Dear Friends, You are invited to become involved in the Anti-Olympic Alliance. The Anti-Olympics Alliance is a newly formed activist group made of community, student and progressive forces, such as Rentwatchers, the Indigenous Student Network, Justice Action and many others. The Alliance works in conjunction and solidarity with Indigenous groups and organisations, such as the Metropolitan Land Council and is active in organising protests (for more details see below) and events to highlight the negative impact of the Olympic Games, as well as racism and social injustice in Sydney and Australia. Some of the issues the Alliance is seeking to highlight are: · For the Redfern Koori Community, the Olympics means forced relocation. · Indigenous Australians are still the most socially and economically disadvantaged section of the Australian community, with Indigenous adults dying 20 years younger than other Australians, and a child mortality rate 3 times higher than non-Indigenous children. · While the NSW government has spent over $2 and half billion on the Olympics, there has been massive cuts to public hospital, public education, childcare and social welfare spending. Government priorities are for increasing profits to big business, increasing the divide between rich and poor. · There are 30,000 homeless people in the greater Sydney area per night, a number that will be exacerbated by the Olympics. Sydney has a 9-year waiting list for public housing. · It is estimated that there will be in excess of 50,000 police and security forces used at the Olympics, including over 30,000 security guards, 4000 Australian military (the same size of the Australian force sent to East Timor), as well as American and Israeli intelligence and security forces. · The NSW government has passed laws making Sydney and NSW an "Olympic police state" with these laws designed to curtail and stop legitimate protest and dissent. Under these new laws, "authorised officers" with little security training can use force to remove you, without giving a reason or producing identification (unless requested), can issue a $200 on the spot fine and search your property and bags without reason. OPENING CEREMONY PROTEST IN SUPPORT OF INDIGENOUS RIGHTS The primary focus of the Alliance is to organise for the demonstration which will take place on the opening day of the 2000 Olympics - Friday, September 15, 2000, in support of Indigenous rights and social justice issues effecting all Australians. The Alliance invites all interested parties - community groups, unions, social justice and progressive organisations, churches and student organisations - to get involved, by either attending our meeting and helping to organise the demonstration, commit a contingent to participate in the demonstration, and/or to make a donation of resources or financial assistance to the Alliance. The September 15 demonstration is being organised separately, but in consultation and solidarity with Indigenous groups - with the logistics of the action being decided in conjunction with Indigenous groups. A second focus of the Alliance is to build other anti-Olympic related events in the lead up to September 15. This will provide an opportunity to coordinate with other groups and to publicise the September 15 actions, as well as highlight other social justice issues related to the Olympics. These include violation of civil liberties as a result of increased police and Olympic security powers which restrict freedom of movement and the right to protest, the prioritisation of Olympic spending over on public housing, health and education. For more information on how to become involved with the Alliance and/or to register your interest in attending the September 15 rally and march please reply by email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] NEXT MEETING: The next meeting of the Anti-Olympic Alliance is: Wednesday, 12 July, 2000 at 6pm Newtown Neighbourhood Centre. ANTI-OLYMPIC ALLIANCE LAUNCH The Alliance will be hosting a public forum to highlight its activities on Friday, July 21 (venue to confirmed). ALL WELCOME. EMAIL DISCUSSION LIST: Through the 'olympic-link e group'. To get on this group join by sending an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please note: the 'olympic-link egroup' is an information network for people who want to be informed of Olympic related events and as such is used by a wide variety of groups and individuals, including the Anti-Olympic Alliance. Yours sincerely, Kim Bullimore On behalf of the Anti-Olympic Alliance Networking Committee. -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink