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Unlawful FMG heritage dealing & massive sites damage at Solomon Project

By Michael Woodley, CEO, Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation 7 November 2011. The Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation is calling on Tony Burke, Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities to take action under the emergency powers of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act to stop the destruction by Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) of Yindjibarndi sacred sites and ‘living heritage’ areas that are used by Yindjibarndi people each year for their Birdarra religious ceremonies, which date back thousands of years.

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Death in custody, number unknown

by Ray Jackson, President, Indigenous Social Justice Association it is with an ongoing sense of horror and disbelief that thanks to ms. pc i have been made aware of yet another gaol death of a young Aboriginal man in Borallon Gaol in Queensland on 27 october, 2011. The unnamed young man, from Mt. Isa, was only 25 or 26 (reports differ as to his age) when he was found dead in his gaol cell at 0915 and gaol staff (officers/nurses/a doctor perhaps?) proceeded with CPR until the ambulance arrived and pronounced him deceased at 0952.

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Global warming in Antarctica: Glaciers accelerating, west Antarctic ice sheet losing mass

Scientists have been studying the climate change impact on ice shelfs and glaciers for some time in Antarctica, and particularly around the Antarctic Peninsula where there is substantial warming occurring increasing ice shelf melt and the speed and discharge of glaciers. The most recent studies predict a faster retreat for the Thwaites Glacier and that warm ocean currents are already speeding the melting of the Pine Island Glacier and Ice Shelf and Getz Ice Shelf. A NASA Icebridge flight detected a major new rift in the Pine Island ice shelf on October 14 - the start of the calving of a massive iceberg. A recent paper in Nature Geoscience discusses the Stability of the West Antarctic ice sheet in a warming world and the likelihood of collapse that would raise sea level by more than three metres over the course of several centuries or less.

Related: Record Increase in Greenhouse Gas Emissions for 2010 | The Wilkins ice Bridge collapsed in April 2009 as Polar regions felt the heat of climate change. I reported as far back as 2004 that warming in Antarctica was cause for concern with ocean food chain crashing due to Antarctic warming. More recently in April 2011 I discussed Penguin numbers suffering with krill decline due to Global Warming.

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Occupy Melbourne defying council notice. “Abhorrent” attack says ASU.

Protesters who are peacefully assembled at the Treasury Gardens as ‘Occupy Melbourne’ are currently resisting (potentially unlawful) harassment by officers from the City of Melbourne and Victoria Police. The Australian Services Union (servicing Melbourne City Council workers) has called the Council actions “abhorrent”; is not imposing bans but will discuss the matter at its next executive meeting. Protesters earlier today asked people to get to the Treasury Gardens as soon as possible to help them resist this arbitrary abuse of state power.

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Occupy Brisbane evicted

5:30 am on Wednesday, the Tactical Response Unit surrounded the Occupy Brisbane camp at Post Office Square and ordered a directive to leave the site. At 8am they had relocated to Queens Park, but were forcibly removed by police from there at 9am Thursday. 12 people were arrested. A General Assembly has been called by OB organisers for 5pm today Thursday, Nov 3rd), King George Square.

Occupy Brisbane FB | Occupy Brisbane website

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Occupation re-established in Melbourne at the State Library

A group of participants in Occupy Melbourne have resisted eviction at the State Library and are camping out tonight in what is being called a re-occupation.

Occupy Melbourne met at 12pm on the 29th of October at State Library, and went to Treasury Gardens and Bowen Place, where both were consecutively decided as unsafe to occupy. The second General Assembly of the day voted to return to State Library and attempt a reoccupation.

Update: WTF happened at Occupy Melbourne on Saturday?
Blogs - Raili Simojoki: Occupy Melbourne – consensus decision-making and public space | Mike Stuchberry's report | Benevolent Menticide - Some thoughts on Direct Democracy in Action | immediateworldwidedereification - Leaflet handed out at rally | WSWS coverage of the day

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Perth Rally for Justice sends its messages to the CHOGM

Gerry Georgatos The Rally for Justice in Forrest Place, Perth, during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth attracted hundreds of police, including horseback units and other armoury, and the Police Commissioner, Karl O'Callaghan himself. However, the rally also attracted 2,000 supporters and the entire mass of the OCCUPY movement.

Related: Nyungar Elder speaks out against the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting | Interview with an Occupy Perth organiser

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The real facts on deaths in custody and the racism of incarcerating Aboriginal peoples - Moral leadership is needed

Gerry Georgatos Australia has one of the worlds' worst deaths in custody records - prison and police custodial - however this country's social wealth is envied by most of the rest of the world. Therefore, how is it possible that Australia, with its social wealth, perpetrate the most horrific statistics in terms of custodial deaths, in terms of the rate of deaths and in terms of crude totals? How is it that the Aboriginal peoples of this nation are disproportionately borne with the brunt of deaths in custody and borne with disproportionately wild incarceration rates? Aboriginal incarceration rates are five times the rate when compared with apartheid South Africa, and West Australia's Aboriginal incarceration rates are eight times the rate when compared with apartheid South Africa. In any other country these types of targeted incarceration and deaths in custody rates would have led to a civil war or en masse confrontations.

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Villawood Detention Centre death early this morning. We have long warned that more deaths would arise. How many more?

ANOTHER DETENTION CENTRE SUICIDE - WE HAVE LONG WARNED. As a PHD reseacher in deaths in custody I am disgusted in the Australian Government and from a criminological perspective. More detention centre deaths will come. A Tamil person lost his life to the abject despair of suicide at Villawood, another victim of the Australian government's harsh attitudes towards our Asylum Seekers. The man committed suicide early Wednesday morning, nearing dawn, 26 October. He took poison and died in hospital.
Related:HRA Media Release from May predicting more suicides -- Refugee Action Coalition Statement on suicide

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Violent dawn police raid evicts Occupy Sydney from Martin Place

Over 100 police on 5AM on October 23rd, violent evicted Occupy Sydney from Martin Place. The raid occurred within 48 hours of the similarly violent eviction in Melbourne signaling a major escalation of the Occupy Movement within Australia. Over 40 protestors were arrested during the raid. Although limited footage and pictures have emerged due to both the timing of the raid but also clear police attempts to prevent people filming the arrests, it is clear that the raid was violent. This footage from Sky news and WA Today clearly shows protestors with bloodied faces and hog tied with plastic ties after their arrest. An interview with Mark Goudkamp on the ABC outlines clearly that police punched and assaulted protestors during the raid. This photo on a Herald Sun story demonstrates true nature of the raid with a young woman hog tied after her arrest surrounded by several large burly cops.
Related: Occupy Sydney attacks police and responds to criticism!

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