BY
GRANT COLEMAN
Following on from the spectacular March 5 Books not Bombs student strike against the war on Iraq, students are getting ready to walk out of classes again on March 26. Students voted unanimously at the March 5 rallies to join this next strike as the next step in the rapidly developing student anti-war movement. Organisers are predicting that this strike will involve even broader layers of high school, university and TAFE students.
In Sydney, where 10,000 students joined the March 5 strike, high school students have been holding meetings on their schools involving up to 100 students during lunchtimes and after school.
Molly Boland, a student from Riverside Girls School, reports that 100 students attended an anti-war meeting on March 4. The meeting, along with the March 5 strike, was publicised through anti-war banner painting sessions and regular poster runs around school. She argues that these meetings are the best way to increase the anti-war sentiment at school.
“People need to be aware of what is happening. If our posters come down we will put them straight back up again. Students need the facts so we can make up our own minds.”
Boland also believes that a US-led invasion will begin sooner rather than later, and that this will drive more students to strike on March 26. “If the US attacks, students will have to react. The protests need to be bigger and broader to reflect the breadth of opposition to the war.”
Maxine Bancilhon, from South Sydney High School, reports that the 120 senior students that took part in March 5 will strike again, despite March 26 falling during the exam period.
She reports that most parents were supportive of the students actions but that students who couldnÂ’t get permission will walk out anyway.
“Most parents were happy that we were doing something productive. We weren’t just skipping school. Even if they don’t agree with us they supported our actions.”
Bancilhon also told 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly that South Sydney students are ready to react to any attack on Iraq.
“If they attack, we will make sure that the word gets around that we intend to walk out in protest. I don’t know how teachers will react but this is a shock action. It will make everyone stop and realise that we’re not just ‘kids’ that do what we’re told. We know what’s going on and we will act.”
Kira Magee, from Leichhardt High School told GLW that lunchtime anti-war meetings at her school were continuing to attract 30 students on a regular basis. She argues that the success of March 5 will ensure that large numbers of students will come out again for March 26.
“Three-quarters of my school walked out and those that didn’t go to protest are wishing they had. It was clear to all those that attended March 5 that it wasn’t about wagging school. Students care about what is happening. We have our own opinions and we’re not going away. March 5 has shown what we need to do.”
Rhiannon Mason, from Reservoir District Secondary College, reports that a similar process is developing in Melbourne. She was one of two students from Reservoir that attended the last strike, after finding out about it on the morning of March 5. Following March 5, Mason called an anti-war meeting at school that was attended by 12 students and decided upon a range of anti-war activities for the next few weeks, including fund-raisers, poster runs and weekly organising meetings. Mason organised another meeting two days later which attracted 30 people.
Mason argues that actions such as March 26 are vital for students.
“High school students are not allowed to vote. So we have to protest because it is the only way we will be heard. March 26 provides students with another chance to be heard and hopefully it will be at least twice the size of March 5.
“Classes will mean nothing once the bombs start dropping. Stopping the war is more of a priority for students.”
Anti-war organising has also begun to develop amongst university students. Books not Bombs stalls and meetings have been organised on most campuses across the country.
Fred Fuentes reports from Perth that a stall at the University of Western Australia attracted 15 new anti-war activists to build the March 26 strike.
Simon Butler from Sydney reports that an on-campus rally attracted 100 students and another 40 attended an anti-war organising meeting.
National Union of Students national education officer Liz Thompson told GLW that the sheer numbers of high school students at March 5 demonstrated their determination to stop the war. She also believes that university students have some catching up to do.
“March 5 was a spectacular display of anger — the high school students really showed up the university students not just in terms of numbers, but in terms of determination to stop this war, and feeling really empowered that they could actually make a difference. On March 5 students showed that they wanted to take their historical place at the forefront of radical and militant action against war.
“March 26 needs to be about taking that movement even further, and making it clear that if there is a war, students will not behave.”
From 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly, March 19, 2003.
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