FLASH! A.N.S.W.E.R. funded & organized rally HIJACKED by A.N.S.W.E.R.!

[Poll_Blind]

Earlier today I was astounded to see a number of posters denigrating the organization of the peace rally because topics other than withdrawal from Iraq were spoken of. A.N.S.W.E.R. was blamed. Many openly suggested that A.N.S.W.E.R. was a front of some sort for conservative skulduggery.

Furthermore, voices have been raised that A.N.S.W.E.R. hijacked the rally.

Ok, so I spent about 5 minutes on Google to find out who funded and organized this rally that A.N.S.W.E.R. hijacked. And do you know something, it was A.N.S.W.E.R.

From release:

We can't do it without your donation! The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition is the organization that has assumed full responsibility for the costs of the stage, sound, and setup at the joint rally, which will begin at the White House (Ellipse) at 11:30 AM on September 24.

Are they lying? I dunno. You tell me- I don't probe too deeply into peace organizations- I'm just glad they exist. If you don't like them, this would seem an extremely opportune moment to reveal legerdemain on their part, I assure you!

Is everyone who is complaining about A.N.S.W.E.R.'s hijacking of the event ignorant of their funding and organization of their event? It sure seems like it- I know I had no idea who'd footed the bill until I actually bothered to check. I think bothering to check was the difficult part, really.

Now either they're lying or those who are angry with A.N.S.W.E.R. have been informed that it's their event. Again, this would seem an extremely opportune moment to catch them in a huge lie, if in fact, they are lying about sponsorship of the event.

PB

[WritingIsMyReligion]

1. WTF????

:wtf::wtf:

[GreenPartyVoter]

17. Welcome to DU, fellow Maine-iac. *wave*

------------------------------------------------------------------
Peace Rally SUPER THREAD:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4870788

Save this nation one town, county, and state at a time:
http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/electionreform.htm

[rainy]

2. Every protest against the Iraq war has been organized by ANSWER

and they have had the same speakers each time. This is about the 4th protest that they have sponsored and they have done the same thing. The yelling, and free so and so, can't remember the guy's name. It has been the same everytime. Where have you guys been?

[Poll_Blind]

4. I dunno, but the level of carping about A.N.S.W.E.R. is wildly high...

...considering that this rally has been hyped by many on DU for weeks. I thought it was an awesome rally and, as my posts today have shown, I don't have a problem with people bringing up other egregious aspects of the Bush mis-administration, especially if they're the ones paying for the event.

PB

[Mz Pip]

7. Free Mumia

Every anti-war rally I've been to has had a whole Free Mumia contingent. They beat drums and burn sage. How freeing Mumia will end the war I am not clear on but the burning sage smells kinda nice.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[Ksec]

26. agreed, they fked up the protest.

[Catrina]

3. I watched C-Span and told other

people to watch. I didn't see any coverage of a march. All I saw were a lot of people screaming about various different things (not sure what, since the screaming was distracting). I saw a crowd of about three people the last time I checked (still looking for coverage of the march) and finally realized this wasn't coverage of any march.

I don't know who organized it. I thought there were many groups. But someone definitely made sure that C-Spans cameras never went anywhere near the march but remained focused on the Communist Party, or at least that's what it looked like.

If I didn't go online, I would have thought there was no march ~ that maybe it was tomorrow. But I read here, that the pro-war march is tomorrow. I'm sure that will be covered by C-Span.

Btw, I searched other media, and saw nothing about a march on CNN, MSNBC or anywhere else. I know there was a march, only because of DU.

[Mr_Spock]

24. Those people were shrill

I wish that guy who was nudging them would have just tackled them. I could tell he knew that the self-important speakers had no idea that their message was not being recieved well, but he did. Oh, well.

[tlsmith1963]

5. Next Time...No ANSWER

If we are going to defeat Bush, we have to stay focused on the issues he is most vulnerable on. ANSWER wanted it to be about their zillion causes, but that is counterproductive right now. It dilutes the message. I want Bush to be defeated too much to let ANSWER destroy our chance. Next time, I want some other group to organize the rally.

Tammy

[mcscajun]

10. AbsoFraggin'LUTELY!!!!

Anyone but A.N.S.W.E.R.

[political_invader]

14. No Doubt About It 100% agree nt

[librechik]

62. we need our own gd organization

we needed it yesterday

[SittingBull]

It's all about CoIntelPro

again.

Be careful! Don't play divide et empera...

[tkmorris]

6. I think most of us realize that

However, most people went to Washington today to rally against the Iraq war. That is what it was billed as, and that was the issue they went to support.

If A.N.S.W.E.R. wanted to have a Peace/Free Palestine/Save The Whales/Free Mumia/Let's Boycott the Color Red rally then that is what they should have called it. It may sound silly to say they hijacked their own (arguably) march but that is precisely what they did.

It is the same as if after posting this thread you entered back into it wanting to discuss your pet chinchilla.

[Poll_Blind]

15. Actually they were pretty damned upfront about it- see the flyer...

Located here (front) and here (back). Both require Acrobat Reader to view.

On both sides of the flyer they note numerous issues the rally will be about.

Issues listed from front:
"Stop the war in Iraq!"
"Healthcare for all!"
"U.S. out of Puerto Rico"
"Fight racism"
"U.S. out of the Phillipenes"
"Support the Palestinian people's right of return"
"Military recruiters out of our schools"
"End the occupation of Haiti"
"Hands off Cuba & Venezuela"

And in big letters on the front: "End colonial occupation: Iraq, Palestine, Haiti"

The back "10 reasons why we march" supports and expounds on the issues listed above, but in more detail.

How can they hijack their own rally, as you stated, if they appeared to meet the talking points listed on their own flyer for it?

PB

[tkmorris]

21. Nobody went there because they got the flyer

People went because they heard there was going to be an anti-Iraq war rally. I'd be willing to bet a lot of people would NOT have gone if they'd seen that flyer.

[mcscajun]

31. Many people here never saw that flyer...

...they were attracted by United for Peace and Justice, by MoveOn.org, by DU.

If they'd seen this first, they wouldn't have been surprised:

[tlsmith1963]

18. Agreed

ANSWER *did* hijack their own rally. It was billed as an anti Iraq War rally. That's what most people were there for. I was really looking forward to today because I want Bush gone *so much*. I really had hope that this was the beginning of something. Then ANSWER ruined my hope. I felt strangely empty after the C-SPAN broadcast ended, & it was because hardly any of the rally was really about the Iraq War. ANSWER made it about their zillion causes instead. The only good that came out of this is that people left the ANSWER stage area & had their march, anyway. But I still feel really sad. I cried after the broadcast. *Why* can't we get it together? These Republicans have been ruining my hope for years. I once considered suicide because they made me feel that I was going to have no future. Do these activists on the left know how much faith people like me put in them? They represent the only hope I have, so it breaks my heart when they blow it like ANSWER did. And we can't mess up like this anymore. I really think that this country is going to collapse if we don't get it together. I never felt like this in the past. The budget deficit is getting too high now. We have to stop Bush before it is too late. But we can't if we let people like ANSWER run things. Stay focused on the issues where Bush is most vulnerable. If we do that, I think we can force him & the other neocons out.

Tammy

[reprehensor]

8. I say all the power to them.

The next time the Democrats, Greens, or (gag) Republicans can pull together hundreds of thousands of people for a peace rally, let me know. I'll be herding my flying pigs.

It was their rally, to do with as they pleased.

It freaks some people out that some of their ideology is Marxist-Leninist.

Looks more like McCartney/Lennonist to me. Damn that commie Joan Baez, that radical Steve Earle!

Damn!

The answer is Blowin' in the Wind somewhere down Copperhead Road, and if establishment pols can't take the hint, they will be 'left behind' just like in them 'Rapture' novels.

[malaise]

16. I'm with you 100%

The only way to make Bushco know people are serious is to turn up in large numbers. Whatever it takes to achieve that I support. The ANSWERS Rally exceeded our wildest expectations today. The establishment will have to take notice. Congrats on a massive rally.

[mcscajun]

9. There are plenty of us on those threads who know full well it's

A.N.S.W.E.R.'s 'party'. We're the ones who corrected the folks who kept using the word "hijacked". We also aren't the ones who think they're working for Rove, or part of some "conservative skullduggery".

We're also right there along with folks who Violently Object to how A.N.S.W.E.R. runs things, dilutes the message, alienates those we hope to convert, and almost always manages to get there first for nearly every major protest and lock up permits for all the sites.

United for Peace and Justice, and Not In Our Name (NION) were both formed to address A.N.S.W.E.R.'s stranglehold on the anti-war movement.

I salute all the anti-war protesters, I loudly applaud all here at DU who participated, and still I slam A.N.S.W.E.R. for how today's Rally (*not the March*) was run. Business as Usual for them.

I hope the next major March will be sponsored by UFPAJ or NION, or a cooperative venture of the two...anyone but A.N.S.W.E.R. They are NOT the Answer...they are the Problem.

[thedailyshow]

12. I agree with you

Wasn't this supposed to be an anti-war rally? Why are they talking about Israel/Palestine/Freeing Mumia/Saving the Whales?

[Lars39]

11. United for Peace and Justice claimed to be sponsoring

and organizing, too. Their schedule shows that the march stepped off at 12:30, so anybody tuning into C-Span after that point got pure ANSWER, yet C-Span didn't feel obligated to actually show the march itself.
Looks like UPJ got the worst end of the stick.
http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:Nf1f0-VY94AJ:www.unitedforpeace.org/septmobe+United+for+Peace+and+Justice&hl=en&client=firefox-a

[lildreamer316]

13. Here's part of the ANSWER :

The way this has been hyped on DU it was a rally partly organized by Gold Star/Camp Casey/Vets for Peace and many other peace organizations. That was certainly my impression and has been for at least 5 months. I am sure it was here, but do not recall, A.N.S.W.E.R. being mentioned prominently in almost ANY WAY in affiliation with this protest. I don't know why that was, it just was. Therefore, many here believed this to be a gathering primarily funded by the above mentioned and other orgs like MoveOn or Michael Moore or ?. I am not defending per se; just explaining. I know I was a bit taken aback at all the different messages being thrown out. We are kinda in our own little world here sometimes.......

[Poll_Blind]

19. Yeah, I think that happend to alot of us here...including myself.

Good point/post.

PB

[Emit]

20. As far as I'm concerned

I was more upset with CSPAN for staying on ANSWER long after much of their crowd had dispersed, and for NOT following the crowd of thousands of Iraq war protesters on the streets that were NOT associated with ANSWER. There were many other groups there. ANSWER funded their own stage (and more: advertisement, etc.) and was obviously a big catalyst with this event, but others, such as PDA and Code Pink, etc., etc. were there and put out $ too (not to mention just a lot of average people from all over who were there independently without association with one of these groups).

CSPAN should've followed the crowd. Instead, their coverage of only ANSWER made the whole thing look like ANSWER, and gave mainstream America who might have caught CSPAN more ammo with what the right already labels us: "Pinkie Commie" and "Pro-Socialist=anti-Americans."

It's not so much that I even disagree with anything ANSWER does. They have their place and it's okay by me. But CSPAN missed the mark big time on this, as did all the MSM, of course. I expect more from CSPAN, though. Right after their coverage of ANSWER, they cut to Bush's* Sat AM radio address and Rita coverage, and then announced that tomorrow, they will cover the pro-war groups.

[Porcupine]

22. When the DLC organizes a peace rally...pigs will fly on

silver wings above the soft downy powder of the ski slopes in hell.

Our sELECTED leadership hasn't managed to notice that the majority of Americans want us to pull the hell out of Iraq now.

[fishnfla]

23. *FLASH* ANSWER STILL SUCKS!!

eom

[Dr Fate]

25. ANSWER types is why I dont go to anything in San Francisco

I dont want to find "my Mommy" and I dont have a dog in the IP hunt.

[LiberalEsto]

27. Answer and United for Peace & Justice developed a rift,

according to Will Pitt. That's why there were 2 rallies, 2 stages, 2 sets of speakers in DC. That's why there were no marshals organizing the marchers or directing them. That's why the entire thing was a mess.

Maybe it's time to start a new national anti-war coalition that can organize marches, obtain permits, etc.

[Jeanette in FL]

28. I can understand the frustration

But until we all realize and educate ourselves on American foreign policy and what has been done in our name, in foreign lands will continue. The Iraq War is just another brick in the wall.

ANSWER brings this to the forefront. It is amazing when you talk to people from other countries, they know more of what we have done in their countries than most of our citizens know. And I am not speaking about the American people. The American people are the most generous people on the planet. It is our Government they do not trust.

We (our Gov't) have stuck our noses in everyones business, in every one else gov't and stole natural resources of other countries. ANSWER confronts this.

I wish we could have had a different type of coverage of the events of today, but as the OP researched, ANSWER paid for the event that was televised on CSPAN today.

[Catrina]

29. I just searched to see who

organized this march and it seems ANSWER was just ONE of the many groups doing so.

Veterans For Peace
Iraq Veterans Against the War
Military Families Against the War
Vietnam Veterans Against the War
Veterans For Peace
United For Peace and Justice


These are just a few of the groups who were involved in organizing this march. So why is everyone saying ANSWER organized it?

I just spoke to a friend who is a member of Irag War Veterans Against the War, and he said they had nothing to do with ANSWER.

The only reference to ANSWER being THE organizer of this event was a USA article, most talking about the Freeper plans to hold a counter rally.

Seems we are being misled. I know here, the people who went from my area, and they did not go with ANSWER, and I also just talked to a friend in WV who planned to go, they had buses, and they had NOTHING to do with ANSWER.

Seems to me that maybe the biggest role played by ANSWER was to present themselves to the media as the organizers, and get C-Span to go along with that. Maybe the other groups need to be aware of this, and make sure that ANSWER does not take credit for their efforts and hog all the media coverage.

[mcscajun]

32. Lots of groups...but it was A.N.S.W.E.R. who got the permits.

They almost always are.

Somebody needs to beat them to the punch, and then NOT invite them to the "party", that's all I'm sayin'.

[Catrina]

35. I don't understand

How can ANSWER get permists for all the groups who were involved? Not doubting you, but to be honest, I always avoid ANSWER, and only knew about this march from various Veterans Groups I go to. That's why I was puzzled by all the threads here claiming that this march was all due to ANSWER.

Does this mean that their permit covered IVAW, eg? I'm just wondering how that works. Did all these groups have to say they were with ANSWER?

I know the rightwing media always wants to claim that all anti-war rallies are organized by ANSWER, but honestly, where I live, no one every mentions them when plannig to attend these rallies.

Can someone clarify this? I truly am puzzled and if they are not responsbile for this huge rally, I think it's important to let the media know that. Because what I saw on C-Span had nothing to do with the Iraq war. Admittedly I tuned out most of it, just kept checking to see when they coverage would switch from the shrill, screaming to the actual march, which it never did.

[mcscajun]

44. The permits cover the locations, the size of the crowd, whether

sound systems, stages, etc. will be permitted, and for how long.

Everything else operates under that "permit umbrella" if you will. The other groups rally supporters to attend and to march, and anyone, even unaffiated people are free to turn up to march, but those other groups have little say in what happens at the rally.

The media already knows A.N.S.W.E.R. is responsible for today's rally; when those of us not in attendance tuned into C-Span's coverage, the banner at the bottom of the screen read: A.N.S.W.E.R. Rally.

[Lars39]

34. Now *that* is interesting to know!

Thanks for digging that up. I wonder how many ANSWER members are also members of the groups you listed.

[Alizaryn]

30. I was disappointed that

a multi-thousand people march was represented to the world by CSPAN as a 3 hour rally. Once those gathered were "allowed" to leave and chose to march, I wish that the rally speakers would have swallowed their egos and led the cameras out to the march rather then continuing to speak to few ears. I honestly think it would have been MUCH more effective in gaining support, (if gaining support was at all their goal.)

[NoodleyAppendage]

33. A.N.S.W.E.R. = S.P.E.C.T.R.E. of anti-war rally sponsors?

I kept expecting to see a bejeweled Persian cat being stroked by Blofeld on the rally stage.

Seriously...how much do we really know about A.N.S.W.E.R.?? What better way to discredit a movement or ideal than to infiltrate the movement and destroy it from within...can you say CONTELPRO!!!

B

[Catrina]

36. That's what I'm beginning to thingk

Wouldn't be better to have the media say that this march was organized by all those veteran groups and the Military Families? I haven't heard any media mention of all those groups, and I'm highly suspicious because the rightwing never mentions them either, but delights in saying that ANSWER is a 'commie group' that is organizing all these marches.

I would like to know a lot more about ANSWER. Maybe it's time to do a little research ~ but I wish the many Veterans' groups who did so much to get all those people there, would get more coverage. Why don't they? Now, I'm really upset ~ this stinks. They hogged all the C-Span coverage, and there was NO coverage of the Veterans groups, or others for that matter. No wonder we can't get anywhere.

[69KV]

40. ANSWER

I was at the big DC rally today...

I thought this march and most of the protesters were surprisingly on-message, compared to some protests I've been to in the past. Most of the protesters were mainstream Americans, liberals, Democrats, there to protest Bush and the Iraq War. The usual irrelevant fringe groups were all there passing out their newspapers but this time around it looks like they were swamped by so much of mainstream America.

The organizers are a different story. The answer about ANSWER is they (and their predecessor organization, the International Action Center) were organized by the Workers World Party. That's the Trotskyist group led by Sam Marcy that split off from the Socialist Workers Party several decades ago because the SWP opposed the Soviet invasion of Hungary while those who went with the WWP supported it. I too was a bit put off by all the extraneous "causes" that ANSWER's speakers tried to hitch to the antiwar cause. Free Mumia...defend Cuba against US imperialism...Israel out of Palestine...whatever. Yaawn.

But I wouldn't have missed the march and rally itself for the world. We, the people, liberals and mainstream Americans with no connection or interest in the WWP, were in the streets making our voices heard, and that's what counts. We were there in spite of ANSWER's attempts to control the protest, not because of it.

The only reason ANSWER has the influence they do in the antiwar movement is because they have recruited a few high profile names who are willing to front for them, most notably former U.S. Attorney General, Ramsey Clark. I do not believe ANSWER is some kind of Repuke front group; what they are is just a last gasp of the irrelevant old sectarian Marxist-Leninist ultra-left. (So is "The World Can't Wait", the group organizing the next big antiwar protest on Nov. 2 - they're a creation of the Revolutionary Communist Party, a Maoist group. Again, as with this one, attend the rally, stay on message, and swamp the rally's hard-left organizers with a huge turnout of mainstream Democrats.)

I agree with the other sentiments here, ultimately we are going to have to make an end run around ANSWER and build an antiwar movement that middle American can get behind, not one that ANSWER uses at a platform for the laundry list of ultra-leftist "causes".

[mcscajun]

45. Lots of info on A.N.S.W.E.R. out there....

Check out Wikipedia for starters.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANSWER

[Nikki Stone 1]

37. What good is funding if you undermine the message?

You might as well not be there at all. Or better yet, be working against the credibility of the cause in question.

Assuming ANSWER is genuine, then it needs to get its fucking ACT together. If they're sponsoring an anti-war rally, then STAY ON MESSAGE.

In my opinion, a group with that kind of money and contacts should have enough savvy to stay on message and not spew all kinds of diffuse crap to CSPAN. The fact that they don't seem to have any control over their message indicates to me that something else is afoot.

[Poll_Blind]

38. Well they were 100% on message- but who bothered to find out the message?

See, apparently hardly anybody bothered to actually see what the event was officially about and decided to label it/believe whatever they wanted.

See this message.

PB

[Nikki Stone 1]

42. No, people were told it was an anti-war rally. Period.

The flyers were NEVER posted here, and of all places, they should have been posted at DU.

They were also not posted on either of the university campuses I frequent--and trust me, I look for those things. The posters I saw on both campuses for the 9/24 march specifically and exclusively mentioned the Iraq war: period. That's it.

I also remember William Pitt first mentioning the 9/24 march here on DU and it had a single anti-war message. He can correct me if I am wrong, but I do not remember him mentioning all of the other causes in that flyer.

So, dear heart, here's the deal: on the heels of Cindy Sheehan's success--and it was a success--ANSWER decided to graft its own agenda onto an anti-war protest. And did not overly publicize either its own involvement or its agenda for the march.

ANSWER was deceptive.

ANSWER used a lot of genuine, caring people, their time, money and hard work.

ANSWER used a powerful national forum to spew lots of its own pet projects that not many people supported. (That's why it kept mum on its involvement) They ended up diluting the message and making the protesters look disorganized and unfocused on CSPAN.


Next time, we will all know better and ask if ANSWER is involved. If this deceptive and exploitative organization IS involved, we won't be.



And DON'T insult all these well meaning people by blaming the victim and accusing them of projecting their own message onto the march. They were had. We were had.

Period.

[Poll_Blind]

56. Yes, A.N.S.W.E.R. hid their agenda in plain sight! DEVIOUS! n/t

PB

[truedelphi]

58. I've been peace marching for 30 years

And I want to express my deep sorrow that I goofed of and had fun during the Ford Carter years - not knowing what the Freepers had up their sleeves. I wish now I smoked fewer doobies, and laid in the sun watching the shadows a lot less and done things that might have kept the Bushites from slowly gaining power over the last ten years and more

AND ya know - the main organizers of any/all events are almost all made from a BUCKET of Slime.

But it don't matter. I mean, probably if someone like Ghandi re-appeared on the scene - would they even give his group a permit?

So don't worry about it.

Unless you guys can worry about it in such a way to change it (and for all I know, since so many on this board have oodles of sense and goobles of brain - maybe you'll figure it out when we baby boomers did not) And I will join in with you on that. If ya figure out a way to do it
To hold rallies without the weird Answer and Cointelpro types

I will gladly join in

Carol

but the intention is what is important.

[Walt Starr]

39. FLASH: So long as A.N.S.W.E.R. runs these things...

there will be no presence of mainstream elected Democrats, nor will there be much in the way of mainstream press coverage.

[Catrina]

41. Yes, but who said Answer

organized it? As I said in an above post, those I have spoken to who were either there, or helping to organize to help others get there, had nothing to do with ANSWER. They were part of some of the Veterans groups, and other local organizations.

That's my question, why is everyone giving credit to ANSWER for the huge crowds that were there, when so many other organizations were equally responsible?

They are certainly welcome to do their thing, they TOOK OVER the only media coverage there was and there was zero coverage of march itself, which from the one picture I've seen, was impressive, and would have been especially since so many Veterans groups were involved.

I mean, was there only group able to get a permit? Were all these other groups there under ANSWER's permit, or did they too, need their own permits?

To anyone who wasn't there, and who may be on the fence, there was zero coverage of the march, all they saw was a myriad of individuals, mostly yelling, about all kinds of issues, to, in the end, about three people. That's the image anyone who was not there has of the whole thing. Why would C-Span cover only ANSWER, and not the march itself, and why wouldn't ANSWER realize that this was happening and tell everyone to go to the march, since they had no one listening to them in the end, anyway?

I'm becoming increasingly suspicious. I know this will be the story tomorrow on all rightwing blogs. Not the hundreds of thousands of ordinary Americans who were there.

[crispini]

43. You have a GREAT point. nt

[Catrina]

48. Thank you , I just read the OP again

and it says that ANSWER 'funded' this event? How did they fund it?

I know a woman who organized a bus to go DC for the march, and those people 'funded' their own trip. They had nothing to do with ANSWER, and since they are very mainstream, and older, actually senior citizens most of them, (we were worried about them, actually) I think ANSWER would scare them.

So, could the OP explain how ANSWER funded this? My other friends who helped organize buses did so through the Vietnam Vets group, and the Iraq War Vets group. So, how was that ANSWER funding it? Seems to me we are being very misled here ~ I have never communicated with ANSWER and never saw their literature ~ most of what I knew about this event was through veterans' groups. I assumed ANSWER was just another group. Now I'm being told they funded and ran it. That really is news to me ~

[crispini]

49. I think that ANSWER got the permit for the stage.

Or at least one of the stages. I read on another post that UFPJ had a second stage, but I'm not sure about that.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

50. Hmmm

Issues listed from front:
"Stop the war in Iraq!"

No problem wit dat...

"Healthcare for all!"

No problem wit dat...

"U.S. out of Puerto Rico"

Haven't we been there since we won it from Spain and isn't it a quasi state and most Puerto Ricans like it that way...

"Fight racism"

No problem wit dat

"U.S. out of the Phillipenes"

Hmmm. We are training them to fight Abu Sayaf and the MNLF... I don't think Filipinos want to accede to demands by Muslim irredentists...


"Support the Palestinian people's right of return"

Yeah, Israel can remain a Jewish state and accomodate six million Muslims...

"Military recruiters out of our schools"

Need to think about dat


"End the occupation of Haiti"


No problem wit dat....


No problem wit dat
"Hands off Cuba & Venezuela"


They mix good causes and "bad" causes in one big stew and discredit the good causes...

[Nikki Stone 1]

46. The author of this thread claims that ANSWER organized the march

Any info to the contrary would be helpful.

[mcscajun]

47. Who said A.N.S.W.E.R. organized it? They did.

http://www.answercoalition.org/

From their site:
Washington DC Press Conference Announces Plans for September 24 Mass March in Washington DC
Wednesday, June 1, 2005

Today (Wednesday, June 1), a diverse group of antiwar, civil rights, religious and community leaders held a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington DC to announce plans for the September 24, 2005, Mass March in Washington DC announced on May 12 by the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition.

Speakers at the press conference included Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, attorney and co-founder, Partnership for Civil Justice; Mahdi Bray, Executive Director, Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation; Rev. Graylan Hagler, Senior Minister, Plymouth Congregational Church; Brian Becker, National Coordinator, A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition; Vanessa Dixon, DC Healthcare Coalition; Macrina Cardenas, Mexico Solidarity Network; Chuck Kaufman, Nicaragua Network; and Sarah Sloan, National Staff Coordinator, A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition. Messages of support were sent from Ramsey Clark, former U.S. attorney general; Michael Berg, father of Nicholas Berg; Ben Dupuy, General Secretary, National Popular Party of Haiti (PPN); and Kathy Boylan, Dorothy Day Catholic Worker in Washington DC.

See below for the Agence France-Presse (AFP) and Associated Press (AP) articles.


Also From their site:
Permits obtained for September 24!
Thursday, July 7, 2005

September 24 mobilization moves forward

Permits obtained for September 24!

The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition, on behalf of the September 24 National Coalition, has obtained permits for the September 24 March on Washington at the White House. We have obtained the permits for both Lafayette Park on the North Side of the White House and the Ellipse on the South Side. We expect a sea of protestors to surround the White House in a vivid demonstration of the growing opposition to the criminal war and occupation of Iraq. Marching under the banner "Stop the War Against Iraq, Bring the Troops Home Now, End Colonial Occupation from Iraq to Palestine to Haiti and Everywhere," communities from throughout the United States will converge in a unified display of what now represents majority sentiment: opposition to the U.S. government's war drive.

Obtaining the permits at the White House will allow the largest number of people to participate, exercise their First Amendment rights, and speak out against the Bush administration and its war for Empire.

[crispini]

52. Why has UFPJ gotten eclipsed in all of this?

From their site:

http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=3075

Joint rally and march on Sept. 24 in Washington, D.C.

August 19th, 2005




The two major antiwar coalitions that have initiated and organized for a massive anti-war March on Washington for September 24 have agreed to organize a joint rally followed by a joint march. Both coalitions will organize under their own banners, slogans, and with their own literature for the September 24 demonstration. The joint rally will begin at 11:30 am at the Ellipse in the front of the White House. We urge everyone around the country to unite and come out for the largest possible anti-war demonstration on September 24.

Signed by:

United for Peace and Justice

A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
(on behalf of the September 24 National Coalition)

[mcscajun]

54. Because A.N.S.W.E.R. paid for the stage...

...their show, their banner.

And because that's how A.N.S.W.E.R. runs things.

[Catrina]

55. So they got the permits

How did they fund it? I just posted that those I know funded their own trips through their own organizations ~ seems to me that ANSWER makes sure to get ahead of everyone else and get the permits.

How come they got a permit to encircle the WH so easily, especially since they are supposedly so hated by the Right, and presumably by the Bush administration, who won't usually allow anyone within miles of Bush?

Strange how easily they get these permits, when Cindy Sheehan nearly got arrested for not having a permit for a microphone!! ANSWER also, I remember, got a permit for front row seats at the Inauguration. I remember being very surprised by that too, but didn't focus on it too much, at the time.

Seems to me they just get the permits ahead of everyone else, and then claim to be the organizers and get all the media attention.

They did NOT 'fund it', as far as I can tell, and most people going there probably thought their own groups had organized their trips, which I believe they did, and ANSWER is taking credit for that.


Smart, I have to admit, but suspicious. I will continue to avoid having anything to do with them. They certainly diverted media attention away from the main reason for being there today, with the help of C-Span.

Next time, someone else needs to get the permits. I would think a politician might be more likely to show up if it was perceived that Veterans groups were the organizers.

[Walt Starr]

57. A.N.S.W.E.R. knows what gets play

The stage where the speechifying happens gets play. That's what they funded and that is now officially the perspective of this rally.

[Cha]

51. I went the the NYC one on Feb 15, 2003

and it was all about United For Peace And Justice.. I don't remember any answer stuff but maybe it was too cold.

I do remember Harry Belafonte, Code Pink, and lots of music.

[Poll_Blind]

53. Another thread....

here

PB

[WilliamPitt]

59. Here's the deal

ANSWER is a hard-core Maoist Socialist group that thinks it is THE leader of the Left, of the revolution. They want no input from you. They believe they are the elite.

Try this: If you want to throw a rally, you HAVE to minvite them. If you don't, they will come in and overwhelm your rally.

I know a lot of people who deal with them. They put butts in the seats, to be sure, but that does not make them a group of good character. You would want nothing to do with the world they would like to create.

[crispini]

60. .

:popcorn:

[Puregonzo1188]

61. I went under the impression

United For Peace & Justice had put had the march/rally. Thats what their site seemed to indicate, which had fliers referring to it as an Anti-Iraq war protest, not a protest to stop the US Machine in Iraq, Haiti, Palestine,Save The Whales, Freeing Mumia, and Hands Off Cuba. I was sort of shocked when I heard some of the ANSWER folks speaking about everything, but the Iraq War. I missed must of the rally, and left after hearing the ANSWER for 30-45 minutes. To be honest with you, I checked my watch and noticed it was 1:00, and thought I had missed the 12:30 rally listening to the ANSWER folks babble on. Luckily I had not, for the rally had been delayed for the folks coming on the Amtrak from New York (which I knew nothing about at the time).

The march was made up of a diverse group of people, Veterans, Buddhist, Pagans, Socialist Workers, Greens, Democrats. People their against the war, and from all walks of life and political ideologies. And apparently during this time ANSWER got even crazier speaking about whales and such. I've only seen part of the rally on CSPAN during replay, as I was tired from the days events. It appears to me at some point the rally transfers from United for Peace & Justice who has Cindy Sheenan and Jessie Jackson, who than completely leave the stage it appears and the ANSWER folk start speaking. They even change signs on the lectern. I noticed from the bit I saw on CSPAN that near the end of the ANSWER brigade and after they had the second Palestinian speaker (after the first one had spoken about 3 different times) the crowd refused to cheer for him at all. I think a lot of people came under the impression it was an Anti-Iraq War protest, as it was billed by so many groups on the net and their fliers. It seems like ANSWER latched some causes on afterwards.