Vic: Protesters attempt to storm Vanstone press conference

AAP General News (Australia)
12-18-2003
Vic: Protesters attempt to storm Vanstone press conference

MELBOURNE, Dec 18 AAP - Police today held back some 80 demonstrators as they attempted
to storm a press conference by Immigration Minister Senator Amanda Vanstone in Melbourne.

Braving heavy rain, the 80 protesters blockaded the entrance to the Committee for Economic
Development of Australia (CEDA) office, where Senator Vanstone was releasing a report
on Australia's brain drain.

A force of some 20 police backed up by six mounted police kept the protesters outside
the building while Senator Vanstone, who had used a rear entrance, conducted her business
undisturbed.

One protester suffered an epileptic fit in the pushing and shoving and was treated
at the scene by ambulance officers.

Protest spokeswoman Renee Handsaker said Senator Vanstone had the power to release
asylum seekers immediately.

Their protest focused on the plight of Iranian asylum seeker Sasan Mashayekhi, who
protesters said would spend his sixth Christmas behind razor wire unless Senator Vanstone
intervened.

"Vanstone could end Sasan's agony tomorrow," Ms Handsaker said.

"Recent opinion polls show opposition to the government's lies about asylum seekers
is increasing.

"He can't go back to Iran so how long is the government going to keep this young man locked up?"

Meanwhile inside, Senator Vanstone released a CEDA report which showed growing numbers
of highly skilled Australians preferred to work overseas and were not returning.

It found there has been a dramatic increase in the permanent and long-time departure
of Australians by more than 146 per cent over the past 10 years.

More than two thirds of these were managers, administrators, professionals and para
professionals.

The report recommends the establishment of a register of expatriates and a study to
identify reasons why Australian professionals were deciding not to return.

AAP ag/szp/ce/jv/jlw

KEYWORD: DETENTION PROTEST

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