More than 100 people marched through the streets on September 13 to demand their right to participate in local council elections. The action, organised by Wollongong Against Corruption, was addressed by Vicki Curran, Paul Matters and Graham Larcombe from WAC, Peter Moran from the Greens, Jess Moore from the Socialist Alliance, plus others.
The demonstration called for elections to be held for Wollongong and Shellharbour City Councils no later than March 2009. Both councils were sacked earlier this year. The action also called for a royal commission into corruption in NSW and for justice for the victims of sexual harassment while working for Wollongong City Council.
"The state ALP is falling apart. Heads are rolling and every time the media cries that things can't get any worse for the ALP, community campaigns expose more and force change", Moore told the crowd. "Nothing short of a united campaign that mobilises community disgust will reverse the state government's intervention into our local councils. We demand elections and the only way we're going to win is unrelenting pressure", she said.