BY KATIE NEVILLE
MELBOURNE — As thousands travelled to Canberra to protest the government's inhumane refugee policies, solidarity protests also occurred across Australia on February 12.
Four hundred people gathered outside immigration department offices in Melbourne. Speakers at the Refugee Action Collective-organised event included Dimity Fifer from the Victorian Council of Social Service and Surma Hamid from the International Women's Day Collective.
Next to the speakers were four coffins. Each had the name of an asylum seeker who had died in detention written on it. After a minute's silence to honour these refugees, teary-eyed protesters chanted, "Lock up {immigration minister Philip] Ruddock! Free the refugees!".
Claudia Quinnell reports that 140 people rallied outside Perth's immigration department offices, in a protest called by the Refugee Rights Action Network (RRAN). Speakers included Russell Pickering from the Socialist Alliance, Rupen Savoulian from RRAN and actor Annie Phelen, best know for her portrayal of Monica on the ABC's Something in the Air.
Phelen argued that immigration had "enriched her life", and urged the crowd to struggle against the "poison being spread from Canberra".
A protest calling for the closure of all refugee detention centres and the re-settlement of refugees will be held on March 2 in Perth, coinciding with protests outside the Queensland Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
Around 300 people attended a lively protest to oppose the government's inhumane refugee policy at King George Square in Brisbane, reports Maria Voukelatos. Sam Watson from the Socialist Alliance spoke about the government's record of racism against Indigenous Australians and said that Aborigines stand in solidarity with refugees. All speakers demanded an end to mandatory detention and called for all protesters to come out onto the streets until the detention centres are closed.
Sophie Fischer reports from Hobart that 200 protesters rallied outside immigration department offices, calling for an end to mandatory detention, and to the "Pacific solution". Speakers included Michael Tate of the Catholic Church, Greg Barns, disendorsed Liberal Party candidate for the seat of Denison, and Shua Garfield, from the Socialist Alliance. The rally was ended with energetic chanting: "Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here!"
Eighty people attended an afternoon rally in Adelaide's Victoria Square organised by the Refugee Action Collective, Leslie Richmond reports.
Speakers included Sarah Hanson, RAC activist and Environment Officer for the Students Association at Adelaide University and Yasmine Ahmed from the Muslim Students Association. The chanting protesters marched to Parliament House, with people joining along the way.
From 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly, February 20, 2002.
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