More than 400 people protested against Prime Minister John Howard's anti-union government outside Bathurst's Carrington restaurant on May 25. Howard was in town to address a fundraiser, part of a desperate attempt to save Liberal MP for Macquarie Kerry Bartlett from likely defeat at the federal election.
As Howard arrived, the crowd turned its back on him in a silent protest. The silence was broken just as Howard entered, with the crowd erupting in chants of "Workers' rights — yes!" The enthusiasm contrasted starkly with the embarrassed faces of a dismal two-person pro-Howard demonstration. A complete report appears at <http://bmuc.blogspot.com/2007/05/bathurst-turns-its-back-on-howard.html>.