Church gives women marching orders

A church in Sydney has given the organisers of the annual International Woman's Day an early Christmas present in the run up to the fortieth anniversary of the Sydney event. They've banned them from their traditional starting point. It's a timely reminder on the one hundredth anniversary of International Women's Day itself that we do not yet live in utopia.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald Anne Barber, one of the organisers said ''It's a traditional meeting point and somehow the church has right of veto.'' It's quite understandable that after forty years for the church to suddenly tell these marches to bugger off has created friction.

Another organiser, Gabe Kavanagh, was shocked. ''The rally has been held there for decades,'' she said. ''There's never been a problem with rubbish or noise.''

It's quite bizarre that this event is being banned when the square is the location of the Town Hall, a natural point for any public demonstration to focus on, and one that should not have to have to say so of the church to go ahead.

However, I'm going to make a prediction - while last year's event was on the smallish size this year will see a bumper turnout of women all determined to tell the church where they can get off.

NB People might remember the last time I spoke about the church in Sydney when the archbishop there advised against voters turning out for the Green Party who were "sweet camouflaged poison". I don't think we've heard the last of them somehow.