Tony Iltis, Melbourne
On May 29, Preston Markets management called the police to a Socialist Alliance campaign stall. Since 1999, the stall has been held regularly on Saturdays at the markets.
Activists at the stall were leafleting for the June 20 World Refugee Day rally, the "Troops out of Iraq" rally on June 30 and the federal election campaign of the Socialist Alliance candidate for Batman, Graham Matthews. They were also selling 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly and other socialist newspapers. Police threatened activists with arrest for trespass if they did not vacate the markets immediately.
"Socialist Alliance stalls at Preston Markets have, over the past three years, been met with a favourable response from shoppers, as evidenced by the large number of people taking leaflets, buying newspapers and signing petitions", Matthews told GLW.
"This attack raises questions about the privatisation of public space. The markets are on land formerly owned by the local council. It is an open area where the concentration of shops means that people congregate. This is privately-owned public space. A corporation should not have the right to censor the distribution of information."
Referring to the alliance's election campaign Matthews said, "It is worth reflecting that while the mainstream political parties have millions of dollars of funding from big business, as well as almost unlimited access to the corporate media, street stalls are essential for a grassroots candidate. This attack on the Socialist Alliance is an attack on democracy!"
To get involved in campaigning to defend free speech at Preston Markets phone the Socialist Alliance on (03) 9486 5472 or (03) 9639 8622.
From 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly, June 9, 2004.
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