Students occupy in IVF protest

Students occupy in IVF protest

BY ANGELA LUVERA

BRISBANE — Students from various political persuasions — socialists, Laborites, anarchists — united to protest against John Howard's plan to restrict access to in vitro fertilisation by occupying an office on the 36th floor of the commonwealth government offices here on August 3.

The 40 activists, called together by the Griffith University Student Representative Council, occupied the office for three hours before police arrived and arrested all those present. The police decided to treat the occupation as a "potential hostage situation" after the office workers initially refused to leave and were therefore barricaded in with the protesters. The workers were released as soon as they asked to be.

All of the protesters were charged with trespassing and must attend court on September 12.

Students in Sydney briefly occupied John Howard's Gladesville electoral office.

From GLW issue 415