From: JEFF SPARROW <jeffs-AT-werple.net.au>
Subject: working class heroes in Canberra
Date: Tue, 20 Aug 1996 10:41:25 +-1000


Good times at last!

Yesterday the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) held a protest
rally outside Parliament in Canberra in anticipation of the horror budget that
the (conservative) Liberal Government is set to bring down tonight.

Some 20 000 people turned up to this 'Cavalcade to Canberra' where they 
were addressed by a whole series of luminaries including the head of the 
ACTU and the Leader of the Opposition. However, unlike previous ACTU
protest picnics where workers are simply herded around in front of the 
cameras like sheep, yesterday a bunch of people decided to do more.

I'm in Melbourne, so this is all based on the bourgeois media. But it seems
a group of Aboriginal protesters joined with some unionists from the
construction industry  in leading a charge on Parliament itself. A confrontation
with the cops ensued, but rather than giving up, the demonstrators fought 
back. They broke down doors, and forced their way into the building where
a pitched battle ensued within Parliament omething which, as all the journalists
 have been breathlessly assuring us, has never happened in Australian
history before. 

Today's paper reports 49 arrests and 70 injuries to the cops. 

What was interesting was that, unlike most previous violent demos we've
seen here, it did not seem to involve the far left. From the TV footage, the
crowd was overwhelmingly made up of unionists and Aborigines. 

Needless to say the union leaders are falling over themselve to condemn the
 incident, as is the Labor Party. However, there are a series of quite militant
strikes taking place at the moment (eg Toyota workers out for a 15% rise),
so we are all feeling quite hopeful bout the political situation at the moment.

YFTR
Jeff

PS Highlight of the TV coverage last night: Laurie Oakes, a pompous and
overfed political commentators for one of the stations, trying to give his
report on the situation while covered in the white paint that demonstrators
had thrown over him! Oh yes!



     --- from list marxism-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---