BRISBANE — Despite the postponement of US President Barack Obama's visit to Australia until June, a rally protesting against his government's war policies took place on March 19, the seventh anniversary of the US-led allied invasion of Iraq.
The rally, organised by the Stop the War Collective, drew 50 people. The demands were: US and Australian troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan; end US and Australian support for Israel; end the US-Australian military alliance; climate action, not oil wars; and no more US wars in the Middle East, Latin America or Caribbean.
Speakers included Hamish Chitts from the anti-war military veterans' group Standfast; Robin Taubenfeld from Peace Convergence and Friends of the Earth, and Ovidio Orellana from the United Guatemalan National Resistance.