Vietnam Moratorium veteran supports student protests

April 9, 2003
Issue 
533

BY PETER BOYLE

One of the most enthusiastic “peace monitors” at the April 2 Books Not Bombs protest in Sydney was Doris Owens, 65. Owens was one of 11 people charged with “treason” for urging young people not to register for the military draft to fight the Vietnam War “in this very square”.

At the time she was a 27-year-old organiser for the Teachers Federation. “I was the only female organiser and I was a member of the Communist Party.”

“I'm proud to be here today to support the new generation of activists”, she said, pointing proudly to her original Vietnam Moratorium badge.

“High school students were suspended just for wearing this badge.” Owens said she hunted out this badge when she heard that the NSW director general of education was instructing school principals to suspend students who attended the April 2 rally.

From Green Left Weekly, April 9, 2003.
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