Socialist Alliance hunger strike for refugees

BY JAMES VASSILOPOULOS

CANBERRA — Socialist Alliance members held a 30-hour hunger strike, beginning on February 11, to publicise the February 12 refugees' rights convergence at Parliament House.

The action was reported by the local WIN and ABC TV news reports and an interview was aired on 2GB. A prominent article appeared on page four of the Canberra Times. A 15-minute interview on 2CC radio with the local shock-jock, Mike Jeffreys, with Socialist Alliance members generated a lot of heat.

At the February 12 rally, thousands of Socialist Alliance leaflets were handed out and many people carried Socialist Alliance placards.

Afterwards, Socialist Alliance member Phil Griffiths spoke at a public forum on alternatives to detention. Griffiths argued that all asylum seekers must be released immediately. Health or security checks were not obstacles to this, as they can be completed in a very short period.

Canberra Socialist Alliance plans to have a stall on February 28 at the Australian National University orientation week. A Canberra-wide conference in March, a campaign to get ACT electoral registration for the Socialist Alliance and a trade union seminar are also being planned.

The next Socialist Alliance meeting is on February 21, 7.30pm, at the Copland Building G030, Australian National University. Phone James on (02) 6247 2424 or email <canberra@socialist-alliance.org>.

From Green Left Weekly, February 20, 2002.

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From GLW issue 481