MELBOURNE — Recent emergency actions against war in Iraq show the depth of anger against the Australian government’s decision to back the impending war against Iraq.

On January 19, more than 150 people joined a hastily convened demonstration outside the US consulate in solidarity with US protesters marching on Washington. A speak-out against the war was staged and numerous activists spoke of their opposition to war and Australian involvement.

Socialist Alliance member Lenny Colton, a former US army reservist, told of his collaboration with former US army personnel against war in Europe. He sported a t-shirt with a US flag with the word “burn” written across it.

A further 80 people answered an emergency call for a rally outside Victorian state parliament against the Australian government’s decision to commit troops to the US Persian Gulf build-up. Called by the Socialist Alliance with less than 24 hours notice, the action attracted activists from groups as diverse as Labor for Refugees members and those from the Medical Association for the Prevention of War (MAPW) and the Greens.

Pamela Curr from the Greens spoke passionately about the federal government’s betrayal of trust in committing troops against the wishes of the vast majority of Australians. Curr called on activists to mobilise every day to help build the February 14 rally against war.

Peter Johnston representing the Socialist Alliance chaired the rally, saying: “As working people, we have the power to stop this war. We have power in numbers.”

From Green Left Weekly, January 29, 2003.
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