Kerry Smith, Sydney
The Australian Capital Territory Network Opposing War (ACTNOW) has called a protest rally in Canberra on November 28, the day the Howard government's Anti-Terrorism Bill is expected to be passed by the Senate.
Endorsing the ACTNOW rally and calling other anti-war groups to hold solidarity actions around Australia on the same day, Sydney Stop the War Coalition spokesperson Anna Samson said that the government's new anti-terrorism laws were aimed at intimidating critics of Australia's participation in Washington's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"The soc-called war on terror' is being used as a justification for expensive and deadly military adventurism, but it is also providing an excuse to silence democratic dissenting voices and a smokescreen for distasteful policies at home, such as changes to the IR system.
"It has created an unnecessary climate of fear, legitimised selective policing and Muslim vilification, encouraged trial by embedded media, and undermined basic human rights including the presumption of innocence.
"We are being asked to trust that Howard and [Attorney-General Philip] Ruddock are acting in our interests and believe that police and security forces know best and never make mistakes or abuse their powers. But we remember the children overboard scandal, the SIEV X disaster, the claims of Iraq's WMDs made from uranium sourced in Niger and deployable in 45 minutes, and the deportation of US peace activist Scott Parkin.
"We know that 100,000 men, women and children in Iraq have paid with their lives for the stuff-ups and lies of the Howard government and its intelligence operatives.
"We also know that if the Howard government is serious about stopping terrorism it would cease its perpetration of and support for state terrorism in Iraq, Palestine and Afghanistan. After all, if Australia is at greater risk of a terrorist attack, it is because of the foreign policies of the Howard government."
Samson told 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly that the Sydney Stop the War Coalition would continue to expose and resist the underlying agenda of the "war on terror".
"We will keep speaking out against the unjust and injurious actions of our government and military forces and will not be cowed by sedition laws. We will continue to join people around the world in working to end the military and economic occupation of Iraq, demand that Australian troops be brought home, and support those resisting occupation. We will stand with our Muslim communities against scapegoating and oppose pressures to turn Muslims into an extension of the police.
"We will unite with Muslims in actively resisting these 'anti-terror' laws and call on other organisations to join with us in building community opposition to abuses of power by government, police and security forces.
"This is how we will help build a more peaceful world, free from terrorism against all peoples."
The ACTNOW rally will be held at noon on the lawns of Parliament House, and will be followed by a march to the federal attorney-general's office.
ACTNOW is holding open organising meetings at 5.30pm every Monday, in room G10, Moran Building at the Australian National University. For more information, or to add your endorsement for the protest, phone James on 0403 943 529 or Luke on 0417 469 630.
From 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly, November 23, 2005.
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