Anti-racists confront far right rally

Jim McIlroy
Meanjin/Brisbane
August 5, 2011
Issue 
890
News
Anti-racism rally, Brisbane, August 6. Photo: Jim McIlroy.

Around 200 people attended a "Unite Against Racism" rally in the King George Square on August 6. It was staged in opposition to a rally organised by the far-right Australian Defence League (ADL) attacking Islam and calling for a ban on the burqa.

The tiny ADL rally was aimed at inciting hatred and violence toward Muslim people and refugees.

After several speakers condemned attacks on Islam and refugees, the anti-racist rallygoers confronted a small group of around 20 racists as they tried to address passersby through a loudspeaker system.

The anti-racists drowned out the ADL speakers with chants of, "Muslims are welcome, racists are not!" Heated arguments broke out, but there was no violence in the end.

Earlier, Greens spokesperson Libby Connors told the crowd: "We need a warm and embracing culture that allows religious and cultural diversity."

Long-time anti-war campaigner Adrian Skerritt declared: "Our message of unity and friendship with the Muslim community will drown out the messages of hate."

Anti-racism
Australia

Comments

Anonymous replied on

The rally had nothing to do with the ADL. It was organised by the APDM. Ashley McCallum

Anonymous replied on

"We need a warm and embracing culture that allows religious and cultural diversity." That religious tolerance should apply to all. Try getting an Islamist country to be warm and embracing to Judaism and Christianity. Try having this kind of 'free speech' in an Islamist regime. The radical elements of Islam, or any religion, that break the law and have little or no respect for the rights and freedoms of others is the problem not the average Muslim person in our community.

Anonymous replied on

You do know that Islam isn't a race? before running around Condemning people as racist And trying to drown out free speech read the Qur'an. Educate yourself.

Anonymous replied on

By your logic there was nothing racist about the Nazi holocaust. Judaism isn't a race after all. And what a pathetic, self-pitying spectacle you are, whinging about free speech when the Murdoch-dominated corporate media pushes your racist perspective to the exclusion of the truth.

Anonymous replied on

Or was Hitler not a racist according to your argument? Racism is usualy based on a bullshit fetishisation of a cultural or phyisical characteristic that has no basis in fact. Descrimination against Jews, Gypsies and Muslims all falls under this category. Racist societies usually have to come up with some bullshit psuedo-science to prove that the targets of their discrimination are different to everyone else. In Australia, this bullshit can be found in police definitions of "people of Middle- Eastern appearence". Every single element of oppression that can be blamed on the Qu'ran can be found in the Bible or the Torah. It's rubbish to use this as a reason to repress followers of a particular religion and equally rubbish to claim that there is an attempt to impose this on any Australian law.

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