BooksNotBombs Coalition 3:54am Wed Mar 5 '03 (Modified on 4:12am Wed Mar 5
'03)
phone: Resistance National Office: (+61)(02) 9690 1230
[EMAIL PROTECTED] article#242024
Reports from the protests are still being collected. If you would like to
write about the action in your city email it to
[EMAIL PROTECTED] . The initial updates will be placed here [see
website] by tommorrow (6-3-03).
In the meantime, the initial numbers from around the country are 10,000 in
Sydney; 7,000 in Adelaide; 7,000 in Melbourne; 2,000 in Perth; 1,000 in
Brisbane; 1,000 in Geelong; 600 in Hobart; 300 in Launceston; 500 in
Canberra; 200 in Ballarat; 300 in Newcastle; 350 in Wollongong; even 40
students came out to protest in Darwin!
[ Even the mainstream media confirm the unexpected huge turnout :]
ABC Online: Wed, 5 Mar 2003 17:43 AEDT
Thousands of students rally in anti-war protests
Thousands of high school students have abandoned school today to take to
the streets to protest against any war against Iraq.
The biggest crowd was in Sydney, but thousands have also turned around
Australia.
At the peak of the march, about 10,000 students walked through Sydney's
CBD, forcing traffic to a standstill.
Police estimate 7,000 turned out in Adelaide, 1,000 in Canberra and
hundreds in Perth, Hobart and Brisbane.
All are determined to have their say.
"We have to get rid of Saddam some way, but war is not the answer," one
student said.
"We're the youth of Australia - basically it's going to be our country,
we're going to inherit it, so we're here to say what we want and we don't
want war," another said.
About 3,000 people rallied in Melbourne, including Iraqi refugee, Maryan
Altabeli.
"Doesn't anyone care about the rights of Iraqi children - I do and so
should we all," Ms Altabeli said.
Meanwhile, Sydney police are criticising protest organisers of today's
student protest for not following the agreed route, with three people
arrested.
Chief inspector Robert Sutton from Sydney City central police described the
protest as "rowdy" but says he is more disappointed with the organisers
than the protesters.
"They, for whatever reason, left an hour early, they didn't follow the
route agreed to by police and they went to a different location," Inspector
Sutton said.
www.booksnotbombs.org.au/m5_updates.htm
http://www.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=242024&group=webcast
