Protesters gathered at Railway Square on May 7 as part of an international day of action against the surge in military spending to demand Labor cut its military budget and cancel the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines.
The action was part of the Global Days of Action on Military Spending, from April 12 to May 15, called by the International Peace Bureau. βWar Costs Us the Earthβ is the global campaign slogan.
The action was sponsored by the Anti-Bases Campaign Coalition (ABCC) and Sydney Anti-AUKUS Coalition.
They handed out leaflets to passers-by calling for the funding to be redirected to health, education, social welfare and climate action.
Activists asked why federal Labor is spending $100 billion a year on the military β more than it spends on health or education.
βDo you want the government to spend $32 million every year for 30 years on nuclear submarines? And even more to try to store nuclear waste,β asked Denis Doherty from the ABCC.
βThe money would be far better spent on solving the housing crisis, programs for domestic violence prevention and mental health, aid for the people of Gaza and much more.β
[For more information and to get involved visitΒ .]