Three people protest AUSMIN in Melbourne

8 Nov 2010, 3:50 pm   -   Source: AAP
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Three protesters and four billboards make a small but vocal protest against the defence alliance AUSMIN talks in Melbourne.

Anti-war protester Graeme Dunstan wasn't disappointed that only he and two others turned up to protest against Australia-US defence talks in Melbourne on Monday.

As far as he was concerned, raising a voice of protest against the deals being done at the Australia-US Ministerial talks (AUSMIN) was enough.

"No, our message is getting out ... so we're doing our job," Mr Dunstan told AAP.

Mr Dunstan, whose anti-war activist credentials go back to Vietnam protests in 1966, took to the microphone outside the Victoria Barracks in Melbourne, while a few hundred metres away in Government House, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Kevin Rudd and Australian Defence Minister Stephen Smith discussed alliance defence issues.

Mr Dunstan said he was travelling around the country representing Stand Fast, a group of about 30 veterans and former military personnel who oppose the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

While he and his two fellow protesters were outnumbered by the four billboards they set up on the side of St Kilda Road, he felt his job had been done.

"To get noticed, to get the message out, that veterans and servicepeople don't like the Afghan war, they know the troubles that are coming afterwards," he said.

"But also feeling betrayed by AUSMIN, that the Australian military are basically surrendering our sovereignty at the bases."

After weekend reports that the US could begin making more use of Australian defence bases and use them for expanded training, Mr Gates said after the AUSMIN talks a group would be set up "to begin developing options for defence co-operation on Australian soil".

On his microphone while the talks went on, Mr Dunstan called for a parliamentary debate on the issue.

"We call for the Greens, who hold the balance of power, to step up and demand a parliamentary debate," he said.

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