Dear friends,
An ad hoc committee, calling itself "Stop Bush's War Committee" was
formed yesterday for the purpose organising against Bush's visit in October.
The meeting decided to support a national convergence (most likely
Canberra when Bush will address Parliament) but also build a solidarity
action in Melbourne on the same day of the convergence (around October
22-24) - to be announced. The solidarity action will be at State
Library, City, 5.30pm (date to be announced)
the theme of the protest is: Stop Bush's War with the key demands being:
Troops out of Iraq, No FTA (Free Trade Agreement)
a working group from the committee will liase with the VPN (Victorian
Peace Network) to help organise buses to the national convergence. For
information on buses to the national protest contact VPN office on 9659 3582
The next organising meeting is on Monday, Sept 22, 6.30pm Trades Hall
Bar - All welcome
for more info contact: 9639 8622, Tom 0408 619 152 or Margarita on 0438
869 790
attached is brief statement for circulation
Call to Action against George Bush's visit to Australia
STOP BUSH'S WAR
TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ
NO FTA
ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE
George Bush is coming to Australia to promote his never-ending war and
free trade agenda.
The 'Stop Bush's War Committee' calls for all organisations and
individuals who have stood against the US government's drive to war and
to global economic domination to protest Bush's visit.
George Bush will be visiting Canberra and Sydney immediately following
the APEC summit to be held on 21 October in Bangkok, Thailand. The
coalition of the killing--Bush, Blair and Howard--waged an illegal and
immoral war on Iraq despite unprecedented global opposition and protests.
The lies behind this war are now being exposed. Despite Bush's talk of
"liberation" the invasion of Iraq has become a war of occupation, with
US forces bogged down in ongoing battles with the Iraqi people. US
corporations have re-entered Iraq to carve up the spoils of war.
Bush is not content to stop at Afghanistan and Iraq. He is threatening
further nations, such as North Korea, Iran and Syria with military
action. In the wake of the war Prime Minister John Howard hopes to
secure a Free Trade Agreement with the United States. This will be his
trophy for supporting war on Iraq. The FTA will "lock in" a neo-liberal
agenda which gives corporations greater rights. This bilateral deal is
modelled on the North American FTA where companies now have the right to
sue governments for introducing environmental, labour or other
regulations. The FTA threatens the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme,
quarantine laws, GM labelling and public assets. Bush's visit coincides
with a round of trade negotiations planned for 27 October in Canberra.
For these reasons and many more we are saying enough! We demand an
immediate end to the occupation of Iraq and oppose the proposed FTA.
We call for those who mobilised against Howard and Bush in February to
do so again.
The 'Stop Bush's War committee' invites all concerned organisations and
individuals to attend the open organising meetings to coordinate the
biggest possible national mobilisation and a local protest against
Bush's visit (Mondays 6.30pm Trades Hall Bar)
For more information on the National demonstration and the local rally
(same day, 5.30pm State Library, Melbourne)
--
--
Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/
Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop
Sub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Unsub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
