'No war' May Day

BY EMMA CLANCY

PERTH — "How long will the US continue to cover up Israel's war crimes?" Ali Kazak, head of the Palestinian Delegation in Australia, asked M1 protesters. "We cannot have two sets of principles, one for Israel and one for everyone else."

Seven hundred people attended "no war" May Day, demanding an end to the wars on refugees, Palestinians, the Third World, the environment, Indigenous people and unions. The protesters rallied at Perth's main concert hall, opposite the US consulate.

Sixty refugee-rights activists met earlier at the immigration department offices, before marching to the concert hall chanting: "Tear down the fences — free the refugees!"

Kazak opened the protest at the concert hall by condemning Israel's brutality: "The Israeli Defence Force did not even allow rescue workers into the Jenin camp, who could have saved the Palestinians trapped under the rubble of their homes. This is not the action of a nation that wants to make peace with its neighbours."

He said that, since the signing of the Oslo accord, Israel has attempted to legalise its occupation, rather than withdrawing.

Assistant state secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, Kim Young, described the royal commission into the building industry as an attack on one of the strongest unions in Australia. He pointed out that: "In 71 hearing days, there has not been one piece of evidence about injuries or deaths of workers, of tax evasions by employers, or underpayment of workers."

Stephanie Mayman, head of UnionsWA, congratulated the M1 Alliance for organising the protest.

This was followed by a loud and lively march to the stock exchange, with protesters chanting: "Stop the killing, stop the crime — Israel out of Palestine!", and "Refugees yes; racism no; detention centres have got to go!".

Outside the stock exchange, representatives of various trade unions, human rights groups, environmentalists and left parties spoke and local musicians played between speakers.

From Green Left Weekly, May 8, 2002.

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From GLW issue 491