Yelling abuse or winning refugee rights
COMMENT BY PAUL BENEDEK
SYDNEY — A protest at a Sydney University Law Society forum on August 24, which featured federal immigration minister Philip Ruddock, has raised questions about how the movement for refugee rights can be most effectively built.
Organised by the recently formed Refugee Action Collective (RAC), the picket sought to "shut down" the meeting and prevent Ruddock from speaking. These tactics were chosen because it was believed that nobody from RAC would be allowed to speak on the platform in opposition to Ruddock.
Around 120 students and staff attended the meeting. Before it began, 10 RAC protesters, including members of the International Socialist Organisation (ISO), Resistance and other Sydney University activists, chanted against Ruddock's racist policies and handed out leaflets for a coming rally in support of refugee rights. Most people took the leaflet and many expressed support for the rally.
When the meeting began, some protesters, predominantly members of the ISO, tried to shout down a lecturer and the dean of the faculty. The lecturer offered RAC an opportunity to speak on the platform with Ruddock. At this point, the "close it down" tactics of RAC should have been changed.
Instead, ISO members yelled "No way" to the offer, thereby abandoning an opportunity to clearly expose Ruddock's racism and encourage the audience to join RAC. Ironically, Ruddock had recently refused to speak on an SBS panel that included RAC activist Maqsood Alshams. This new chance for Alshams, who was present, to debate Ruddock was relinquished.
The refusal to speak on the platform against Ruddock made RAC look defensive and frightened of debate. Eventually, one ISO member suggested that Ruddock speak first, and then RAC speak, "so we can destroy his arguments". This was generally supported and Ruddock began.
Despite the agreement, ISO members and some others continued to yell over Ruddock's speech, using crude phrases ("Bullshit, you racist!" and "Racist scum") which made them look ignorant. Students present pointed out to the ISO members that they had just agreed to allow Ruddock to speak and RAC would get to put its view afterwards. The crowd was rapidly alienated from the protesters.
ISO members' attitude towards the audience was patronising: participants in the meeting were told they should be "ashamed" for being there and were treated as though they could not possibly have an informed opinion. Yet when discussion finally opened, every question and comment from the audience criticised Ruddock. It became clear that the majority had come to expose Ruddock's racism, but in a more sensible way than the ISO members.
In the battle to free the refugees and end the government's disgraceful racist policies, we need to build as broad an anti-racism movement as possible. That means using tactics which will win increasing numbers of people to the movement's organisations and activities.
Attempts to stop a politician from speaking won't stop racist messages getting out (politicians have enormous access to media), let alone abolish racist policies, practices and ideas. However, in many circumstances it can repel potential allies in the fight against racism, or people who are undecided. Shouting down speakers certainly leaves little room for presenting clearly political arguments that can win people to RAC's positions.
RAC should continue to protest against Ruddock wherever he appears. We do want Ruddock to anticipate and dread the presence of RAC and other progressive activists wherever he speaks.
But instead of restricting the movement to the activities of a few people who yell abuse from the sidelines, RAC needs to adopt flexible tactics that allow it to take full advantage of every opportunity to vigorously debate Ruddock so as to get the anti-racism, refugee rights message out.
[Paul Benedek is secretary of the western Sydney branch of the Democratic Socialist Party and a RAC activist.]