By Wendy Robertson
On August 28, 8000 high school students in 14 regional centres and cities took to the streets to demand and end to the racism of Hanson and the Howard government. From Ballarat to Gympie and Darwin, young people proved again their determination to fight racism. The walkout was organised by Resistance.
Around the country, students risked threats of Austudy being cut, suspensions, detentions and expulsion to show that they were not just angry about racism, but were prepared to take political action against it.
Polls released late in the week confirmed that young people are angry about racism. A national poll of young people found that 54% are opposed to the Howard government's refusal to apologise for the stolen generations and its attacks on native title.
Inspired by the first national walkout of 10,000, organised by Resistance last month, this time the walkouts spread to many regional areas. Organisers were keen to oppose One Nation in areas considered "One Nation heartlands".
Sonja Frosberg reports from Ballarat that 500 angry, loud high school students turned out for Ballarat's first ever high school walkout. They brought homemade banners, placards and their own chants.
The turnout was fantastic despite attempted intimidation from schools. One high school sent letters to parents the day before, threatening to cut students' Austudy if they attended the rally. At one school, students were forced to surge through a line of teachers at the gates in order to attend the rally, which lasted almost four hours.
Police antagonised the students, calling one woman who was standing on the road a "black bitch", and intimidating and threatening others standing on the road. Two Aboriginal students were arrested. Students plan to set up a Resistance branch and to join the third national "Vote with your feet" walkout against racism.
A crowd of about 200 enthusiastic secondary students gathered in Darwin for a march and rally against racism, reports Peter Johnston. This was the first such action by Darwin high school students.
The local NT News did its best to dissuade students from attending with a bold headline on the day of the rally, claiming "Students hit out as race march banned". The rally was officially allowed to proceed only at the very last minute.
High school students spoke about their views on racism and One Nation, and supporters from community groups and the NTU students union gave greetings. Support was received from the Northern Territory branches of the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union, the Maritime Union, the Northern Territory University students and postgraduates associations, from Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation and from the Faculty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
From Lismore, Nick Fredman reports that despite heavy rain, 200 people rallied and marched. After a lively march around the town and a broad range of speakers, protesters stormed the office of local National Party MP Ian Causley, chanting, "Hey hey ho ho, Ian Causley's got to go". They presented him with the list of demands for the national day of action.
Peter Robson writes that 30 high school students in the Queensland town of Gympie staged the first high school walkout in its history.
The Cooloola Shire Council was opposed to the march and refused to grant permission to use Memorial Park as a starting place for the march. The students gathered anyway, but were told to leave by a council official and 12 police officers. Protesters moved to the car park across the road, and a motion to continue was put to the group and approved unanimously. The rally finished at One Nation's Gympie office.
One of Resistance's national walkout organisers, Sarah Peart, commented, "The second national walkouts were far more directed politically than the first. The first mainly focused on the racism of Hanson. This time Resistance felt it was important to challenge the racist practice of the government."
Lachlan Malloch reports that Sydney High School Resistance activist Lucy Abraham set the tone of the 1500-strong Sydney demonstration early in the rally at Hyde Park, when she defied John Howard to prove to young people that his government is not racist: "If he says he is not racist, then he has to show us he is not implementing racist policies. Actions are the test of racism, not what people say about themselves."
Abraham's comments was clearly drawing on the four demands of the day, which were emblazoned on the eight-metre-long banner that headed the march: Close Jabiluka mine; restore funding to Aboriginal services; full welfare rights for migrants; and repeal the Native Title Amendment Act.
The deputy lord mayor of Sydney, Councillor Henry Tsang, spoke favourably of the anti-racist mobilisations Resistance has been leading. He led the crowd in angry chants of "Hanson, Howard — racist cowards!", which has become somewhat of a catchcry for youth protests this year.
Upon arriving at Circular Quay, numerous students spoke about their intolerance of racism and why they had walked out of class to make themselves heard.
Common to all was an obvious sense of pride that high school students had independently organised such a highly political demonstration against racism. Prevalent among students' speeches was also a conviction that the Liberal government's whole political program is unacceptable.
According to Sarah Peart, "Young people are becoming more serious and more organised in their opposition to racism and all of the injustices of the system. They continue to join us in their hundreds.
"In both the first and the second walkout, Resistance joined 250 new members. Many of our new joiners have begun to organise: many new members around the country are already organising the campaign. Members who joined at the first national walkout have begun to set up high school-based Resistance groups.
"Many spoke, chaired and played an active role in organising the third walkout."
Jo Ellis and Patrick O'Keeffee report that the Adelaide walkout was substantially stronger than the first. This was due to the fact that many students had taken up Resistance's calls to get better organised. Students have set up Resistance clubs on two Adelaide high schools, and more are planned.
The Adelaide walkout also received support from the broader community. Six hundred high school students, trade unionists, Aboriginal activists and university students attended the rally, which was vibrant and noisy.
The rally began at Victoria Square and ended in a run to Parliament House. The rally was endorsed by the United Trades and Labour Council, and addressed by its secretary, Steven Spence, and many other campaign activists.
Nearly 1000 people, predominantly high school students, attended the Canberra walkout, reports Andrea Swanston. The atmosphere was lively and energetic.
The rally was built on more than 30 high schools and colleges, as well as universities and TAFEs, and was endorsed by the ACT Trades and Labour Council and Community and Public Sector Union.
In Hobart, about 50 secondary students took part in a vibrant march through the city. Two hundred young people rallied in Newcastle, while in Brisbane, 250 people marched.
Chris Spindler writes from Melbourne that up to 2000 high school students from across the city rallied to oppose the racist policies of One Nation and the Liberal government.
Prominent banners depicted the demands and slogans of the rally. While the rally was part of the Resistance-initiated national high school walkout, Students Against racism were part of the rally organising on the day.
A huge array of speakers showed the broad support the walkout obtained. Speakers who linked many issues to the cause of fighting racism included representatives of the Australian Greens, the Democratic Socialists, the student movement, migrant communities, the gay and lesbian community and environmental activists.
In cities where this was the second or third walkout, sometimes students found it more difficult to attend because of greater levels of school administration threats and active discouragement.
Around 400 students participated in a rally to Parliament House in Perth despite intimidatory tactics used on many schools to prevent students from walking out, Marcel Cameron reports.
At Methodist Ladies College, the entire school was warned that students could cop a detention for attending the rally. Other schools threatened suspension or expulsion from special programs such as dance and music.
At Perth Modern School, special assemblies of students were called where students were encouraged to wear yellow armbands as a symbolic gesture of opposition to racism or to hold a lunchtime rally as an alternative to walking out.
Resistance member Justin Harman said, "The tactics of many school administrations show how worried the establishment is that high school walkouts are more than a 'letting off anti-racist steam' events. They do not want to see a broader movement of high school students against racism.
"However, the repressive measures strengthened the resolve of many students to continue fighting and organising. Most of the students who attended the rally were committed to an ongoing campaign against racism.
"We know that on the streets is the only way that we can really have an impact. Racism is deeply embedded in this society and it's on the rise. It will take a serious movement to challenge it."