Graham Matthews, Sydney
A community rally and march against racism will be held in the western suburb of Auburn on June 3. The rally was initiated by the Socialist Alliance and has so far been endorsed by the Reid Greens, the Stop the War Coalition, Keysar Trad from the Islamic Friendship Association, the Parramatta Peace Group, Green Left Weekly and Scott Poynting, author of Osama in the Suburbs;
"The Cronulla riot of last December was a blight on our society", the Sydney West Socialist Alliance branch convener Vivian Messimeris told GLW. "The outpouring of anti-Arab and anti-Muslim racism was a wake-up call to us all that years of official government vilification of the Arab and Muslim communities have had an effect.
"Although fuelled by the Daily Telegraph and broadcaster Alan Jones, the Cronulla riot drew strength from the Howard government's attempt to marginalise and scapegoat the Middle Eastern community as terrorists, outsiders and gangsters. In the wake of the riot, comments by the NSW opposition leader Peter Debnam have only fuelled the racist flames, and the singling-out of the Middle Eastern community by the Iemma Labor government with the formation of the 'Middle Eastern crime squad' has only made matters worse."
The march organisers are calling on all opponents of racism in Sydney to join the peaceful community march in defence of the multiculturalism, Messimeris said.
The rally will assemble at Railway Park in Rawson Street, Auburn, at noon on June 3.
For more information, or to sponsor the march, phone Vivian on 0403 802 944 or email < sydwest@socialist-A HREF="mailto:alliance.org"><alliance.org>.
From Green Left Weekly, May 3, 2006.
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