Defending the right to protest

Lawyer Michael Bozic, unionist Peter McLelland and investigative journalist Wendy Bacon addressed 100 people at a July 16 Sydney public forum. The meeting was organised by the Stop Bush Coalition in the lead-up to protests during the September APEC summit, which US President George Bush will attend.

Bozic detailed some of the extraordinary powers handed to police for APEC by the state Labor government and the remarkably limited tolerance police have demonstrated during recent protests. McLelland spoke about the attacks on democratic rights for unionists associated with the Australian Building and Construction Commission.

Wendy Bacon paid tribute to anti-war activist Peter McGregor who faces court on July 25 for his attempt to stage a citizen's arrest of Attorney-General Philip Ruddock for war crimes.

[For more information visit <http://www.stopbush2007.org>.]

From GLW issue 718