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Anti-filter rallies finally off the ground

Australian Greens add voice to national day of action against proposed mandatory filtering after previous events delayed

Australian Greens communications spokesperson, Senator Scott Ludlam, is set to join hundreds in Perth to call for a stop to mandatory ISP filter plans.

The protest is being organised by Stop The Filter, which claimed the Senator was a confirmed speaker at the event. It will run from 12pm-3pm in Perth on Saturday, March 6.

Senator Ludlam expects a “great many” Australians to take to the streets in protest against the Government’s continuing plans to filter the Internet at an ISP level.

“The Government’s proposed mandatory net censorship scheme has been almost universally condemned,” he said in a statement. “It is a wildly inappropriate and off-target attempt to engage with a set of problems that deserve a more serious response.

“This weekend, I'm looking forward to joining with many others to remind the Labor Party that the 2010 election campaign would be a great time to announce a change in policy.”

According to the Facebook page of the rally, 842 members were considering attending. This figure does not include non-Facebook users.

The Perth rally is one of three being held simultaneously in Australia, with Melbourne and Brisbane also set to participate.

Groups involved with the rally have hit a series of hurdles with previous planned events on January 31 moved because of timing conflicts with Perth’s Big Day Out and an inability to get protest permits or enough volunteers.

The timing issues are continuing, with the March 6 date coinciding with events being held around the country to celebrate International Women’s Day. Sydney’s planned protest march was also changed to a drug and alcohol-free family friendly picnic protest.

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Comments

1

Trish Zanetti

Sat 06/03/2010 - 02:36

Actually we have 608 confirmed as well as 848 maybes on Facebook and the event has been steadily promoted elsewhere for the past 3 weeks.

Just what numbers that will equate to on the day - we will just have to wait and see.

Those on the fence about actually coming, may be interested to know that Project Mayhem have agreed to come and play their song "Filter This" and more.

The new STF Sydney Organiser is suffering from rally envy ;-)

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