BY ROB GRAHAM
ADELAIDE Prime Minister John Howard received a less than friendly welcome when he came to the city on August 23. Hundreds took the opportunity to condemn his government's policies at two separate events.
Howard was first greeted by an energetic and angry rally of 400 people at Adelaide University. He was at the university to open the new petroleum engineering building, which has been sponsored by SANTOS. The protest was called by the environment department of the Students' Association to protest the corporatisation of education, environmental destruction and the government's refugee policy.
Protesters managed to delay the opening when Howard arrived. He was briefly trapped up against a wall, surrounded by protesters.
Around 100 people turned up to the Festival Theatre to protest the "True Blue Legends" Liberal Party fundraiser, after a call to protest the government's racism was issued by the Refugee Action Collective.
A lively crowd, including members of the Socialist Alliance, the Democrats and the Romero community chanted, drummed and denounced the Howard government's cruel and racist refugee policy. Chants included: "Tell us about the children, John! Liar! Liar!" and "Whodunit? Howard did! Drowned the parents and their kids!"
As various Liberal Party "luminaries" arrived, they attracted the crowd's ire, especially SA opposition leader Rob Kerin, former premier Dean Brown and prominent federal backbencher Christopher Pyne. Howard avoided the protesters, being whisked quickly in through another door. The crowd then surged up to the plate glass windows, chanting and banging on the windows until stopped by police.
On October 19, RAC will commemorate the sinking of SIEV-X at noon in Rymill Park. For more information or to get involved, phone Sarah on (08) 8303 5182.
From Green Left Weekly, August 28, 2002.
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