I was there: storming Parliament 1996

On 19 August 1996, about 2000 workers, Indigenous activists and students pushed their way into the entry of Parliament House in Canberra. Thousands more cheered them on. They were angry with the new John Howard Coalition government's attacks on workers’ rights. The government, media and even union leaders denounced the protesters as rioters. This episode marks a new segment for this podcast series. It’s called “I was there” and we’ll be interviewing activists who took part in key moments in the struggle. Today our guest is Solidarity member Tom Orsag, who was part of the protest in 1996. Then, Tom was a teacher. Now he’s a construction worker and a member of the CFMEU. You can read a history of the day here.

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