BY MARGARITA WINDISCH
MELBOURNE — Plans to give US President George Bush the welcome he deserves are well underway in Melbourne. An ad hoc committee to organise against Bush's visit to Australia was formed on September 20. A mix of peace activists, Latin and Turkish community representatives, Socialist Alliance members and the anti-war youth coalition Books Not Bombs got together to plan the protests.
The overarching theme of the Melbourne protest will be "Stop Bush's War", highlighting both his military and economic war agenda. The key demands are "Troops out of Iraq", and "No free trade agreement!".
The committee decided that it was important to help maximise numbers at the national protest, but at the same time organise protests to involve those who could not travel interstate. Activists are planning to hold a solidarity protest at 5.30pm at the State Library in Melbourne City on the day Bush addresses parliament in Canberra.
Members of the Stop Bush's War Committee will work with the Victorian Peace Network to help coordinate buses to the national convergence in Canberra.
Sean Seymour-Jones from Books Not Bombs, the coalition which called two student strikes against the war on Iraq in February and March, was excited at the thought of protesting againt Bush. He said: "Young people came out in their thousands all over Australia against the war on Iraq. And what better opportunity to do so again, than when the Warlord Number One is in Australia. We need to show Bush and PM John Howard that we are not fooled by their lies and the movement is not dead. So let's show Bush which side of the fence we are on — and it sure isn't his. We will be building the protest on every school and campus."
The open committee meets Mondays at Trades Hall Council Bar, Carlton at 6.30pm. For more information on the protests and/or to register for buses to the national protest phone (03) 9639 8622, 0408 619 152 or 0438 869 790.
From Green Left Weekly, September 24, 2003.
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