Vale Peter McGregor

I'm stunned and very sad. I met Peter McGregor recently, in his home in Newcastle in September when I was involved with the APEC demo Ghost Dance. He was as lovely and sweet a bloke as I could hope to meet, and most hospitable; we corresponded by email in recent months. He fought for human justice for more than 35 years. He's taken his life.

"Peter McGregor, a veteran antiwar activist, was frog-marched out of the event by two plainclothes police officers for interrupting a keynote address by the Howard government’s attorney-general, Philip Ruddock.

"As Ruddock began his speech, 'The law as a preventative weapon against terrorism,' McGregor rose from his seat in the second row, turned to the audience and said: 'Why are you welcoming this man? He is a war criminal.' Before he could say more, he was grabbed and bundled out of the auditorium, despite objections from this correspondent and other delegates."

The last email I received from him, in December, said, in part:

Thanks again for your support, & sorry it's another long one, but this is the latest - & perhaps my last on this protest... Please read Michael Head's article "Australian legal academics accept arrest of antiwar colleague" at www.wsws.org/articles/2007/sep2007/lega-s05.shtml & let me know of anything your do/write/etc. of this protest, but also whatever you are up to... Rather that steadying a leaking & rotten boat, by supporting each other we can rock it... Hey ! We could even help sink it !
Love & rage, peter

Obituary of a great man

Categories: anarchism, activism, obituary