TRIPLE TROUBLE: Three events celebrating past and present peace protests

THURSDAY OCTOBER 16
FROM 6PM
BELLA UNION BAR
TRADES HALL
(Corner of Lygon and Victoria Streets, Carlton)

FILM PREMIERE: PINE GAP 2002
A screening of Box 4’s documentary about the 2002 anti-US base protest.

BOOK LAUNCH: ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE, THE AIDEX ’91 STORY
The launch of Iain McIntyre’s book about two decades of anti-arms fair protests.

PARTY: TO CELEBRATE THE SHUTTING DOWN OF THE 2008 ADELAIDE APDSE ARMS FAIR
The Asia Pacific Defence and Security Exhibition arms fair has been
called off due to the threat of protest action. Come together to celebrate a victory for the peace movement.
Drinks and hot food available.

More about the events:
ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE:
THE AIDEX ’91 STORY
In November 1991 over 1000 protesters blockaded the National Exhibition Centre in Canberra for 12 days with the aim of shutting down the Australia International Defence Exhibition. AIDEX ’91 saw the most police violence and highest number of arrests in the Australian Capital Territory since the Vietnam era. Although the exhibition was eventually able to go ahead the blockade caused enough disruption to ensure that no one would dare hold another arms fair on this scale in Australia again. The success of the protest came at a cost however with hundreds of demonstrators injured and their actions vilified in the mainstream media.

Alongside a detailed account of the protest itself Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life: The AIDEX ’91 Story traces the background of the blockade amidst the growth of opposition to the Australian arms industry during the 1980s. Using the words of the protesters themselves the book also explores the lessons of AIDEX ’91, the effect of the protest on a generation of Australian activists and the way in which similar strategies were used to stop the 2008 Asia Pacific Defence and Security Exhibition from occurring. The book features many photos from both the AIDEX ’89 and ’91 protests.

Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life will be available on the night or can be purchased in Melbourne from Sticky, Friends Of The Earth, The New International Bookshop and Polyester books and will be available in Sydney from Jura and Black Rose books in the coming weeks. The book can also be purchased on line from foe.org.au/shop/ or http://www.newinternationalbookshop.org.au

PINE GAP 2002
From October 5th to 7th 2002 around 500 demonstrators participated in a range of actions aimed at shutting down the Pine Gap US spy base. Located just 19 km from Alice Springs the installation has played a major role in US military satellite activities since the 1960s. Its past operations have included the targeting of bombs during the 1990-91 US war on Iraq and, most recently, the targeting of US bombs against Afghanistan and Iraq.
Three days of protest included a blockade of the road leading into the base, speeches from local indigenous representatives, street theatre, attempts to enter Pine Gap itself and a street parade through Alice Springs. The latest documentary from Box 4 follows the campaign from its early organising meetings through to the protest itself.

ASIA PACIFIC DEFENCE AND SECURITY EXHIBITION (APDSE) 2008
On Remembrance Day November 11 2008 the South Australian Government and private company APDS Exhibition Ltd had planned to hold Australia’s first major arms fair in 17 years at the Adelaide Convention Centre. With groups meeting around Australia to organise a Peace Festival and a blockade the APDSE organisers, citing police costs, threw in the towel cancelling the event in early September. Come and celebrate this victory for the peace movement.

Creative Commons license/attribution requested:

Homebrew Cultural Association
PO Box 4434
Melbourne University
Parkville 3052
Victoria Australia

ISBN 978-0-9757319-1-8