Half a million+ people protest Australian Industrial Relations law

indonesia / philippines / australia | workplace struggles | news report Sunday November 20, 2005 12:16 by Takver

In the union's ralllies and marches

Around Australia more than half a million people have met, rallied and protested the Howard Government’s Industrial Relations laws being pushed through Federal Parliament.

Union Protests mobilize half a million people

Around Australia more than half a million people have met, rallied and protested the Howard Government’s Industrial Relations laws being pushed through Federal Parliament.

According to Sharran Burrows, ACTU President, the crowd at the Melbourne Rally was by far the largest in the nation with approximately 210.000 people attending. Early estimates of the Melbourne crowd proved inaccurate as city workers left their offices and people continued to arrive to join the protest. The Melbourne march stretched more than eighteen city blocks and taking more than one and a quarter hours to pass.

Regional meetings around Victoria also attracted about 25.000 people. For New South Wales around 45.000 people attended Sydney rallies in Martin Place and outside Central Station with a further 95.000 people in more than two hundred packed venues and locations around the State.

Queensland had 25.000 people attend the Brisbane rally and a further 35.000 in other parts of the State.

In Adelaide 40.000 attended a rally and march, according to Unions of South Australia, with a further 10.000 people at regional meetings.

The Northern Territory had 3.000 people attend a protest meeting in Darwin and 2.000 people in Alice Springs, Katherine and other Northern Territory locations.

Around 5.000 people attended a protest meeting at the Canberra Racecourse.

Hobart unions estimate 6.000 people attended a rally and a further 5.000 in other Tasmania protest locations.

Initial estimates of the crowds in Western Australia include around 30.000 people in Perth and a further 10.000 in other parts of the State.

Sympathy protests were also held across the Tasman in Aotearoa/New Zealand in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Initial report said 200 people rallied in Wellington (NZ) at the Australian High Commision in solidarity with Australian workers.