BY TIM STEWART & JULIE GJENGEDAL
BRISBANE — More than 400 people protested on May 1, as two separate actions demanded workers' and refugees' rights and freedom from corporate tyranny.
Two hundred activists arrived at the city's main immigration department offices at 7am, to find the entrances surrounded by police. The Brisbane M1 Alliance had called a blockade of the building to highlight the government's gross abuse of refugees.
After protesting outside the building for almost an hour, the protesters decided to take their demands to the city streets. Police were taken by surprise as the activists marched to the Queen Street Mall, stopping at intersections and chalking up pro-refugee and anti-corporate slogans.
One protester put in a police van for painting the mall pavement with "Free the refugees". Following a stand off with police, protesters marched back to the immigration department offices for a speakout at 9am.
Just half an hour later, however, members of Socialist Alternative proposed going on a second march through the city, visiting sites that the M1-Alliance had planned the lunchtime M1 unity rally to protest outside.
Members of the Democratic Socialist Party opposed this proposal, arguing that the falling numbers of protesters meant it would be more effective to remain at the immigration department and not cut across the unity rally.
The protesters decided to march. One target was Boeing, which manufactures the Israeli helicopters killing Palestinians. Outside this corporation's offices, protesters attempted to burn an effigy, but were prevented by police.
Many protesters drifted off during the march and it finished up at 11am with just 20 activists protesting a US Navy brass band which was setting up to perform.
Three hundred people, most of whom had not been at the morning event, attended the noon unity rally which was endorsed by the Transport Workers Union, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), the Community and Public Sector Union, the Rail, Tram and Bus Union, and the Ipswich Trades and Labour Council. Michael Clifford from the Financial Sector Union pointed out that "working smarter" meant massive profits for the National Australia Bank while most staff worked 50 hours a week.
"In return for a 22% increase in productivity, NAB workers have been rewarded with bank closures and job cuts", he said.
The highlight of the rally was when the AMWU's Brett Cardinal recalled how striking Caltex workers marched to corporate headquarters in Brisbane in late April, briefly occupying the offices and bringing the bosses quickly to the negotiating table.
During the speeches, plain-clothes police officers picked off several activists who had been at the morning protests, arresting them for abusing and obstructing police. The rally vocally condemned the police action.
Given the earlier protest, the rally decided not to continue with the proposed march route and instead marched straight to the Queensland parliament's executive building to protest the construction of a new food irradiation plant. The event ended on a high with street theatre and a call for activists to mobilise for May 1 again next year.
From Green Left Weekly, May 8, 2002.
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