Sarah Stephen
The widespread, deep-seated opposition to the ongoing occupation of Iraq and to the Coalition government's lies spilled onto the streets of major cities across Australia on the October 2-3 weekend.
"End the lies!", "Troops out of Iraq!", and "Howard out!" were the catchcries of the demonstrations. Speakers and participants represented anti-war coalitions, refugee-rights committees, gay and lesbian rights groups, the Timor Sea Justice Campaign, artists' groups, unions, women's rights groups, churches, civil rights groups, Indigenous activists, student organisations and political parties including the Greens, the Socialist Alliance, the Democrats and the ALP. The rallies were also attended by numerous "lying rodents".
The largest protest was on October 3 in Sydney, where 5000 people marched. Rally participants heard music from GANGgajang, James Reyne, Jimmy Little and Mark Seymour.
John Howard — the actor, not the politician — told the crowd: "We are fed up to the back teeth with their obfuscations, porkies and their downright lies." Susan Connelly from the Timor Sea Justice Campaign claimed, "Howard is undertaking a project of rewriting the past to fit the corridors of his money-grubbing vision." She said: "It smacks of hypocrisy that Howard expressed outrage about Saddam Hussein while grovelling to this region's mass murderer, [former Indonesian dictator] Suharto. [Suharto] has retired in relative luxury to write his memoirs, as we hope John Howard will this Saturday."
Author Thomas Keneally presented a long list of the government's lies about refugees, saying, "Truth lies bleeding and violated on the steps of our parliament".
Keysar Trad from the Lebanese Muslim Association drew rousing applause from the crowd when he said: "Mr Howard, your continued occupation of Iraq has made us the fourth most hated nation on earth. Every time troops kill an Iraqi, the blood splatters on our hands too. You must bring the troops home."
Big Brother's Merlin Luck, Socialist Alliance Senate candidate Kylie Moon, Greens Senator Kerry Nettle and Susan Varga from Rural Australians for Refugees were among the other speakers. Labor MP Tanya Plibersek concluded her speech with a call for the troops to come home "now". There were large Community Action Against Homophobia, Greens and Not Happy John contingents on the march.
More than 2000 people rallied in Melbourne. Bilal Cleland from the Islamic Council of Australia condemned the failure of the Australian government to bring back the prisoners from Guantanamo Bay. He also criticised the new political party contesting the federal election, Family First, as "a Taliban-style Christian fundamentalist stooge", which is creating Islamophobia by denouncing Muslims and refugees.
Greens Senate candidate David Ristrom described how the US$156 billion spent on war could, for two years, feed the world's population, address the AIDS crisis and provide clean water and child immunisation.
SA Senate candidate Sue Bolton said that unlike Labor, Socialist Alliance demands the immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq but doesn't support sending troops to Asia.
Greens, Indigenous and refugee-rights speakers were also among those who addressed the 500-strong demonstration in Perth. One of the most powerful speakers was Joe Macdonald, who got a rousing reception for his outraged description of the federal government's attacks on trade unions, and was cheered when he condemned the jailing of former Australian Manufacturing Workers Union Victorian secretary Craig Johnston. There were roars from the crowd when Socialist Alliance candidate for Perth Nikki Ulasowski called for an immediate end to the occupation of Iraq, and again when she said "we will punish governments that go against the majority will of the people". The roars increased when she added that future governments would also be held accountable for their actions.
Four-hundred people rallied in Brisbane, following the "End the lies" march of 1000 people the previous weekend.
Around 300 people rallied in Canberra. Uniting Church minister Gregor Henderson declared that he would vote for a minor party that wants a fairer and more just world. Calling for truth in government, he cited statistics indicating that 25% of people believe the ALP would keep promises in government and 22% believe the Liberal Party would.
On October 2, rallies took place in Hobart, Lismore and Newcastle. The Hobart march swelled to 300 as people continued to join along the route. Peter Jones from the Peace Coalition told the rally that "the first casualty of war is the truth" and that governments can only maintain support for war by lying to the people. He said that the alternative to war is to bring the troops home and allow self-determination for the Iraqi people.
Chanting "troops out, Howard out, free the refugees", 150 people marched in Lismore. Eighty people also rallied in Darwin on October 1.
Despite heavy rain, around 250 people rallied in Newcastle. Former human shield in Iraq Donna Mulhearn called for the immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Mulhearn has set up a new charity, "Our Home Iraq", for which donations were collected at the rally.
Peter Robson, Socialist Alliance candidate for Newcastle, called on those present to not "return to normal" after the federal election.
"No matter who wins, it will be ordinary people who need to continue to mobilise to bring the troops home and end the lies — we can't trust the major parties to act without pressure from the people."
From 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly, October 6, 2004.
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