[Marxism] Redbaiting the immigrant rights movement

["Eli Stephens" <elishastephens@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Excerpts from page 3 of tomorrow's Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/13/AR2006041301812.html

Try not to laugh when you get to the part about the Socialist Workers Party.

----

The coalition of grass-roots organizations that staged huge rallies on
behalf of illegal immigrants in recent weeks is torn over an ambitious next
step, a massive job and economic boycott that some are calling "A Day
Without Immigrants."

Across the country, some groups have expressed enthusiasm for a May 1 action
that they hope would paralyze restaurants, hotels, meat-packing plants and
construction sites. But others have questioned the strategic value of such a
move so soon after the wave of demonstrations, particularly as it would
require many illegal immigrants to risk their jobs by skipping yet another
workday.

Skeptics have another pressing concern -- that a prominent antiwar group may
be playing a leading role in the boycott, linking its cause with the
immigrant rights campaign to promote its own agenda.

...

Diaz, Contreras and other leaders were alarmed that the antiwar organization
Act Now to Stop War and End Racism co-sponsored an April 4 news conference
in the District to announce the boycott, even before the April 10 events.
The group has been criticized by conservatives as being affiliated with the
Socialist Workers Party and supporting the Palestinian uprising against
Israel.

"Groups . . . that have done nothing on immigration have no reason to stick
their nose where it doesn't belong," Contreras said. "They have no business
saying, 'Let's do a strike' when it will create a humongous burden on
immigrant groups. They need to stay in their box."

Brian Becker, national coordinator of the antiwar organization, said his
group has long supported immigrant rights and is not trying to co-opt the
May 1 action. "We are just part of the coalition; we are not spearheading it
at all," he said. "Whatever the immigrant rights community calls for is what
we support."



Eli Stephens
 Left I on the News
 http://lefti.blogspot.com



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