This is a video from Australia for the September 5 student strike against George W Bush’s policies on global warming and the war in Iraq.
From the Walkout Against George Bush organizers in Australia:
For immediate release
Students: Della Bosca’s memo will only get more to protest
Students organising the Walkout Against George Bush on September 5 are outraged at N[ew] S[outh] W[ales] Education Minister John Della Bosca’s memo to school principals instructing them to take disciplinary action against students who protest Bush’s arrival [in Australia].
“It is hypocritical that the NSW government has called a public holiday for APEC, at the same time as criticising us for orgainsing the walkout. All students want to do is peacefully express their opposition to Bush by using their democratic right to protest. I ask John Della Bosca, what is so ‘wrong’ or ‘dangerous’ about that?” Amber Pike, student strike organiser, said.
“Young people will not be silenced – the NSW Government’s attempt to intimidate students will backfire. It will only get more students to walkout. Protesting to end the war on Iraq and for sustainable solutions to climate change is the only way to guarantee that there is a future.
The Education Department should be supporting students to make this statement.” Pike stated.
“This is an attempt by the Education Minister to deny the students the right to express a political opinion and to make an informed decision to protest. If high school students are old enough to work, old enough to pay tax they should have the right to protest” Simon Cunich, student walkout orgainser and Resistance, socialist youth organisation member said.
“It is the police, not students, that are preparing for a confrontation. If the NSW government is so concerned about safety why have they approved the $600,000 for a dangerous water cannon? We are armed with nothing but a peaceful message – to end the war in Iraq,” said Cunich.
Students concerned about their schools taking disciplinary action against walkout participants they are encouraged to download a permission slip … The website will also soon have a ‘know your rights at high school’ section.
Students are organising on a number of high schools and universities in the lead up to APEC. Students will be handing out leaflets and ‘Stop Bags’ outside high schools every day until the walkout.
Walkout Against George Bush
September 5, 1pm Belmore Park [Sydney, Australia].
Dear Kitty. Some blog 
Petraeus Tries To Manipulates Aussies With FALSE Iraq Claims
Posted by: “G. Myrick” garymyrick@sbcglobal.net garymyrick
Fri Aug 31, 2007 11:58 am (PST)
A little ammunition against the “surge” in bullcrap that we have all seen coming for months. It’s too bad that General Patraeus didn’t consider what happened to the reputation of Bush’s original general-turned-war-salesman Colin Powell, after he played in the same role.
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Also see: “Iraq body count running at DOUBLE pace” at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070825/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_counting_the_dead
AND: “Grim GAO Iraq Report BELIES Official Optimism” at http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=39094
AND: “Petraeus ‘SOFTENED’ Intelligence Community’s Judgments About State Of Iraq Violence” at http://thinkprogress.org/2007/08/28/petraeus-bush/
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Petraeus Attempts To Manipulate Australian Election With False Claims About Iraq
ThinkProgress
August 31, 2007
On Monday, President Bush will visit Australia to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. The White House is using the trip to try to influence the Australian election, where Bush’s good friend John Howard is pitted in a contest against Labor leader Kevin Rudd.
Howard was an early supporter of the Iraq invasion and has remained one of Bush’s few solid foreign allies. Prior to the 2004 U.S. presidential election, Howard weighed in, claiming a Bush reelection was needed in order to “stay and finish the job” in Iraq.
Now, the Iraq war is dragging down Howard’s chances of being reelected. 57 percent of Australians want to end the war. Rudd, who leads the Labor Party, has “made it clear he will withdraw the Australian combat forces from Iraq by the middle of next year.” Recent polls indicate Labor leads Howard’s coalition by 14 points. Howard has yet to set a date for the election, but it is expected to occur later this year.
The White House appears to be using Gen. David Petraeus as PR flack to assist Howard’s reelection effort. Petraeus offered a one-on-one interview with The Australian, timed to coincide with Bush’s visit. In the interview, Petraeus said Bush’s Iraq strategy is working:
General Petraeus told The Australian during a face-to-face interview at his Baghdad headquarters there had been a 75 per cent reduction in religious and ethnic killings since last year.
The Australian reports, “In a general sense, this success will help the Howard Government.” But as numerous reports have indicated, these claims of success are SPECIOUS. Sectarian and ethnic killings remain VERY HIGH, running at almost DOUBLE the rate of last year.
Dennis Shanahan, the Australian reporter who spoke with Petraeus, said there were attacks directed at the U.S. embassy during the interview. “So for [Petraeus] to be talking there about security in Iraq, there was a certain irony attached,” Shanahan said.
For his contribution, Bush granted an interview to Australian Sky News to laud Howard as “a man of steel.” Bush “refused to accept” that his key Iraq ally was heading to defeat.
Read this with LINKS at http://thinkprogress.org/2007/08/31/petraeus-john-howard/
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