From: Michael_E_Jackson-AT-brown.edu
Subject: Re: AUT: Criticism of  ANSWER's San Francisco Demonstration
Date: Sun, 23 Mar 2003 14:16:25 -0500




> I will not rant against ANSWERs political positions,
> but their tactics, especially in light of current
> developments, need to be throughly exposed,
> criticized,
> and swept into the dustbin.

Well.

In Boston on Thursday, there was a mainstream (called by ANSWER/UFP) rally in one location, and an assembly point for an unpermitted march later in the evening called by a variety of groups, mostly anarchist as my understanding goes (I live an hour away and might get details wrong). 

The crowd at the first rally was very restless and itching to become motion.  The entire mass (led by what could only be described as a youth vanguard) took to the streets before the organizers gave the go-ahead. A small group of people decided it was their task to wave their arms and scream orders that we slow down, and to directly collaborate with the cops in making sure this happened. Enough liberals believed that somehow they were receiving orders from legitimate leaders, and the result was a far-too-stagnant march considering the crowd energies.

When we reached our destination--the assembly point for the militant march--ANSWER *set up a sound stage* on a truck, complete with blaring megaphone. Those of us attempting to assemble into and around a snake march were being surrounded and pushed around by cops, while the majority of people were distracted by WWP folks who were actually talking about (no joke) the Bolsheviks. An awful lot of people left. Worst of all, when an anarchist organizer asked ANSWER if she could make an announcement that the march was assembling and leaving, they flat-out refused her. 

The solution only came when the snake march and taggers-on walked towards and past the alternative spectacle, a drum circle with lots of high school and college students dancing. Once the crowd movement became visible, a surprising number of somewhat older folks and (erstwhile) non-rads were also more than happy to join up with the breakaway march.

It was the most obviously parasitic thing I've seen ANSWER do since it was created. I'd more or less been in agreement with people on this list who were arguing that ANSWER and their ilk are a waste of our public critical energies. After Thursday, I'm starting to consider them our first major obstacle.

MJ



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