Past Events Feb - April 2006
Upcoming Events
May- June 2006 Events
July - Dec 2006 Events

Monday, April 10
Mass Meeting for Immigrant Rights

On April 10 over 1,000 immigrants and their supporters packed the cafeteria of Truman College in Chicago to plan the next steps in the mass movement for immigrant rights. On April 10 over 2 million marched and demonstrated in cities all over the U.S. for immigrant equality. 

At the mass meeting it was announced that there will be a Mass March & Rally on May 1 in Chicago. ANSWER Chicago is mobilizing for this very important day of protest. Click here for more info. ANSWER Chicago is organizing for the national May 1 Boycott. We are also mobilizing for an AMNESTY NOW Contingent in the march on May 1. Call 773-463-0311 for more info. Get involved in the struggle for full equality for all.

Saturday, April 8 - ANSWER Chicago Public Forum
Venezuela, Cuba & Latin America: A Better World is Possible!

Endorsed by: Bolivarian Circle Amada Libertadad, Chicago Committee to Free the Cuban 5, Chicago Cuba Coalition, Friends of the MST Brazil (Landless Workers Movement), Mexico Solidarity Network, National Lawyers Guild - Chicago, Nicaragua Solidarity Committee, Party for Socialism and Liberation

On Saturday, April 8, 60 people attended a forum at Depaul University in Chicago in solidarity with Venezuela, Cuba and Latin America. The Speakers were Gloria La Riva, Coordinator of the National Committee to Free the Cuban 5 and Jesus Rodriguez, Deputy Consul of the Venezuelan Consulate in Chicago. Stefanie Beacham of ANSWER Chicago chaired the meeting.

Solidarity with the immigrant rights struggle was also a theme of the meeting.

Participants were energized by the call to help build a movement to educate people in the U.S. about the revolutionary process in Cuba and Venezuela and to struggle to stop U.S. aggression against both countries.

Gloria La Riva, Committee to Free the Cuban 5

Jesus Rodriguez, Venezuelan Consulate

  Stefanie Beacham, ANSWER Chicago

Saturday March 25
Over 1 Million Protest in Los Angeles for Immigrant Rights!

Sign the Petition for Full Equality
ANSWER Statement: Amnesty! Full Equality for All Immigrants Now!

The largest demonstration in the history of California

Today in downtown Los Angeles, over 1 million people demonstrated in support of immigrant rights. This was the largest demonstration in the history of California. March organizers announced from the stage that the crowd was over 1 million. Univision and other Spanish-language television reported that up to 2 million people marched. The Los Angeles Times, reflecting police estimates, gave the march 500,000 - police estimates have been trying to minimize pro-immigrant rights demonstration for the last few weeks.

Today's demonstration was the largest of many immigrant rights demonstrations that have taken place this month. It is an uprising from the people against the reactionary Sensenbrenner Bill that passed in the House of Representatives. The bill criminalizes immigrants and those who support them. The demonstrations began with 50,000 in Washington DC on March 7, 500,000 in Chicago on March 10 (the largest demonstration ever in Chicago history), and tens of thousands more in the last week in Milwaukee, Phoenix, Atlanta and other cities. In build up for today's demonstrations, thousands of high school students walked out of class and marched yesterday in Los Angeles. Yesterday in Georgia, tens of thousands of immigrant workers refused to show up at their jobs in a work stoppage protesting regressive legislation passed by the Georgia State Legislature. These demonstrations reflect a tremendous upsurge in the immigrant community.

The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition provided logistical support and mobilized for today's demonstration in Los Angeles. Thousands of A.N.S.W.E.R.'s  yellow and black placards reading "Amnistía, Full Rights for All Immigrants" were held throughout the march. A.N.S.W.E.R. also organized a major contingent in the march.

The rally was co-chaired by Juan José Gutiérrez, Director of Latino Movement USA, a member of the A.N.S.W.E.R. LA Steering Committee; Javier Rodríguez, a noted immigrant rights activist; and Jesse Díaz, a UC-Riverside professor who helped initiate the march. Speakers included Raúl Murillo and Gloria Saucedo of Hermandad Mexicana Nacional; Arturo Rodríguez, President of the United Farm Workers; Korean and Haitian community leaders; and Gloria La Riva and Preston Wood of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition.

At the rally, Juan José Gutiérrez, Director of Latino Movement USA, said, "We are people of dignity and we demand respect. This is the beginning of a movement that is going to call for a national work stoppage."

Gloria La Riva of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition said, "The racist politicians thought they could step on us with their racist legislation but they have awakened the immigrant giant and they will feel our strength when we stop work."

Preston Wood of A.N.S.W.E.R. LA said, "U.S. corporations are robbing Mexico of its resources and forcing people to come as immigrants for their survival. U.S. Out of Iraq! Justice for all workers!"

Critical to the turnout was the mobilization night and day for over a week of famous Latino radio announcers from every Spanish-language station, including Piolín el Cucuy. The organizers announced a national meeting on April 8 in Dallas, Texas of all the Latino immigrant rights leaders in the country to strategize for a national work stoppage in late May under the banner "A Day Without An Immigrant."

The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition believes that the struggle for immigrant rights, workers' rights and the fight against racism at home must be part and parcel of the struggle against war and imperialism. In the coming days and weeks, A.N.S.W.E.R. organizers, volunteers and activists will continue to participate in all levels of the mass movement in defense of immigrant rights and the defeat of the Sensenbrenner Bill. To learn how you can join with other A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition organizers and volunteers, email us at answer@chicagoanswer.net.

March 18 Demonstrations to Stop the War!
12,000 Protest in Chicago
25,000 Protest in San Francisco
20,000 Protest in Los Angeles
Thousands more protest all over the U.S. and the World!
Click here for more info on March 18

On March 18, 2006 in Chicago 12,000 people participated in a day of coordinated actions that included feeder marches to a rally in Union Park and a large, militant march down Michigan Avenue at night.

ANSWER Chicago started the day off with a spirited convergence on Federal Plaza and a feeder march to the main rally at Union Park. Along the route to Union Park the Federal Plaza feeder march joined up with the student feeder march. People came to Federal Plaza from Indiana, Wisconsin and all over Illinois. Feeder marches poured into Union Park from communities all over the city, including a feeder march from the Puerto Rican community that included strong Filipino, Palestinian and Mexican contingents.

The march down Michigan Avenue at night on March 18th was a hard-won victory for the anti-war movement in Chicago. A permit was obtained from the city for the march after a years long battle for the right to march down Chicago's main street. Despite a heavy police presence, thousands of people poured onto Michigan Avenue. Tens of thousands of police were deployed in riot gear to line the street and completely surround the demonstration for its entire length. In response, chants of "The Streets Belong to the People!" rang out throughout the march.

ANSWER Chicago had a vibrant contingent in the Michigan Avenue march. One of the ANSWER banners read: "End Colonial Occupation! Iraq, Palestine, Haiti, ...;U.S. Hands off Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, the Philippines ...!" ANSWER Chicago distributed hundreds of bright orange placards that said, "Fund People's Needs, Not War; U.S. Out of Iraq!"

At demonstrations called by the ANSWER Coalition, more than 25,000 people marched through the streets of San Francisco, while another 20,000 took to the streets in Los Angeles. The two West Coast demonstrations were among the largest of the over 500 actions in the United  States that were scheduled as part of a global day of action marking the third anniversary of the war of aggression against Iraq.

The ANSWER Coalition's demonstrations, and the call to action issued by A.N.S.W.E.R. in early November, explicitly connected the Iraq war with the ongoing assault against the Palestinian people, the U.S. overthrow of the Haitian government, and the intensifying threats and intervention against Iran, Venezuela, Cuba, and the Philippines. The call to action also linked the antiwar movement to the struggle against racism and for workers' rights at home, highlighting the government's racist and criminal negligence of the people of New Orleans and the other areas ravaged by the hurricane.

Saturday's demonstrations indicate that the people of the U.S., and people all over the world, are continuing to speak out loudly against the war. Bush's approval ratings continue to slide as he pushes his administration's agenda of war, racism, budget cuts and spying. In the months and years to come, the anti-war movement is sure to grow as the occupation continues to go badly for the occupiers. People all over the country will continue to become disenchanted with a war that benefits only a tiny minority of super-rich people, along with Wall Street, big banks and corporations.

We are the majority, and we have the momentum. Let's continue to organize and unite all of our struggles into an independent movement that challenges this unequal system of war, racism, sexism and homophobia. Call 733-463-0311 to get involved or email answer@chicagoanswer.net.

Front of the Michigan Avenue march

Friday, March 10
500,000 Protest for Immigrant Rights in Chicago

In a massive show of force, immigrants and their supporters from the Mexican, Central American, South American communities and many other communities marched on Federal Plaza in Chicago to defeat the viscously anti-immigrant House Resolution 4437, the so-called "Border Protection, Antiterrorism and Illegal Immigration Control Act." HR 4437 was passed by congress in December 2005. It is scheduled to come before the Senate for a vote in March.

The demonstration virtually shut down the center of the city right in the middle of a very busy weekday. Such a huge outpouring of resistance to the broadening attacks against immigrants is a positive sign for all working people.

Loud chants of "Si, se puede" and “El pueblo unido jamas sera vencido!” ("The people united will never be defeated!") rang out throughout the day.

HR 4437 is part of a deepening campaign of right-wing attacks on immigrant rights. The legislation will criminalize immigrants, make it illegal to offer assistance or service to immigrants, build 700 additional miles of fences and walls along the U.S./Mexico border, greatly increase the U.S. militarization of the border and much more. The passage of this bill along with the increase in attacks on immigrant communities would mean that immigrants will face even harsher forms of discrimination and brutality. The changes called for by HR 4437 will likely mean a great increase in the number of people who die crossing the border each year.

ANSWER Chicago, along with hundreds of other community and progressive organizations, mobilized in support of the March 10 immigrant rights protest. ANSWER Chicago (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) stands firmly in solidarity with immigrant communities as they fight for full legalization, equality and rights and as they struggle to end discrimination and attacks on their communities. 

The right-wing attacks on immigrants, women, LGBT people, labor, social services, civil rights and all working people are directly related to the corporate war drive. In the fight against the Bush Administration, Washington, Wall Street and the Pentagon, unity around the struggles of communities under attack will be a great aid in building a determined people's movement to stop war, racism and all forms of oppression. Call 773-463-0311 to get involved.

Thursday, Feb 23
400 Protest Bush in Mishawaka, Indiana

Steel workers, hotel workers, anti-war groups, immigrant rights groups, students and many others united in protest outside Bethel College in Mishawaka/South Bend to speak out against President Bush's fundraising visit in Indiana. The protest was mobilized with a few days notice. ANSWER Chicago organized a carpool to Mishawaka.

Protestors took over four corners of a busy intersection outside the college.  Loud honks of approval were heard throughout the demonstration. To protect Bush's entrance, the street was shut down. Around 12 Noon, the motorcade of SUVs and bullet proof limousines hurried passed. For hours the protestors chanted, "Hey, hey. Ho, ho. George Bush has got to go"; "Health care, Not Warfare"; and "No justice! No peace! U.S. out of the Middle East!" ANSWER Chicago distributed hundreds of leaflets for the March 18 Convergence at Federal Plaza in Chicago.