Cancel AUKUS, End US Alliance, No Peace without Justice
Extinction Rebellion Australia, 22 Sept 2026
To mark the 2026 International Day of Peace, XR rebels joined other community members and organisations to show our opposition to US and Australian Govt war preparations.
Australia has unwisely signed two agreements with the USA: AUKUS, and the Force Posture Agreement that makes Australia party to regional US military actions. Go to the Australian Anti-AUKUS website to find out more about both.
Add your name to the call for the Australian government to action the one year notice opt-out clause in both agreements.
XRSA rebels joined Port Adelaide Community Opposing AUKUS (PACOA) at the Port Adelaide Peace Rally. The day celebrated the people’s movement for peace and friendship in the local region and beyond. It featured two community choirs, the Port Adelaide Artists Forum (PAAF) Giant Sub inflatable, XRSA street theatre, Public Art Peaceboats, Fiddle We Must band, and the Peacewalkers Against AUKUS. Speakers included the AUKUS Public Inquiry’s Karina Lester, MLC Melanie Selwood, AFOPA’s Mike Khizam, Prof Al Rainnie and local Port Adelaide legend Sandra Dann. The event was MC’d by Eileen Darley.
The rally route went from the Workers Memorial to across the road from Mark Butler MP’s office then on to the wharf for the arrival of the @peacewalkersagainstAUKUS who had walked 400km from Port Augusta. A flotilla of kayaks on the river added to the color. On the wharf in Port Adelaide, people were encouraged to fold an origami boat and write a message for Mark Butler MP on it.
The Melbourne rally to mark the International Day of Action was held outside the US Consulate in St Kilda Rd. First Nations speaker Yaraan Couzens Bundle, a proud Gunditjimara Djab Wurrung Yuin Bidiara woman, travelled from Djab Wurrung country (Halls Gap) to address the rally.
Shirley Winton from the Australian Anti-AUKUS Coalition and Nathalie Farah from the Anti-Militarism Action Network (AMAN) shared the MC duties. Speakers included
Margie Beavis from the Medical Association for the Prevention of War (MAPW),
John Lander, NAV, Mai Saif from Free Palestine Melbourne, speakers from trade unions and other organisations.
The ‘Singing for Purpose’ choir collective was made up of the Brunswick Rogues Choir and the Victorian Trade Union Choir. Interested people had been invited to join the choir for rehearsals before the rally.
In calling the rally, the Australian Anti-AUKUS Coalition (AAAC) reminded us that September 15 marks the 5th anniversary of the LNP government signing the AUKUS submarines pact with the US and UK. More than $368 billion will be paid by the people of Australia over the next 30 years.
The AAAC pointed out that at a time of rising costs of living, $35 million a day over the next 30 years is to be syphoned from health, education, affordable housing and many urgent social needs of the people and the environment, to fund US wars and US weapons corporations.
Publicly released data shows that the US military and US weapons corporations control, or have unimpeded access, to over 100 military facilities across this country. More than half the military facilities in this country are controlled, or used extensively, by the US military, in preparation for a major war.
The US now has access to more than half Australia’s military bases – see the Guardian multimedia article about US military bases.
With global heating increasing, glaciers melting and harvests from sea and land in jeopardy, XR stands with all who want collaboration and care in our communities. Meanwhile the war industry thrives on bullying and threats, backed up by deadly weapons. The USA wants Australia to be on the front line in unjust, horrifying wars and must be resisted.
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