Chasing A Running Dog Brendan Nelson

ABC online July 1: Students defend rally after Nelson forced to retreat



Direct action at its strongest in a while, with student activists across the country making a statement - loud and clear - against VSU.

Anecdotal report from Alex Ettling on the ground.

Update: Canada passes gay marriage bill - woot!! The battle is worth continuing to fight for, comrades.

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What an amazing day we had in Perth!

One of the largest protests we've seen in the city for years, with up to 30, 000 people filling up the Perth cultural centre to protest the Liberal Government's proposed industrial relations reforms.

Unions were out in force and we had a large turn out of students marching behind the NUS banner, against the government. The neoliberal agenda will affect many students who are often in low-skilled jobs where individual bargaining will see a reduction in basic rights for workers.

We also showed disgust at the pursuit of the government to implement an ideological reform which will see the removal of unfair dismissal laws and an attack on union's ability to defend the interests of workers against businesses.

During the rally which was addressed by Stephen Smith, Geoff Gallup and Sharon Burrow - we had Claire English (NUS queer officer) and Farida Iqbal (CAPA queer officer) stand up on the stage with a huge queer banner, whilst the compere praised the contribution of queer activists in the struggle for fair working conditions. This was met with loud cheers from the crowd including members from the construction and maritime unions.

After the action, students met up at The Court pub and discussed the possibility of an action against federal education minister Brendan Nelson who was attending an opening at Edith Cowan University. A packed bus load of student activists headed to the Mt Lawley campus and protested outside the building. We jeered Nelson as he walked in. Even though police sent horses and ludicrous amounts of back up, we prevented the minister from being able to leave the building. We chanted anti-VSU slogans and showed solidarity with the struggle of indigenous people for reconcilliation.

Nelson and his body guards tried to get through the crowd and violently pushed back students. However, due to the presence of media, they were perhaps reluctant to bruttally stampede throught the chain of students linking arms and demonstrating their unwillingness to take the VSU legislation without a fight. Nelson ran back into the building when they realised they weren't going to get anywhere due to the power of the student collective.

In the fracas, Craig Comrie, NUS queer officer was arrested and thrown into the back of a paddy wagon. Whilst showing solidarity with Craig and preventing Nelson's luxury car from leaving, we watched as the police and ASIO thought of ways of getting Nelson out of there, whilst also dragging students away from the car.

Eventually Nelson cowardly ran out the back door. He was pursued by angry students who ran, shouting 'scum'. He was forced to run his body guards from students with to a waiting car which sped off at break neck speed out of the uni. We continued to give chase to the round-a-bout and then let him go with a large scale middle finger
salute.

It was a great on-the-spot direct action, and coupled with the mass demo earlier in the day, showed how students and workers getting together can influence things and disrupt the workings of the oppressive, capitalist machine.

We look forward to achieving similar results at next week's queer collaborations conference, where we hope that all the activists who turned up today will join the fight against heterosexism and queerphobia.

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