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When War Starts : EVENTS , CONTACTS , NSW + AUSTRALIA-WIDE: STOP THE WAR ON IRAQ

Walk Against the War Coalition | 19.03.2003 10:44

- GIANT RALLY THIS SUNDAY 23rd MARCH, 12:30pm, Belmore Park - EMERGENCY RALLY AT 5pm THE DAY WAR IN IRAQ BEGINS, Town Hall - Peaceful vigils from now @ 5pm at Sydney Town Hall Where to Rally if War Breaks Out - New South Wales: ARMIDALE, LISMORE, MANLY, SYDNEY, PENRITH, WOLLONGONG - In Other States: ADELAIDE, BALLARAT, CANBERRA, DARWIN, HOBART, LAUNCESTON, MELBOURNE, PERTH, ROCKHAMPTON + AUSTRALIAN-WIDE Convergence on Federal Parliament, Canberra (article 1)

When War Starts : EVENTS , CONTACTS , NSW + AUSTRALIA-WIDE: STOP THE WAR ON IRAQ

Walk Against the War Coalition: Home Walk Against the War Coalition: Events Walk Against the War Coalition: Contact the Coalition Thousands to converge on federal parliament

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EMERGENCY RALLIES

GIANT RALLY THIS SUNDAY 23rd MARCH

Assemble 12:30pm Belmore Park (next to central station).
March via Elizabeth St to the Domain for speakers.
Come early as trains will be crowded.
Bring water and sunscreen.

EMERGENCY RALLY AT 5pm THE DAY WAR IN IRAQ BEGINS

Speakers at Town Hall
March to Circular Quay via George St, King St, Elizabeth St, Philip St.
Use St James, Museum or Wynard Stations as Town Hall may be closed if overcrowded.

Peaceful vigils on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday Evenings

This week at 5pm at Sydney Town Hall.

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New South Wales

ARMIDALE:	5.30pm, in front of the Court House.
LISMORE:	5pm, Spinks Park, Molesworth Street. Phone (02) 6622 2862.
MANLY:	Rally 5pm the Corso.
NEWCASTLE:	5.30pm, Civic Park. Phone 0408 443 013, (02) 4945 0002.
SYDNEY:	5pm, Town Hall Square. Phone (02) 9386 1240, 0418 668 098, 0409 762 081. Email: info@NSWpeace.org
PENRITH:	5pm outside Jackie Kelly s office Woodriff St Penrith, phone 0401 769 880.
WOLLONGONG:	5.30pm on the day after the bombing starts, Wollongong Mall Amphitheatre. Phone (02) 4226 2010.

In Other States

ADELAIDE:	5pm, Parliament House steps. Phone 0414 773 918.
BALLARAT:	5pm, Town Hall steps.
BRISBANE:	5pm, King George Square. Also noon on the following Saturday at the same place. Stop the War Coalition. Phone (07) 3716 0848, 3831 2644.
CANBERRA:	noon speakout at Garema Place, Civic. 5pm, rally at the US embassy, Moonah Place, Yarralumla. Also rally at noon the following day, Garema Place, Civic. ACT Network Opposing War. Phone (02) 6247 2424, 0417 269 984, 0415 752 013.
DARWIN:	5.30pm, Raintree Park, Smith Street Mall. Phone (08) 8981 4714.
GEELONG:	5pm, Market Square. Phone (03) 5222 6900.
HOBART:	4.30pm, Franklin Square, Macquarie St. Endorsed by the Peace Coalition. Phone (03) 6234 9553, 6234 6397, 0438 691 125.
LAUNCESTON:	5pm, outside Museum, Wellington St (next to Paterson St TAFE), city. Ph (03) 6327 1751.
MELBOURNE:	5pm, State Library. Youth Against War rally, meet 4.30pm Federation Square & march to State Library. Day after war starts: Unionists rally 12pm at Trades Hall. Phone (03) 9659 3582.
PERTH:	5pm, GPO, Forrest Place. NOWAR Alliance. Phone (08) 9218 9608, 9477 6301.
ROCKHAMPTON:	5pm, Col Brown Park, Victoria Parade, South Rockhampton. Ph 0419 029 168 or (07) 4927 7726.

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If you would like to contact the Walk Against the War Coalition then please use the following details:

Postal Address:	PO Box A899 Sydney South 1235
Tel:	(02) 9267 8122
Mob:	0412 803 457 0409 762 081 0418 668 098
Fax:	(02) 9261 3505
Email Address:	info@NSWpeace.org
Weekly Updates:	To get weekly peace movement updates email: StopTheWar_announce-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
WWW:	NSWpeace.org

Thousands to converge on federal parliament
BY KERRYN WILLIAMS
CANBERRA — On March 23-24, thousands of people will converge on parliament, in a national protest against the Coalition government’s support for an attack on Iraq. Green Left Weekly spoke to James Vassilopoulos, one of the central organisers of the convergence. Vassilopoulos, who stood for parliament with the Socialist Alliance in 2001, is active in the ACT Network Opposing War (ACT NOW).
“I think many people think that it is urgent and necessary to go to federal parliament in Canberra, to make a clear statement against war”, Vassilopoulos explained. “By the time of the protest, we will either be on the brink of war or the invasion will have begun and we will be calling for an invasion to stop.”
On March 24, parliament will resume. It may well be debating a vote on war as people join the protest outside. “Most Australians oppose this war, yet there has not even been a vote in federal parliament”, Vassilopoulos argued. “The `mob’ will be coming to Canberra and [the government] will not be happy. Howard and US President George Bush might want to pretend that we don’t matter, but people won’t stop taking action while this war is a possibility or is being waged.”
“This will not be a war, it will be a slaughter. It’s like putting heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson in the ring with one of the Wiggles and then giving Tyson a knife. Many Australians will be angry when 3000 cruise missiles crash into Baghdad, killing thousands and thousands of Iraqi people.”
Vassilopoulos is urging all Australians to protest in their towns and cities if the invasion begins, and then to come to Canberra.
Although Vassilopoulos was initially nervous about how many people would be prepared to come to Canberra to protest, but the response has been “overwhelmingly positive”. “I think there will many thousands at the Sunday [March 23] protest and quite a few thousand at the Monday protest.”
“Last year in Canberra there was a successful refugee-rights convergence of 2500 people. Washington has had a number of successful convergences, where people came from across the US. A bold initiative was necessary following the 1-million-strong protest in Australia on February 14-16.”
According to Vassilopoulos, people are planning to come from 22 cities and towns. People from Armidale are likely to organise a car cavalcade that will travel the 12-hour journey. Large numbers are expected to come form Cooma.
Two-hundred people are expected from the Bega region. Two community radio shows, articles in the local newspaper and the widespread distribution of posters and pamphlets will advertise the event. Buses are organised to come from Bellingen, Newcastle, Wollongong and Sydney.
In the north-east region of NSW, near Byron Bay, television advertisements will include details of the convergence on Canberra. Other participants are expected from Batemans Bay, Bowral, Tamworth, Mudgee, Bathurst, Dubbo and Young, among others.
Anti-war activists from Brisbane are also planning to organise a bus, and even some Perth residents have expressed interest in attending.
In Canberra, 40,000 leaflets are being letterboxed across 45 suburbs. The teachers’ union has sent out rally publicity to 3000 of its members. The next step is to organise a more visible street presence in the lead up to the protest.
Vassilopoulos described the enthusiasm of many involved in the campaign. “We have many excellent stories here of people helping out. One activist who came into the Resistance Centre to pick up leaflets is retired, has crook knees and has had a triple by-pass heart operation — yet he is prepared to leaflet his street.”
On the morning of March 23, Parliament House lawns will be dotted with stalls, and music will be playing as protesters arrive. The speaking platform will kick off at 2pm, before a march. Protesters will hear from Victorian Trades Hall Council secretary Leigh Hubbard, as well as speakers from the Greens, Democrats and the ALP.
On March 24, ACT students will walk out of class to attend the protest at parliament. There will be a platform of speakers from Unions ACT, the Socialist Alliance, the student strike and the churches. A giant peace sign will be constructed.
The convergence is being organised by a broad coalition of groups including Greens, the churches, socialists and many individuals.
“A team of ACT NOW activists is the driving force behind the convergence”, Vassilopoulos explained. “Without the initiatives and work of the Socialist Alliance it would have been almost impossible to organise the convergence. Socialist Alliance members put out the call to action, liaised with interstate groups, produced the publicity and organised its distribution.”
Vassilopoulos believes the protests need to be escalated: “Workers should stop work to stop the war, small businesses should boycott the payment of the GST and opposition parties should block the May 13 budget, which will fund the war.”
From Green Left Weekly, March 19, 2003.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page: www.GreenLeft.org.au

Walk Against the War Coalition
e-mail: info@NSWpeace.org, StopTheWar_announce-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Homepage: http://www.NSWpeace.org/

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Hidden Article

When War Starts : EVENTS , CONTACTS , NSW + AUSTRALIA-WIDE: STOP THE WAR ON IRAQ

STOP THE WAR ON IRAQ

Bring the Troops Home

EMERGENCY RALLIES

GIANT RALLY THIS SUNDAY 23rd MARCH

EMERGENCY RALLY AT 5pm THE DAY WAR IN IRAQ BEGINS

Peaceful vigils on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday Evenings

Where to Rally if War Breaks Out

New South Wales

In Other States

Contact the Coalition

Thousands to converge on federal parliament

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