Resistance protests racism
By Natalie Woodlock
ADELAIDE — "Defend the right to protest" and "Fight Howard's racist policies" were the main demands raised by an 80-strong demonstration here on July 28 outside a One Nation branch meeting. The protest was organised by the socialist youth organisation Resistance, and demonstrators, yet again, outnumbered Hanson supporters.
While the police prepared for a riot, putting 80 police on call, Resistance prepared chants, speakers and an open microphone to create an alternate political platform to One Nation.
Surrounded by barricades, the crowd listened to speakers from trade unions, the Democratic Socialist Party, the Indigenous Action Group at Flinders University and Resistance.
Davie Thomason drew parallels between the vicious attacks on anti-racist protesters and the witch-hunt carried out against himself and other trade unionists after the August 19 protest in Canberra last year. He highlighted the need to defend the right to protest in the face of a media campaign to discredit protests as "violent".
Philippa Stanford, a delegate from the Commonwealth Public Sector Union, spoke about Hanson's rise being linked to a decreasing standard of living for working people, caused by cuts to public spending.
Security for the protesters was provided by the Australian Metal Workers Union. At the last anti-Hanson protest in Adelaide, outside the One Nation launch in June, thugs from the neo-Nazi group National Action forced their way into the meeting through the crowd, beating people, including children. The police failed to intervene.
According to Resistance activist Michelle Sochaki, "We found out about the meeting only six days beforehand. We decided to initiate an action, and the next day we were building the action on the streets, at campuses and high schools and within the Vietnamese community. Resistance was invited to distribute material at a large Vietnamese community event. The response was very positive.
"The action was peaceful and very political — there was a real discussion about building the anti-racism campaign, especially about the need to put forward our own solutions to problems like youth unemployment and poverty."
To get involved in Resistance's Youth Against Racism campaign, phone Adelaide Resistance on 8231 6982 or the Resistance national office on (02) 9690 1230.