Sydney rally against racism

By Aaron Benedek

SYDNEY — Around 5000 people demonstrated against the racist policies of Pauline Hanson and John Howard on August 1. Commencing in Hyde Park, the march wound its way through the city to Howard's office, before finishing at First Fleet Park in Circular Quay.

The protesters heard speeches from Jenny Munro, an Aboriginal activist and Broad Alliance candidate for the federal seat of Kingsford-Smith; Michael Costa, NSW Labor Council secretary; Meredith Burgmann, NSW Labor MLC; and members of Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese organisations.

Vanessa Badham, from NSW National Union of Students, likened the rise of One Nation to the contamination of Sydney's water supply: "It only takes a few germs to make the whole community sick."

Emma To, from Resistance, spoke about the July 24 national high school walkout against racism and vowed there would be a bigger rally, with more schools participating, on August 28.

The vibrant crowd chanted: "Hanson, Howard, racist cowards", "Let in more refugees, export One Nation overseas" and "Hanson, Howard, ALP; all bloody racist to me".

Rajinder Dhillon from the Broad Alliance warned, "We must judge parties on whether they are really acting in the interests of the Australian community, or just phrase-mongering".

Sean Chaffer from the Central NSW MUA Branch thanked the crowd for their support in the recent waterfront dispute and spoke about the need for a progressive alternative to the Howard government. His reference to Labor as that alternative met with silence.

Maria Voukelatos, a Sydney University Resistance member, told Green Left after the rally: "These rallies should not be turned into cheer squads for the Labor Party. Labor voted for 80% of Howard's anti-native title bill. Isn't that racist?"

From GLW issue 327