A series of Palm Sunday anti-war and anti-nuclear events are taking place this weekend.
National website - Palm Sunday 2008
Palm Sunday events around Australia:
* Adelaide
* Hobart
* Kempsey
* Brisbane
* Perth and Fremantle
* Sydney
* Parramatta
* Wollongong
* Melbourne
* Gold Coast
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Adelaide
Sunday 16 March, 2-4pm, Public Meeting at the Friends Meeting House, 40a Pennington Terrace North Adelaide – Australian Troops Coming Home, But Have We Palmed Off Our Responsibility for the War on Iraq?
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Adelaide
20 March, Moving Protest in 3 one hour shifts during the day – marking the 5th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. Corner King William Street and North Terrace, Adelaide. Contact NoWar <nowar@ihug.com.au> to register preferred shift (morning; midday; late afternoon).
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Hobart Rally
Saturday 15 March
12:30 Parliament House lawns.
Visit: Peace Tasmania
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Kempsey Paddle for Peace
Canoe and kyacking along the River.
Contact: Christa <christa@tsn.cc>
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Brisbane
Sunday 16 March
Meeting point: 1.30pm, Queens Park
organised by: Rally for Peace and Disarmament
Contact: Joan Shears: <jshears@powerup.com.au>
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Perth and Fremantle
Sunday 16th March, starting at 12 noon in Fremantle
organised by: Just Peace
US Labor Against the War Perth Meeting - Flyer at
Palm Sunday Protest, Sunday 16th March - Flyer at
Contact: Phil <p.chilton@ecu.edu.au>
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Sydney
World Against the War * Palm Sunday Peace Rally * Five years too long in Iraq
We voted for CHANGE, now STOP the wars!
All troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan
Defend civil liberties - repeal the "anti-terror" laws
Sunday 16 March
1pm Belmore Park
Speakers include:
Kathy Black, national co-convenor of US Labor Against the War
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Parramatta Rally
Saturday, March 16
Parramatta Ampitheatre
1:30pm - Palm Sunday Service and Multi-Faith Prayers for Peace
2:10pm - March Through Parramatta then Rally
All Troops Out of Iraq!
Democracy not war for Iran!
Political solution for Afghanistan
making Australia a global citizen again!
Sponsored by NSW Ecumenical Council
Organised by Sydney Peace & Justice Coalition
Contact: Bruce Childs 0412 803 457; Fr Claude Mostowik 0411 450 953; Peter Murphy 0418 312 301
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Wollongong Rally
All troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan
Defend civil liberties - repeal the "anti-terror" laws
Rally Saturday 15 March, 12 noon
Wollongong Mall amphitheatre
Organised by local NoWar committee. Ph 0425 329 963 for info
Last November, Australians voted for change. The new Rudd government has committed to withdrawing one third of Australian troops from Iraq by mid-2008, however, the anti-war movement is mobilising to end all support for the Iraq war including the withdrawal of all Australian troops. We're also calling for the troops to be brought home from Afghanistan and to push for a repeal of the so-called "anti-terror" laws.
This year's anniversary of the invasion of Iraq coincides with Palm Sunday. It also comes at a time when new data indicates that more than one million people have been killed in Iraq as a result of the conflict. This is an important time for the anti-war movement to speak loudly and clearly to oppose the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Melbourne
Palm Sunday Peace Rally
On the 5th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq ...
Rally for Peace & Nuclear Disarmament
Stop the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan!
No uranium mining!
Starts: 2pm 16th March 2008
@ State Library (cnr Swanston & Latrobe Sts City)
Peace walk through the city and return to enjoy the gypsy rock music of the fabulous Martin Martini and The Bone Palace Orchestra.
For more info contact: Jessica Morrison on 0431 519 577
Organised by the Palm Sunday Committee 2008
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Melbourne:
Public Meeting - Kathy Black
Here from the convenor of US Labor Against the War (USLAW) Kathy Black as she shares from her rich experience of resististing war with the union movement in the USA. Entry by gold coin donation.
Wednesday 12 March, 7pm
Cnr Lygon & Victoria Sts, Carlton
For further information contact: Katie 0433 695 693
Ecumenical Church Service of Prayer and Reflection
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Melbourne
Palm Sunday Peace Service
1.15pm 16 March
@ Wesley Uniting Church, City
Please bring musical instruments, palm branches and protest placards. The service will finish with a procession to the start of the peace rally.
For further information contact: Rev Harry Kerr 0424 950852
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Melbourne:
Australia-Japan Peace Forum
Saturday 29 March, 2 pm to 5 pm
Melbourne City Conference Centre, Chapel Hall
333 Swanston Street, City (cnr of Swanston and Lt Lonsdale Sts)
full $10/conc $5, incl afternoon tea ,
BYO tea cup/mug for Earth Day
Topics include:
Significance of Japanese “Peace” Constitution Article 9
By Motonaga Futatsubashi, The Article 9 Association
Japan’s militarization and security ties with US and China
By Richard Tanter, Senior Research Associate, Nautilus Institute for Security
and Sustainability
A Gendered Perspective on Militarism and Anti-Militarism
By Vera Mackie, Professor, Melbourne University
Youth peace culture and dialogue between Australia and Japan
By Larry Marshall, Associate Professor, La Trobe University
The Nuclear “Solution” to Climate Change…and the Real Solutions
By Jim Green, Friends of the Earth
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to listen to these experts on a wide range of important topics and also a special guest speaker from Japan and spread the word about Article 9 to the world!
Presented by Japanese for Peace
For more information: www:jfp.org.au
contact by email: info@jfp.org.au
Supported by the Victorian Multicultural Commission
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Gold Coast Rally
Palm Sunday Vigil – 16 March 4-6.30pm @ Burleigh Heads
Last year Nuclear Free Gold Coast supporters held a vigil for Palm Sunday outside federal MP Margaret May's office at Palm Beach. We drew attention to the advantages and abundance of sustainable energy sources in Australia rather than the nuclear-powered future and sales of uranium to non-signatories of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty proposed by the former government.
In case anyone is wondering - Palm Sunday has its origins in the day Jesus arrived in Jerusalem to great celebration and the strewing of palm fronds. There is a view that at least some of his disciples saw this as part of a campaign against imperialism and war. For many years now, it has served as a focus for peace and nuclear disarmament rallies, a call for independent foreign policy, campaigns for Aboriginal rights and anti-nuclear elements, and a campaign against the Jabiluka mine in the Northern Territory. It also has special significance for the established Churches who claim Palm Sunday and hold it as the best example of ecumenical co-operation in Australia.
An international tradition of Easter Sunday peace demonstrations has grown up in western Europe, but the choice of Palm Sunday is unique to Australia. It is a uniting force for people of diverse opinions and political creeds.
This year on Sunday 16 March, there will be rallies Australia wide to remind the Government to follow through with their promises in regard to withdrawing troops from the Middle East, progressing nuclear disarmament, keeping their anti-nuclear power stance for Australia and limiting sales of uranium to reduce nuclear proliferation and to remind ourselves that peace is possible, but it must be actively pursued.
