BY SHANE HOPKINSON

MACKAY, north Queensland — A week after moving to Mackay from Rockhampton, where I had been involved in anti-war organising, I received a phone call asking if any Mackay actions were planned. A quick phone call to the local activist centre confirmed that locals were keen to get behind something.

We called a community meeting for three days time, February 7. Thirty people turned up and agreed that something should be done. We planned a protest for February 15. About a dozen of us took on organising roles, and by mid-week we had coverage on the front page of both the local papers, local radio and TV news.

We even asked National Party MP De-Anne Kelly, who had commented that there was no opposition to the war in Central Queensland because ``we remember what the USA did for us in the Battle of the Coral Sea’‘, to speak — and she agreed. (On the day, she was jeered off the platform!).

On the day, we collected 750 names on a petition at the 1500-strong rally, sold many copies of Green Left Weekly and anti-war badges.

After the rally, local ALP member Tim Mulherin asked us to become involved in Labor Day and then marched with us around the centre of Mackay. About half the crowd stayed around for the post-rally entertainment. Everyone was impressed with our efforts.

[Shane Hopkinson is a member of the Socialist Alliance.]

From Green Left Weekly, February 26, 2003.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.

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