: The Muslim , Arab , Palestinian , Filipino , Haitian , and Latin American communities. ANSWER has faced criticism from other anti-war groups for its affiliations, tactics at demonstrations, and allegedly sectarian approach to joint anti-war work. It also faced criticism from various sources for its anti-Zionist politics. When ANSWER was founded, many of ANSWER's lead organizers were members of

1100-882: The U.S. targeted and bombed a convoy of vehicles in the Baghdad International Airport , killing the Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and several key figures in the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces , including the militia's Deputy Chairman Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis . On January 4, 2020, over 70 demonstrations, led by ANSWER and other organizations in coordination with ANSWER, took place across the United States. Demonstrations ranged from smaller in size in small cities to large gatherings in cities like New York City and Chicago. The Washington, D.C., demonstration included actress Jane Fonda . ANSWER has increasingly turned its attention to

1155-582: The Workers World Party (WWP) and its International Action Center . After the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) split from the WWP in 2004, ANSWER remained tightly tied to PSL. ANSWER's National Coordinator is Brian Becker, a PSL co-founder who said "we do a great deal of work through" ANSWER. A writer for The New Republic described ANSWER as a PSL " front group ," and the two have significant financial overlap. ANSWER's first major action

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1210-570: The "U.S. empire" in commemoration of "the 20th anniversary […] of the criminal U.S.-invasion of Iraq ." The demonstrations' major theme was protesting American involvement in the Russo-Ukrainian War after Russia's full-scale invasion a year earlier. The organization stated that "The Biden administration is determined to escalate the Ukraine war. The real goal of the massive arming and training of Ukrainian forces has nothing to do with

1265-645: The "U.S.-Israeli War on the People of Lebanon and Palestine." Organizers estimated that the August 12 demonstrations drew 30,000 protesters in Washington, 10,000 in San Francisco, and 5,000 in Los Angeles. ANSWER called national antiwar demonstrations in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., for September 15, 2007. According to the group, the attendance was 100,000. ANSWER joined with other groups to organize

1320-449: The ANSWER Coalition," and of doing so for "embarrassingly petty and astonishingly trivial" reasons. Besides giving their own version of the events surrounding September 24, ANSWER's statement indicates some less trivial differences between the groups: they criticize UFPJ for its willingness to support the ideas of mainstream politicians, such as John Murtha , who are disaffected with the war, while ANSWER "considers it harmful to try to tailor

1375-671: The Advancement of Colored People , Code Pink , and the National association of Social Workers . Two other groups that assisted in organizing women of color included the National Network of Abortion Funds [1] and Sister Song [2] . Sixteen protesters from the Christian Defense Coalition were arrested for demonstrating without a permit when they crossed police barricades into the area designated for

1430-680: The Dynamics of Collective Action repertoire, although the GNA repertoire includes more specific tactics. Together, the two projects help define tactics available to protesters and document instances of their use. Thomas Ratliff and Lori Hall have devised a typology of six broad activity categories of the protest activities described in the Dynamics of Collective Action project. Some forms of direct action listed in this article are also public demonstrations or rallies. Written evidence of political or economic power, or democratic justification may also be

1485-599: The U.S. These protests were organized by a number of groups unrelated to ANSWER as well. In late June 2006, ANSWER organized and participated in local rallies against the Israeli invasion of Gaza. Shortly after Israel invaded Lebanon two weeks later, ANSWER—along with the National Council of Arab Americans and the Muslim American Society —initiated a call for protests on August 12, 2006, against

1540-512: The U.S. component of the worldwide February 15, 2003 anti-war protest , which was, across the globe, the largest anti-war rally that has ever taken place. ANSWER sponsored emergency demonstrations just before the launch of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, on March 15, 2003, which according to its website drew 100,000 people each in San Francisco and Washington. With United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ) , it cosponsored an anti-occupation protest in Washington on October 25 of that year which, again according to

1595-411: The UFPJ Steering Committee "did not have consensus" about the decision not to work with ANSWER, but had "a more than two thirds supermajority ... We make no recommendations or mandates on this issue to UFPJ member groups in local or constituency-based area..." ANSWER responded by saying that "UFPJ has publicly proclaimed its intention to split the movement," and accused UFPJ of "a false and ugly attack on

1650-520: The Women's March was criticized by some for its lack of a clear agenda or policy platform, its organizers argued that its primary goal was to show support for the rights and dignity of all people, regardless of their background or identity. The march was seen as a powerful symbol of resistance and unity in the face of what many saw as a threat to progress and equality. A rally on the Mall began at 10 a.m., and

1705-991: The break appear definitive, they have published similar statements (rejecting future work with ANSWER) in the past, only to later agree to united demonstrations. A May 2005 decision to the same effect—announcing a September 24 demonstration separate from the one initiated by ANSWER—was reversed when UFPJ agreed to a united antiwar demonstration. Previous united demonstrations between the two groups took place on October 25, 2003, and March 20, 2004. The Anti-Defamation League has criticized ANSWER for its support of Hezbollah and Hamas and of attacks on Israelis by those and other groups, as well as its anti-Zionist stance. It also characterized ANSWER as fostering an anti-Semitic environment at some of its rallies, citing examples of signs held by attendees promoting anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and demonizing Israel. The Stephen Roth Institute has said "Anti-Israel and antisemitic content has marked some ANSWER events." The May–June 2003 issue of Tikkun ,

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1760-519: The current split has historical roots, dating back to "the first Iraq war of 1990–1991, [when] some of the same leadership forces now in UFPJ chose to create a second antiwar coalition and insisted on marching under the banner " Economic Sanctions Not War" while some of those who are today in the leadership of ANSWER argued that economic sanctions were war—and a weapon of mass destruction at that. We contended that economic sanctions against Iraq would result in

1815-793: The founding of the Minutemen group in April 2005. ANSWER has not usually been the primary organizer of these protests but has actively supported them. For example, ANSWER helped organize counter-protests of rallies held by right-wing groups in Alhambra, California , on June 21, 2005; in Sacramento, California , on August 29, 2005; in Los Angeles on January 7, 2006; and in Burbank, California , on January 21, 2006. ANSWER has also been involved in

1870-416: The group held a demonstration against Congress' vote to authorize the use of force against Iraq , which according to its website drew 100,000 in San Francisco and 200,000 in Washington, D.C. ANSWER called antiwar demonstrations on January 18, 2003, in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco , which were each attended by 200,000 people, according to the group's website. ANSWER was one of several groups organizing

1925-511: The group's website, brought out 100,000 people in Washington. ANSWER called for national anti-war , pro- Palestinian , and anti- Haitian coup demonstrations on March 20, 2004, (the first anniversary of the invasion of Iraq). The protest in New York, cosponsored by UFPJ, was attended by 100,000 according to the ANSWER website. ANSWER participated in the March for Women's Lives on April 25, and

1980-614: The growing conflict between the U.S. and the People's Republic of China . Brian Becker, the National Director of the ANSWER Coalition, is an endorser of the organization "Pivot to Peace" mission statement, which is an organization of "concerned Americans from all walks of life who have come together in opposition to the dramatically increasing drive toward confrontation between the United States and China." They have also worked with "No Cold War" on events, including their webinar, "For

2035-675: The interests of Ukrainian, Russian or American people. The aim instead is to “weaken Russia” as stated by the U.S. Secretary of Defense himself, even at the risk of a catastrophic nuclear war that could end life on Earth." In October and November 2023, the ANSWER Coalition joined with other groups such as the Palestinian Youth Movement to organize a series of protests across the USA. Prominent events included protests in New York City and Washington DC. ANSWER figures for

2090-407: The issues organizers were raising, but violent protests tended to generate unfavorable media coverage that generated public desire to restore law and order. Unaddressed protests may grow and widen into civil resistance , dissent, activism, riots, insurgency , revolts, and political or social revolution. Some examples of protests include: A protest can take many forms. Willingness to participate

2145-426: The left have also accused ANSWER of exaggerating protest attendance. An October 2007 Socialist Worker editorial penned by Todd Chretien and republished on CounterPunch asserted: "Ask anyone who has worked with ANSWER, and they will tell you that its organizers always double the number of people at their marches. More recently, the multiplication factor has increased." Chretien describes this as "disorienting for

2200-399: The message of the progressive movement to please the long-awaited but fictional support from the politicians." ANSWER asks, "Why is it that UFPJ's leadership can build a gushing "united front" with imperialist politicians but not the ANSWER Coalition, which has organized hundreds of thousands of people to promote genuine peace and self-determination?" At considerable length, ANSWER argued that

2255-568: The movement." For much of its history, few other prominent antiwar groups in the U.S. or elsewhere have had formal relationships with ANSWER, although many have participated in major ANSWER-sponsored protests. During the protests against the U.S.-led invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan , there was much discussion among U.S. leftist opponents of those invasions, as to the degree to which they are or are not willing to work with ANSWER because of its affiliations. Michael Albert and Stephen R. Shalom writing in Z magazine argue that regardless of

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2310-598: The much larger demonstrations in opposition to the Sensenbrenner Bill and support of legalization for undocumented immigrants that have occurred across the United States since March 2006. ANSWER was not the primary organizer of the initial large protests in Chicago , Los Angeles , and Dallas in late March and early April, but endorsed them. ANSWER was more prominent in the promotion of a May Day " Day Without An Immigrant " strike and boycott, because this call

2365-446: The political views of some speakers at a major antiwar demonstration, "as long as other speakers can and do express positions with a different point of view, the overall impact of the event will still be positive, particularly in the absence of other options. Most of the people at the demonstration will in fact be unaware of exactly who said what and whether any particular speaker omitted this or that point. What they will experience will be

2420-412: The potential costs and risks of doing so. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass political demonstrations . Protesters may organize a protest as a way of publicly making their opinions heard in an attempt to influence public opinion or government policy, or they may undertake direct action in an attempt to enact desired changes themselves. When protests are part of

2475-419: The prospects of working again with UFPJ, ANSWER wrote, "[we regard] the united front that was formed at [our] initiative to have been remarkably successful," and later, "Different groups may have different slogans on their banners, but they should try to overcome the forces of division so as to march shoulder to shoulder against the real enemy." Although the language of the UFPJ Steering Committee statement makes

2530-424: The protests of the 2004 Republican National Convention from August 30 to September 2. ANSWER and UFPJ jointly sponsored a rally in Washington, D.C., on September 24, 2005 , with attendance estimated by police at 150,000 and by organizers at 300,000 people. ANSWER was involved with demonstrations on May Day , 2006, in support of rights for undocumented immigrants, which brought out several million people across

2585-516: The right of the Jewish people to national self-determination." According to A.N.S.W.E.R.: "There are those within the Jewish political establishment who charge anti-Semitism against any who dare condemn these terrible acts, or who condemn Israel fundamentally. But being opposed to Zionism is not the same as being anti-Semitic." ANSWER works with Jewish Voice for Peace and other Jewish groups opposed to Israel. In addition to anti-war activism, ANSWER

2640-496: The rules on sign posting. An ANSWER spokeswoman stated that they gained support from the publicity and intended to continue to post more posters, stickers, and banners despite the efforts of the city. Protest A protest (also called a demonstration , remonstration , or remonstrance ) is a public act of objection, disapproval or dissent against political advantage. Protests can be thought of as acts of cooperation in which numerous people cooperate by attending, and share

2695-461: The signs or pay for their removal. ANSWER refused to remove the signs, stating that the adhesive used was legal, water-soluble paste and the city's actions were "politically motivated." The group said any fines would be without legal basis, and they would appeal if fines were imposed. ANSWER sued the city in federal court to stop the city from enforcing its laws until it creates a "constitutionally allowable and non-discriminating system" for determining

2750-593: The size of its March 2007, protest were higher than corresponding San Francisco Chronicle figures. ANSWER engaged in a public dispute with the San Francisco Chronicle about the size of that demonstration. ANSWER Western Regional Coordinator Richard Becker wrote in an op-ed: While tens of thousands of spirited anti-war marchers were still entering the San Francisco Civic Center on Sunday, March 18... organizers got word that

2805-424: The subject of a counter-protest . In such cases, counter-protesters demonstrate their support for the person, policy, action, etc. that is the subject of the original protest. Protesters and counter-protesters can sometimes violently clash. One study found that nonviolent activism during the civil rights movement in the United States tended to produce favorable media coverage and changes in public opinion focusing on

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2860-501: Was a September 29, 2001 "Anti-War, Anti-Racist" political rally and march in Washington, D.C. , primarily in protest of the impending U.S. invasion of Afghanistan . An estimated 8,000 people participated. The group's next major demonstration took place on April 20, 2002, which according to ANSWER's website, drew 100,000 people to Washington in the largest pro- Palestinian demonstration in U.S. history . On October 26 of that year,

2915-716: Was controversial within the immigrant rights movement, contributing to a growing division between its left-wing advocates and moderates who believed a strike and boycott would be counterproductive. ANSWER's position on the left side of this issue led to criticism; Jaime Contreras, president of the National Capital Immigrant Coalition and chairman of the local Service Employees International Union in Washington, D.C., told The Washington Post regarding ANSWER: "Groups... that have done nothing on immigration have no reason to stick their nose where it doesn't belong... They have no business saying, 'Let's do

2970-580: Was followed by a march through downtown Washington, with a route along Pennsylvania Avenue . Celebrities who appeared at the march included Peter, Paul, and Mary , Indigo Girls , Judy Gorman , Susan Sarandon , Whoopi Goldberg , Ashley Judd , Kathleen Turner , Ted Turner , Ana Gasteyer , Janeane Garofalo , Bonnie Franklin , Julianne Moore , and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright ; also appearing were veteran abortion rights leaders, such as Kate Michelman of NARAL Pro-Choice America and Gloria Steinem , and many members of Congress. The march

3025-488: Was led by seven organizing groups: National Organization for Women (NOW), American Civil Liberties Union , Black Women's Health Imperative , Feminist Majority Foundation , NARAL Pro Choice America , National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health , and Planned Parenthood Federation of America. More than 1,400 organizations co- sponsored the event including Choice USA , the National Association for

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