AUSTRALIANS PROTEST AGAINST ABBOTT ADMINISTRATION
Sidney, 15 Jumadil Awwal 1435/16 March 2014 (MINA) – Australians have poured onto the streets of major cities across the country to protest against policies of the federal government of Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
The so-called March-in-March protests began Saturday and continued on Sunday in major cities across the country, including Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.
Demonstrators voiced anger against a wide range of federal policies, such as indigenous rights, mistreatment of migrant asylum seekers and the tax system in the country. Press TV reported as quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA).
Other issues of concern to the Australian protesters are government policies on climate change and media ownership.
Organizers of the nationwide protests say the anti-government demonstrations are part of a grassroots movement that has nothing to do with political parties.
According to local press reports, while Abbott ignored the protests when asked about it in a news conference, opposition leader Bill Shorten of the Labor Party also distanced himself from the protests, telling reporters that his party is not formally involved in the effort.
“But I do get that people want to express their views. It’s a free country,” Shorten stated.
The weekend demonstrations are expected to end on Monday, when protest organizers plan to deliver a statement of no-confidence in the Abbott administration to the Parliament House in Canberra.
The protesters assembled carrying banners which read, Stop Abbott, Save Medicare, and, Free Universal Health Care. Demonstrators urged the administration of Prime Minister Tony Abbott to dismiss any changes to Medicare, which is Australia’s healthcare service.
The Australian prime minister had previously dismissed claims that the government was planning to introduce a fee as nothing more than a scare campaign. “Nothing is being considered, nothing has been proposed, nothing is planned,” Abbott said earlier this month.
Before the Australian premier’s decision to scrap the Medicare, the country’s healthcare was believed to be one of the best in the world. (T/P04/P03)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
