Lutruwita Socialist Alliance and the Grass Roots Action Network Tasmania converged on the Anglesea Barracks during the Australia Defence Force (ADF) open day on March 14.
The direct action protest attracted around 90 people over two hours. They were seeking to talk with those entering the all-day family event about the United States and Israel’s illegal war on Iran, as well as show their opposition to Australia’s support for it.
The open day, which promotes the Australian military, also aims to recruit.
Plans to protest were underway, and became more relevant after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sent an E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft — one of the ADFs most advanced aircraft — as well as advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), putting Australia, in legal terms, at war with Iran.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong justified the Australian government’s move as an act of “collective self-defence”.
Since the first US-Israeli strike on February 28, Labor has been the first and strongest advocate for the “pre-emptive” strikes on Iran’s capital Tehran, citing Iran’s supposed growing nuclear threat as justification.
Albanese has also sought to explain Australia sending material support as aiding the “democratic self-determination of the Iranian people”. It is not.
Despite a near total internet blackout, Al Jazeera reported on March 22 that thousands of civilians have been killed or injured, with hospitals, residential blocs, transport networks and energy facilities being the primary sites targeted by the US and Israel.
The United Nations warned that the war risks civilian displacement and the breakdown of public infrastructure — both being precursors to a depression.
Outside the barracks, protesters talked up why they did not support this war. Lutruwita Socialist Alliance organiser Sally Atkins said it was wrong to see the war as only being between Israel, the US and Iran. Matt Haubrick pointed to the more than 20 countries that are already involved as evidence, while also citing Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Palestine that have also been targeted by strikes.
By mid March, more than 3.2 million Iranians have been displaced and more than 1 million in Lebanon.
Leading up to the event, there was both online support and some criticism. One Facebook user stated: “We are not desperate like Palestine for your support, we don’t need your voice.”
However, passers-by were interested; even some of those heading to the ADF Open Day took an information flyer and many honked their horns in support.
Opposition to the war in the US and Australia is high. Roughly 45% of Americans opposed military action, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll in early March, compared to 32% who supported it. Here, despite Albanese claiming that “Australia stands with the brave people of Iran in their struggle against oppression”, polling by the Sydney Morning Herald on March 19 shows more people (61%) oppose the Iran war and just 29% endorsed Labor’s support for it.
