Setting up the protest

The first organised group to demonstrate was the Democratic Socialist Party. They arrived over two and a half hours before the meeting. Their leader is Maurice Sibelle.

Later, "Militant" would arrive by buses and join them. Militant is a group lead by Stephen Jolly and with a membership of around 60 in total. These two groups were the most vocal during the protest and there is evidence to suggest some of the participants were more than vocal. They are part of the anti-Hanson circus which goes from town to town playing its piece for the nightly news. Other groups involved are the International Socialists and Socialist Alternative.

Also present was the "Campaign Against Racism" which is not a broad organisation but an umbrella group run and controlled from the headquarters of the Democratic Socialist Party. The seemingly high numbers of organisations present at the rally was somewhat deceitful. Militant, Resistance, Green Left Weekly, Socialist Alternative, Socialist worker and so on are the multiple faces of a very versatile DSP.

There were other organisations present at the meeting. They expressed their dissent in the true spirit of democracy. The Jewish, Chinese and South American communities were represented. They have every right to feel cheated out of a good protest by a bunch of hooligans.