Hicks Mardi Gras Float wins 'Most Outstanding Political Comment'

MARDI GRAS FLOAT WINS TOP AWARD: 'MOST OUTSTANDING POLITICAL COMMENT'

MEDIA RELEASE
16 April 2007

A contingent of university students and community activists who entered in the 2007 Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras received the top award for 'Most Outstanding Political Comment' after being nominated for their entry: 'Bring David Hicks Home' float in this year's Mardi Gras.

Jason Hart, float co-ordinator said that the win demonstrated that the fight for equality and the protection of human rights was universal - whether for gays and lesbians, or for those who have campaigned tirelessly for 5 years for due process to be upheld and the basic tenets of legal rights to be recognised.

'In the case of Hicks, we will never truly know what his culpability was in relation to lawful charges brought before a duly constituted court. The Military Commissions and the retrospective charge he faced satisfied neither of these criteria. Instead, the /Stalinist /show-trial Hicks was subjected to was a complete farce and will continue to remain so until all Guantánamo detainees have the right to challenge their detention in US civilian courts', said Jason Hart.