Protest targets 'house of the lying rodent'

Jim McIlroy, Brisbane

"Let's have regime change here in Australia, for ourselves as well as the people of Iraq", Donna Mulhearn, peace activist and former human shield in Iraq, told a rally of up to 1000 people on September 26. The protest took place outside PM John Howard's Coalition campaign launch in the City Hall, described as the "house of the lying rodent" by environmental scientist Ian Lowe, who also addressed the rally.

Chants of "End the lies! Howard out!" and "Troops out! Howard out!" rang through city streets, as the protesters marched to King George Square.

Mulhearn denounced the Howard government's involvement in the invasion of Iraq. "War is just the terrorism of the rich", she told the cheering crowd.

"We want the troops home now. And if there is a change of government on October 9, we should not give the Latham government a honeymoon period. The next day after the election, let's demand troops out by Christmas."

Sam Watson, Queensland Senate candidate for the Socialist Alliance, declared that "October 9 is payback day for the racist policies of John Howard. Indigenous Australians are going to rise up and help throw him out.

"We support asylum seekers. Close down the detention centres, release the detainees. Say 'No' to John Howard! We want an Australia that is free and open, an Australia based on social justice, not lies and inhumanity."

The Greens' Howard Nielson slammed the lies told by Howard about war, refugees and the environment, and said: "On October 9, support the Greens or any other opposition party against Howard."

Hassan Ghulam, independent refugee-rights candidate for the Senate, told the rally that "peace, human rights, Indigenous rights and the environment", are key issues in this election.

Howard Guille, state secretary of the National Tertiary Education Union, attacked the government's unfair education policy. Other speakers included representatives from the Australian Democrats and the National Union of Students.

After the rally, protesters surrounded the exit to the council underground carpark, chanting slogans against Howard, the Liberal Party and the Iraq war.

From Green Left Weekly, September 29, 2004.

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From GLW issue 600