A parliamentary debate on Afghanistan began on Tuesday October 19.
That evening a ‘speak out’ was held from in King George Square to support those politicians in federal parliament arguing to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.
Speakers representing Aboriginal people, the Greens, Just Peace, StandFast, and Socialist groups demanded a withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and a real end to the Iraq war.
The Enoggera Peace group brought banner and placards.
There will be a meeting soon to continue the momentum started by this action. Details will be posted on Workers BushTelegraph soon.
Over a 100 people stopped on their way home from work to listen to some of the speeches, some standing for the entire period of two hours.
Hamish Chitts from StandFast said:
Excellent speakout in Brisbane this evening against the war in Afghanistan, first time since before Rudd was elected that all the anti-war and peace groups came together in Brisbane. Great response from mall-goers too. Strong signs for a re-invigorated movement against this war. Look out warmongers we’re fighting back!
The US led coalition in Afghanistan has killed tens of thousands of civilians and left infrastructure in ruins.
Each month the US government spends $6 billion on its military occupation.
The Karzai government’s annual budget is a mere $1 billion. The capital Kabul does not have a sewerage system.
Australian and US troops are not there to help the people of Afghanistan.
The troops should be withdrawn immediately to stop more people dying in this pointless and horrific war.
Contact Adrian on 0428180095
or Hamish 0401586923
A special thanks to Owain for the photos.
See Owain Jones’s Photos – Afghan war speak-out. King George Square, 19-10-10
Reference Malalai Joya on the Taliban, peace efforts, US role in Afghanistan
There will be a meeting to discuss ways to campaign for the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan —
When: 2pm, Saturday Oct 30
Where: 4th level in room 4D, State Library of Qld
Hope to see you there
Adrian on 0428 180 095
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I thought, overall it was very worth while.
See http://www.flickr.com/photos/brisbanelabourhistory/5101117927/#/photos/brisbanelabourhistory/5101117927/lightbox/
Regards,
Ted
Afghansitan war – Australian MP’s where they stand – watch list
I watched – incredulous – today at the brief TV clip of Andrew’s words during today’s “debate” in federal parliament.
Is this what we pay our politicians for? To deliberately mark themselves absent, when “our” house is discussing “our” engagement in an illegal, counter-productive and obscene war against ordinary people in a far-away (non-white / non-christian) country!
When it was announced on tuesday afternoon that the “debate” had been adjourned after both Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott had spoken, it was obvious that something was afoot.
It certainly was!
The parties had to have their members out of the house, so they couldn’t hear a counter argument!
The obscenities don’t get much worse than this! The affront to a nation’s intelligence doesn’t get much more blatant than this! The hi-jacking of any public commitment to policy by politicians can’t get any lower than this!
The credibility of politicians as people of ideas, integrity or independent thought doesn’t get any lower then this!
Shameful.
In psychiatric terms you’d have to call it “passive-aggressive”. Add it to their obvious lack of personal worth, inability to make their own decisions and feelings of gross insecurity, they all need immediate psychiatric counselling.
It also reminds me of the days of the big right to march demos in Brisbane in the mid – late 70’s where the cops had to be rotated around so that they wouldn’t be exposed to the speakers: they might have a chance to think the issue through themselves and come to a different conclusion to what they were supposed to think!
Shameful – utterly shameful, spineless behaviour.
But they’ll all be brave come next Anzac Day – they’ll be standing on the podiums urging the young of Australia to kill and die – and do what they – the politicians – tell them to do.
Hello Andrew
I support your opposition to the war in Afghanistan.
I was moved by your speech against the war in Afghanistan. Yours is the best speech I have heard (so far) by a parliamentarian in the debate on the war in Afghanistan. It is because you had something to say. I think that is why people have taken notice of what you said. People do not have to agree on every point to see the sense in opposition to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
The Defence minister Smith said:
Your fellow parliamentarians keep talking about the threat of terrorism.
Isn’t the solution clear — stop occupying Afghanistan and Iraq and you take away the raison d’etre of the terrorists?
Why can’t Australia have an independent foreign policy? Instead of following the US into illegal and unjust wars.
Your concern for the dead soldiers was heartfelt when you read out their names.
Their families lives must have been destroyed by their deaths.
But what of the families of the innocent dead Iraqis and Afghanis?
Aren’t their lives now a torture?
What of the suffering of the Iraqi family shot on February 26, 2005 by an Australian soldier from your old battalion (6th RAR- Enoggera)?
A senior Australian military officer valued their ruined lives at $3000US for an 8 year old boy and $4700US for his mother.
Shouldn’t Australian army officers pay more respect to them?
Surely no one should support senior officers who possess such callous insensitivity?
I can’t tell you the family’s names because their lives are hell and I do not wish to contribute to their torture by exposing them to cruel opportunism of a sensationalist media. After I described the horror of this assault on the Iraqi family at a forum in Brisbane yesterday (19 Oct 2010) someone from the audience came up and said what about the Geneva convention surely the soldiers should be prosecuted under that convention? So why weren’t the soldiers prosecuted? But these wars are not even declared, illegal and without justification, so the ‘civilised’ become barabrians.
Another speaker asked why the three Australian soldiers who killed an Afghani family including children were not charged with murder? They went to the Afghani house with the intent to kill and they killed. Why only charges of manslaughter?
Or are the rules that apply to Australian soldiers similar to the laws as they apply to Qld police officers? Are they permitted to perform racist executions like Qld police officer Snr Sgt Hurley did to Mulrunji?
I visited your website for the first time today, yet I could not find under its heading ( Andrew Wilke’s The Big Issues ) any mention of the war in Afghanistan or Iraq despite your vocal opposition to both..
Why is that?
Ian Curr
October 2010
Troops ‘overwhelmed and cannot defeat Taliban’:
THE Taliban have ”overwhelmed” foreign troops and cannot be defeated by military means, one of Australia’s top combat soldiers has warned.
See http://bit.ly/cwU9Oi