Australia: 150% law&order after the "riots"

TO: Chief of staff
FROM: Resistance, socialist youth organisation
RE: Resistance leaflet cited in arrest:
'Is holding material criticising the government now evidence against you?'

[..]

Resistance, a socialist youth organisation that helped organise the
peaceful anti-racist demonstration on Sunday that 18 year-old Amir Ali
Osmanagic attended before being arrested on a bus for being in
possession of an "offensive implement" and for "affray" simply for
carrying petrol allegedly to assist a friend, had issued a leaflet
entitled "Howard's riots: How racist policies breed racist violence"
at the demonstration. The leaflet advertised a meeting following the
rally and including a statement by Resistance placing the blame for
the violence on the what is believes are the "racist" policies of the
Howard government. The leaflet, designated by some media sources as
"anti-government propaganda" was named in an article posted on the
Sydney Morning Herald website on Monday December 19.

Cherrington commented: "At the same time as rejecting the charges
against Osmanagic and the denial of bail as a completely outrageous
and over-the-top response by police clearly implementing racial
profiling, we express our extreme concern that a Resistance leaflet
found in his possession criticising the government and advertising a
meeting to discuss the is being reported in the media as part of the
evidence against him.

"The citing of written material critical of the government as evidence
in a criminal case is a serious infringement on the right to freedom
of speech and to organise peacefully to oppose government policies.
This comes after the passing of legislation by the Federal government
of 'anti-terror' that clearly seeks to criminalise the expression of
views opposing government policies. Everyone who supports the right to
freedom of speech and to peacefully dissent against government
policies should be concerned at this turn of events."

The leaflet issued by resistance argues: "The riots in Cronulla
reflect the rising racism in Australia, a tide that has been fostered
by the Howard government's policies and propaganda that criminalise
and lock-up refugees, dehumanise and bomb the Iraqi people, and define
all Muslims and Middle Eastern Australians as potential terrorists."

The statement printed on the leaflet says in part: "Resistance
condemns the Howard government's incitement of anti-Muslim racism that
has fuelled the events in Sydney. We call on the government to repeal
all 'anti-terror' laws, stop the scapegoating of Muslims and withdraw
Australian troops from Iraq immediately."

Cherrington insists that "Resistance stands by its accusations that
the racist policies and statements of the Howard government are
directly responsible for the racist violence, and reiterates the basic
right to express these views and organise opposition to racist
government policies. We also call for an end to the 'police-state'
measures being implemented by the NSW ALP government that do nothing
to solve the fundamental problems but instead increase racist
harassment of youths of Middle Eastern background by NSW police."

For more information or for interviews, please phone Katie 0401 976 153.