Pro-diversity festival in Manly

Pro-diversity festival in Manly

By Becky Ellis

SYDNEY — A 2000-strong Pro-Diversity Cultural Festival, organised by Residents Defending Diversity, was held at the Manly Amphitheatre on May 18. The festival was a response to the setting up of Pauline Hanson's One Nation party national headquarters in Manly.

The festival was originally called under the slogan "Say No to Hanson". However, the organisers subsequently changed the slogan to "Say Yes to Cultural Diversity" in an attempt to keep the event non-confrontational and non-political.

Speakers included representatives from Residents Defending Diversity, the Jewish Board of Directors, the Greens, the Australian Democrats, plus state Labor MP Franca Arena, local independent MP Peter Macdonald, state Liberal MP Helen Sham-Ho, Liberal MP Tony Abbott and Manly councillor Brad Pederson.

Federal minister for immigration Philip Ruddock also spoke. He countered Pauline Hanson's view that Australia would be "swamped by Asians" by saying that it would take very large numbers of immigrants from Asian countries over a long period of time for that to occur. He did not address why his government was cutting the immigration level.

Members of Campaign Against Racism and Resistance heckled Tony Abbott when he declared that Liberal Party members are non-racist, demanding that he deny that during the next election his party will be giving preferences to One Nation party candidates.

The festival was followed by a speak-out organised by Resistance at which speakers called for political action to counter racism.

From GLW issue 276