Hundreds of people have rallied in several capital cities, in support of Australian Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hicks. The rallies were organised to put pressure on the Commonwealth Government to bring Hicks back to Australia to be tried or released.The terrorism suspect has spent five years in detention without being tried.
One supporter, Kay Danes, gave an emotional speech at the at Victoria Square rally in Adelaide. Ms Danes is an Australian who was held in a Laos prison for ten months, before being pardoned. "I hope that every single one of you here today has a reaction," she said. "I hope that you stop and look at these people shackled with hoods over their faces and understand that that truly is a reality."
"And I hope you realize that it is a bad idea to support terrorism against the decent people ... hey, who put John Bolton's speech in front of me?"
In Sydney, hundreds of Hicks supporters have marched to protest outside the US consulate. Earlier at a rally at the city's Town Hall, former Guantanamo prisoner Mahmdou Habib told the crowd that time is running out for David Hicks. "Any country, they take care of their own citizens, except the John Howard government," he said. "[I'm telling] anybody, when they leave from this place not just to demonstrate but to go to the Parliament and tell them release him now."
About 200 people including politicians, church leaders and prominent lawyers have gathered in Perth to call for the release of Hicks.