Soldiers give thumbs-up to anti-war protesters

SYDNEY — A handful of protesters took their anti-war message to the Fleet Base East, where HMAS Tobruk was leaving for Iraq, on April 4. The supply ship is to provide sealift for Australian troops deploying to the

Al Muthanna Task Group in Iraq. Damien Lawson and Ian Cohen from the Greens, Graham Matthews from the Socialist Alliance, Ian Rintoul from the Refugee Action Coalition and Pip Hinman from the Stop the War Coalition addressed the protest. All speakers stressed that their argument wasn't with the sailors, but with the federal Coalition government. A number of defence personnel on board and on the docks gave the protesters the thumbs-up, as did a number of passing drivers.

Photo by Benjamin Solah/<writingcorner.blogspot.com>.

From Green Left Weekly, April 13, 2005.

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From GLW issue 622