BY LISA MACDONALD
SYDNEY — Two hundred people packed the Gaelic Club for a hastily called meeting on September 20 and unanimously endorsed the formation of a Network Opposing War and Racism (NOWAR) committed to stopping the US war drive and racist scapegoating of Arab and Muslim Australians.
Agreement was quickly reached on four demands for the coalition: no to US war, no Australian troops or support, no racist scapegoating, defend democratic rights.
Many people at the meeting spoke about the desperate need to resist the racism which is coming with the talk of war.
According to volunteers working on a hotline established last week to record such incidents of racist scapegoating (phone 9716 2260), it has been inundated with calls, both from people reporting racist attacks and from abusive racists.
On September 12 swastikas and racist slogans were spray-painted on St Mary's Lebanese Orthodox church. The church was also fire-bombed.
Then, on September 14, the mosque in Auburn received an anonymous bomb threat. That weekend, St Andrew's Ukrainian Catholic church in Lidcombe, near Auburn, was sprayed with anti-Islamic and anti-Jewish slogans.
The coalition has focussed its immediate efforts on organising a big, central rally around the four demands, to be held on September 29, at 11am at Sydney Town Hall.
If the US launches an attack before then, an emergency protest rally will be held on the day that the first bomb is dropped, at 5pm, outside the US consulate in Martin Place.
A NO WAR e-group has been established to distribute information about political developments and the campaign. To join the list, email < nowar_sydney-A HREF="mailto:subscribe@yahoogroups.com"><subscribe@yahoogroups.com>.
For more information about the meeting or rally, or to help with publicity, media work or translations, phone Sam on 0412 751 508, Brian on 0407 592 018, or Lisa on 9690 1977.
[Lisa Macdonald is the Socialist Alliance candidate for the federal seat of Reid.]