Chicago, IL – More than 60 people gathered at the Greek Consulate here, Jan. 19, in protest of the Greek anti-immigrant group, Golden Dawn. Golden Dawn has carried out violent attacks on immigrants and spouts fascist rhetoric. There were protests in Athens and in other cities around the world as part of a day of solidarity with recent victims of racist attacks in Greece. In Chicago, protesters included immigrant rights activists, Greek Americans and gay activists.

Joe Iosbaker, a Chicago anti-war activist and member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, gave the following speech at the rally:

“I'm one of 23 anti-war activists subpoenaed to a grand jury under suspicion of providing material support for terrorism – and facing 15 years in prison if ever charged and convicted.

For the U.S., the world is changing. The people of the poor nations hate the empire and are getting out from under it. After 911, the rulers here thought they could put U.S. corporations back on top through war, invasion and the slaughter of Arab and Muslim people. But that didn’t work – they are losing one war after another.

Here, then, the rulers promote Islamophobia, with the Tea Party as the anti-immigrant, anti-Arab and Muslim party.

In Greece, the workers have decided to kick over the rich class. What does the Greek ruling class do? They promote racist attacks on immigrants by the Golden Dawn.

More and more in the U.S., we’re seeing that repression comes with reaction. This is what happened during the Cold War, when the socialist camp threatened U.S. imperialism. Here at home they went for the communists. Now, as the nations of the oil rich Middle East challenge them, they are coming after Arabs and Muslims in the U.S. In the course of their War on Muslims and Arabs, they dragged in the 23 anti-war and international solidarity activists, and Carlos Montes in Los Angeles.

People tell me, ‘It’s your ideas that got you into trouble.’ And we agree with them. We were targeted because we didn’t just oppose imperialist wars; we supported the oppressed people resisting war.

Like the Greek workers and immigrants, we have to beat back the attacks and we have to continue our resistance. Tomorrow, we’ll be protesting outside the Hyatt on Wacker Drive because Pat Fitzgerald, the U.S. attorney that sent the FBI to raid our homes, is being honored by John Marshall Law School. Please join us. And on Thursday, we’ll be protesting at UIC on 828 South Wolcott, where Fitzgerald is being honored as well, with an appointment to the Board of Trustees. We’ll be there at 3:30.”

#ChicagoIL #antiimmigrantAttacks #antiwar #USAttorneyPatrickFitzgerald #GoldenDawn #fascism

St. Paul, MN – On November 14, immigrant rights activists in the Twin Cities confronted a “tea party” rally of about 40 right wing anti-immigrant extremists at the Minnesota State Capitol. The anti-immigrant “tea party against amnesty” was in opposition to immigration reform legislation that may be introduced soon in the U.S. Congress, which might provide legalization for some undocumented immigrants. The tea party organizers oppose any legalization and instead support repressive mass deportations of the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants in the country. The anti-immigrant extremists gathered to hear speakers and held signs with messages such as “If You Are Illegal Go Home” and “Pack Their Sack and Send Them Back”.

However their message did not go unopposed. They were confronted by about 30 immigrant rights activists standing up for legalization and full equality for all regardless of immigration status. The immigrant rights presence was initiated by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Coalition (MIRAc). Immigrant rights activists chanted during the anti-immigrant speakers, and held banners that said “Stop Raids and Deportations” and “Immigration is Not a Crime”. The immigrant rights protesters clearly frazzled the anti-immigrant organizers throughout their event.

One immigrant rights activist going by the name of Robert Erickson even tricked the anti-immigrant rally organizers into letting him speak at their rally. He began his speech with what sounded like the usual hateful anti-immigrant message. But as he continued, it became clear he was not criticizing Latin American immigrants coming across the Mexican border. Instead he was condemning the European colonizers who came here starting 500 years ago and stole the land from Native Americans while committing genocide against them. At first the anti-immigrant crowd cheered for him until they slowly realized he was not giving their message. Then they fell into silent confusion, as immigrant rights protesters shouted their approval.

Video: “Robert Erickson” Tricks Anti-Immigrant Rally Organizers

The following video clip shows immigrant rights activist “Robert Erickson”, who tricked the anti-immigrant tea party organizers into letting him speak at their November 14 rally. His speech at first sounds like an anti-immigrant speech but then changes the message part way through. This left the anti-immigrant forces confused and speechless, while immigrant rights protesters shouted their approval.

#StPaulMN #antiimmigrantAttacks #MIRAc #MinnesotaImmigrantRightsActionCoalition #TeaParty #RobertErickson

Saint Paul, MN – Over 200 immigrants’ rights supporters drove out a dozen anti-immigrant ‘Minutemen’ as they tried to rally at the Minnesota state capitol building on the Fourth of July. According to Erika Zurawski, an organizer of the pro-immigrants’ rights rally, “The racist Minutemen tried to show their faces here, and we outnumbered them twenty to one. They left after a half hour without even being able to hold a rally or press conference at the capitol, as they had planned. We were chanting ‘Minutemen go home!’ and they did! Everyone at our rally was so inspired when they decided to just drive away.”

The anti-Minutemen protest was organized by the immigrant rights coalition that built the historic April 9 and May 1 immigrants’ rights protests in Minnesota, along with other anti-racist activists. The protest was called to counter the Minutemen’s presence and also to demand legalization and full equality for all immigrants.

The Minutemen are an anti-immigrant vigilante group that does armed patrols on the U.S.-Mexico border and is building their own ‘fence’ along the border. They have organized what they are calling a “21st Century Paul Revere Ride” this summer to try to spread their anti-Latino immigrant sentiment around the whole country. They plan to visit every state capitol en route to Washington D.C.

Thousands of Latin Americans come to the U.S. to seek survival and a better life. Many are driven out of their countries by poverty created by the ‘free trade’ agreements that the U.S. government imposes. Others are fleeing countries devastated by U.S.-sponsored civil wars. According to Patrick Leet, an organizer for immigrants’ rights and Latin American solidarity, “The problem of immigration isn’t immigrants; it’s a problem of U.S. foreign policy, especially trade policy in the last few years. When two million farmers in Mexico have been pushed off their land and wages in the cities are going down, what options do people have? So people take the option people everywhere have always taken, to go elsewhere and look for a better life for one’s self and family. The approach of groups that want to stop immigrants is futile.”

The Minnesota affiliate of the Minutemen, Minnesotans Seeking Immigration Reform (MINN-SIR) hosted the attempted anti-immigrant rally, but could only muster a handful of Minnesotans to come to the capitol to join the half dozen non-Minnesota Minutemen on the national tour. MINN-SIR has organized against immigrant workers in greater Minnesota, where many immigrants work in factories and in seasonal farm work.

While the Minutemen are a small group, their border militias and their fence building have pushed the national immigration debate to the right. President Bush referenced the Minutemen in his speech announcing that he would order 6,000 National Guard troops to further militarize the U.S.-Mexico border.

The pro-immigrants’ rights protesters in Saint Paul were a diverse group. There were many immigrants at the protest, but the majority of people were from Minnesota. According to immigrants’ rights organizer Francisco Segovia, “Minnesotans have a core value of being an inclusive society. And this core value is going to be against what these [anti-immigrant] people are about. It’s not just about defending immigrants; it’s about standing up for what you believe, rejecting racist ideas of exclusion. And that’s what I felt happened. Obviously the Minnesotans that came to the event understand the immigration issue and that we’re an essential part of this economy and society. But it was important that Minnesotans stood up for what they see as the core values of this society.”

#StPaulMN #SaintPaulMN #News #immigrantRights #antiimmigrantAttacks #Minutemen

As the 30 members and supporters of the caravan from the Minutemen Project gathered on a sidewalk alongside of Highpoint Road, over 80 workers, students and youth rallied on the other side to let them know they are not welcome in North Carolina. The Minutemen were unable to get a permit to hold a rally downtown. Anti-minutemen protesters held signs and chanted, “No racists, no borders, no Minutemen supporters!” and, “Hey Minutemen what do you say, how many immigrants did you kill today?” as the Minutemen yelled, “Go back to Europe!” and waved American flags. When a young teacher from the Greensboro area yelled, “Hey, how many of you are in the [Ku Klux] Klan?” to the pro-Minutemen rally, it is noteworthy that at least four individuals on the other side of the street brazenly raised their hands.

The rally lasted about an hour, culminating in a confrontation between anti-Minutemen demonstrators and Minutemen supporters who had parked their cars in the lot where the pro-immigrants’ rights demonstrators were rallied. The police broke up this brief confrontation, but it was clear to all that the immigrants’ rights struggle will not be without its sharp battles.

#GreensboroNC #News #immigrantRights #antiimmigrantAttacks #SensenbrennerBill #Minutemen

The main thing the Republicans will be doing in Saint Paul is building support for John McCain in his bid to continue Bush’s policies of the past eight years. John McCain has said that the U.S. occupation of Iraq could last for 100 years and that he wants to make sure the rich remain as wealthy as possible by keeping tax cuts and the cuts to healthcare and education that go with them. The Republican National Convention (RNC) will try to shore up support and U.S. national chauvinist fervor for the Iraq occupation throughout the convention. Five years of war is more than long enough. The troops need to come home now so that the Iraqi people can take control of and begin to rebuild their own country. The government needs to stop running up trillions in debt that our children and grandchildren will be paying off and that will lead to even more cuts in health care, education and other human needs in the name of a failed strategy to dominate the Middle East.

All of us know what is wrong with the politics and policies of the Republicans. Sept. 1 is the time to change knowing into doing. Bush, Cheney and the lesser-known but equally powerful will be together on location in Saint Paul. The RNC is a prime opportunity to bring our demands directly to the war-makers. Not only will the architects of the occupation be in Saint Paul, 10,000 journalists from around the world will be there as well. This is one of those rare times when the whole world really will be watching and we cannot allow the only message to be shiny happy Republicans dancing on the dead men, women and children of Iraq for their own political gain. We have a right to march against the war and the Republican agenda. The police are seeking impede that right by issuing a permit that makes it difficult for tens of thousands to march on the Xcel Center. Organizers in Minneapolis and Saint Paul need our support between now and September to win the battle for an acceptable permit.

Many people are planning many different activities that will send powerful messages to both the Republicans and the world. The permitted march on Sept. 1, organized by the Coalition to March on the RNC and Stop the War, is a very important event. In the course of the four days of the convention many movements with many tactics will be seeking to challenge the Republican agenda. While there may be differences of emphasis, issues or tactics, organizers are striving for a sense of unity and solidarity. Saint Paul police have already formed a special unit for the purpose of dividing us from each other. We can’t allow them to succeed.

Organizers have come together around a number of important principles. These principles say in part that our solidarity will be based on respect for a diversity of tactics and the plans of other groups. That debates on tactics will stay internal to the movement, avoiding any public or media denunciations of fellow activists and events. Another principle is opposition to state repression of dissent and a refusal to assist law enforcement actions against activists and others. Furthermore, a separation of time or space will be maintained to allow for different kinds of protests to take place. This set of principles is very good and is part of what will allow the largest and strongest demonstrations against the war and occupation.

The Republican Convention will come one week after the Democratic National Convention in Denver. The Denver convention will also see protests against the war. For too long the Democrats have been complicit in carrying out the occupation of Iraq and they should also be held accountable for empty promises to end the war.

Here is a promise that we know will be kept. On Sept. 1 a diverse coalition of activists will gather to March on the RNC. Tens of thousands will march from the State Capitol to the Xcel Center to stop the war and oppose the Republican agenda. Peace activists and anti-imperialists, veterans, trade union members, immigrant workers, low-income families, anti-police brutality and anti-globalization activists, communists and anarchists will march together. We will march to be heard, we will march to stop the war and we will march to show the world that real opposition exists to the Republican agenda.

U.S. out of Iraq now

Money for human needs, not for war

Say no to the Republican agenda

Demand peace, justice and equality

#UnitedStates #AntiwarMovement #ImmigrantRights #PoorPeoplesMovements #StudentMovement #Labor #OppressedNationalities #Iraq #JohnMcCain #Editorials #RepublicanNationalConvention2008 #antiimmigrantAttacks #foreclosuresHomelessnessAndUnemployment