Unions call for sanctions on Israel
On April 10 Tony Maher, mining and energy general president of the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union, and Paddy Crumlin, the national secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia issued a joint call demanding the federal government impose sanctions against Israel until it ceases its occupation of Palestinian territories in line with United Nations resolutions.
"Australia and the international community must firmly condemn this violation of international law and back it up with action", Crumlin said.
The officials told media they were canvassing further union support for protests against the Israeli invasion.
Palestine vigil
MELBOURNE — Around 150 people, predominantly Palestinian youth waving Palestinian flags and carrying home-made placards attended a hastily called vigil by Friends of Palestine on April 12. The rally was called in solidarity with the Palestinian people, under attack from the Israeli military.
The rally was chaired by Friends of Palestine activist Bill Deller, who called on the crowd to continue to mobilise for the Palestinian people, and to demand that the Israeli military withdraw from the West Bank completely. Graham Matthews from the Democratic Socialist Party compared the massacres of Palestinians on the West Bank to the 1982 massacres by militias at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Lebanon.
Palestine Solidarity Group Formed
BRISBANE — The Brisbane Palestine Solidarity Committee was formed on April 10. The committee will organise a city-wide rally as part of the April 19 Asia-Pacific day of action for Palestine.
Leaders of both the Brisbane Palestinian community and the Australia-Palestine Council attended the formation meeting, along with current and retired trade unionists, the Democratic Socialist Party, Resistance, the International Socialist Organisation, Rally for Peace and members of the Muslim Students Association.
The April 19 rally will meet at King George Square at 5pm, to be addressed by Ali Kazak, head of the Palestinian Delegation in Australia. The next meeting is at 7pm on April 17 at the Queensland Council of Unions building, 16 Peel St, South Brisbane. For more information, phone the Resistance Centre on 07 3831 2644.
RAC and Labor for Refugees meet
SYDNEY — Forty-five people attended a joint meeting between the Refugee Action Coalition and Labor for Refugees to discuss refugees and the labour movement on April 8. Speakers included NSW Labor Council secretary John Robertson; barrister and refugee advocate Nick Poynder; and Labor for Refugees' Amanda Tattersall.
RAC activist Bruce Knobloch asked Robertson whether the group could assist Labor for Refugees at the state ALP conference by organising a protest outside encouraging members to change their refugee policy. Robertson's response was: "To be frank, no." He argued that it wouldn't help the process of changing ALP policy to have a "rabble out the front".
From Green Left Weekly, April 24, 2002.
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