Hicks Rally

Still recovering from NUS so unable to go- But I am glad that people are still against the unlawful imprisonment of David Hicks.

Thousands rally to bring Hicks home

December 9, 2006 - 7:59PM

Thousands of people have rallied in capital cities across Australia, urging the federal government to do more to bring David Hicks home from Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

More than a thousand people marched in Sydney, while hundreds took part in protests in Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Canberra to mark the fifth anniversary of the accused terrorist's incarceration.

But only 400 people turned out in Hick's hometown of Adelaide, with his father Terry Hick's blaming the 40 degree Celsius heat for the lowest attendance yet at the annual rally.

Mr Hicks, who says he has not spoken with his son since July 7, was optimistic the recent change in the federal Labor leadership could hold new hope for his son's release.

"We'd like to test the waters with Kevin Rudd to get his thoughts," Mr Hicks said.

"I would imagine that it would be of interest to him because it might be a reasonable opportunity to gain some votes if the number of people turning out across Australia for the rally today is any indication."

David Hicks has been held in the US detention centre at Guantanamo Bay on Cuba since January 2002 after being captured in Afghanistan in late 2001.

The Muslim convert had pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy, attempted murder and aiding the enemy.

However, the charges were dropped after the US Supreme Court in June declared that the military tribunals set up to try Hicks and other inmates were illegal.

Former Guantanamo Bay detainee Mamdouh Habib was among those marching in Sydney, and wore a t-shirt with the slogan "Prisoner Exchange Program - Imprison Howard - Free Hicks".

"(Prime Minister) John Howard, he doesn't want (to) bring David Hicks here for so many reasons, because he's a good witness against the crime of the government overseas," Mr Habib told the gathering that marched on the US Consulate.

"And, I'm telling you from here, I'm not scared from anybody. I'm not scared to go back to Guantanamo Bay. I'm telling John Howard, come here, take me back to Guantanamo Bay - I will be proud to be there ... with you, because you (are a) criminal."

Labor's legal affairs spokeswoman Nicola Roxon, who addressed the crowd in Melbourne's Federation Square, said the government's stubbornness was the reason Hicks had not been brought home.

"Australia's laws are more than adequate to deal with any security risk that the government believes Mr Hicks poses," she said.

"If Mr Hicks is assessed as a security risk to the community, our laws allow control orders to monitor a person's movements in proportion to the threat they pose to the community."

In Brisbane, Queensland Democrats senator Andrew Bartlett applauded the hundreds at the rally, saying they should not be ashamed to defend Australians' rights.


If someone hears about this sort of thing please post on it! I would love to hear about it (preferably before the event so I have some chance of attending!)

Rhi
xoxo