Refugee activists plan protest

BY MATT RICH

MELBOURNE — Refugee-rights protesters will hit the streets again on June 23, following a decision of the Refugee Action Collective-Victoria (RAC-Vic) to endorse a rally at 1pm that day outside the State Library in the city, around the slogan "Welcome refugees, end mandatory detention".

June 23 falls within international refugee week, and will be a national day of refugees' rights actions. Rallies are already planned in Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Canberra and Lismore.

RAC-Vic will also be organising a concert and rally at Maribyrnong detention centre on June 29, and a lunchtime blockade of Group 4 Correction Services, a private company operating private prisons and overseas detention centres, on June 4.

A defence campaign for pro-refugee protesters arrested at Woomera is underway, and RAC-Vic has adopted a statement which says: "RAC believes that acts of mass civil disobedience have a legitimate and necessary place in Australian protest movements.

"We will:

• defend all protesters and detainees arrested and facing charges and call on the government to drop all charges;

• provide all possible support for escaped refugees; and

• oppose the so-called "anti-terrorist" legislation which would severely curb civil rights in Australia.

"RAC will continue to build... rallies, public meetings, as well as blockades and other forms of mass civil disobedience at endorsed actions."

RAC-Vic is collecting money to assist escaped refugees and those arrested at the protests. The Woomera Defence Committee, a separate group from RAC-Vic, is planning a fund-raiser on June 6 at the Evelyn Hotel in Fitzroy. The Woomera Defence Committee meets on Mondays at 6pm at Trades Hall.

RAC-Vic meets every Tuesday at 6pm at Trades Hall. For more information, phone 9659 3505 or visit < http://www.rac-A HREF="mailto:vic.org"><vic.org>.

From Green Left Weekly, May 1, 2002.

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From GLW issue 490