Fed: Fifty refugee protesters picket Libs book launch

AAP General News (Australia)
08-31-2001
Fed: Fifty refugee protesters picket Libs book launch

MELBOURNE, Aug 31 AAP - About 50 refugee activists are protesting outside a Liberal
Party function in Melbourne's CBD today against the Howard government's refusal to allow
the Tampa boat people to land.

Some 460 mostly Afghan asylum seekers are stranded aboard the Norwegian freighter,
Tampa, which rescued them from a sinking Indonesian ferry in the Indian Ocean on Sunday
and then was pressured by them to divert to Australia.

Mr Howard is expected to arrive at the Sofitel Hotel at 10am to launch a book: Liberalism
and the Australian Federation - Charting the Liberal Party's History.

Protest organiser Damian Lawson said the government had turned the Tampa ship into a prison.

"Death should not be part of Australia's border policy."

He led the protesters into a chant of "SOS not SAS".

"Close the camps, open the borders, free the refugees."

He said both the Coalition and the ALP deserve condemnation for refusing to allow the
Tampa asylum seekers on to Christmas Island.

About 20 police are monitoring the peaceful protest.

AAP svm/szp/cjh/de

KEYWORD: BOAT PROTEST LEAD

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