Rallies were held around Australia on Friday 29 October under the banner of ‘Jobs with Justice’ and an end to the Northern Territory Intervention as part of a National Day of Action. The rally in Melbourne attended by approximately 500 people ended with a sit-down at a major city intersection, bringing peak-hour traffic to a halt for over twenty minutes. Related: Youtube footage of sit-in -- Report on rally from Melbourne Ant-Intervention Collective -- More photos on Melbourne Protests Weblog

Approximately 300 climate activists have converged on Hazelwood Power Station in the Latrobe Valley in Victoria to demand its immediate shut down. The protest is one of the over 7000 thousand protests planned on the 10/10/10 to mark the annual 350.org protests. The protestors are planning to build a model of a solar power plant to symbolise how Hazelwood could be replaced to create a carbon neutral future.

For the latest photos see the Switch Off Hazelwood flickr Photostream | Takver's Replace Hazelwood Photostream | Climate Action Moreland | AYCC photostream | Youtube video: Shaun Murray on Replacing Hazelwood | Erecting the solar power tower | 'Switch off Hazelwood' Protest Rally - 10/10/10

To read updates from the day click here.

Climate activists have closed down the three coal export terminals at Newcastle harbour, the world's largest coal export port, stopping all production and loading. "Urgent action against global warming is needed. We have been forced to make our dramatic protest today because the Federal government is failing to take any action." said Anika Dean from Rising Tide Newcastle.

Related: Mining Companies may seek victims compensation from climate activists

In another tragic event in an Australian detention centre a 36 year old Fijian man has jumped to his death at the Villawood detention centre on the day he was to be deported. A number of Tamil and Afghan asylum seekers whose claims have been rejected and who were alsoupset at the treatment of the Fijian man then climbed on the roof at Villawood, threatening to jump. Their banner read "We need hope and freedom". A number of solidarity actions were organised in Sydney, including two people being arrested after locking on at the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. Eventually the Tamil and Afghan asylum seekers got down off the roof, only to be replaced on the roof by a second group of Chinese detainees
Related: Sydney Morning Herald coverage - Solidarity protest - RISE updates on situation - Arrests at DIC - Melbourne Solidarity Protest Called