Peter Mc Gregor - Political Activities and Campaigns

Political Activities and Campaigns

1969

• Anti Apartheid Activist joined SADAF (the South African Defence and Aid Fund) & CARIS (opposition to racism in sport) 1970

1971

• Full-time Activist of 'The Anti – Apartheid Movement' - joint convenor along with Meredith Burgmann and Denis Freney was paid $20.00 per week to be a full-time activist and mobilise against the Springbok Rugby Tour & the SA Cricket Tour 1971-72.

1973

• Campaign Organiser of the World University Service Australia (WUSA) - against South African Apartheid and for Zimbabwe/Rhodesian independence. Travelled around New Zealand in support of their campaign against the upcoming Springbok Rugby Tour. Fell out with Sekai Holland & other members & left the organisation disillusioned.

1974

• Sydney Anarchist Group - Brisbane Self Management Group (SMG) seemed to have the most coherent political position and McGregor wanted to set up a similar group in Sydney - used their manifestos "As We See It & As We Don't See It" to call for the National Anarchist Conference in Sydney January 1975. McGregor with other anarchists such as Ken Hauptman, Graham Minchin. Margaret Creagh, and Jim Couch established the Sydney Anarchist Group (SAG).

1975-77

• Squatting & Unemployed - re-birthing from seeing politics as an external issue to activism as a way-of-life ('personal is political'). Property was theft so why not squat & since work was wage slavery then don't. The Sydney Anarchist Group staged a rent strike and squatted 130 Glebe Pt Rd Glebe where they set up an Anarchist Bookshop & Library & printed the squatting Tabloid "Rising Free". Arrested for Dole Cheating. Moved to Hereford St. Squat in Glebe & helped produce "Plague" a squatting paper another publication by SAG.

1978

• Squatted DMR (Department of Main Roads) house in Bondi. Hilton Bombing (13 February) happened and three members of the Ananda Marga were framed, Paul Alister, Ross Dunn & Tim Anderson. Bondi Squat raided because of HB - printed 'Panic' a Bondi Based anarchist Magazine. Asked to leave squat by other squatters - as McGregor's activism was drawing too much attention from the Special Squad.
• Situation - Bob Dylan toured Oz & "the Sydney Sewer Rats" aka Peter McGregor, Graham Minchin & Ken Hauptman printed/forged tickets to his show & handed them out to protesters at an Anti-Uranium Rally.

1979

• Free Bill O'Meally (Aust. longest serving prisoner) Bill was freed in July 1979 after serving 27 years
• Jose Bilbao (Spanish immigrant who died in Police Custody). Inquest held Police were found culpable but were not charged
• Rent Controlled Flat court case - took Developer (Taubmans, Sydney Paint Manufacturer) to court to reclaim back rent on a rent controlled flat. . Received a payout of $6,500.00.

1980

• Persons Unknown Trial London - six anarchists arrested & framed. Set up General Defence Committee in Sydney.

1985

• Free Anderson, Dunn & Alister - Campaign to free three Ananda Marga members framed & jailed for the Hilton Bombing
• Alison Thorne Campaign - spoke about gay rights on radio & was pulled off face-to-face teaching - campaign to re-instated her as an on class teacher.
• Leichhardt Municipal Council Elections - LC was run by the right wing of the Labour Party. Peter & Johanna opposed local developments & received death threats by Labour Party right wing thugs. Johanna ran for Council on same ticket as Nick Origlass & Issy Wyner ultra left candidates who when elected implemented a more democratic council & ratepayers process.

1987

• Vietnam National conference - co-organised conference that brought together most sides of the conflict. Part of a delegation from the conference invited to visit Vietnam in 1988.

1988

• Aboriginal Deaths in Custody - Member of Aboriginal Deaths in Custody Watch Committee & editor of their newsletter. Passed a motion at the Convergence Conference Australian Communications Association Armidale 14–16 June calling for the petitioning of the Governor of Queensland for the pardoning of Aboriginal prisoner Kevin Condren - verballed for murder.
• Member of the Bicentennial Protest Group.
• Member of the People's History Group.

1989

• Beyond Social Control Conference - organiser & presented paper on " From Free Speech to Freedom "

1993

• Justice Campaign for Hilton Bombing Victims with Terry Griffiths (ex Police Officer & bomb victim) demanded an inquiry into the security forces. The aim/goal of the Campaign was to discover who was responsible for the bombing, and have them brought to justice.
• Aid to Vietnam - member of the Australia Vietnam Society and secretary of the Sydney Branch. Helped organise a successful benefit for the Fred Hollows Foundation raising over $4,000.00.
• Coalition Against Police Violence. Campaign to gain justice for Gary Hayes who was bashed by WA Police. When he made a complaint to relevant authorities & was ignored he stole an armoured personnel Carrier was captured & forcibly injected with psychiatric drugs and imprisoned.

1996

• Independence for East Timor. Occupied the Prime Minister Paul Keating's office, in support of East Timorese asylum seekers in the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, and arrested for Trespassing. Case dismissed on grounds it was a public space & the protestors has a right to be there.
• Freedom of Speech - How to Vote Neither. An anti voting electoral campaign & justice for Albert Langer who was jailed for advocating voting for neither in the 1996 Federal Election.
• Jura Dispute - attempt to mobilise Sydney Anarchists to reform & develop a functioning Anarchist collective from the dysfunctional ruins of the Jura the Anarchist bookshop & collective. Was thrown off the collective. Bougainville Freedom Movement

1997

• Aboriginal Reconciliation Group at UWS, Nepean. Helped form the group in 1997 as a response to John Howard's refusal to apologise and in support of the Council of Aboriginal Reconciliation (CAR).
• Blue Murder - showed banned DVD of ABC's award winning TV Series BM on Police corruption in NSW to students - reported I n the Sun Herald 31.08.97.

1999

• Australia & East Timor - organised guest lecturers on UWS Campus to talk about East Timor Independence

2000

• S11 World Economic Forum in Melbourne - organised a demonstration in Newcastle.
• National Textile Workers (Rutherford, NSW) - organised a forum at University Western Sydney, Nepean in support of the sacked workers.
• East Timor Independence & Renewal - worked with Mary McKillop Institute to support post independence renewal.

2001

• East Timor Independence - handed out leaflet with 2 others (Brendon Doyle & Susan Connolly) at forum held by Whitlam Institute(Gough Whitlam) highlighting the former prime minister 's complicity with the Indonesian occupation of East Timor. All three were evicted from the Theatre & threatened with police action.

2002-5

• University Funding Cuts - Actively campaigned against John Howard's (Australian Prime Minister) devastation of the Higher Education Sector at his workplace the University of Western Sydney. Leaked internal document re: wages of staff & VC to local paper Penrith Star. Eventually all of his classes were cancelled & McGregor was forced to resign in 2005.

2006

• Opposition to WorkChoices Industrial Relations Legislation - Lone protest against Kevin Andrews (Federal Minister for Workplace Relations) and the Liberal Govt Workchoices IR legislation at Newcastle City Hall.
• Boeing Workers Lockout - supported picket line of Boeing Workers who were sacked because they would not accept individual workchoices style contracts - wanted collective bargaining.
• Kerry Packer DisMemorial. Helped plan a demonstration against the State Funeral of Kerry Packer a self-centred businessman who made lots of money for himself. Several protestors were arrested.
• Free David Hicks - Australian prisoner at Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp

2007

• Citizens Arrest of Philip Ruddock for War Crimes - at a Seminar held by the Law Faculty of UNSW McGregor called on the police to arrest Philip Ruddock Federal Attorney General (a keynote speaker), for war crimes in Iraq. McGregor was arrested for 'unlawful entry on inclosed land....' but case was eventually dismissed.
• Citizens Arrest of Philip Ruddock (AG), John Howard (PM) & Alexander Downer (Foreign Minister) for War Crimes - tried to stand up in Federal Parliament & call for the arrest of these govt. pollies but was arrested. Case was later dismissed.
• Lone Campaigner against NSW Council for Civil Liberties. Handed out a leaflet (23 May), to people attending a NSWCCL dinner, on their mishandling of the free speech defence of the protestors arrested at the Packer Dismemorial.
• Close Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp