Protest the visit of Philippine Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo!
Join Ugnayan, DAMAYAN Migrant Workers Association and ANSWER in a protest at the Philippine Consulate in New York City!
WHEN: Thursday, June 26th @ 6:30pm (flyering starts @ 5pm)
WHERE: The Philippine Consulate556 Fifth Avenue (between 46th and 47th Street)Manhattan
SUBWAY DIRECTIONS: 7 to 5th Ave; 4/5/6 to Grand Central
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will pay a visit to the United States this week to "reinforce" Philippine-US relations. As if the $30 million "appropriated grants" given this year by the US to the Philippine government to "finance the purchase of American-made weapons, services, and training" wasn't enough. Colonial master and puppet relations such as these only lead to the further detriment of the Filipino people.
GMA will be meeting President Bush to supposedly discuss issues such as anti-terrorism and human rights. Considering the fact that over 1000 activists have been killed and over 400 have been missing or detained during this so-called "war on terror" and since GMA has been in office, it is obvious who the real terrorists are.
Meanwhile, GMA has shown a callous disregard for the true experiences of the Filipino im/migrant community in the US: forced migration, exploitation, racism, family separation and lack of healthcare experienced by Filipino im/migrants.
Contact ANSWER at 212-694-8720 or nyc@answercoalition.org for more information.
ANSWER confronts racist Washington, D.C., checkpoints
 On June 7, the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., established a checkpoint and dragnet sealing off part of the Trinidad neighborhood, setting the stage for a martial-law-like occupation. The ANSWER Coalition, along with other concerned organizations and individuals, took to the streets to oppose the measure, maintaining a presence at the checkpoints nearly every day or night they were in effect. On June 12, in the face of growing community outrage, the MPD announced the temporary suspension of the checkpoints.
On June 16, the DC Council’s the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary held a public oversight hearing on “The Executive’s Public Safety Initiatives and Their Impact on Civil Liberties.” Below is testimony from three ANSWER organizers, in addition to a news report on the ANSWER protest, and a downloadable flyer which was distributed at the checkpoint.
11th Circuit Court Upholds Convictions of Cuban Five!
Free the Cuban Five NOW! -- Extradite Posada!
Join protests in your area!
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, 3-judge panel, issued its ruling Wednesday, upholding the convictions of the Five Cuban Heroes, including the espionage conspiracy and murder conspiracy. In response to a National Committee to Free the Five, the ANSWER Coalition is calling on all supporters of the Cuban Five to join together in our cities and communities, to hold protests in front of U.S. federal buildings or other appropriate places, and in countries outside the United States, wherever possible, at U.S. embassies, consulates or other appropriate symbols. Click here for more information and to find a protest in your area.
Dunkin Donuts pulled this ad after right-wing racists complained that the scarf in the ad was a kaffiyeh. | The ANSWER Coalition and others are calling for a worldwide boycott of Dunkin’ Donuts. The boycott intends to send a powerful message to Dunkin’ Donuts and other corporations that engage in racism or pandering to anti-Arab and anti-Muslim racists.
Please lend your name to the boycott by clicking this link and send a letter to Dunkin' Donuts. Be sure to circulate this call to your friends on list serves and social networking sites.
Click here for more information.
ANSWER Sues Department of Interior for Release of National Mall Records
A lawsuit filed in federal court today argues that the Bush Administration is illegally withholding documents in an effort to suppress public opposition to the Administration's plans to obstruct and restrict First Amendment activities on the National Mall. Click here for more information.
What's the connection between
the U.S. government and anti-Cuba terrorists?
ANSWER files a Freedom of Information Action request to find out.
Click here to download the FOIA request.
Now more than ever—
Extradite or prosecute the terrorist Luis Posada Carriles!
Join the campaign to demand the extradition and prosecution of anti-Cuban terrorist Luis Posada Carriles. We are asking you to send a letter today in support of the demand that Posada be extradited to Venezuela, or prosecuted in the United States for the bombing in a civilian Cuban airliner in mid-flight, and other terrorist acts. Right now Posada is being treated as a guest of honor by the Bush administration, which is planning new aggressions against the people of Cuba. Click here to read more and send a letter to Congress.
This Summer:
Protest at the
Democratic & Republican National Conventions
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Democratic National Convention
Aug. 24-28, 2008
Denver, Colorado |
Republican National Convention
Sept. 1, 2008
St. Paul, Minnesota |
Show your solidarity with the Palestinian
people on the 60th anniversary of the Nakba
Stop the U.S./Israeli War Against the Palestinian People!
Free Palestine! End the Occupation Now!
This year marks the 60th Anniversary of the Nakba, the 1948 forced exile of Palestinians from their homeland and the dispossession of Palestinians from their properties.
Demand justice for Sean Bell! Jail racist killer cops!
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Sean Bell with his fiancee
Nicole Paultre
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The ANSWER Coalition calls on all its members, supporters, and friends in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut area to join with thousands of other people in New York City today for a mass demonstration against the outrageous acquittal of the three police officers who murdered Sean Bell. They killed Bell in a hail of gunfire the night before his wedding. This is one more example of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) being allowed to commit murder in the Black and Latino community with impunity. The police in New York operate like an occupation army granting themselves the right to function as judge, jury, and executioner. It would take days to recite all the names of those killed by police murder.
Judge Arther Cooperman, who found the police officers not guilty today, gained notoriety when he sentenced a New York man who was convicted of $22, to "15 years to life" in prison.
Our coalition stands against war and racism. The two are connected. We are fighting against racism and injustice at home, and the racist war against the Arab people in the Middle East.
Today's verdict has provoked mass outrage throughout the Black community in New York City and among all people who believe in justice. Sean Bell was unarmed as were his companions when he died in a hail of 50 gunshots. One police officer, Michael Oliver, fired 31 shots, stopping to reload in the middle before resuming to fire against the unarmed men. The movement for real change against racism and war is being built in the streets. Join us today and spread the word.
Tens of thousands protest on 5th anniversary of war
Mass marches in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago punctuate week of action
March 19th protest in San Francisco |
On March 19, the fifth anniversary of the war, hundreds of protests took place in cities and towns large and small. In San Francisco, ANSWER organized a night-time march of 7,000 people. Thousands of young people joined the very spirited and densely packed march which stretched for several blocks along Mission St. Chants of “Occupation is a crime, from Iraq to Palestine,” “No More War,” and “El Pueblo Unido Jamas Sera Vencido” (the People United Will Never Be Defeated) echoed through the Mission District. Among the speakers at the event were Cindy Sheehan, whose son Casey was killed in Iraq; independent presidential candidates Cynthia McKinney and Gloria La Riva; Zeina Zaatari of the Free Palestine Alliance; Iraqi American activist Muhammed Al-Adeeb; and Eugene Puryear, National Co-Coordinator of Youth and Student ANSWER. Throughout the day in San Francisco there were direct actions and civil disobedience, planned by many different organizations.
March 19th protest in Chicago |
Simultaneously, 4,000 people took to the streets of Chicago. Spirited chants of "Troops Out Now, Iraq for Iraqis" echoed throughout downtown as the march -- made up primarily of young, energetic and militant protesters -- proceeded through the streets. The demonstration was called by a coalition of organizations, and there was a significant turnout of young people from Arab and Muslim communities.
At the rally in Federal Plaza prior to the march, A.N.S.W.E.R. Chicago Coordinator John Beacham told thousands that "Our enemies are not in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Iran, Cuba, Venezuela or China. They’re in Washington, The Pentagon, and Wall Street. They want us to fight their wars and fight each other. We must resist their divide and conquer strategies and fight them. Change will come through a united struggle against the banks, corporations and the war machine.”
The March 19 actions came four days after a march of 10,000 through downtown Los Angeles. The march filled the six-lane street from sidewalk to sidewalk on Hollywood Blvd. from Vine to Schrader--many blocks away. During the march, people at the front of the march could see the marchers still joining the action 7 blocks behind them.
March 15 mobilization in Los Angeles | The demonstration was overwhelmingly youthful, with students pouring into the march from hundreds of Southern California schools. A large, militant contingent of over 200 young people wore red shirts and marched together. Other students lined the front banners, chanting "Iraq for Iraqis, troops out now!" and "Alto a la guerra, stop the war!"
Once the marchers arrived at the main rally point at Sunset and Cahuenga, at least 10,000 people stood at the CNN building. Protesters chanted "CNN, can't you see? Put the peace march on TV!" Despite strong, cold winds and scattered rain, many thousands stayed at the rally site for hours.
Michael Prysner at Winter Soldier | From March 13-16 in Washington DC, Iraq Veterans Against the War sponsored Winter Soldier, an event that showcased testimony from U.S. veterans who served in the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. The veterans delivered powerful accounts of what is really happening day in and day out, on the ground in those countries. Iraq war veteran and ANSWER organizer Michael Prysner spoke at the event, retelling his horrifying responsibilities as an occupation soldier, and denouncing the Army officers who used racism and bigotry in order to justify the oppression of the Iraqi people. Prysner's eloquent and compelling testimony cuts through the Pentagon's propaganda and can be viewed here.
Also in Washington DC, several civil disobedience and direct actions took place around the city. Dramatic actions took place in front of prominent government buildings as well as the corporate offices of the principal war profiteers.
Please donate to help us keep the momentum
Please make a donation to help us cover the enormous costs with organizing anti-war actions throughout the country. We can build this movement but not without your help. You can make a tax-deductible donation online, or see where to send a check, by clicking this link.
End the Criminal Israeli Siege of Gaza NOW!
Stop the Collective Punishment of the Palestinian People!
Coalition Calls for Emergency Protests Jan. 25-26 in
Washington, San Francisco, Anaheim and other cities
The A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) Coalition, joins with the National Council of Arab Americans, Free Palestine Alliance, Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation, Palestinian American Women’s Association, Al-Awda Palestine Right of Return Coalition and other anti-war and progressive organizations in calling for emergency protests demanding an immediate end to the Israeli blockade and siege of Gaza. Protests will take place on January 25-26 at Israeli embassies, consulates, U.S. federal buildings and other locations. Click this link for more information and a listing of cities.
Government attempting to restrict use of National Mall
The National Park Service (NPS) is undertaking an initiative similar to that launched to exclude protests from New York City's Great Lawn. It will be used to further restrict or ban protest on the Mall from current levels. This is a component of a nationwide campaign of corporate-sponsored organizations working in partnership with government entities that claim that protests, rallies and demonstrations harm grass or "green space" or "natural resources" and must therefore be restricted or banned or shunted off to designated protest pits.
Right now, you can email the National Park Service demanding that there be no restrictions on the right of the people to assemble. We have set up an easy to use mechanism that will allow your message to be sent to the National Parks Service by clicking this link. Click this link to read more.
Central Park Great Lawn Lawsuit
Results in Important Victory for Free Speech Rights
The Partnership for Civil Justice has announced today the filing in Court of a landmark settlement agreement with the City of New York that strikes down key provisions of controversial and unconstitutional regulations aimed at restricting access to the Great Lawn of Central Park. The National Council of Arab Americans (NCA) and the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) are the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
The City must now establish a constitutionally valid permitting scheme for protests in Central Park and must undertake a feasibility study into the optimum and sustainable use of the Great Lawn and what efforts can be undertaken to maximize the availability of the lawn for large events including rallies and demonstrations. Click this link to read more.
Sept. 15 arrestees win at trial
An important victory was won yesterday, January 3, in the case of 11 defendants who were arrested at the Sept. 15 March on the Capitol, which drew 100,000 anti-war protestors to Washington, DC.
Judge Henry Greene of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia dismissed all charges against the defendants, who were accused of crossing a police line. The government's case collapsed in the early stages of the trial during the the testimony of a witness from the Capitol Police. Click this link to read more.
Nationwide rallies demand freedom for the Jena 6
Protests timed to coincide with courtdates of four of the six
 On Nov. 7, many hundreds of people around the country rallied to demand freedom for the Jena 6. The actions were organized in response to a national call for locally coordinated actions by the ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism).
The Jena 6 are six young African American students originally charged with second-degree attempted murder resulting from a schoolyard scuffle with a white racist classmate in December 2006. A growing movement to defend the Six has swept the United States. On Sept. 20, more than 50,000 people marched in the small town of Jena, La.
Protests happened on Nov. 7 in at least 12 cities and towns, including Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Seattle, New Haven, Conn., Boston, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Reno, Nev., Sioux Falls, S.D., California, Penn. and elsewhere. Click here for reports and photos from some of the actions.
Click to download the petition.
Click to download an informational flyer on the Jena 6.
Click here to donate to the Jena 6 Defense Committee.
Oct. 27 Protests Throughout the United States
Coverage from Associated Press, San Francisco Chronicle & more
The October 27 demonstrations represented another important step forward for the anti-war movement in the United States.
 Over 100,000 people took to the streets in coordinated regional and local protests to demand an immediate end to the war in Iraq. The October 27 demonstrations took place just six weeks after the September 15 National March and Die-In in Washington, D.C. that was led by Iraq War Veterans and family members of soldiers and marines.
To read a brief summary from some of the events that took place yesterday, along with Associated Press, San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco television coverage, click here. (San Francisco march of 30,000 pictured here.)
Sept. 15: 100,000 March on Washington!
To read the report and AP story, click here
Read "Sept 15: A new movement is emerging"
Read a Reflection on the March from an Iraq War Veteran
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