Rally against Racism, Sydney, 18 December 2005

Rally against Racism
Sydney, Sunday 18 December 2005

The rally started at Town Hall Square at 1.00 pm

Approximately 7000 people marched down George Street to Belmore Park where a concert was held. Organised by the National Union of Students on about four day's notice, mostly by email, the event was the first large-scale response by progressives to the Howard Liberal government and white supremicist-inspired anti-Lebanese and immigrant riot at Cronulla beach a week before. It was addressed by Lebanese Muslim and student representatives as well as Labor Party state MP Linda Burnie and state upper house Greens MP, Lee Rhiannon.

Please feel free to reproduce any of these pictures. If you do so, please credit and link to: Possum News Network http://www.brushtail.com.au.

The rally at Town Hall Square.

This placard reproduced the image from the Sydney Morning Herald of a man of Middle Eastern appearance being assaulted by an Anglo-Celtic mob at Cronulla Beach. The man was later rescued by a courageous police officer who held the mob at bay with a can of capsicum spray. "Ethnic Gang" is an ironic reference to the fact that the media almost invariably refer to groups of young men of other than the Anglo-Celtic descent as "ethnic gangs", but never describe even criminal groups of the majority Anglo-Celts in the same way. Even the Australian Broadcasting Corporation has lately adopted this shameful practice.

A comment on ignorant, blind "patriotism".

Marching down George Street through the crowded cinema district. In the middle ground, the Aboriginal flag.

"Howard is the enemy within". Indeed.

Alan Jones, the right-wing talk-back radio "shock jock" – a particular favourite of Prime Minister John Howard – spent some days inciting racist redneck elements in the lead-up to the Cronulla pogrom. He was assisted by other radio "personalities" from station 2GB which is owned by Labor Party-aligned media mogul John Singleton. Jones' role in fomenting the attacks on "Lebs and wogs" on Sunday 11 December clearly falls under the Howard Government's new anti-sedition laws but he is most unlikely to be prosecuted by his patron.

A reminder that the Labor Party has lined up with the Howard government's reactionary "anti-terrorism" and sedition laws.

AND SEE ALSO:

The truth hurts
Why John Howard needs the sedition laws
28 November 2005
All these new laws – IR, terrorism, sedition – are driven by an intuitive dread. Howard feels in his bones that turbulent and disastrous times are upon us and he’s arming himself with draconian laws to keep his capitalist friends rich and his party in power.



powered by FreeFind		Rally against Racism Sydney, Sunday 18 December 2005 The rally started at Town Hall Square at 1.00 pm Approximately 7000 people marched down George Street to Belmore Park where a concert was held. Organised by the National Union of Students on about four day's notice, mostly by email, the event was the first large-scale response by progressives to the Howard Liberal government and white supremicist-inspired anti-Lebanese and immigrant riot at Cronulla beach a week before. It was addressed by Lebanese Muslim and student representatives as well as Labor Party state MP Linda Burnie and state upper house Greens MP, Lee Rhiannon. Please feel free to reproduce any of these pictures. If you do so, please credit and link to: Possum News Network http://www.brushtail.com.au. The rally at Town Hall Square. This placard reproduced the image from the Sydney Morning Herald of a man of Middle Eastern appearance being assaulted by an Anglo-Celtic mob at Cronulla Beach. The man was later rescued by a courageous police officer who held the mob at bay with a can of capsicum spray. "Ethnic Gang" is an ironic reference to the fact that the media almost invariably refer to groups of young men of other than the Anglo-Celtic descent as "ethnic gangs", but never describe even criminal groups of the majority Anglo-Celts in the same way. Even the Australian Broadcasting Corporation has lately adopted this shameful practice. A comment on ignorant, blind "patriotism". Marching down George Street through the crowded cinema district. In the middle ground, the Aboriginal flag. "Howard is the enemy within". Indeed. Alan Jones, the right-wing talk-back radio "shock jock" – a particular favourite of Prime Minister John Howard – spent some days inciting racist redneck elements in the lead-up to the Cronulla pogrom. He was assisted by other radio "personalities" from station 2GB which is owned by Labor Party-aligned media mogul John Singleton. Jones' role in fomenting the attacks on "Lebs and wogs" on Sunday 11 December clearly falls under the Howard Government's new anti-sedition laws but he is most unlikely to be prosecuted by his patron. A reminder that the Labor Party has lined up with the Howard government's reactionary "anti-terrorism" and sedition laws. AND SEE ALSO: The truth hurts Why John Howard needs the sedition laws 28 November 2005 All these new laws – IR, terrorism, sedition – are driven by an intuitive dread. Howard feels in his bones that turbulent and disastrous times are upon us and he’s arming himself with draconian laws to keep his capitalist friends rich and his party in power.