Vietnam Moratorium veteran supports student protests

BY
PETER BOYLE

One of the most enthusiastic “peace monitors” at the April 2 Books
Not Bombs protest in Sydney was Doris Owens, 65. Owens was one of 11 people
charged with “treason” for urging young people not to register for the
military draft to fight the Vietnam War “in this very square”.

At the time she was a 27-year-old organiser for the Teachers Federation.
“I was the only female organiser and I was a member of the Communist Party.”

“I'm proud to be here today to support the new generation of activists”,
she said, pointing proudly to her original Vietnam Moratorium badge.

“High school students were suspended just for wearing this badge.” Owens
said she hunted out this badge when she heard that the NSW director general
of education was instructing school principals to suspend students who
attended the April 2 rally.

From Green Left Weekly, April 9, 2003.

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From GLW issue 533