By Spirit of Eureka – South Australia
All around the country last week, events were held to mark the International Day of Peace.
Common calls included the scrapping of AUKUS, an end to the military alliance with the US, social spending not war spending and no nuclear waste dumps.
In Adelaide a rally was held on the 20th September at Port Adelaide.
The atmosphere had more of a carnival feel than your usual rally. It was very colourful with many activities going on (see later), which further lifted the spirits of the already positive crowd.
The significance of holding the rally at Port Adelaide is that the designated Osborne submarine construction yards/nuclear submarine base for the AUKUS project is within cooee from here.
There is strong local opposition to AUKUS going ahead at all and especially right where people live.
So, appropriately, Port Adelaide Community Opposing AUKUS (PACOA) was the organiser of the event.
Other participating groups on the day included Rising Tide, Extinction Rebellion (XR), Port Adelaide Artists Forum (PAAF), Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN), Australian Friends of Palestine Association (AFOPA), Big Ride for Palestine, South Australian Grass-Roots Ecosystem (SAGE), MUA, CEPU, Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom (WILPF) and Mothers for a Sustainable South Australia (MOSSA). Other groups are mentioned later in this article.
An enthusiastic crowd of some 300 people attended, meeting initially at the Port Adelaide Workers Memorial. Here the proceedings were kicked off by the loud and strong XR drummers followed by the Born on Monday choir singing songs relating to the issue of peace.
Four very well-informed speaker then addressed the rally. These included Eileen Darley (PACOA), Sandra Dann (ex Working Womens Centre, PACOA, local environmentalist), Campbell Duignan (MUA organiser) and Allen Harris (ex BLF, CFMEU).
The common thread from these speakers was the important role which individual unionists and unions played in the peace movement historically, currently and continuing into the future. Peace is union business.
The rally then moved down the road a bit, opposite the electoral office of the federal Minister for Health, Mark Butler.
At this point the rally was treated to street theatre with the giant inflatable green submarine (the only sub which Australia is likely to get from AUKUS) and people dressed in orange HazMat suits while a harrowing warning siren blared into the atmosphere to symbolise the health and safety hazard presented by having nuclear submarines right in the middle of suburbia (or anywhere in this country really).
Then the rally was treated to more singing, this time presented by the recently formed Creatives for Palestine Choir.
Four highly engaging speeches were then given by the following erudite speakers: Karina Lester (Yankunytjatjara-Anangu woman from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands (APY Lands), AUKUS Public Inquiry Commissioner, ICAN Ambassador), Al Rainnie (Adjunct Professor at Adelaide University – political economy of work and employment), Melanie Selwood (Greens Member of the Legislative Council SA parliament) and Mike Khizam (Deputy Chairperson Australian Friends of Palestine Association (AFOPA)).
The clear message from the speakers was that AUKUS is not a foregone conclusion and that it can be stopped if we remain organised and vigilant. Everybody agreed.
The final destination of the rally was the nearby Queen’s Warf on the Port River where a carnival atmosphere ensued.
The rally was met there by a very colourful “squad” of peace kayakers on the river.
A 5 metre long banner with the words “BREAK FREE FROM THE US ALLIANCE” was unfurled at the dock.
Everyone was quite relaxed by now and enjoying the community vibe of the event, without in any way detracting from the important theme of peace. In fact, people being able to enjoy themselves like this without causing harm to others and without the spectre of bombs dropping all around them is what living in a peaceful world is about. Everyone, no matter where they live, should have this.
At this point, the choirs performed more songs. The band “Fiddle We Must” played some lively music.
Then, approaching the rally in the distance could be seen the Peace Walkers Against AUKUS crossing the Birkenhead Bridge with their flags and banners unfurled.
What a magnificent sight. This inspiring group of people walked all the way from Port Augusta in South Australia’s north, some 400km, carrying their message to communities along the way and culminating at Port Adelaide on this International Day of Peace.
As they arrived and coalesced with the rally they were given a hero’s welcome.
Once things settled down, one of the peace walkers gave a speech which was followed by a dance that the group choreographed.
One of the other activities for the day was making origami peace boats. The idea was to make 368 of these to represent the obscene number of billions of dollars being thrown away on something which we don’t want, don’t need, which benefits only the US hegemon and makes Australia a military target. Each boat will have a message of peace written on it. These are to be presented to the federal health minister, Mark Butler, whose electoral office is at the Port.
These will subsequently form part of an art exhibition.
Some of the salient points coming out of the speeches regarding the consequences for Australia from AUKUS, the more entrenched US alliance and war more generally include:
- An obscene amount of money being spent on AUKUS which should instead be going to social programs at this time of a cost of living crisis for many Australians. This money would also go some way in addressing the environmental crisis the planet is facing.
- The US now has access to more than half of Australia’s military bases and facilities which it uses for its current wars and for the preparation of its future wars. This association with the US will drag Australia into these wars and will certainly bring war to Australian soil.
- Paves the way for a nuclear industry in Australia and the risks associated with it. Inevitably, opening nuclear waste dumps in Australia, most likely on First Nations land.
- The disgraceful and unacceptable militarisation of education. Educators and academics around the country are organising to fight back against this tendency.
- The colossal investment in data centres is all part of AUKUS. This is taking away skilled labour which is needed in other parts of the economy.
- An increasing economic dependency on military industries making weapons to kill people, instead of producing commodities which help people in their daily lives.
- Very few long term jobs will come out of AUKUS. High capitalisation per job. Could create far more jobs in other areas for the same money.
- Commonwealth laws have now been systematically put in place which override existing protective laws. Even the SA state government has given power to the “Coordinator General” to override 31South Australian protective acts of parliament. This not only paves the way for nuclear waste dumps, but these laws are designed to stifle public opposition to AUKUS. This will not work – First Peoples and all other Australians standing in solidarity will defeat AUKUS.
- A lack of transparency and consultation. No parliamentary inquiry. Curtailment of free speech.
- Subservience to the US is eroding Australia’s sovereignty.
- The system doesn’t want peace. People don’t want war. People don’t want to be made to kill their fellow human beings they don’t even know in other countries. Modern war is too horrific to contemplate. We are witnessing these horrors on a daily basis in West Asia (Middle East).
It was apparent from the rally that there is a strong will and determination to end the abomination that is AUKUS and the US alliance, and to foil preparations for war by building a people’s movement.
