High school week of anti-nuke action

High school week of anti-nuke actio

By Peter Boyle High school anti-nuclear activists will be participating in a national week of action on October 18-25, to protest against nuclear testing and Australia's export of uranium. This follows a 3000-strong high school walkout and march in Brisbane on October 5, in response to France's October 1 nuclear test at Fangataufu Atoll. The Brisbane walkout was preceded by a 2000-strong high school walkout in Canberra on September 1 and a 500-strong student rally and march in Sydney on September 15. In some cases attempts by school principals to prevent students from exercising their political rights — by suspending several students in Brisbane and Canberra — backfired and served only to build the protests. The call for the week of action came from the students involved in the Brisbane walkout. It has been supported by the socialist youth organisation, Resistance. Resistance national coordinator Natasha Simons told Green Left Weekly: "At this stage of the campaign against nuclear testing, it is high school students who are the most keen to continue the campaign in the streets. They have made up a large proportion of recent anti-nuclear protests in Australia." Secondary student networks have been established in most major cities. These activists are organising the coming actions. The students have also produced newsletters and leaflets, which are circulating in schools. In Brisbane, a second high school walkout has been called for October 18. Students are asked to meet at Roma Street Forum, in the city, at 2pm. However, there has been a campaign in the mainstream media to frighten off students from participating in the second walkout (see p. 7). A walkout has also been called in Canberra for October 25 with a rally at Garema Place, Civic at 1.30pm that day. In Wollongong, activists are urging students to wear black clothes or arm bands to school on October 20. Dean O'Keefe, from Canberra's Students Against Nuclear Testing (SANT) and Resistance, says the walkout is being publicised through stalls outside schools, mail-outs and phone-arounds. "But the message will get around the widest through word-of-mouth. This was how SANT grew from a list of 20 names collected at the last walkout to around 500 contacts in 20 schools and colleges." In Adelaide students will hold a march and rally on October 20 and in Sydney actions are being planned by the Secondary Students Anti-Nuclear Network for October 25. On October 27, the Anti-Nuclear Secondary Students in Melbourne plan a march to the offices of Western Mining to protest the mining and export of uranium and nuclear testing. In other major cities, students will be holding speak-outs, campaign stalls, street theatre and meetings. [For details of these and other anti-nuclear actions, see Meeting... Parties... Anything.]