Students walk-out for refugees

BY KAROL FLOREK

SYDNEY — More than 100 high school students walked out of classrooms on February 15 to voice their opposition to the Coalition government's inhumane treatment of refugees. The Resistance-organised protest commenced in Hyde Park to the chants of, "We are the future, free the refugees!"

About a dozen schools were represented at the rally, the largest contingents arriving from Springwood High, Sydney Boys High and Loreto College.

"The government says we're too young to protest, but it locks up people our age", Resistance member Lindsay Rowan told protesters. The rally was also addressed by UNSW anti-racist activist Roshanak Sahebekhtiari and Pip Hinman from the Socialist Alliance.

"We want to protest their lies", said Hinman. "The government will do anything to demonise refugees to justify its war on them."

The students marched — waving placards and beating drums — to the immigration department offices. As the loud, energetic protesters wound their way through the heart of Sydney, on-lookers cheered and applauded.

After speeches from Paul Benedek from Free the Refugees Campaign, refugee activist Cyrus Sarang and protest organiser Lauren Carroll-Harris, the microphone was made available, and many other students got up and argued for freeing the refugees.

From Green Left Weekly, February 20, 2002.

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From GLW issue 481