The group organizing the protests
Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (
ANSWER), also known as
International A.N.S.W.E.R. and the
ANSWER Coalition, is a United States–based
protest umbrella group consisting of many antiwar and civil rights organizations. Formed in the wake of the
September 11th attacks, ANSWER has since helped to organize many of the largest
anti-war demonstrations in the United States, including demonstrations of hundreds of thousands against the
Iraq War.
[1][2] The group has also organized activities around a variety of other issues, ranging from the
Israel/
Palestine debate to
immigrant rights to
Social Security to the extradition of
Luis Posada Carriles.[
citation needed]
ANSWER characterizes itself as
anti-imperialist, and its steering committee consists of socialists, communists, civil rights advocates, and left-wing or progressive organizations from the Muslim, Arab, Palestinian, Filipino, Haitian, and Latin American communities. Many of ANSWER's lead organizers had
ties to the International Action Center and Workers World Party at the time of ANSWER's founding.
[3]
ANSWER has faced
criticism from other anti-war groups for its affiliations, tactics at demonstrations, and allegedly sectarian approach to joint anti-war work.
It also faced criticism from various sources for its claimed anti-Zionist politics.