On November 23, thousands of people took to the streets around the country to protest against the racist ideas and policies of the Howard government and the likes of independent MP for Oxley Pauline Hanson.
Graham Matthews told Green Left Weekly that around 2000 people gathered in Ipswich, the heart of Hanson's electorate, and put paid to the idea that it is a racist town. In the words of Aboriginal activist Cheryl Buchanan, who addressed the crowd, Hanson is not a local issue. "The issue of racism is national".
Carrying placards proclaiming that "Racism in Australia is an Oxley Moron", protesters heard speakers from the Ipswich migrant, refugee and Aboriginal communities condemn Hanson's racist lies. Speakers from the Vietnamese community lampooned Hanson's slander about Asian migrant "ghettos", comparing them to the concentration of Australians in areas like Earls Court in London. High school student and Resistance member Dallas Blackmore received loud applause when she read out the national demands of the anti-racism movement.
During the march to Queens Park, chants of "Hey-hey, ho-ho, Pauline Hanson's got to go" and "Say it loud, say it clear, racists are not welcome here" filled the streets. The march was formally welcomed to the park by Aboriginal dancers doing a Jagera people's welcome dance.
The rally was then addressed by Anti-Racist Committee representative Dennis Boboynye who compared the march route to the struggle against racism saying, "Think of the hill you have just climbed as the same as the hill we have to climb in defeating racism in Australia. We have to defeat racism in our communities, in our cities and in the whole country."
Afonso Corte-Real also spoke, describing the plight of East Timorese refugees now facing deportation. The rally ended with multi-ethnic entertainment. The myth of Hanson's overwhelming support in Ipswich had at last been erased.
Liam Mitchell reports that 7000-10,000 people turned out in Sydney, including large sections of the Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese communities who had thrown their support behind the rally and its demands.
Speakers called on the Howard government to actively campaign against the racist offensive launched by Hanson. Campaign Against Racism member Tuntuni Bhattacharyya told Green Left Weekly, "Participants clearly saw the Liberals as part of the problem, and the loudest cheers came for those who equated Hanson's racism with the inaction and attacks of the federal government".
Speakers at Town Hall Square included Deputy Lord Mayor Henry Tsang, Jack Beatson from Tranby Aboriginal College, representatives from the Vietnamese and Korean communities, National Union of Students state president John Nolan-Neylan, ALP MPs Anthony Albanese and Andrew Theophanous and ACTU assistant secretary Stan Sharkey.
After marching to Howard's city office, the rally heard Ray Jackson from the Aboriginal Deaths in Custody Watch Committee and Jenny Munro from the Metropolitan Lands Council speak about the racism suffered by Aboriginal people since white invasion. Aborigines today welcome migrants to their land and support their struggles for their rights, they said.
Harold Moucho, NSW convener of Fretilin, condemned the Australian government's denial of support for the East Timorese, both as refugees in Australia and as indigenous people struggling for self-determination. The rally also heard from Asaad Razaghi, president of the Overseas Trained Doctors Association, and Rasika Ramburuth and Lou Pastro from the United Secondary Students Union, who gave an account of the campaign against racism in high schools.
Another anti-racism rally, organised by the Gay and Lesbian Anti-violence Project, will be held on November 29 at Taylor Square in Paddington.
Jorge Andres told Green Left Weekly that some 1000 people took to the streets of Perth chanting "Racism no, justice yes!". South African solidarity activist Sheila Suttner chaired the rally, and Arun Pradhan from the Racism No! election campaign and Resistance spoke on behalf of the rally organisers, the Action Against Racism Coalition.
Speakers were mainly from the Aboriginal and ethnic communities, including Lucas Hansen, a 14-year-old Aborigine who has got together with friends (Asians and white Australians) to doorknock their neighbourhood and campaign against racism. Clarrie Isaacs, the lead candidate for Racism No!, also spoke.
Following the rally, the Racism No! campaign launch was attended by more than 50 people. Angie Hartwig from the International Women's Day Collective chaired, and Paul Kaplan from the Campaign Against Racial Exploitation spoke, stressing the importance of Racism No! as a way of continuing the movement against racism. The meeting received greetings from Greens WA candidate Elena Jeffries, the Meat Workers Union, Queer Radical, Resistance, the Chilean community and the Democratic Socialist Party (DSP).
More than 150 people rallied against racism in Hamilton's James Street Mall in Newcastle, reports Alex Bainbridge. The action received wide support, including from Koori arts officer Paul Collis, La Peña (the Latin American Society), the International Community Alliance, the DSP, Amnesty International, the Greens, the African Students Association and Resistance.
Collis spoke about the continuing tragedy of Aboriginal deaths in custody. Laurel Williams from Wollotukata, the Aboriginal learning unit at Newcastle University, condemned the recent wave of racist attacks. Filipina activist Flora McCann extended solidarity to Aborigines' campaigns for justice. Metalworkers' union delegate and DSP member Tom Nikic told the crowd that to combat racism we need to focus on the real social and economic relations behind it.
From Melbourne, Alison Dellit reports that 200 people attended a speak-out in the city organised by Resistance and sponsored by a wide range of community groups. Speakers from a diversity of racial and political backgrounds — from the Ethnic Affairs Council to the DSP to the Kurdish Youth Association — addressed the crowd. Many emphasised the importance of fighting the government's, not just Hanson's, racism.
Over the course of the day, a large number of passers-by joined the speak-out, highlighting the importance of public actions such as these to raise awareness around the issue.
Kevin Meaney writes that despite cold, wet and windy weather which forced the relocation of the anti-racism rally in Wollongong, more than 70 people participated.
Valerie Law from the local Aboriginal community and a victim of government assimilationist policies in the 1960s, explained that the aim of this policy was the complete destruction of Aboriginal culture.
Graham King from the Ngiyampaa language group pointed out that the result of the 1967 referendum to give Aborigines the vote (97% of the population voted for it) shows that people are not innately discriminatory. It is the pressure of culture, life circumstances and the way language is used that encourages people to respond in racist ways, he said.
Margaret Perrot from the DSP told the gathering that Aborigines and Asian migrants are being used as scapegoats for the government's attacks on all workers' living standards. Tash Sinnet from Resistance stressed the need for affirmative action for people of colour to overcome the effects of racial discrimination.
Footnote: An "anti-racism" rally organised in Sydney by the Liberal Party on November 24, with immigration minister Philip Ruddock as main speaker, attracted only 250 people.