Anti-war and peace protesters from Stop AUKUS 鈥撀燱A gathered outside Perth Optus stadium on August 25, the opening day of the .
Keynote speakers at the conference, including BAE Systems Australian CEO, talked up the AUKUS security arrangement between Australia, Britain and the United Sates, security in the Indian Ocean and 鈥渃yber security鈥, and 鈥済rowing sovereign capability and the defence industry鈥.
The rally heard from Greens Senator聽Jordon Steele-John, anti-nuclear activist Jo Vallentine, Sam Wainwright from , Mia Pepper from Nuclear Free WA and Adrian Glamorgan.
Stop AUKUS 鈥 WA said the AUKUS technology and intelligence sharing pact, agreed by then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison last聽September without parliamentary consultation, is an 鈥渙bscene waste of tax payers鈥 money on attack-class war machinery, including nuclear powered submarines鈥.
鈥淣uclear powered submarines, based at Garden Island, would threaten our national security by making us a potential target. It would pose health risks to civilians,鈥 it said.
The anti-war group opposes US bases in Australia, including Pine Gap, and integration of Australia鈥檚 foreign and defence policies into US preparations for a war with China.
鈥淲ar is a major contributor to climate change: it causes catastrophic environmental damage and produces high amounts of greenhouse gasses. It has devastating health effects and kills innocent people.鈥