[Marxism] Rice protests at Sydney University

[Ggregray@xxxxxxx]

Five people were arrested today( Thursday 16 March) outside of the
Conservatorium of Music in Sydney after mounted police and dog squad cops moved 
against
a demonstration aimed at US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.

Rice is visiting Australia which, under the right wing Howard Government, has
been a close supporter of the US imperialist war in Iraq. The visit had been
planned for a couple of months ago but the visit was postponed when the
Zionist butcher Sharon went into a coma.

The Conservatorium is a part of Sydney University but is separate from the
main campus in an area of the city where it is relatively easy to throw up a
tight security
cordon including blocking off several streets from regular traffic.

A statement from the Stop the War Coalition expressed outrage that the
University had allowed this war criminaal to speak. But to add injury to injury 
the
student audience was vetted by US security staff including having to give
details of their country of birth. This was seen as a clear targetting of
"middle-eastern" students.

In spite of this vetting and the massive security crackdown outside the
Conservatorium  two separate interruptions happened during Rice's talk. In the
first instance two people in the audience stood up and confronted Rice with the
words:
"Iraqi blood is on your hands and you cannot wash that blood away"

In a second incident a protestor called out:
"What freedom are you talking about Dr Rice? What freedom are you talking
about?

The Stop the War Coalition statement that called for today's demonstration
against Rice said,"It is truly shameful that an Australian university would
allow such a war criminal a platform, and also allow her audience to be racially
screened by US security forces."

There will be a rally in Sydney this Saturday 18 March calling for peace and
justice for the Iraqi people and troops out now as part of the world-wide
mobilisation to mark the third anniversary of the brutal and disatrous invasion 
of
Iraq.
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