Books Not Bombs
Media Releases, 27th March
<www.booksnotbombs.org.au>
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
25,000 students march against war March 26
Call next student walkout for April 2
Anti-war youth in Sydney have rejected NSW Police Commissioner Dick
Adams� attempts to stop their peace rally, set for Wednesday April 2nd,
by denying Books Not Bombs (BNB) a permit to march.
After the successful student strike yesterday attended by 10,000, mostly
high school students, protesters issued an ultimatum to Prime Minister
John Howard. Announced at the Sydney student strike yesterday, BNB
coordinator Kylie Moon said:
�Howard, you have 7 days: Stop Australia�s involvement in this war, or
we will stop this city�.
BNB is encouraging all students, teachers, and parents to participate in
this next action.
�The police carried out a very conscious and deliberate plan to provoke
an angry response from protesters. Now they�re denying us the freedom to
march. This is a clear denial of our democratic rights, and we will be
forced to defy them�, said Lauren Carroll Harris, a 16-year old high
school student from Bradfield College.
�A young Muslim student had her hijab violently torn form her head by a
TRG officer. This is the action that provoked the chair-throwing at Town
Hall�, said Moon. �Later in the day, protesters were trapped between two
lines of TRG officers in Phillips street for over two hours, denied
access to toilets, water, and most importantly, the freedom to go home�.
She added, �Despite the police racism and provocation, we will not be
intimidated into silence, and will hold a peaceful anti-war action next
week�.
Students will be rallying on Wednesday April 2nd, 1pm at Sydney Town
Hall, and have called on the broader community to join them in the next
demonstration.
�WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO PROTEST THIS WAR�, SAY STUDENTS
In a follow up press release, Books Not Bombs rejected Police
Commissioner Dick Adams� attempts to deny them a permit to march against
war on Wednesday April 2. Adams has threatened to get a Supreme Court
injunction to declare the protest illegal.
�Police Commissioner Dick Adams has stated that unless we can guarantee
that students will not misbehave, the protest will not be granted a
permit.
�We�re demanding that Adams guarantee that the police, particularly the
Tactical Response Group units do not act in such a provocative way �
such as the tearing off of Muslim women students� hijabs and arresting
10-year olds for swearing�, said Books not Bombs coordinator Kylie Moon.
�What�s interesting is that on March 5, with a small police presence, we
had a peaceful rally of 7000 students. On March 26 with a heavy police
presence, there were a number of violent incidents.
�We�re demanding an independent inquiry into the actions of the NSW
police force on March 26, and we�re calling on parents and teachers to
attend the next rally on April 2 to support the students and to monitor
police behaviour.
�We are acting on our conscience. We know this war is wrong and we
refuse to be intimidated into silence by the police while innocent
people are being killed in Iraq�, said Kylie Moon.
Adams agreed to meet with Books Not Bombs to discuss next week�s
protest.
For more information and further comment call:
Kylie Moon � 0411 104 813 (National)
Simon Butler � 0405 733 768 (Tertiary)
Molly Boland - 0439 410 278 � (High school)
Contact Books Not Bombs in your city: <www.booksnotbombs.org.au>
March 26 student walkout around Australia
25,000 students march on March 26.
Adelaide 8000,
Brisbane 1000,
Canberra 300 (March 24),
Hobart 300,
Launceston 150,
Mullumbimby 300,
Newcastle 350
Melbourne 2000,
Burnie 30,
Lismore 700,
Geelong 300,
Perth 2000,
Sydney 10,000,
Wollongong 100.
Your Help and support needed
Students are calling for support from peace groups, parents, teachers,
unionists. Some parents are
initiating a group to monitor police violence against their children.
Legal support is being initiated, and free legal aid has been offered.
What you can do:
1. Send a message of support to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
2. Offer any practical help -- legal, financial, publicity, political
support etc.
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