Election campaign launched at Victoria's 'Guantanamo'

Selena Black, Melbourne

Three Socialist Alliance candidates in the upcoming Victorian election joined s protest outside Barwon prison on August 20.

"We now have our very own Guantanamo-style prison camp", said Vannessa Hearman, the candidate for Brunswick. "The Barwon 13 have to wear orange jump suits. They have not been to trial or been found guilty of anything. Their only 'crime' is to be Muslims.

"People can be locked up for 'thought crimes' now", she added. "Who will be next? Will they lock up socialists for campaigning against inhuman government policies?"

"Victoria's Labor government is no different to the Howard government", said Margarita Windisch, an organiser in Melbourne's Stop the War Coalition and the Socialist Alliance candidate for Footscray. "The new Victorian Crimes Act allows the use of torture in situations of 'emergency'. These anti-terror laws are aimed at silencing dissent to unpopular government policies, such as its support of Israel's brutal assault on Palestine and Lebanon, and the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan."

"[Premier Steve] Bracks showed his contempt for progressive activists when he called peaceful protesters at the 2001 World Economic Forum in Melbourne 'fascists' and ordered the riot police to beat them up", Windisch added.

Sue Bull, the Socialist Alliance candidate for the Upper House Western Region and an active trade unionist, explained, "Bracks and Howard are trying to divide the community by playing the race card and instilling fear. The current victims of the terror laws are Muslims but, make no mistake, those laws will also be used against opponents of anti-union and anti-worker laws."

The Socialist Alliance is calling for the repeal of the terror laws, for the Melbourne 13 to be freed, for all bans on religious and political organisations to be lifted, and for the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and Iraq.

From GLW issue 681