Religious protest comes to Melbourne's streets

The Coptic protest on the steps of State Parliament. IT WAS more like a church procession than the type of protest march city workers are used to when Melbourne's Coptic Orthodox Christians took to the streets yesterday. Deacons in white robes and carrying staffs with bronze crosses led the march, followed by protesters bearing six black coffins. Behind them were priests and the head of the church in Melbourne, Bishop Suriel. Liturgical singing resounded down Collins Street, and many in the march carried crosses or wore black armbands. Curious shoppers and lunch-goers who accepted leaflets from the protesters were asked ''pray for us''. This was a procession with a message. Marching behind the church officials, church members, including children, held up placards. ''Bloodshed is Not What I Wanted for Christmas'' read some, referring to the drive-by shooting of six Coptics in southern Egypt on January 7 as they left church after celebrating Coptic Christmas Eve. Other placards said ''Thousands slaughtered. No Convictions'', ''Egyptian Government Take A Stance'' and ''Enough'', referring to other deaths including 21 Coptics killed at El-Kosheh when muslims extremists went on a 2000 New Year's weekend rampage, looting and destroying 260 homes. They were also highlighting their claim that the Egyptian Government has failed to prevent sectarian attacks by Muslim extremists. Earlier a Mass was held in St Paul's Cathedral for those killed. In a show of religious unity, attendees ranged from Bishop Paul White from the Anglican diocese of Melbourne, Reverend Bob Thomas of the Presbyterian Church, Reverend Jason Kioa, president of the Victorian Council of Churches, and Pastor Ken Vogel, general secretary of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Organisers put the march numbers at 6000. At one stage it stretched for 2½ blocks. Taylor's Hill resident Ferial Nasr, who came to Australia 22 years ago, carried a photo of Abanob, aged about 20, one of the worshippers killed on January 7. ''No, he is not a relation but we are all Coptic Christians, so we feel that we are all relatives from Jesus,'' she said. At the Egyptian consulate in Exhibition Street, where the crowd was held back by six police horses, the song Our Coptic Church was sung in Arabic. Ten religious leaders from different churches including Bishop Suriel and the Victorian Council of Churches secretary, Theo Mackaay, spoke to Egyptian officials. Community lawyer Jimmy Morcros said the Egyptian officials claimed the shootings were random. Organisers were far happier with the response at the Australian Foreign Affairs Melbourne office, where they were assured that Foreign Minister Stephen Smith had contacted the Australian embassy in Cairo to pass on the Government's condolences to the Coptic patriarch Pope Shenouda III. At State Parliament, Alistair Macrae, president of the Uniting Church of Australia, and MP Inga Peulich addressed the crowd.