BY JESS MELVIN
MELBOURNE — On the morning of May 30, I and fellow high school Resistance activist James Crafti stood before a judge at Melbourne Children's Court. The case followed our arrest for trespass while protesting for refugee rights earlier this year. The charge carried a maximum penalty of $1000, but the judge dropped the charges after we pled guilty.
On January 24-25, 15 Resistance members held a 24-hour hunger strike and vigil outside the Maribyrnong detention centre. We wanted to show solidarity with the refugee prisons' detainees, many of whom were on hunger strike.
On January 25, five Resistance members attempted, during Maribynong detention centre's visiting hours, to visit Hossein Iran, a detainee on hunger strike. Wew were intially told he didn't exist. After we pointed out that we had just spoken to him by telephone, we were told to leave the premises — without any explanation.
When we refused to leave, police were called and we were, in the police's words, "physically removed". All five were arrested and later charged. Tim Doughney, Rachel Evans and Matthew Rich will face the magistrates court on identical charges in about a month.
I believe that we received the summonses four months after we were arrested because the police decided to pursue the case after the mass refugees' rights protest at Woomera at Easter. The pressing of charges is an attempt to intimidate those who are willing to take a stand for refugee rights.
As those who were arrested at Woomera go before the courts in September, we must show our solidarity. The government is not just treating those who attempt to come to our shores in search for freedom as criminals, it is also treating those who are standing up for basic human rights as criminals.
We can show our support at two events: the refugees' rights action on June 23 — which is meeting at 1pm at the State Library; and the June 28 high school walkout for refugee solidarity meeting at the Maribyrnong detention centre at 2pm.
From Green Left Weekly, June 5, 2002.
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