The New War on People of Color

by Aldo Arturo Della Maggiora

A high, rocky mountain encircled a small parking lot where I went every Monday afternoon to pick up my taxi cab medallion as well as a yellow taxivan that is ramp (disability) accessible. Prior to September 11 (the attack on the World Trade Center ) I received an occasional "ramp" call from the Federal Building in San Francisco.

Poncho was one of my regular passengers at the Federal Building. He is a lightbrown-skinned Puerto Rican, tall and well dressed. His legs could not support the normal functions of walking and standing. He would always need a ride to his residence, which was in the "avenues" of SF . Our trips where filled with interesting conversation about his experiences in the army. Poncho would go on expressing how war was an ugly thing that no one should have to experience.

The Monday following September 11, I went back to work. Our country was on high alert and police where all about the city. FBI agents along with the SF Police Department surrounded the Federal Building. The atmosphere was thick with fear, and anger. There were hardly any Middle Easterners in sight. I myself am of Salvadoran and Italian decent. Black hair and eyebrows complement my brown skin; I pass as a Middle Easterner. In the back of my mind I wondered if I would pick up a passenger who would target me as an "enemy terrorist".

As I was driving, I received a message on my computer system (DDS) for ramp pickup at the Federal Building. I parked my ramp van across the street from the Federal Building. Within a quarter of a second I noticed a black tinted SUV emblazoned with the large white letters FBI parked in the ally way 15 yards ahead of me. Two agents in black thick military gear sat in the car. I noticed them before they became aware of me. I did not want to draw attention to myself. They watched me as I opened the side door and slid out the ramp in preparation for Poncho. As I crossed the street to pick up Poncho, the two agents got out of their vehicle and in a low, threatening voice one of the agents yelled in my direction, "Hey!"

The streets were empty, my back was to them and I began to feel uncomfortable with the tone of their voice. I did not like to be spoken to in such an accusing way, so I did not answer them. If an issue existed with my van being parked in front of the Federal Building they should have spoken to me while I was preparing the ramp van. One of the agents responded to my resistance, more forcefully, "Hey... you can’t leave your cab unattended here!"

I acknowledged his gaze and responded, attempting to match his aggression without matching his tone."I have a ramp pickup here at the Federal Building," I responded calmly

"You’ll have to do your pick up on the south side of the building!" he yelled out finally. The situation stalemated. The frustrated agent fixed his eyes on me with a subtle look of vengeance. Refusing to react to his provocative attitude, I went around the building to the south side. As I picked up my passenger I noticed there was another black SUV filled with FBI agents who said nothing to me. As I entered Bobby Hutton Park in West Oakland last week to attend the Community Speakout on Terrorism , I thought about my many experiences of racial and cultural profiling as an Arab-looking taxi driver in this post 9-11 American reality.

Little Bobby Hutton Park , December 8th

People gathered, light fog dusted the air and palm trees swished in the background. There were dried up trees with their thick trunks rooted through a large grass field at Little Bobby Hutton Park (named after the former Black Panther) in West Oakland. A small but growing crowd gathered for a speakout on terrorism. The event was sponsored by People’s Resistance Against US Terrorism, Western Region United Front to Free All Political Prisoners, Black August Organizing Committee, Prisoner’s Rights Union, Justice for Palestinians, Task Force to Save the Life of Mumia Abu Jamal, The Islamic Khemite Nation, David Wong Committee, and Barrio Defense Committee.

The purpose of the speakout was to address the issue of the anti terrorist bills that have been targeting Middle Easterners and other people of color. The guest speakers included Yusef Endure and Tarek Elaydi who were going to address the so-called war on terrorism that exists in the Ashcroft US of today.

The deep voice of Yusef Endure, of People’s Resistance Against US Terrorism brought presence to his topic. "Poor, Middle Easterners, dark-skinned people are being targeted due to Sept. 11. At least 6 Middle Easterners have been murdered, Muslim Mosques have been bombed, immigrants have lost their jobs, i.e. airline baggers and checkers. The anti terrorism bills are targeting immigrant students particularly Middle Easterners trying to obtain student visas. These new terrorism laws are fascist and people are losing their civil liberties. Over 600 people have been in federal custody, most of them are of Middle Eastern decent and without any witness people can be tried and killed behind close doors."

Mr. Endure continued, "Attorney General Ashcroft has interrogated 5000 people of Middle Eastern descent. Anti-terrorism laws allow our government to tap phones lines, check bills, and look up bank records, the INS, FBI, and CIA are targeting folks who may fit the terrorist "image" and are killing people. Yusef pointed out that the danger in the anti- terrorist laws is that innocent people may be mistaken as terrorists. This law makes witch hunts legal."

"The US war on terrorism claims to protect the people of our nation when the truth is, Osama Bin Ladin has been financed by the CIA to defeat the old Soviet rival. Over 100,000 casualties of war occurred in Guatemala as a result of American Death squads, here in the United States 35,000 people are on death row."

Yusef continued, "Marshall law is carried out to create new markets of defense that may be used to control the masses from protesting, sit-ins, and organizing." He concluded, "Our nation must expose the errors of this government by building movements in our communities i.e. schools, PTA, students, workers, and be heard to address these issues before America falls apart." As the people in the crowd listened intently, a sense of community rippled through us all.

The next speaker, Tarek Elaydi, who was born in Palestine came up to the microphone, his strong, dark, eyebrows and piercing black eyes told stories of bloodshed, resistance, and freedom.. Growing up in a refugee camp he witnessed the frustration of his people wanting change and experiencing the brutality of the military occupation that has killed and humiliated many Palestinians. " The passing of anti-terrorist laws target Muslims and Middle Easterners who are of all races." Tarek pointed out that since Sept. 11, Middle Easterners have not been allowed to learn how to fly. Many employees of the San Francisco International Airport who reside in the local Brisbane area have been laid off work for being targeted as terrorist.

Tarek made parallels between the military occupation in Palestine and how he saw similar patterns of military occupation beginning to surface in this country i.e. the Golden Gate Bridge and Bay Bridge.

After the last speaker made his closing remarks the crowd was lively—we were speaking to each other—speaking and understanding this so-called "war on terrorism" and realizing it was really more of a "war on people of color".