|
Comment on this article |
Email this Article
|
|
News :: Anti Racism |
|
Melbourne protesters march against racism |
Current rating: 0 |
by Donna Mills
(No verified email address) |
16 Dec 2005
|
|
"It's not only that political leaders lack the will it is because they're winding the rest of Australia up and are making people hate Muslims by insinuating that they are all terrorists." |
|
An estimated 1,500 anti-racism protesters marched through the Melbourne CBD yesterday.
The rally attracted protesters from the Socialist Alliance, the Greens Party, Civil Rights Defence group and Stop Racism Now.
It stopped traffic as it weaved its way through the city to the Liberal Party state offices in Exhibition Street.
Lyn Jones from Stop Racism Now said, "John Howard has been dividing the nation by scapegoating the Muslim community."
"This has to stop now."
"How can you have ASIO dragging people out of bed to face charges of having a conversation with a group of people?"
"About something at no place and at no time? "
"Then charging them with belonging to an organisation that does not exist?"
"This is the root cause of racism," she said.
Organiser Kim Bullimore says the riots in Sydney have shown that political leaders lack the will to combat racism.
"What we need is some leadership ... actually take a stand," she said.
"I'm here today because I think that Muslim and Arab people should be welcome in our country," another protester said.
Another said: "It's not only that political leaders lack the will it is because they're winding the rest of Australia up and are making people hate Muslims by insinuating that they are all terrorists."
"We don't believe in a divided Australia."
Police guarded the entrance to the Liberal Party offices while the protest continued.
A 26-year-old Tasmanian woman was arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer and possessing drugs. |
This work is in the public domain |
