Anti-war activist notebook 2

February 26, 2003
Issue 

Women say 'It’s not our war’

BY ELISA TRUNZO

SYDNEY — I told my friend I'd meet her at Hyde Park at 12.30pm for the Women for Peace rally. “See you there”, I said. “Can't imagine there'll be much of a turnout in this miserable weather.”

But I never found her in that sea of more than 1000 multi-coloured umbrellas that flooded the park on February 21. The “mob” wasn't made up of the usual suspects. Amongst us were school students, mothers, grandmothers, working women — all women, and we came from everywhere to make our statement clear. No war. No way.

In the heavy rain, we spilt onto Macquarie Street and flowed silently towards the steps of Parliament House behind one banner: “Women for Peace — No Australian Involvement.” Then came the wave of speakers: Sister Susan Connolly, Anne Daveson, Paula Abood; each voice, one voice, crashing against the walls of Parliament House to our cries of, “Shame Howard, shame”.

“If our illustrious leaders think the world has changed simply because of September 11, they need to think again”, Connolly said. “The world has changed very much more since last weekend when 10 million people worldwide said 'violence is not the answer’.”

Another speaker said: “The people of Iraq are not Saddam Hussein, just as we are not John Howard.”

At 1.30pm we flowed back to our jobs, our homes and our day-to-day lives. But we all knew we'd be coming back. And we'd keep on coming back; stronger, louder, angrier.

200 tell BP 'No blood for oil’

BY JODY BETZIEN

MELBOURNE — More than 200 people rallied at BP's Melbourne headquarters under the banner “No War for Oil” on February 21. Speakers argued that access to Iraqi oil fields by western oil companies was a major factor driving the war plans against Iraq. The rally marched to Esso Australia at Southbank. The demonstration was organised by the Anti-War Action Collective.

Brunswick anti-war march

BY CHRIS SLEE

MELBOURNE — Three-hundred people marched along Sydney Road, Brunswick, on February 22 in protest at the planned invasion of Iraq.

The march, organised by the Moreland Peace Group was initially addressed by Carlo Carli, state ALP member for Brunswick, Pamela Curr from the Greens, and Bilal Cleland, human rights coordinator for the Islamic Council of Victoria. Rally chairperson Jonathan Sherlock told marchers that the aim of the peace movement is to stop the war before it starts, and expressed confidence that this can be achieved.

At the end of the march two Moreland City councillors, Steve Roach and Mark Higginbotham, spoke. The council has taken a position against the war, and has voted to give assistance to the Moreland Peace Group. Nur, a Muslim woman, and Riki Lane from the Socialist Alliance also spoke.

Join the Bankstown peace picnic!

SYDNEY — A coalition of organisations opposed to war on Iraq have called on people to join them for a “peace picnic” on Sunday March 2 at 1pm in the Bankstown Gardens off Restwell Street in Bankstown.

Jamal Daoud explained, “We think it would be great if people could get together in a relaxed environment to organise initiatives for peace in the local area.”

A number of organisations active in the area will be represented at the picnic, including: the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils; the Lebanese Muslim Association; Sawiyan (Coalition for Palestine); Canterbury-Bankstown Anti-War Group; the Greens; the Socialist Alliance; and the Unity Party. Participants in the picnic are encouraged to bring a blanket, something to eat and to enjoy a Halal sausage sizzle.

From Green Left Weekly, February 26, 2003.
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