Belafonte says anti US sentiment the highest he’s seen in 50 years
“As he performed before sellout audiences across Europe during the first days of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, Harry Belafonte heard more anti- American comments than he has in more than a half-century of traveling the world.
The 76-year-old singer, activist and United Nations goodwill ambassador expected to hear criticism of the U.S. government — but he had not expected so much criticism of ordinary Americans for failing to effectively oppose the U.S. policy toward Iraq.
“I try to tell (people overseas) that there is a vigorous voice of dissent here,” Belafonte, the keynote speaker at today’s anti-war demonstration in Oakland, said in an interview with The Chronicle. “Yes, people (there) have seen the pictures of the demonstrations here, but they don’t quite translate.”
The anti-war movement must figure out how to channel the street-level energy expressed by thousands of anti-war protesters and online activists into something politically powerful after the war is over, Belafonte said. “