Day of Action

Coalition to Beat Back the Far-RightCTBBTFR@gmail.com

Day of Action against World Congress of Families
30th August in Melbourne

Media Release

Activists are pleased to announce an entire day of subversive activity against the upcoming gathering of rightwingers and bigots, the World Congress of Families, to be held in Melbourne on August 30th. Beginning at 8am with a “welcome they deserve,” the day will feature a protest hosted by Equal Love at 11am and a Block Party against Hate in the afternoon.

Police are hurriedly vetting registrants and scouting venues in an attempt to provide security for the besieged congress. The final venue remains unclear as they try to avoid clashes with widespread community opposition. 

The World Congress of Families event is a gathering of anti-abortion campaigners, homophobes, misogynists and racists. It will be attended by high profile Liberal Party politicians including Senator Eric Abetz the Federal Minister for Employment, Kevin Andrews the Federal Minister for Social Services and Senator Cory Bernardi. 

The Coalition to Beat Back the Far-Right is organising the 8am “welcome.” Its theme is “Unite to Beat Back the Far-Right: Our bodies, our lives, our right to organise.” The campaign’s spokesperson, Debbie Brennan, explains the Day of Action: “The congress is a coming together of far-right bigotry, which aims to legitimise and enforce its ideas. The broad community is exercising our free speech rights in a variety of ways to counter this anti-woman, homophobic, transphobic, racist, anti-union hate.” Naomi Farmer, National Queer Officer for the National Union of Students says, “The far-right wants lesbian, gay, bi and trans people back inside the family closet, but we will not go back! Neither will students stand by while education is turned into a profit-making industry that leaves most of us in lifelong debt.” A public sector worker, who cannot give her name because of the risk of dismissal, says why unionists will protest: “Eric Abetz is threatening our pay, conditions, access to personal leave and retirement. Many more will lose their jobs through cuts to departments, outsourcing and privatisation. It is outrageous that Abetz is attending this conference, pretending to care about families. What about the families of public sector workers? Or families that rely on our essential services? It seems that he doesn't care about them at all.”

Brennan, a member of Radical Women, adds: “This event is the convening of an extreme-right movement, which brought us the May Budget and is behind the cruel assaults on the whole community — from refusing women’s reproductive rights and defunding of women’s refuges to the Northern Territory Intervention, Operation Sovereign Borders and destruction of the environment.” 

Media Contacts:Debbie Brennan 0425 733 256
Naomi Farmer 0419 355 511