Anti-immigrant racists drowned out by protest

Anti-racists shouted down a march of anti-immigrant racists on Aug. 18 as they tried to march through downtown Seattle.

Seattle cops brutally attacked anti-racist demonstrators with pepper-spray, while clearly favoring the racists and giving

Photos: Alliance for Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines

them preferential treatment. The ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) played a key role in investigating the racists’ plans, revealing them to the community and calling for a counter-protest. The action was joined by many other organizations.

The occasion was the “March for America” called by the so-called Washingtonians for Immigration Reform, an organization opposed to a comprehensive immigration reform with amnesty and a path to citizenship for undocumented workers.

WFIR has tried to project the image of being simply another group “concerned” about immigration. When confronted, WFIR organizers angrily deny being racist. But they have solicited the involvement of the Minutemen, the John Birch Society and NumbersUSA in their protests.

The “March for America” was called to demonstrate opposition to the Aug. 20 Security and Prosperity Partnership summit held in Canada between the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The purpose of the summit was to promote imperialist free trade interests, not the interests of workers and poor people. But WFIR and their coalition partners opposed the SPP from the right—from a xenophobic and extreme nationalist perspective.

About 75 WFIR demonstrators gathered near the Space Needle in Seattle at midday. Anti-racist demonstrators also gathered on the lawn and sidewalks near the Space Needle and at the federal building, the racist march’s planned destination.

Among the counter protestors were ANSWER Seattle, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Washington Coalition for Fair Trade, members of SEIU Local 6, the Alliance for Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines, the ISO, Hate Free Zone, Radical Women and the FSO, Washington CAN, Anarchists, Vietnam Veterans Against the War-Anti-Imperialist, Green Party of Seattle, Seattle Anti-Imperialist Committee, Community Coalition for Environmental Justice, Oaxaca Advocates and immigrant communities, as well as many unaffiliated young people who had heard about action.

As the 1 p.m. march kick-off approached, the two sets of demonstrators faced off. Police quickly moved in between the two groups. The anti-racists began to chant, “Just face it, you’re racist!” “Racists go home!”

When the march began, the police moved in with bicycles to protect the racists. The progressive marchers used mobile tactics and took shortcuts to continuously confront the march.

At one point, the police allowed the racists, who were marching on the sidewalk, to take a lane of traffic because the

The racists held hateful signs during their small rally.

sidewalk was closed due to construction; the cops blocked the anti-racists from continuing along the same route. The anti-racists backed up and went around the block to catch up.

At the Federal building, the racists stopped for a rally and the anti-racists set up a picket line across the street.

As a few counter-protestors threw some water balloons from across the street at the racist gathering, police went ballistic and attacked the anti-racists, pepper-spraying indiscriminately. One of the first to be sprayed was attorney Larry Hildes who was serving as a legal observer. Hildes was clearly identified with a green “Legal Observer” t-shirt and baseball cap. Three protestors were treated at the emergency room later that day. One demonstrator was followed as he left the site and arrested a few blocks away.

Demonstrators quickly regrouped and reestablished a picket line and helped spray victims find water to rinse off.

Fighting the right

Washingtonians for Immigration Reform held its first march in Seattle on June 23. That march was supported and attended by the Minutemen Civil Defense vigilante group, the Reagan Wing and others.

WFIR felt their first march was a big success and they were emboldened by the experience. They had predicted they would have as many as 300 at the Aug. 18 march, but failed to get more than 75.

Furthermore, the counter-protesters managed to significantly disrupt WFIR’s program. When the racists assembled at the Fisher Pavilion lawn for their closing rally, bystanders joined in with the anti-racists to drown them out

WFIR and other groups have tried to create a cover of respectability in their intervention into the immigration debate. In their own internal communications, they have instructed their followers to refrain from using racist slurs, and are trying to avoid the appearance of a connection to white supremacist organizations. WFIR sent an email to supporters reminding them that earlier postings to certain sites and forums had “perhaps done us more harm than good.” One such posting was to the website of American Renaissance, an openly white supremacist site.

It is essential that workers in this country show solidarity with foreign-born workers. We face the same enemy—capitalism—which is trying to divide and conquer us by way of scapegoating immigrants.