Gov't charges against Yemeni youths:
Scare campaign aims to distract from gowing poverty
By Leslie Feinberg
Buffalo, N.Y.
There's an important battle being joined here for the hearts
and minds of working and oppressed people. It pits war
mongering against resistance to the war cry.
Bush and the FBI--aided by the willing moneyed media--have
created a ballyhoo around the arrests of six young men of
Yemeni ancestry, trying to drag sentiments in this increasingly
impoverished region towards support for untrammeled Pentagon
aggression in the Middle East.
But activists here are working hard to let those who will
have to kill and be killed in a war know that it only benefits
the rich owning class--those who have sucked profits from
generations of laborers in this former hub of industry and
transportation and are now scouring the globe for more stolen
wealth.
Blaring headlines accompanied the arrests of the six men in
government raids in a nearby, rundown mill town Sept. 13-18,
terrifying many in the population. The government claims that
during a trip to Pakistan in April-May 2001 for religious
training, they traveled to an Al Qaeda-run training camp in
Afghanistan.
Bev Hiestand, a local leader of the International ANSWER
coalition--Act Now to Stop War and End Racism--said she and
other activists took to the streets within hours after the
arrests hit the headlines.
"Fear here has reached fever pitch," Hiestand stressed. "The
media and FBI make it seem as though a terrible catastrophe was
minutes away from blowing up in our midst. But when you look at
the alleged crime of the six, it's association, not any
criminal act.
"We pointed out that these arrests coincided with the
Pentagon deployment of Special Forces troops and a war ship
near Yemen's borders. The FBI says they've been watching the
six for a year, yet Bush chose to change the national security
alert from yellow to orange--supposedly based on the six--on
the eve of the 9/11 anniversary."
Hiestand explained that her organization had already planned
anti-war demonstrations even before the arrests. "At both court
appearances for the six we went with signs defending the Yemeni
community and denouncing Bush's Middle East war drive.
Immediately Yemeni family members and neighbors thanked us and
held up our placards.
"One reporter told me if I did an interview, be prepared for
threats. Well, I have done many interviews that have aired here
since Sept. 14. Instead of threats, I have gotten so many calls
from individuals who want to know how they can get
involved."
An independent poll
The results of this ideological tug of war can be seen on
every picket line and rally.
On Sept. 28 two rallies were held opposing U.S. plans to
invade Iraq and in defense of Palestinian freedom and local
Arab communities.
Many individuals drove, walked or bicycled past the
anti-war, anti-racist protesters. At least one man on a bike
spit in the direction of rally-goers and their children.
Several flipped a hand gesture widely recognized as
condemnation. One motorist screamed "Get a life!" as she passed
people whose anti-war efforts were trying to save many
lives.
But more significant is that, after all the biased
publicity, the majority of those who expressed their reaction
to the demonstrations offered support.
Drivers honked car horns and waved with a smile. Many others
flashed a hand gesture more widely recognized around the world
as heartfelt agreement--a clenched fist. "Right on!" some
shouted from car windows. "I agree with you" and "Thank you"
said several pedestrians.
Throughout the day members of ANSWER had taped up bright
green posters all over the city that said in large, bold
lettering, "NO WAR!" and included the coalition's local phone
number.
These squads reported backing from people who saw the
glowing posters--comments like "Damn straight," "You got that
right" and "Good for you!"
Activists here have been mobilizing for the massive anti-war
protest in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 26. They say that stacks
of leaflets left at local coffee hangouts and progressive
bookstores were picked up and read the moment they hit the
countertops.
Many people are calling and emailing for bus tickets to D.C.
The local coalition here has already had to reserve a second
bus for the long trip.
This is all in sharp contrast to the media war propaganda
claiming that for every 100 people polled, 110 are
shoulder-to-shoulder with Dubya on his war drive.
The work and visibility of the anti-war movement here is
giving courage and voice to those who want to end Bush's
"endless war." But it is also raising consciousness that would
not ascend without this political combat.
Want to be part of this burgeoning movement? Direct your
browser to www.internationalanswer.org.
Reprinted from the Oct. 10, 2002, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyrighted
under a Creative
Commons License.
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