| [Melbourne]A roomful of protesters wearing Mahatma Gandhi masks demanded an explanation for the deportation of US peace activist Scott Parkin from Australian Attorney-General Philip Ruddock at a speaking engagement in Melbourne tonight. Supporters of Mr Parkin donned the Gandhi masks and confronted Mr. Ruddock in a bid to find out why ASIO, the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation, considers the 36 year old history teacher a threat to Australia's national security. Several held placards which asked "Would you deport Gandhi, Mr Ruddock?" Mr Parkin, who was deported from Australia on Friday, has spoken of his committment to nonviolent methods of protest and remains "baffled" as to the reasons for his negative security assessment and deportation. In a statement made while still in detentation last week, Mr Parkin said: "I am a student of mass social movements in the tradition of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr and I think that these movements have shown us the way to achieve positive social change." The protestors are demanding to know if Australian citizens who have associated with Scott are also considered threats to national security by ASIO. |