15,000 take to streets of Newcastle

BY
KATHY NEWNAM

NEWCASTLE — Police estimated that 15,000 people took to the city's
streets on February 15 to oppose a war against Iraq.

Many of those participating commented to Green Left Weekly sellers
that it was the first time they had joined a protest movement.

There was a buzz of excitement as anti-war protesters began arriving
at the Civic Park rally site, everyone having heard of the huge turn-out
at the previous evening's anti-war march in Melbourne.

The passion of the anti-war message was illustrated by the many home-made
banners, placards and — “Disarm Dubya", “Bush fires, Aussies burn", “Regime
change begins at home", “I'd rather bark than bomb Iraq" (a sign on a dog).

The route of the march route through the city to Pacific Park had to
be re-negotiated as the original route was too narrow for the numbers of
participants.

Speakers at the Newcastle anti-war protest included Michael Malone,
Catholic bishop of Maitland-Newcastle, and Lisa Macdonald, the Socialist
Alliance's No. 1 candidate for the Legislative Council in the March 22
NSW elections.

Macdonald received loud applause when she challenged all federal Labor
MPs to take an take a unequivocal stand against the war if they wanted
to be regarded as a genuine opposition to the Coalition government.

A motion calling for Prime Minister John Howard's resignation was put
to the rally by co-chairperson Vanessa Bowden on behalf of the No War collective
and received an overwhelmingly positive response. Hundreds of people signed
up to help with the activities of the No War collective, which had organised
the rally and march.

From Green Left Weekly, February 19, 2003.

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From GLW issue 526