BY MARCUS GREVILLE
& JULIAN COPPENS
LONDON — Australians Against the War (AATW) on November 20 held a successful demonstration outside the Australian High Commission to protest against the Australian government's participation in the US-led "Coalition of the Killing" and its invasion and occupation of Iraq.
Before joining the main anti-war march as it passed Australia House, 30 people unfurled banners reading "Aussies against the war", "No HoWARd" and "Troops out". An Aboriginal flag was flown as speakers denounced Australia's role in the Iraq war and called for all troops to be withdrawn. They also demanded that war reparations be paid to the Iraqi people.
As Australian television crews filmed, AATW activists sent a delegation into the commission to deliver a protest letter, which was accepted by Australian deputy high commissioner Bill Tweddell. The letter demanded that the Australian government immediately withdraw its troops from Iraq, and that Canberra call on Bush and Blair to remove their troops and immediately return Iraq's sovereignty to its people. The letter also demanded that the Australian government secure the immediate release of Australians held by the US at Guantanamo Bay.
With the almost 60 members, the AATW will continue to meet and organise in Britain to highlight the role of the Australian government as a junior partner of US imperialism, and to build the wider anti-war movement.
[Marcus Greville and Julian Coppens are members of Australians Against the War UK. Email <aatw_uk@yahoo.co.uk>.]
From Green Left Weekly, November 26, 2003.
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