Call out made to Occupy Australia: People of the world rise up on October 15th!

As the Occupy Wall St protests continue to spread, a call out has been made for Melbourne, Brisbane , Perth, Adelaide and both a rally and occupation in Sydney to join the global day of action United for Global Change on October 15th. Regional centres are now joining with events announced in Townsville, Cairns and Bryon Bay. Occupy Melbourne has stated the aim of "NON-VIOLENTLY sending a message to the financial sector worldwide. Australia too is under the same bind of freedom because of monetary policy and corporate greed. Show your support for Occupy Wall Street! Occupy Australia!!!" The day is an attempt to unite the struggle by ordinary people around the world for a true democracy. A democracy where the needs of the majority of people is put before the profits and privileges of the few. A world united under the banner of solidarity, workers and human rights, peace and environmental justice. It is time for Australia to join the global movement that has seen non-violent mass protests and uprising against both military dictators and the dictators of capital in Greece, Yemen, Chile, Egypt, Tunisia, Israel, USA, Spain, Portugal, Libya, Syria, Bahrain, the UK and beyond. It’s time for us to unite. It’s time for them to listen.
Related 15th October International Call out -- Occupy Wall St -- Occupy Melbourne on Facebook -- Occupy Sydney on Facebook -- Occupy Perth on Facebook -- Occupy Brisbane on Meetup -- Occupy Adelaide on Facebook

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Children in adult prisons STILL LANGUISH - Justice delayed is justice denied.

There are near one hundred of the world's most impoverished children incarcerated, whether on remand or sentenced, in Australian adult prisons. The brunt of these numbers are in Western Australian adult prisons. It has been confirmed to me by various authorities and by an Indonesian Vice-Consul that at least 16 of the age-disputes are in HAKEA Correctional facility, a maximum security prison which I have visited on a number of occasions over the years. There may be up to 40 age-disputes in Western Australian adult prisons.
Related: Campaign Facebook page -- Interview with Gerry Georgatos on the Drum -- Hadi Kurniawan one of the 100 children in Australian adult prisons

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Federal ALP threatens Assange and media outlets over U.S. cable document release

The Australian government has again threatened Julian Assange with arrest, this time over the release of the entire 250,000 U.S. diplomatic cables online, in a searchable database. On Friday 2nd September, Federal Attorney General Robert McCelland released a statement expressing concern over the leaks which supposely include the name of at least one serving ASIO officer. He points out that "Section 92 of the ASIO Act makes it a crime to publish, or cause to be published, the identity of an ASIO Officer.". This leaves open the possibility that Julian Assange could face charges arising from the leak. McCelland also implicitly threatens Australian press outlets by urging them to "exercise caution" in discussing the leak. The Fairfax press broke the story of the ASIO agents identity on September 2nd.

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Justice for Rex Bellotti Jnr an inch closer - new witness and calls for an inquiry.

During the last couple of weeks Indymedia Australia and The National Indigenous Times in its most recent edition highlighted the plight of a West Australian Nyungar family whose young son, the eldest of their six children, was hit by a police four wheel drive. There is no question that the police vehicle hit him however the acceptance of responsibility has not occurred – and within this journey various acts and stressors upon the family, are clear acts of various racisms and discriminations and some of these with their origin-of-thinking from within the many inter-generational stereotypes and other premises.Much has unfolded within the fortnight since Indymedia Australia featured on its site and The National Indigenous Times featured on its cover, and as its four-page centerpiece article within The Big Read the plight of the Bellotti family and their seeking of some justice, some remedy and closure.
Related: More background on issue -- Support for Belloti Facebook page -- sign the online petition

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Indigenous health: Not bleeding hearts, just the bleeding obvious

To many Aboriginal people in Central Australia the narrative of illness is very different from the one described by western clinicians, argues longtime pro-Aboriginal activist, Prof. Don Palmer Tjungurrayi. “Western doctors would say that kidney disease, for example, is out of control because Aboriginal people make poor choices about food and exercise. For many Aboriginal people the causes are personal and spiritual. They feel they have been cursed.

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Direct action halts construction at the James Price Point “Save the Kimberley” blockade

A convoy of Woodside vehicles working on the James Point Price gas hub construction site have been held up for over two days starting on August 26th by the community the “Save the Kimberly’s” blockade in Broome, Western Australia. Four protestors have been arrested for standing on the road and also do a number of fairly spectacular lock on actions on heavy vehicles. The campaign against the $30 billion gas hub is gaining momentum both on the blockade site and nationally in an effort to protect the landrights of the traditional owners and the unspoilt beauty of the Kimberley.
Related: Campaign Website -- Facebook page -- John Butler opinion piece -- Youtube footage of action -- Earlier mass arrests action -- Melbourne Rally

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No Harvey No! Forest actions around Australia demand retailer stops destroying native forests

wave of direct actions have taken place across Australia to try to pressure Harvery Norman stores from stocking furniture made from wood sourced from native forests. The actions have been bold and creative including doing banner drops inside or outside stories Harvery Norman stores in Sydney,Melbourne. Blockading a in Nowra. A group of Tasmanian animals including Tasmanian devils and quolls even occupied the Harvey Norman store in Hobart! Well conservationists from Still Wild Still Threatened, dressed as native animals anyway. Most spectacularly one of Australia’s biggest every banner drops occurred in a logged native forest coupe in Tasmania with a banner declaring “Non Harvery Norman No! Don’t buy forest destruction.
Related: Spoof Harvery Norman ad on Youtube -- The Last Stand Campaign Website -- GetUp petition

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Freedom: A cry for help from Hazara asylum seekers in Curtin Detention Centre

The following message was received by Indymedia from within Curtin Detention Centre with a request that it posted on the site. Please circulate this cry for help and solidarity amongst your networks. It is known to all and history has also proven that Hazaras have always and systemically been target of national, religious and ethnic oppression and cruelty and yet thousands of people including women and children have lost their life and thousands of families have lost their guardian and thousands of children are now orphan, who do not just have access to education but also experiencing a horrible and miserable life.

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Over 500 people at the inaugural Anarchist Melbourne Bookfair

A large and diverse crowd participated in the first anarchist bookfair in Australia, held on Saturday 13th August at Abbotsford Convent in Melbourne. Over 500 people visited the open, welcoming, and child-friendly space filled by twenty-seven stalls of activist groups and political bookshops and publishers. Workshops ran all day on the theory, strategies and tactics of the struggle against capitalism and for a world of social and environmental justice. They included 'Apocalypse Now or Community to the Rescue?', 'Beyond the Gender Binary', 'Genocide, Sovereignty Treaty', 'What, no bosses?' and much more.

Before next year's Anarchist Melbourne Bookfair there will be Camp Anarchy: three days of discussion, music and films to strengthen networks and move from ideas to action.

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