NSW: Students will again march the streets of Sydney
By Janine O'Neill
SYDNEY, April 1 AAP - Student protesters will defy NSW Police and take to the streetsof Sydney in an anti-war march tomorrow.
The Books Not Bombs (BNB) national coalition behind last week's violent Sydney protesttoday said nothing would deter them from marching.
NSW Police in turn have warned they will not allow the city to be hijacked by an anarchicfew intent on repeating last Wednesday's scenes of violence in central Sydney.
Police have refused to grant a march permit and warn arrests may be made if the rallyturns ugly or if city streets are blocked.
However, BNB spokesman Simon Butler said the group "would defend to the death theirfundamental democratic right to march the streets".
"According to legal advice all that is required of us is to notify police of the marchroute - we've done that," he said.
"In terms of commonwealth law as we understand it, and in terms of International HumanRights law people have the right to march."
Another BNB spokesperson, Kylie Moon, said organisers hoped for a peaceful protest,and were trying to stir up a more musical theme with buskers and street theatre artists.
Ms Moon said legal observers and marshalls would be posted throughout the protest routetomorrow to monitor police behaviour.
The group said it also intended to call for an independent inquiry into what they regardas heavy-handed police action at last week's rally.
Dale Mills, from the Legal Observer Project, a group of law students and solicitorswho monitor police action at demonstrations, said they were examining a number of seriouscomplaints lodged by demonstrators.
"This includes the detention of 200 people for several hours in front of the primeminister's office last Wednesday," Mr Mills said.
"Our initial legal advice is this was unlawful, and we will certainly be seeking detailedlegal advice after tomorrow as to whether we can bring a multi-party or class action againstthe (NSW) government."
Meanwhile, NSW Premier Bob Carr urged parents to "take charge of their own youngsters"
and stop them attending the rally.
"It (BNB) is a front organisation from an extreme left group that wants to radicaliseyoungsters by throwing them into a clash on the streets, wants to build support for itselfby doing that," Mr Carr told Sydney radio 2GB.
Last Wednesday's violence resulted in 14 people being charged.
NSW Police have told BNB a static demonstration would be acceptable, but protestersrefused to hold such a rally.
Yesterday, the mainstream peace movement The Walk Against War Coalition held a meetingof about 100 delegates from churches, multicultural groups, unions and political partiesand decided to withdraw their support for the BNB protest.
AAP jo/nf/ph/jlw
KEYWORD: IRAQ PROTEST NSW NIGHTLEAD
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