i have to say-this was one of the lamest rallies i have seen in a long time. First off, the flier claimed it was supported by all these groups but there were 30 people there. Almost the whole crowd was ANSWER/International Action Center/Worker's Wold Party people. Like all ANSWER rallies, it was old white guys screaming through a sound system-in this case 'Bush go to Mars'. Many of the people on the street looked at the protestors like they were from mars.
Also, like all ANSWER rallies, it seems that the goal was to get their name out more than anything.
Permits, pens and barricades,complete submissiveness with the cops, boring monotype signs, boring speakers-this is what today was all about.
Do yourself a favor-organize now in affinity groups, form clusters, research actions and plan now. Dont' count on the experts whether it is the closeted authoritarians of ANSWER or the liberal hand wringing of UFPJ. Never trust groups who seem to exist only to promote their own group and fundraise to pay their salaries.

^Never trust a group that accepts the barricades.

So, do you want to know why anti-authoritarians don't work with ANSWER?

here is a start:
 http://www.authoritarianopportunistswhocozyuptogenocidaldictators-forpeace.org/

They are a front group for the Worker's World Party. The Workers World Party was founded by Sam Marcy in 1959 when he left the Socialist Workers Party. Over time, Marcy's political ideology had warped from Trotskyism to an unusual form of Stalinism. The WWP claimed that it supported the rights of workers, but supported the overthrow of workers by the Soviet Union in places like Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland. The Workers World Party nominated its first candidate for office in 1980. Though the WWP is small, its membership is highly dedicated and can accomplish much. In 1996, the WWP succeeded in capturing a ballot spot in California which led to WWP Presidential candidate Monica Moorehead getting over 29,000 votes (mainly from California) in 1996. Moorehead once again ran for President in 2000 under the WWP ballot, but this time received less than 5,000 votes. The WWP has created a number of front organizations, including the International Action Center (which has been involved in the anti-globalization demonstrations) and the newly-formed ANSWER (an anti-war group). On May 10, FBI Director Louis Freeh named the WWP as a "domestic terrorist group" without providing any evidence, paving the way for future attacks on civil liberties on groups for merely having different opinions than the mainstream. This has brought sympathy from many leftists toward the WWP. However, the WWP continues to do things which will turn leftists away from them, including backing the Kimist dictators of North Korea and supporting the efforts of the anti-Semitic, chauvinistic Russian Communist Workers Party (RKRP). Overall, Workers World is one of the most authoritarian groups on the Left today. See the number of votes the WWP received in Presidential elections.
"American Red Groups"
 http://www.red-encyclopedia.org/groups.html

Other Workers World Party Front Groups:
International Action Center ( http://www.iacenter.org/)
Mumia 2000 ( http://www.mumia2000.org/)
Iraq Sanctions Challenge
Beat Back Bush (www.beatbackbush.org)
Peoples Video Network ( http://www.peoplesvideo.org/)

Quite simply, the IAC represents the centralized, authoritarian mode of political dissent that is ineffective and is easy to control by our class enemies. The anti-globalization movements is really a convergence of movements and organizations. It is very decentralized, diverse, egalitarian, and democratic. It doesn't provide a moncultural face to power, which is why the other side has had so many difficulties in oppressing it. On the other hand, the IAC represents the discredited Old Left, which attempts to "unify" all resistance elements into one party, which is controlled of course by their "leading cadres," i.e. central committee. Most Old Left groups scare away new recruits because they don't conceal their politics very well, i.e. support for Mao or Stalin. The WWP and IAC are much better at eliminating politics from their work, their goal being control over all dissent.

As much as I detest the pens, I find people who obsess about them even more boring.

Skull & Bones Kerry is rolling up the polls... The uneducated masses are supporting him like stupid fools... Will people WAKE UP?? I don't really think so... Just in case I figured I would let people know about him...

Kerry is a War Criminal at best, sold out these days... In 60's he claimed to be anti war even in military... He managed to alienate many he served with... Even having upside down american flag used for his own gains... Then Iraq comes along and he is so for the WAR... Where was the so called 60's Kerry back then :)?? He even claimed to throw his medals into the ocean... With people watching, turned out they were not his medals he tossed... After much pressure he fessed up that he lied... HE kept his medals and has them on display for his buddies to say... He laughs about the War crimes he did and rich wife he married...

Don't take my word about anything... Check out the following links and decide what you want... Try to spread these links and educate people about Kerry before its too late...

 http://lists.village.virginia.edu/lists_archive/sixties-l/3221.html

 http://vietpage.com/archive_news/politics/2002/Dec/14/0002.html

 http://www.oilempire.us/kerry.html

 http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Printable.asp?ID=5468

 http://oll.temple.edu/hist249/course/Documents/vietnam_veterans_against_the_war.htm

 http://www.usvetdsp.com/story35.htm



Take Care :)...

Wow. I didn't know any of that about International ANSWER. This was the first rally I attended and, yes, I just wanted to make a statement of peace and solidarity against the Bush Regime. I know the pens were wack but I continued on. I think you are all right that affinity groups and decentralization are key concepts in this struggle. I was just so sick of the corporations, politicians, and aggresive American policies against the people of the world.

I'm so much more for no leadership and protests becoming fun again like the J18, 1999 in London. Thank you all for the info on International ANSWER. I got some info here:  http://www.journalofaestheticsandprotest.org/1/BenShepard/index.html

And that's what it's really all about, isn't it: having "fun"

To: Joey
Yes, it IS fun-- and it should be!
That's why I hate the pens too-- its makes things a lot less exciting! Less of the Adrenalin rush you get when you demonstrate, especially when you confront the PIGS!
What a great high!
DOWN WITH PENS!

God damn them for protesting the war. Assholes. Fuck them too because they are actually consistent. Damn them too for organizing beyond the anarchist crusty scene.

Fuckers.

War is bad, but not nearly as bad as people who bother to organize against it and happen to have a peculiar vision of socialism that is no danger to me or anyone I know.

Protests must be fun and filled with forced joy. They must also be illegal so that immigrants can come and risk deportation. Then again, I'm at a loss, but it's not exactly like the anarchists are organizing much of anything except "autonomous" spaces for them hang out among the like-minded.

So, you're right - ANSWER is lame. But not nearly as lame as wierdos who have nothing better to do than bitch about them.

Yo yo what UP? I was there and it was DA BOMB YO!!! I met this really hot chick and i was like "yo i really hate bush, man, like he wasn't elected" and she went "yeah i know, he's like Hitler only worse", and i was like "dude". so then we hung out some more and shared some American Spirit cigarettes and we yelled some cool stuff like "Hey ho Bush how many kids did you mush today" and it totally rhymed (cause i rap too so i know).

Anyways me and that girl afterwards went to Starbucks (yeah i know zionist corporate BULLSHIT, but we were cold and had to pee) and she and i really hit it off so i'm like really hoping something happens there.

YO fellow progressives wish me luck!

hey kneejerk.,just because a group is consistent doesnt mean you should support them. obviuously you are some answer clone that can't argue with what was posted so you attack anarchists.

bush is consistent. who cares?

I doubt if ANSWER clones show up to this website. Besides the essence of ANSWER or any other coalition based political organization is that it swallows other activists and blows itself up to a large size during mass mobilisations. After the parade is over and the coalition has dissolved it goes back to being a skeleton.

The mass mobilisations of ANSWER/NION/UFJP are illusions and the powers that be know it.

It's pretty phony to criticize someone on the internet for criticizing people on the internet....i know i am a much happier person when i stop worrying about judging people, maybe you should try it too...that being said its not judging ANSWER to expose it's authoritarian history and tactics, though it leaves a bad taste in my mouth when someone leaves snobby messages about going to the "lame" protests.

kneejerk is a TROLL from LGF, trying to stir up trouble. The best thing to do is just ignore him!

whateva: It really WAS lame!

Actually, I wonder about "protests" like this. The turnout was so low that it gave the impression that "they gave a protest and 'nobody' came." What I mean is: people knew there was going to be a protest. When they saw that hardly anyone showed up, the obvious conclusion is that not many people care about the issues-- or at least there aren't many that care enough to show up!

It was too cold and not necessary to meet, so we didn't come.It was too cold and not necessary to meet, so we didn't come.

But, when it matters, we will. As we did.

It was too cold and not necessary to meet, so we didn't come.It was too cold and not necessary to meet, so we didn't come.

But, when it matters, we will. As we did.

Uh, I'm not a rightwing troll from LFG. Not even close.

Look, the reason lots of people support ANSWER is that they have anti-imperialist politics. That's the reason. They are anti-zionist and support the defeat of US imperialism. I don't like their style. I don't agree with their parent organizations support of police states. But, by ignoring the political differences between them and other significant coalitions, you will continue to fail to understand why everyone doesn't share your opinions.

I love Critical Mass type actions. I think they are a superior evolution. But all protests are not actions. Some are mere demonstrations. They have different audiences and constituencies that build them. I have many friends who just can't risk arrest. They never attend direct actions ever because their legal status does not allow for it. ANSWER understands this.

So, sure. They can be lame. But attacking them and UFPJ and NION and anyone else who is actually doing something because they aren't run by anarchist (non) honchos is fucking lame. You guys are boring. Get over yourselves and engage in some honest debate.

And personally, this demand to be entertained all the fucking time is totally boring. You want everything to be a fucking game. How liberated of you. Forced joy is boring. Why do you need to be entertained all of the time? Have you ever wondered why you spend so much time complaining about a group with less than 50 members?

Maybe it's because they do more with a few dozen people than you do with hundreds. Maybe because for all of your amour fou and other ramblings you aren't actually getting anywhere and it's obvious to anyone beyond your inbred circles. Sectarian anarchists are exactly as lame as sectarian commies.

Sorry to break it to you.

I have to agree with John. But for far too long, anti-authoritarian and anarchist activists have stood on the sidelines, sniping at the machinations of the Stalinists of ANSWER, or bemoaning the lack of spine of those liberals, and paid movement hacks who colonize UFPJ.

We face a number of challenges. How to provide creative alternatives for direct action - taking into account what we've learned from Miami, while seizing the initiative in doing the outreach, publicity, logistics, communication and coordinated participatory planning that will put hundreds of thousands into the streets as well - at whatever level of resistance people are prepared to mount - from legal permitted marches, to decentralized direct action. Diversity of tactics is our strong point..and the one principle that makes national leaderships of both national anti-war coalitions very very nervous.
( any questions about UFPJ's committment - Starhawk and Lisa F notwithstanding - should be measured against the experience of Feb 15. )

Consider the RNC. While anti-capitalist, anti-authoritarians may not be able to compete with the current organizational and financial resources of UFPJ or ANSWER, we sure as hell can be more creative, and effective in building an alternative network for mobilizing antiwar action than we have been to date.

In reality, we have no choice but to begin now do exactly that, unless we want to be confined in mass protests pits negotiated for us by Leslie Cagan, and/or Brian Becker when Bush and the other Hitler Youth blow into town next summer. One will have endlessly boring speechs, lots of marshals and mass produced protest signs, the other will have puppets and pagan circles and union bureaucrats,endlessly boring speechs, and lots of marshals - both will be utterly ineffectual in challenging the capacity of the State to regulate dissent.

Our time is now.

Sabate, your comment was so intelligent it summoned King Troll Pat Kinkaid from his deep sleep in the cave of ignorance. Bench-warmer trolls step aside!

The segment of anarchists who feel it necessary to attack UFPJ, ANSWER, and NION in the same terms as Bush have a critical lack of perspective. There is simply nothing to be gained from it, except keeping people back from entering any sort of radical politics altogether.

I think we're all familiar enough with the idea of the "block" versus the "stand-aside" here. If you have some beef with UFPJ or ANSWER's demonstrations, don't go to them, and stand-aside - but don't bellyache and attempt to present some cuckoo reason to get people to block them.

whatever you say about ufpj, they did manage to mobilize half a million people on 2/15. it was the largest and most diverse demo i'd ever been to. i met nothing but great people that day.

i do not want to see this kind of bickering hamper our efforts against the RNC. if you want to mobilize a million people from all over the world, some of them are going to want more direction than "just show up". protests should be fun and meaningful. those are subjective words and experiences. yes speeches at ANSWER rallies are redundant. but isn't it better to hear people speak out than to hear silence?

I think you've forgotten what happened in the weeks leading up to F/15.

UFPJ had been begging the city for a march permit which the city was clearly not willing to grant. Around two weeks before the march, UFPJ's Leslie Cagan's sent out an open letter claiming victory and inviting protestors to a penned-in stationary rally ten blocks away from the UN.

This "victory" was unacceptable to the 500,000 demonstrators who were fuming with rage at Bush's decision to send the country to war so...

Hundreds of feeder marches organized themselves without UFPJ's help. On F/15 they assembled from all over the city and marched in the direction of the UN. It was a complete debacle for the NYPD. They had completely underestimated the crowds. The cop-pens swelled to bursting and police responded to the overflow with pepper-spray and brutality.

Both the NYPD and UFPJ failed in the crowd control games they were playing. UFPJ did not moblize 500,000 people on F/15. 500,000 people mobilized themselves.