Sydney, Nov 30: Thousands of anti-war demonstrators,
including some Iraqi refugees, marched through Sydney today in
protest against Australian involvement in a US-led military
attack on Iraq.
The rally was part of an Australia-wide campaign of
protests organised by an alliance of left wing activists,
Students and Trade Unions to try to shift public support for
sending Australian troops to Iraq.
Protests in Sydney, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart today
will be followed by rallies in Melbourne, Brisbane, Darwin and
Perth tomorrow.
Prominent members of Australia's Arabic and Muslim
communities joined show business personalities, left-wing
politicians, church figures and other community leaders at the
Sydney rally.
The number of protesters, including some of the
anti-globalisation activists involved in a violent protest
against a world trade organisation meeting here recently, was
estimated at more than 10,000.
The Sydney protesters marched from the town hall to the
domain public park where they were addressed by speakers.
The head of Australia's union movement, Australian
Council of Trade Unions President Sharan burrow, told
demonstrators that acts of terrorism could not be justified
under any circumstances.
They had to send a clear message to Prime Minister John
Howard that it was unacceptable for Australia to be dragged
into a US-led attack on Iraq, she said.
"We must not confuse the need to rid ourselves of
terrorism with a pre-emptive strike on Iraq," she said. "It's
a threat to world peace that must be resisted."
Bureau Report
