BY LEIGH HUGHES
ADELAIDE Everywhere you go, there are indications that young people oppose this war on Iraq. Anti-war badges pinned to school uniforms, discussions about Iraq on the 3.30pm buses, huge Books Not Bombs meetings and massive student turnouts to anti-war protests. The youth are beginning to speak up pro-war politicians are getting grilled when they visit schools. Now, the students are taking their protests into the schools.
On April 2 at Unley High School, 400 students came out from classes to protest on the school grounds. They held placards and cheered as students spoke out against the war on Iraq.
Fifteen-year-old Unley High student and a protest organiser Evan Branford said, I would like to get the message to students everywhere that there is still reason to rally even though the war has started.
Students today are to be tomorrow's leaders, said Branford, and if we don't stand up now we will be tomorrow's soldiers.
Brian Deegan, father of one of the Bali bombing victims, encouraged the protesting students, saying, we should stop our disgraceful leaders from ordering the deaths of innocent young people in Iraq who are just like you students here today.
At the end of the rally, the students formed a large human peace sign and held anti-war banners that had been made before the protest. One student performed the John Lennon song Imagine, while enthusiastic students made the peace sign.
Organisers of the protest say that they hope to get the entire school to attend the anti-war protest on April 13 while students at nearby Urrbrae and Mitcham high schools plan to follow the example of the students at Unley High School.
From Green Left Weekly, April 9, 2003.
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