Not in Our Name

We believe that as people living in Australia
it is our responsibility to resist the injustices
done by our government,
in our names

Not in our name
will you wage unjustified wars
there can be no more deaths
no more transfusions
of blood for oil

Not in our name
will you invade countries
bomb civilians, kill more children
letting history take its course
over the graves of the nameless

Not by our hands
will we supply weapons and funding
for the annihilation of families
in other countries

Not by our mouths
will we let fear silence us

Not by our hearts
will we allow whole peoples
or countries to be deemed evil

Not by our will
and Not in our name

We pledge resistance

We pledge alliance with those
who have come under attack
for voicing opposition to the war
or for their religion or ethnicity

We pledge to make common cause
with the people of the world
to bring about justice,
freedom and peace

Another world is possible
and we pledge to make it happen

This statement is based on a pledge of
resistance that thousands of people in
protests across the US and around the
world have made at protests like today.
http://www.notinourname.net/

45,000 March against war in Melbourne

All pledge resistance against Australian involvement

A huge rally filled the streets of Melbourne on 13 October protesting Australian involvement in the planned attack on Iraq. An estimated crowd of 45,000 people marched from the State Library to the Treasury gardens chanting "No war for oil" and "Don't attack Iraq."

Speakers expressed their opposition to political violence and sympathy for the victims of the attacks in Bali, which reinforces the need for a different approach to conflict then further violence and war.

The diverse range of Victorians who attended expressed strong opposition to any attack regardless of the decision of the UN Security Council in the coming weeks, calling on the ALP to strongly oppose Australian involvement.

Leigh Hubbard, Secretary, Victorian Trades Hall Council, said "this attack will be a slaughter and a war crime, regardless of whether or not it has UN backing."

Prominent actor Annie Phelan led the gathering in a "pledge of resistance" to Australian involvement. "We believe that as people living in Australia it is our responsibility to resist the injustices done by our government, in our names. Not in our name will you wage unjustified wars there can be no more deaths, no more transfusions of blood for oil. We pledge resistance . We pledge to make common cause with the people of the world to bring about justice, freedom and peace. (see left for full statement).

Maureen Postma, Victorian Council of Churches, speaking on behalf of al faith communities said, "we want justice and peace for all, this war is immoral and people of faith are opposed.

Katerina Lecchi, Victorian Peace Network, said "if we want to see justice and peace in the Middle East we should start with Israel's continued occupation of the West Bank and Gaza in defiance of UN resolutions."

Damien Lawson, Victorian Peace Network, said today "This is just the beginning, in the coming weeks and months there will be a multitude of actions, meetings and protests against the war. We will be joining with networks in other states to build a broad national movement against an attack on Iraq."

The rally and march was called by a growing coalition of organisations which includes: Victorian Council of Churches, Victorian Trades Hall Council, Victorian Council of Social Services, Australian Arabic Council, Islamic Council of Victoria, Australian Jewish Democratic Society, National Union of Students and the Federation of Community Legal Centres.