The Refugee Action Collective in Melbourne recently voted to support the campaign for the release of jailed unionist Craig Johnston. RAC member Tony Dewberry moved the motion in favour of Johnston and explains why below.
I know some people might think Craig's jailing has nothing to do with the issue of refugees, but most of us in RAC do not see it that way.
We know that Craig took an early and very public stand in favour of refugeesrights. Craig didn't just support motions at union executive meetings, he argued the case for refugees' rights to rank-and-file workers.
No-one who was at the M1 May Day demonstration in 2002 can forget the spirited defence of asylum seekers by Craig Johnston, [Textile Clothing and Footwear Union Victorian secretary] Michele O'Neil and [Construction Forestry, Mining and Energy Union Victorian secretary] Martin Kingham outside the immigration department offices.
Craig used his standing in the labour movement to put to those workers at the M1 demonstration why they should all support the campaign for freedom for refugees. This was important because among the unionists present, there were some who supported the campaign for refugee rights, but others who were ambivalent, or who'd been sucked in by the government's propaganda against refugees.
The refugee-rights movement should repay the debt and publicise the injustice of Craig's jailing.
The civil liberties aspects of Craig's jailing are also of concern to RAC members. A lot has been said to blacken the name of Craig Johnston, but the facts are he was jailed for taking direct action in a political cause and this sentence is a threat to us all.
RAC has taken part in many acts of civil disobedience, including some where some property damage has occurred. No doubt there will be more in future. In acts of civil disobedience there is usually safety in numbers — you're all in it together. It's pretty scary to think that if 50 of us helped pull a fence down, like what happened at Woomera in 2002, the authorities could nominate one of us as ringleader and jail that one person. That's in effect what happened to Craig.
As well as signing on as supporters of the Free Craig Johnston Campaign, RAC voted to publicise Craig's case at the November 16 Canberra Convergence and to take a RAC banner to the November 25 mass rally in Melbourne, which will call on the Victorian government to release Craig.
From Green Left Weekly, November 17, 2004.
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