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Let laugh them out of power!
a
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April Fools Day - why aren't nukes at the top of the
Posted by: "FoE Sydney - Nuclear Campaign" foesyd4@...
johnhallam2001
Tue Jan 30, 2007 7:35 pm (PST)
The below is from Felicity Hill, who is well - known to all of us.

Particularly in Sydney, there is a desperste need to re-invigorate
the anti- nuclear and anti-nuclear-weapons movement.

We had hundreds of thousands of people in the streets about it in the
1980s, when it was an 'end-of-the-world' issue.(for Palm Sunday
rallies).

For goodness sake, especially since the moving of the hands of the
'doomsday clock' not so long ago, let us put nuclear weapons and
nukes generally right at the top of the activist agenda

Dear Colleagues,

As you may have noticed, in 2007 Palm Sunday falls on April Fools Day.

Shortly before the Christmas break it dawned on many of us in Melbourne
who have been involved in the peace movement over the years that this
was a significant congruence of dates as Australia heads into an
election year with a Government intent on establishing a nuclear
industry in Australia.

So we called a meeting, brainstormed a lot of ideas, and now have 35
organisations signed up. Following the April Fools Day theme, we decided
to plan an up-beat, theatrical and comedy based approach to the serious
issue of peace. We will protest war, the fool on the hill and the
nuclear fool cycle!

We are organising a public meeting with Dr. Helen Caldicott and others
on Thursday 1 March, and a parade and festival on 1 April, ending at the
biggest outdoor entertainment venue in Melbourne, the Sidney Myer Music
Bowl. We are involving comedians in all our events, and also asking
people to dress up and ride their bikes to protest the nuclear fool
cycle and foolish wars.

We came to consensus on the following demands which you can read more
about on our website www.NuclearFoolsDay.org :

Stop nuclear power in Australia: Renewables not reactors!
Stop uranium mining: Leave it in the ground!
Stop nuclear weapons and wars: Reject the US nuclear umbrella!
Stop nuclear waste: No waste dump in Australia!

The enthusiasm for holding an up-beat, theatrical and comedy based
approach to protest has attracted quite a bit of interest.

- 35 organisations have signed up

- Country towns and other capital cities are organising events,

- Michael Leunig, one of Australia's most popular cartoonists, has
agreed to create some poster artwork to help send a peaceful and
family-friendly message for the parade and festival,

- Some popular bands with diverse styles have signed up to entertain in
between comedy acts and speakers

- the International Comedy Festival, which starts two days after Palm
Sunday in Melbourne has cleared their artists to appear at Palm Sunday
events, and some will view this as a good dry run / dress rehearsal /
advertising for their shows during the festival

- a broad call has gone out to celebrities to send a video message
supporting a peaceful and nuclear free future

This email is sent out to NGOs outside of Australia in case you would
also like to organise a Palm Sunday event to protest war, your fool on
the hill and the nuclear fool cycle too! We would happily advertise your
event, however big or small, on our website.

Best wishes

Palm Sunday Alliance for a Peaceful and Nuclear-Free Future in Australia

1. Medical Association for Prevention of War
2. Australian Conservation Foundation
3. Friends of the Earth
4. Environment Centre of the Northern Territory
5. Peace Organisation of Australia
6. Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
7. Greenpeace
8. Australian Student Environment Network
9. Nuclear Disarmament Party
10. Global Climate Change Action
11. Action in Solidarity with Asia and the Pacific
12. Socialist Alliance
13. Catholics in Coalition for Justice and Peace (CCJP)
14. Alice Action
15. Arid Lands Environment Centre
16. Stop the War Coalition
17. Nuclear Free Australia
18. Australian Peace Committee (South Australia)
19. Sustainable Living Foundation
20. Pax Christi, International Christian Peace Movement Victoria,
21. One World Network
22. World Dreams Peace Bridge
23. Beyond Zero Emissons, Zero Emission Network
24. University of Melbourne Environment Collective
25. Peace Convergence
26. The Australian Democrats
27. Justice and International Mission Unit, Uniting Church in Victoria
and Tasmania'
28. Moreland Peace Group
29. Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, Melbourne
30. Women's Web - Women's Stories, Women's Actions
31. Japanese for Peace
32. The Wilderness Society
33. PeaceMouth
34. Global Sisterhood Network
35. No Waste Alliance