Anti-Hanson campaign meeting called

Anti-Hanson campaign meeting called

By Liam Mitchell

SYDNEY — In response to the One Nation party seeking to establish branches in northern and western suburbs, the Campaign Against Racism has called an open meeting to organise opposition to the far right, to be held on July 29, at Trades Hall at 7pm.

The meeting will seek to unite the anti-racism movement and coordinate actions to demonstrate opposition to One Nation. CAR activists are concerned that the movement should organise opposition politically and seek to draw as many groups and individuals into the campaign as possible.

Discussions in CAR have taken up what tactics to use — should the movement be seeking to close down One Nation meetings, or should it concentrate on building a broad, open and strong campaign against all racist attacks?

Groups such as the International Socialists have argued that Hanson should be the focus and that the movement should seek to prevent her from speaking and her meetings from happening.

Other CAR activists have pointed out that such confrontations are counterproductive and will only discourage people from turning up to support the anti-racism movement; the most important task is to build a large, strong and united movement against racism.

CAR activists will be putting to the meeting on July 29 that non-violent demonstrations be called outside One Nation meetings and that the movement build towards organising a large, non-violent protest to oppose Hanson and all racist attacks outside Hanson's first public meeting in Sydney.

From GLW issue 282