Pilger urges support for student protesters

BY PIP HINMAN

SYDNEY — To enormous applause, journalist and filmmaker John Pilger made an impassioned call for people to support the Sydney high-school student anti-war protesters who have been pilloried by the corporate media.

Addressing 1000 people who had come to University of NSW on the evening of March 28 to see his film Paying the Price: Killing the Children of Iraq, Pilger said he was fully behind the student protesters. He urged "thousands of others to make sure that they are not isolated".

Pilger, whose meeting was hosted by Green Left Weekly, told the audience that his daughter had also organised a walk-out from her school in London, and that he was proud of her for doing so.

"Our youth are reclaiming their rightful heritage", he said, adding that they are not all apolitical as the media attempt to portray them.

Referring to the huge numbers of young people involved in the anti-war movement across the world, Pilger noted that "they are reclaiming their idealism and for that they should be supported".

He also fielded a number of questions about the US rulers' motives for waging war on Iraq, the war's impact on politics in the Middle East, especially Palestine, and the anti-war movement. He criticised the ALP for its lack of spine, and the NSW ALP in particular for refusing to take a position on the war — the biggest question in politics today — during the recent state election campaign.

As many missed out on getting tickets to the event, GLW will be hosting a video showing of Pilger's talk, the questions and answers and the revised film at 7pm on April 10 at the Resistance Centre, 23 Abercrombie Street, Chippendale. Ring (02) 9690 1977 for more information.

From Green Left Weekly, April 2, 2003.

Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.

From GLW issue 532