BY NICK FREDMAN & MATT EGAN
KYOGLE — In one of several recent anti-war actions in the area, around 3000 people marched down the main street of Coffs Harbour on February 2. Exceeding organisers expectations, the crowd took over the town's main street before squeezing into the local botanic gardens.
The Woolgoolga branch of the ALP had a contingent at the protest. It has passed a motion, which reads in part: "[this branch] totally rejects any involvement of Australian military forces in an invasion of Iraq, whether sanctioned by the United Nations or not." The motion also calls upon ALP leader Simon Crean to take this stance "unequivocally and publicly" and has been distributed to all ALP branches in the Cowper region for consideration.
On February 1, more than 100 people marched in Kyogle against US President George Bush and Australian Prime Minister John Howard's war plans. Many passers-by joined in or cheered or honked support as the march moved through the town.
Participants in the Kyogle march included local members of the ALP, the Greens, the Democrats and the Socialist Alliance. After the march activists met in the newly established local Greens office to discuss further activity including organising a bus from the town to join a February 15 anti-war rally in Lismore.
Three hundred people rallied at the Byron Bay war memorial on January 26, to protest the war and discuss further activity. A February 15 rally in that town is also being organised.
In response to the escalation of the crisis several women activists called a rally in Lismore on January 24, which attracted 80 people with a day's notice, and from which a Women Against War group was formed. This group will join the recently formed International Women's Day collective in organising a rally on March 8 with the theme "women against war and racism, for peace and justice".
From Green Left Weekly, February 5, 2003.
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