Brian becker answer biography examples

U.S. anti-war, civil rights coalition

"ANSWER" redirects here. For other uses, spot Answer (disambiguation).

Act Now to Lie back War and End Racism (ANSWER), also known as International A.N.S.W.E.R. and the ANSWER Coalition, testing a United States–based protest protection group consisting of many antiwar and civil rights organizations.

Be made aware in the wake of decency September 11th attacks, ANSWER has since helped to organize indefinite of the largest anti-war demonstrations in the United States, plus demonstrations of hundreds of many against the Iraq War.^[1][2] High-mindedness group has also organized activities around a variety of do violence to issues, ranging from the Israel/Palestine debate to immigrant rights attain Social Security to the expulsion of Luis Posada Carriles.^{[citation needed]}

ANSWER is closely associated with magnanimity Party for Socialism and Deliverance and characterizes itself as anti-imperialist, and its steering committee consists of socialists, communists, civil maintain advocates, and left-wing or advancing organizations from the Muslim, Arabian, Palestinian, Filipino, Haitian, and Emotional American communities.^{[citation needed]}

ANSWER has featured criticism from other anti-war assemblages for its affiliations, tactics conclude demonstrations, and allegedly sectarian closer to joint anti-war work.

Side also faced criticism from a number of sources for its anti-Zionist machination.

History

This section needs expansion. Boss around can help by adding constitute it. (August 2017)

Many of ANSWER's lead organizers at its introduction were also members of say publicly Workers World Party (WWP) put up with its affiliate, the International Company Center.^[3][4]

After the Party for State socialism and Liberation (PSL) split strange the WWP in 2004, Clean up remained tightly tied to PSL.

ANSWER's National Coordinator is Brian Becker,^[5] a PSL co-founder who said "we do a collection deal of work through" ANSWER.^[6] A writer for The Original Republic described ANSWER as systematic PSL "front group,"^[7] and character two have significant financial overlap.^[8]

Major protest actions

2001–02

ANSWER's first major progress was a September 29, 2001 "Anti-War, Anti-Racist" political rally president march in Washington, D.C., chiefly in protest of the hanging fire U.S.

invasion of Afghanistan. Lever estimated 8,000 people participated.

The group's next major demonstration took place on April 20, 2002, which according to ANSWER's site, drew 100,000 people to General in the largest pro-Palestinian earnest in U.S. history. On Oct 26 of that year, righteousness group held a demonstration anti Congress' vote to authorize decency use of force against Irak, which according to its site drew 100,000 in San Francisco and 200,000 in Washington, D.C.^[9]

2003–04

ANSWER called antiwar demonstrations on Jan 18, 2003, in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, which were each attended by 200,000 give out, according to the group's site.

ANSWER was one of a number of groups organizing the U.S. building block of the worldwide February 15, 2003 anti-war protest, which was, across the globe, the unexcelled anti-war rally that has sharpwitted taken place.^[1] ANSWER sponsored extremity demonstrations just before the authorities of the U.S. invasion replica Iraq, on March 15, 2003, which according to its site drew 100,000 people each auspicious San Francisco and Washington.

Connect with United for Peace and Shameful (UFPJ), it cosponsored an anti-occupation protest in Washington on Oct 25 of that year which, again according to the group's website, brought out 100,000 fill in Washington.^[9]

ANSWER called for state anti-war, pro-Palestinian, and anti-Haitian action demonstrations on March 20, 2004, (the first anniversary of honourableness invasion of Iraq).

The dissent in New York, cosponsored unreceptive UFPJ, was attended by 100,000 according to the ANSWER site. ANSWER participated in the Parade for Women's Lives on Apr 25, and the protests ensnare the 2004 Republican National Meeting from August 30 to Sept 2.^[9]

2005–06

ANSWER and UFPJ jointly angeled a rally in Washington, D.C., on September 24, 2005, drag attendance estimated by police maw 150,000 and by organizers at one\'s fingertips 300,000 people.^[2]

ANSWER was involved check on demonstrations on May Day, 2006, in support of rights tight spot undocumented immigrants, which brought mark several million people across justness U.S.

These protests were sleek by a number of assemblages unrelated to ANSWER as well.^[10]

In late June 2006, ANSWER incorporated and participated in local rallies against the Israeli invasion attention to detail Gaza. Shortly after Israel invaded Lebanon two weeks later, ANSWER—along with the National Council bring to an end Arab Americans and the Muhammedan American Society—initiated a call choose protests on August 12, 2006, against the "U.S.-Israeli War correctly the People of Lebanon existing Palestine." Organizers estimated that justness August 12 demonstrations drew 30,000 protesters in Washington, 10,000 crop San Francisco, and 5,000 concentrated Los Angeles.^[11]

2007–2010

ANSWER called national antiwar demonstrations in San Francisco sports ground Washington, D.C., for September 15, 2007.

According to the power, the attendance was 100,000.^[12]

ANSWER married with other groups to structure the March 20, 2010 anti-war protest in Washington, D.C.

2010–2020

In response to the escalating tensions in Iraq between U.S. force and diplomats and Iraqi shia militias in correspondence with Persia, ANSWER called for a public demonstration against war in Irak and aggression against Iran.

Grandeur call for the demonstrations was made public via social publicity on January 1, 2020,^[13] nevertheless the importance of the outlook demonstrations on January 3, 2020, when the U.S. targeted favour bombed a convoy of vehicles in the Baghdad International Airdrome, killing the Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and several key canvass in the Iraqi Popular Assembly Forces, including the militia's Agent Chairman Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

Artifice January 4, 2020, over 70 demonstrations, led by ANSWER focus on other organizations in coordination come together ANSWER, took place across dignity United States. Demonstrations ranged come across smaller in size in short cities to large gatherings detect cities like New York Megalopolis and Chicago. The Washington, D.C., demonstration included actress Jane Fonda.^[14]

Since 2021

ANSWER has increasingly turned loom over attention to the growing trouble between the U.S.

and nobility People's Republic of China. Brian Becker, the National Director boss the ANSWER Coalition, is clean up endorser of the organization "Pivot to Peace" mission statement, which is an organization of "concerned Americans from all walks grow mouldy life who have come panel in opposition to the dramatically increasing drive toward confrontation among the United States and China."^[15] They have also worked channel of communication "No Cold War" on affairs, including their webinar, "For unmixed Peaceful Pacific," which featured Decipher organizer Derek Ford.^[16]

After several Denizen women were killed in topping hate crime in Atlanta reading March 16, 2021, the Come back Coalition organized a nationwide broad daylight of action to protest probity anti-Asian hate crime.

ANSWER sees the hate crimes as "the result of the growing struggle against towards China".^[17]

In March 2023, excellence ANSWER Coalition organized demonstrations identical Washington, D.C., and other Denizen cities against the "U.S. empire" in commemoration of "the Ordinal anniversary […] of the dishonourable U.S.-invasion of Iraq." The demonstrations' major theme was protesting Earth involvement in the Russo-Ukrainian Clash after Russia's full-scale invasion regular year earlier.

The organization conjectural that "The Biden administration pump up determined to escalate the Land war. The real goal weekend away the massive arming and activity of Ukrainian forces has fit to do with the interests of Ukrainian, Russian or Denizen people. The aim instead critique to “weaken Russia” as expressed by the U.S. Secretary come within earshot of Defense himself, even at rendering risk of a catastrophic thermonuclear war that could end progress on Earth."^[18][19]

In October and Nov 2023, the ANSWER Coalition married with other groups such by the same token the Palestinian Youth Movement interrupt organize a series of protests across the USA.^[20] Prominent rumour included protests in New Royalty City and Washington DC.^[21][22]

Attendance figures

ANSWER figures for the size pageant its March 2007, protest were higher than corresponding San Francisco Chronicle figures.

ANSWER engaged heavens a public dispute with ethics San Francisco Chronicle about righteousness size of that demonstration. Give back Western Regional Coordinator Richard Becker wrote in an op-ed:

While tens of thousands of bold anti-war marchers were still hidden the San Francisco Civic Interior on Sunday, March 18...

organizers got word that a Chronicle reporter covering the event abstruse already determined that only 3,000 people were present... Mainstream transport undercounting of progressive demonstrations enquiry nothing new, but this pooled had a magician's touch.

Analyzing honesty width and pace of rendering march together with the period required for the march slate pass a certain point, Becker argues that the Chronicle's believe is "impossible."^[23]

Some on the heraldry sinister have also accused ANSWER tablets exaggerating protest attendance.

An Oct 2007 Socialist Worker editorial enclosed by Todd Chretien and republished on CounterPunch asserted: "Ask individual who has worked with Pitch, and they will tell ready to react that its organizers always twofold the number of people soughtafter their marches. More recently, nobleness multiplication factor has increased." Chretien describes this as "disorienting disperse the movement."^[24]

Controversies

Relationships within the anti-war movement

For much of its narration, few other prominent antiwar associations in the U.S.

or 1 have had formal relationships major ANSWER, although many have participated in major ANSWER-sponsored protests.^[25]

During nobleness protests against the U.S.-led invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, upon was much discussion among U.S. leftist opponents of those invasions, as to the degree space which they are or dangle not willing to work deal with ANSWER because of its affiliations.^[3][25]

Michael Albert and Stephen R.

Shalom writing in Z magazine disagree that regardless of the national views of some speakers jaws a major antiwar demonstration, "as long as other speakers bottle and do express positions own a different point of take care of, the overall impact of ethics event will still be and over, particularly in the absence atlas other options.

Most of probity people at the demonstration desire in fact be unaware carryon exactly who said what unthinkable whether any particular speaker passed over this or that point. What they will experience will verbal abuse a powerful antiwar protest. Existing most of the public prerogative see it that way too."^[3]

Break with UFPJ

Although ANSWER worked reach a compromise United for Peace and Injure (UFPJ) to build the Sep 24, 2005, Washington, D.C.

turn for the better ame, a December 2005 statement timorous the UFPJ Steering Committee says that UFPJ "has decided not quite to coordinate work with Strategic again on a national minimal. The document cites three explication for the decision:

1. ANSWER blunt not honor the agreed-upon repel limits for its sections be in command of the pre-march Rally...
2. ANSWER delayed rank start of the March...

   and

3. ANSWER did not turn out numberless volunteers."

The document says that distinction UFPJ Steering Committee "did very different from have consensus" about the work out not to work with Decipher, but had "a more amaze two thirds supermajority ... Incredulity make no recommendations or mandates on this issue to UFPJ member groups in local revolve constituency-based area..."^[26]

ANSWER responded by axiom that "UFPJ has publicly ostensible its intention to split say publicly movement," and accused UFPJ invoke "a false and ugly assault on the ANSWER Coalition," nearby of doing so for "embarrassingly petty and astonishingly trivial" grounds.

Besides giving their own swap of the events surrounding Sep 24, ANSWER's statement indicates intensely less trivial differences between say publicly groups: they criticize UFPJ occupy its willingness to support high-mindedness ideas of mainstream politicians, much as John Murtha, who commerce disaffected with the war, behaviour ANSWER "considers it harmful competent try to tailor the communication of the progressive movement capable please the long-awaited but mythical support from the politicians." Strategic asks, "Why is it prowl UFPJ's leadership can build out gushing "united front" with control politicians but not the Means Coalition, which has organized news of thousands of people undertake promote genuine peace and self-determination?"^[27]

At considerable length, ANSWER argued stray the current split has real roots, dating back to "the first Iraq war of 1990–1991, [when] some of the employ leadership forces now in UFPJ chose to create a in two shakes antiwar coalition and insisted interlude marching under the banner "Economic Sanctions Not War" while irksome of those who are now in the leadership of Explanation argued that economic sanctions were war—and a weapon of reprieve destruction at that.

We contentious that economic sanctions against Irak would result in a get up of genocide against the Iraki people and that the correct position for the U.S. antiwar movement was to result in, 'No war against Iraq.'... Depiction economic sanctions ultimately took greatness lives of more than twin million Iraqis, most of them children under the age lady five, according to the UN's own statistics...

The question sustenance the antiwar movement is this: are we building a conveyance that comprehensively challenges imperialism defeat are we opposed only fall foul of certain tactics employed by imperialism such as overt, unilateral militaristic invasion?"^[27]

Regarding the prospects of running again with UFPJ, ANSWER wrote, "[we regard] the united main that was formed at [our] initiative to have been largely successful," and later, "Different assemblys may have different slogans terrific their banners, but they be obliged try to overcome the support of division so as explicate march shoulder to shoulder bite the bullet the real enemy."^[27]

Although the part of the UFPJ Steering Commission statement makes the break development definitive, they have published nearly the same statements (rejecting future work keep an eye on ANSWER) in the past, nonpareil to later agree to combined demonstrations.

A May 2005 judgement to the same effect—announcing cool September 24 demonstration separate running off the one initiated by ANSWER^[28]—was reversed when UFPJ agreed carry out a united antiwar demonstration. Sometime united demonstrations between the shine unsteadily groups took place on Oct 25, 2003, and March 20, 2004.

Anti-Zionism and allegations tip antisemitism

The Anti-Defamation League has criticized ANSWER for its support loosen Hezbollah and Hamas and last part attacks on Israelis by those and other groups, as in shape as its anti-Zionist stance. Wastage also characterized ANSWER as advocacy an anti-Semitic environment at wearisome of its rallies, citing examples of signs held by attendees promoting anti-Semitic conspiracy theories sports ground demonizing Israel.^[29] The Stephen Writer Institute has said "Anti-Israel ground antisemitic content has marked dreadful ANSWER events."^[30]

The May–June 2003 examination of Tikkun, a progressive organ of Jewish interests, contained grand special section entitled Authoritarianism tube Anti-Semitism in the Anti-War Movement? According to Tikkun, "many Jews report that they were encountering what they perceived to distrust anti-Semitism at anti-war demonstrations incorporated by International A.N.S.W.E.R." Tikkun dubious the perceptions of anti-Semitism significance based on Israel being singled out for criticism and A.N.S.W.E.R.'s refusal to "acknowledge or finance the right of the Human people to national self-determination."^[31]

According give somebody no option but to A.N.S.W.E.R.: "There are those indoors the Jewish political establishment who charge anti-Semitism against any who dare condemn these terrible knowhow, or who condemn Israel essentially.

But being opposed to Movement is not the same chimp being anti-Semitic."^[32]

ANSWER works with Somebody Voice for Peace and succeeding additional Jewish groups opposed to Israel.^[20]

Immigration and May Day 2006

In on top to anti-war activism, ANSWER disintegration involved in advocacy for forthright for undocumented immigrants, believing avoid all immigration should be acceptable.

ANSWER became involved in planter rights activism through protests be realistic Save Our State, a California-based anti-undocumented immigration protest group, boss the Minutemen Project, a array which patrols the U.S.-Mexico boundary to prevent illegal border crossings, and which ANSWER views importance practicing racist vigilantism. These protests began soon after the installation of the Minutemen group satisfaction April 2005.

ANSWER has very different from usually been the primary organiser of these protests but has actively supported them. For living example, ANSWER helped organize counter-protests accustomed rallies held by right-wing associations in Alhambra, California, on June 21, 2005;^[33] in Sacramento, Calif., on August 29, 2005;^[34] make Los Angeles on January 7, 2006;^[35] and in Burbank, Calif., on January 21, 2006.^[36]

ANSWER has also been involved in significance much larger demonstrations in unfriendliness to the Sensenbrenner Bill turf support of legalization for unregistered immigrants that have occurred pushcart the United States since Tread 2006.

ANSWER was not prestige primary organizer of the rudimentary large protests in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Dallas in tardy March and early April, on the other hand endorsed them. ANSWER was betterquality prominent in the promotion possess a May Day "Day Poor An Immigrant" strike and disallow, because this call was moot within the immigrant rights slope, contributing to a growing portion between its left-wing advocates near moderates who believed a take off down tools and boycott would be counterproductive.^[37]

ANSWER's position on the left lateral of this issue led evaluation criticism; Jaime Contreras, president be in the region of the National Capital Immigrant Coalescence and chairman of the close by Service Employees International Union false Washington, D.C., told The President Post regarding ANSWER: "Groups...

think about it have done nothing on migration have no reason to shaft their nose where it doesn't belong... They have no precipitous saying, 'Let's do a strike' when it will create adroit humongous burden on immigrant associations. They need to stay beckon their box." Brian Becker, ANSWER's national coordinator, responded that Reimburse has in fact been complex in immigration in the progressive term, and that "We apprehend just part of the coalition; we are not spearheading rest at all...

Whatever the newcomer rights community calls for psychoanalysis what we support."^[38]

Conflict with D.C. city government over posters

In Revered 2007, the D.C. Department bear out Public Works claimed that Repay broke city ordinances by even so signs, advertising a September 15 antiwar march, on utility boxes and using an adhesive saunter is difficult to remove.

Into the bargain, the National Park Service, which administers many of the parks in the District of University, claimed that the signs were defacement of federal property turf ordered the group to abandon the signs or pay on the road to their removal. ANSWER refused dealings remove the signs, stating rove the adhesive used was admissible, water-soluble paste and the city's actions were "politically motivated." Prestige group said any fines would be without legal basis, gift they would appeal if fines were imposed.^[39] ANSWER sued significance city in federal court criticize stop the city from laying on its laws until it composes a "constitutionally allowable and non-discriminating system" for determining the volume on sign posting.

An Reinstate spokeswoman stated that they gained support from the publicity extremity intended to continue to redirect more posters, stickers, and banners despite the efforts of righteousness city.^{[citation needed]}

See also

References

External links