Greens Senator Bob Brown says the removal of an American peace activist from Australia is about the Federal Government's relationship with Washington.
Scott Parkin, a 35-year-old teacher from Texas, was removed from Australia today and is on his way back to America. Mr Parkin was arrested at a demonstration in Melbourne and assessed as a threat to national security.
Senator Brown says his removal is politically motivated. "His deportation is political, it is the Howard Government responding to Washington," Senator Brown said.
"There is no way either his arrest or his deportation would have occurred without extensive consultations with the Bush administration in Washington." A colleague of Mr Parkin's says there is nothing to suggest the American has ever trained people to use violence.
Maureen Haver, who works with Mr Parkin at the Houston Global Awareness Collective, says he only ever uses creative resistance methods, such as street theatre and puppetry. Ms Haver has told ABC Radio National's Deep End program that people who are effective are often targeted. "Scott understands that the image of the angry protester, or the person that's just surly and upset and violent, isn't going to convey or resonate with the public, and that's who we're trying to reach out to," she said.
The Department of Immigration says Mr Parkin's removal from Australia will not affect his ability to travel internationally in the future. His lawyer, Erskine Rodan, says he cannot find out why his client was arrested. "It's very difficult to get an answer," he said. Yesterday, Mr Parkin's lawyer said the activist had agreed to his removal on the grounds that he could still appeal against the decision.
His lawyer said Mr Parkin wanted to go home to be with his family.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200509/s1461236.htm
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