Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the Feb. 27, 2003
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------

MULTIRACIAL AND HIGH-ENERGY:
YOUTH AND STUDENT ANSWER CALLS WALKOUTS, TEACH-INS

By Julie Fry

Youth and students from around the country have played a major role in
the U.S. anti-war movement.

On Feb. 14, youth organizers played a vital role in a teach-in at the
Community Church in Manhattan called by the International ANSWER
coalition--Act Now to Stop War & End Racism. The all-day event drew anti-
war activists from up and down the East Coast.

The purpose of the teach-in was to discuss building an anti-war movement
that connects the struggle against war on Iraq with the fight for social
and economic justice and civil rights at home.

The workshops included discussions of GI organizing, put together by the
Support Network for the Armed Forces Union (SNAFU), health-care workers,
organized labor and community organizing, and an exploration of U.S.
imperialism. There was full participation by the youth members of ANSWER
in the panels.

Workers World spoke with a group of organizers from Youth and Student
ANSWER about the role of their organization in the anti-war struggle.
These organizers were all part of a delegation that recently returned
from a pan-Canadian student anti-war conference in Toronto.

Peta Lindsay, a student at Howard University in Washington, D.C., and a
member of the ANSWER delegation, said the response from the Canadian
students was "really wonderful." They had been very happy to have
representatives from the U.S. anti-war movement participate in the
conference. Lindsay noted that, "Every time they mentioned that we were
with ANSWER, everyone cheered." She thought this was recognition for
ANSWER's having organized major demonstrations on Jan. 18 and earlier.

"The U.S. has a reputation for being apolitical," explained Ben Becker,
a student at Columbia University. But all five ANSWER delegates sent to
the conference were asked to speak at workshops. Becker, a student at
Columbia University in New York, gave a talk on the history of U.S.
imperialism in the Middle East.

Youth and Student ANSWER has been organizing a range of activities for
youth who want to become involved in the anti-war movement. It organized
a rally of youth and students on Jan. 19, the day after the massive
demonstration in Washing ton, D.C. Hundreds of youth stayed for the
action and marched from the Department of (In)Justice to the Presidential
Palace," also called the White House.

The demonstration was "a good way to show the power of youth," says an
American University student who was one of the organizers. She described
the action on the 19th as "militant and powerful." She added that she
thought it was important for youth to make their voices heard in their
own way. "We'll be the ones leading the movement in the future, so it's
important to show why we're against the war."

Peta Lindsay also thought the 19th a success. She said the demonstration
was "very high energy and very militant." She noted that it attracted a
very multinational and diverse group of youth. "One of the great things
about Youth and Student ANSWER is that it's important to us to be
multiracial," Lindsay explained.

Youth and Student ANSWER is working on a number of upcoming actions for
youth around the country. On Feb. 21, in commemoration of the
assassination of Malcolm X, it is organizing a series of antiwar actions
around the country. These include student walkouts in some cities,
demonstrations and teach-ins in others. It is also organizing campaigns
to help students get rid of military recruiters on their high school and
college campuses.

Asked about these campaigns, Ben Becker explained, "Youth and students
historically have played such an important role in social movements ...
we have a lot of momentum going for us right now and I think that youth
will play an important part in the growing anti-war movement."

- END -

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