Ruddock's taste of life behind the wire fence

BY RICK MOLON & CHRIS ATKINSON

DARWIN — "Refugees YES! Racism NO! Detention centres have got to GO!" echoed around the foyer of the luxury Novotel Atrium hotel on February 1. More than 80 refugee solidarity activists protested federal immigration minister Philip Ruddock as he scurried into his invitation-only consultation on refugee intake for 2002-3.

"Ruddock wants us to think that his government has resolved its dilemma over hunger-striking detainees in the Woomera detention centre", Darwin Resistance organiser Chris Atkinson said. "But Ruddock is trying to buy his way out of the current outcry against mandatory detention".

Independent-education union organiser Simon Hall highlighted the role of corporate globalisation in the oppression of Third World countries.

Greens organiser Melanie Ross argued that there is no reason to single out Iraqis and Afghans for detention. With that in mind, activists unrolled wire fencing across the hotel entrance to give Ruddock a taste of life behind a wire fence.

The Socialist Alliance's Darwin mayoral candidate Ruth Ratcliffe wrapped up the protest by stressing the need to escalate the pressure on Ruddock to close the detention camps once and for all: "If Ruddock thinks he can squirm out of recognising asylum seekers human rights, he's got another thing coming!"

From Green Left Weekly, February 6, 2002.

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From GLW issue 479