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Refugees – ‘What would you do in their shoes?’ – 9 August 2010

Mon 09 Aug 2010
By peter

That was the question put by students from Kilbreda College, Mentone, today in an action organised by the Refugee Action Network on the steps of the old GPO in Bourke Street. They mimed the arrival of a boatload of asylum seekers, followed by their reception, processing and eventual fate. At the same time, volunteers from the ASRC and others handed out fact sheets to passers-by, and Pamela Curr went on to recount some recent case histories and set out some facts to counter the current widespread misinformation in the community.

Sleep out protest at Moreland Council doorstep - July 14th

Fri 23 Jul 2010
By Anonymous

Anthony Arthur and his dog Princess were left homeless and have been sleeping in Moreland parks since June 2nd after a council inspection led to the closure of their Brunswick rooming house. The operator of Tony’s rooming house chose to shut up shop rather than comply with council orders. “I went to Hume-Moreland housing but as soon as you tell them you have a dog, they say we can’t help you,” said the 46-year-old.

Lemmings for Bloated Resource Rich Billionaires

Thu 15 Jul 2010
By Anonymous

As a historical symbol of revolt against injustice, Bastille Day is being commemorated world-wide.

On July 14th, Bastille Day, a group of activists gathered in front of BHP Billiton’s Melbourne office to alert their fellow citizens as to the corporate world’s neo-conservative mantra:Servitude, Inequality, Hostility.

Called the “Lemmings for Rich Bloated Resource Rich Billionaires’ we promise to give our pennies freely so that they can continue to live the good life. Ha! Ha!

New Way summit: Aboriginals to retake lands

Wed 07 Jul 2010
By Anonymous

Melbourne 5 July 2010 - Aboriginal people have been encouraged to take possession of unoccupied and Crown lands including abandoned buildings to assert their ownership and original title. This proposal comes out of an Aboriginal conference held in Melbourne from 1-4 July. The third meeting of the New Way Summit movement, initiated by Michael Anderson, heard that the Mabo judgment on Native Title was legal trickery, because hunting, gathering, walking on land, ceremonies on Country do not constitute a claim to legal title and ownership, whereas erecting fences, buildings and clearing of land does as an act of ‘adverse possession’.
Read more at Green Left Weekly and at Treaty Republic

Stop the racist intervention – picket of FaHCSIA

Mon 28 Jun 2010
By Flowerpower

On Friday 18th June, protesters held a community picket of the FAHSCIA offices in Melbourne on the 3rd Anniversary of the Northern Territory Intervention. Speakers including Indigenous people suffering the effects of the intervention first hand, Unionists and politicians expressed their disgust with the way the racist intervention, started by Howard, but continued by the Rudd/Guillard ALP controls Aboriginal peoples lives without improving their living conditions at all. The front entrance of the building was blocked, the back entrance closed after protesters almost entered the building and a replica of the Basic Cards as burnt.
Related: Video’s of picket from the Melbourne Anti-intervention Collective - MAIC Facebook Page

Brown coal export deal met with protest

Sun 27 Jun 2010
By Flowerpower

A snap protest of about 40 demonstrators on 25th June, greeted Trade Minister Simon Crean as he met at a Melbourne Hotel to approve a deal to export up to 20 million tonnes of polluting La Trobe Valley brown coal to Vietnam. Mr Crean was jostled as he tried to enter the Langham Hotel. The company exporting the coal is ludicrously called “Environment Clean Technologies” whose big claim to fame is that they can brown coal as “clean” as black coal! Simon Crean defended the deal stating most Australians support coal exports as our economy relies on coal exports whilst environmentalists see this deal as a sign the Guillard Government is already failing on climate change.
Related: Climate Action Centre Coverage - Photos of protest -- The Age coverage - Environment Victoria background info

Indymedia back online

Sat 26 Jun 2010
By Flowerpower

Australian Indymedia has been experiencing technical difficulties for the last week which meant that no-one could upload new stories to the site. As of 26th June we are functioning again so please start posting those stories! Apologies to our users and readers but this site is maintained by a collective of volunteers on very limited resources, so we appreciate your understanding. Thanks to the those people with tech skills who helped get us back up and running this week - Australian and Melbourne Indymedia Collective

Victory in court for Stop the Afghan War peace protestors – followed by nine more arrests

Thu 17 Jun 2010
By Flowerpower

Four peace protestors the “Bonhoeffer 4” who trespassed on and successfully shut down for a day, the secretive Swan Island military base on March 31st have had their charges dismissed by a Geelong Magistrate. Despite pleading guilty to trespass, the Magistrate chose to use a little known provision of the crimes act which allowed him to dismiss the charges altogether! Forty protestors soon after returned to the gates of the base for a further protest calling for Australian troops to be pulled out of Afghanistan and nine people who refused to move were arrested for hindering police. Read below an account of the day by Jessica Morrison, one of the Bonhoeffer 4 members.
Related: Photos of the event - Bonhoeffer 4 Facebook Page - Indymedia article on original action

Thousands rally in support of Ark Tribe and against ALP Building Commission

Wed 16 Jun 2010
By Flowerpower

1500 people rallied in Adelaide outside the Magistrates court where Ark Tribe a CFMEU member faces possible jail time for defying the anti-worker Australian Building Construction Commission (ABCC). Other workers in Melbourne vigiled outside the offices of the ABCC overnight.
Related: CFMEU account of Ark Tribe Court Case - Ark's Tribe Blog - Green Left Weekly article on rallies - Rights on Site Campaign

June 10th national day of action for equal pay for women

Thu 10 Jun 2010
By Flowerpower

Thousands of Unionists marched around the country today in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Canberra, Adelaide, Darwin and many regional areas , organised by the Australian Services Union, which represents community sector workers across the country. They rallied in support of the ASU's equal pay test case to address lower pay among female-dominated community sector workers. ASU Assistant National Secretary Linda White said, "Women in full time paid work still earn 18 per cent less on average than men, which equates to $1 million less over a lifetime. “ See photos of the rallies here

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