Afghanistan

Letter from Parliament Square by Paul O'Hanlon

This article is about the long term peace campaign of Brian Haw and Barbara Tucker; the so called ‘Democracy Village` which occupied Parliament Square gardens for several months until July 20th this year had no connection with Brian Haw’s long running campaign.

Press release - 18 October 2010
On Tuesday, 19th October the Australian Parliament will debate Australian military involvement in the war and occupation of Afghanistan. Stand Fast, a group of veterans and former military personnel opposed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, is calling on the debate to openly consider and recognise the hidden casualties of this war and the long term cost this has on communities.

In a hard hitting maiden speech as the independant MP for Denison in Tasmania, Andrew Wilkie has hit out at both the Iraq and Afghanistan War. He accused the architects of the Iraq war of not caring about those the war killed and labelled our involvement in Afghanistan as being based on a "great lie".:

In a blunt statement he stated on the Iraq War

Stand Fast had another successful barracks speakout against the war in Afghanistan on Thursday, September 9, outside of Brisbane's Gallipoli Barracks – home of the Australian Army's 7th Brigade. Graeme Dunstan from Stand Fast provided great visual impact with huge and striking banners and flags and he also provided the sound through the PA of his Peacebus. Over the 5 hour protest about 20 people attended and helped hand out flyers to the soldiers entering and leaving the barracks with many staying for the entire time.