Over the past few weeks, hundreds of Jersey City citizens of Egyptian heritage have gathered in Journal Square, which has an Egyptian population, to watch the spectacle of a swift revolution in their native country. It’s gotten a lot of folks thinking about peace and war.
But Erik-Anders Nilsson has been thinking about it for a long time, at least since the first Gulf War, when he was in his mid 20s distributing anti-war fliers at the hotel where he worked.
“They fired me, very nonchalantly,” Nilsson recalled. “They said I could not hand out fliers at work. But I always questioned things, and I questioned the invasion of Iraq. I threw myself completely into it.”
“We connect the funding of wars to the cutting of social services” – Erik-Anders Nilsson
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“Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11,” Nilsson maintained last week, “and I saw [the U.S. government] gutting the rights of people at home with the USA Patriot Act. It was anything but patriotic to sneak into people’s computers.”
Members of the JCPM consider themselves patriots. Its 600 members range in age from teens to people in their 80s. A core group of about 35 “do the work,” Nilsson said. “They’re the main organizers.”
The last Sunday of every month, they meet from noon to 2 p.m. at the Journal Square 9/11 fountain.
“It’s very symbolic,” Nilsson said. “The day after Christmas in a snowstorm, we had 30 activists there. We always meet outside and decide what we are going to do.”
Think global, act local
“We do social outreach to the community,” Nilsson said. “We bring clothing and food to the homeless and the needy. We help people find housing and learn computer skills and languages, transition to shelters, and go through public assistance.”
Last fall they organized an art show for homeless Journal Square artist Alfonso Daniels, who is disabled. They sold 15 sketches that netted Daniels $400.
Why does a peace movement focus so much on the home front?
“We make a connection between wars abroad and wars at home,” Nilsson said. “Our tax dollars have been taken from social services and spent on brutal, illegal wars.”
He’s particularly concerned about the prospect of closing libraries in Jersey City. “They should be creating more libraries, not closing them,” he said.
He said it’s a question of priorities, and cutting social services causes “joblessness and homelessness, but people are more worried about Jersey Shore and what they’re wearing.”
Nilsson, who attended NYU film school, makes a living as an actor in the FX show Rescue Me, serving as the stand-in and photo double for star Denis Leary. Nilsson also gives seminars in Jersey City about how to break into film and television. In keeping with his politics, the three-hour seminars cost only $20.
The home front
“Jersey City is a melting pot of wonderful cultures and languages and different shades of skin color,” Nilsson said. “It’s a wonderful city. I wanted to keep Jersey City in the title of the group to give it a face.”
A Clifton native, Nilsson grew up in a progressive household.”My mom was very open and loving and patriotic,” he said. “She had seven kids and was not closed minded. My father was from Sweden. Dad saw both sides. He loved America but saw its flaws and corrupt politicians.”
Which is how Nilsson sees Jersey City. “I love Jersey City, but it has its flaws,” he said. “They neglect sections like Greenville and give tax abatements to gorgeous glass condos on the waterfront. Abatements should be used for downtrodden areas, but the city council coddled the waterfront.”
Riaz Wahid, 44, is a native of India who lives in Journal Square and has been part of JCPM for about two years.
“I’m for peace,” he said. “I don’t want anyone to kill. Everything should be negotiated across the table. We don’t have to take extreme steps.”
But Wahid’s main issue is homelessness, which is how he first discovered JCPM. He was delivering food to homeless people in Journal Square when he came upon the group.
“It’s sad to see the same people hanging out in Journal Square,” Wahid said, “and nobody is genuinely helping them.” Wahid, who has been living in Jersey City 15 years, said his family helps children in orphanages back in India.
Getting involved
In 2005 Nilsson ran for City Council on an anti-war campaign, based on his view that funds should be spent for social services at home. He lost to Bill Gaughan. Now all his political work is outside government.
“People were energized and inspired by Egypt,” Nilsson said. “I have many Egyptian friends. They are beautiful and embracing and misunderstood.”
Still, Nilsson said, for people to get involved in groups like his, “things have to affect the person, their pocket, their community, their well being, and then they become an activist.”
For infomration on JCPM, visit www.jcpm.org.
Kate Rounds can be reached at krounds@hudsonreporter.com..