Illawarra protests at Hanson visit

By Andrew Hall

WOLLONGONG — Almost 300 people rallied in the main street of Kiama on July 17 to protest against Pauline Hanson's first visit to the Illawarra. There were many young people and unionists, particularly maritime workers, in the crowd, which gathered at a nearby park.

People marched to the One Nation venue chanting: "Hanson, Howard, racist cowards!" and "Racists out! Hanson out!". The South Coast Labour Council had banned food and drink delivery to the club.

The rally speakers included Labour Council secretary, Paul Matters; Mark Armstrong from the maritime union; Colin Hollis, ALP member for Throsby; Margaret Perrott, Democratic Socialist candidate for Cunningham; long-term unionist and activist Fred Moore; Dave Edin from the Wollongong University Students Representative Council; and Justin Randell from Resistance.

Armstrong pledged that the MUA would do everything it could to oppose Hanson in the Illawarra. Hollis, who stressed that One Nation needed to reveal more policies and that Hanson should "spend more than 20% of parliamentary sessions seated in parliament", failed to say exactly how the ALP would oppose One Nation.

Perrott pointed out that many people were turning to Hanson because of the rotten policies of both major parties and condemned the Liberal/ALP economic rationalist consensus. "We need to build a real opposition to racism, the GST, privatisation and mass sackings, an opposition that will repeal the Workplace Relations Act and unconditionally stop all uranium mining in this country", she said.

Randell spoke about the national secondary student walkout on July 24, saying, "Resistance called the walkout because it is clear that young people oppose Hanson and taking to the streets in protest is the most effective way for us to get our voices heard".

From GLW issue 325