Rousing the Rally

Many of you have requested the transcript of Bernise Ang’s address to the anti-VSU rally on Thursday. She spoke as an international student, and has been involved in campaigns with the NLC on some issues raised in the address.

Here it is - as close as it gets anyway:

***
Hi everyone -

[crowd cheers]

Can I just say that “Voluntary” Student Unionism has got to be the biggest, fucking misnomer I’ve ever heard.

[cheers]

It’s not about freedom of choice, it’s about SILENCING OUR VOICE!

[crowd cheers wildly]

You’ve heard how student fees are needed for services. Some of these that are really important to international students are things like - orientation programs - equity programs - childcare - counselling -

[more cheers]

Student fees are crucial for campus life - I cannot overstate the value of a vibrant campus community life for our time at uni.

So, international students come here - what are we faced with? No travel concessions - [interrupted by cheers] - despite contributing 5.9 billion Australian dollars to this economy!

[crowd cheers]

Ridiculous visa conditions - that restrict our freedom to express our dissent, and participate in rallies - peaceful rallies - such as this one -

[more cheers]

And to top it all off, we have NO VOTE - and are therefore fucking invisible!

[cheers get louder]

As students, we deserve a full education experience - that is more than just about getting the degree, and then getting out - most of all, as students - students of ANY nationality - we have a RIGHT to voice out on issues that we care about - and NOBODY - not Howard, not Nelson - has the right to take that away from us.

[crowd goes wild]

I want to send out a message to Howard that international students are ready to mobilise across the country, we are ready to mobilise international media, and we will bring down that 5.9 billion - IF YOU KEEP ATTACKING STUDENT ORGANISATIONS!

[crowd goes ballistic]

***
Technorati: VSU, activist, Australia