By Michael Gormly
If you are caught in Sydney’s housing squeeze, spare a thought for Gordon and Elaine Pelot-Syron who need a home for around 1,500 seminal Aboriginal artworks, most recently collectively valued at $1.5 million.
Sex workers in Australia joined thousands of other sex workers around the world to celebrate and commemorate the 35th anniversary of International Whores Day the 2nd June. A diverse range of events are being held around Australia over a week of celebration. On Saturday June 5 2010, Scarlet Alliance marched from the Sydney Opera House to celebrate this occasion and to protest against the lack of anti-discrimination protections afforded to sex workers.
Further protests in Australian cities at Israel's continuing violent blockade of Gaza. As the MV Rachel Corrie was being intercepted by Israeli commandos for running the Israeli blockade of Gaza, thousand of people were gathering in Sydney and Melbourne to protest Israel's Monday attack on the flotilla of 6 ships carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza that resulted in the death of 9 innocent volunteers.
Related: Australian Gaza activist still in intensive care | Cyprus Indymedia: Israeli Commandos Stormed Aid Ship to Gaza MV Rachel Corrie | Melbourne Photos, Melbourne Video, Melbourne Protests photos & Report | Sydney Video | Initial Australian protests
MEDIA RELEASE, 2 June, 2010 - Stand Fast, the Australian-based veterans group which is comprised of veterans and former military personnel who oppose the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, is calling on all people of conscience to protest the upcoming visit of Barack Obama in mid-June.
"Why should we welcome a war criminal?" asked Stand Fast spokesperson and East Timor veteran, Hamish Chitts. "Obama is not a force for progress, he is not a man of peace - from his first day in office he has firmly placed himself in the camp of the warmongers and war-profiteers."
Protests in Australia condemned the Israeli attack on the humanitarian aid flotilla to Gaza resulting in the death of 10 civilians and injuries to 30 more including to one Australian. 1500 people listened to speakers and marched through the streets of Melbourne on short notice. In Sydney a crowd of 4000 people marched and listened to speakers with passion and anger. Other protests were held in Brisbane, outside the Israeli embassy in Canberra, and 150 people attending a protest in Perth.
Related: Israel kills peace activists aboard flotilla | Israel: How to explain a massacre | AVAAZ petition | Declaration by Greek activists from Bersheeba Prison | Melbourne Photos (Flickr) | Melbourne videos (youtube) 1, 2 | Melbourne Protests
Let's enjoy some of Andrew's favourite things: bicycles, Asian culture and tofu. Andrew has long been on the case that there's too much Asian immigration and he despises cyclists because they all eat tofu.
Celebrate Andrew's dickheadness on these great contributors to our culture with a ride from the city to Marrickville where we can have a beer in Vietnamese staffed pub and go over the road and and have some excellent Vietnamese or Chinese tucker. Tofu is on the menu for those that want go the whole Andrew hog!
The Israeli navy has raided and killed up to 19 peace activists aboard the international flotilla heading towards Gaza with humanitarian aid. One Australian activist was shot in the leg and seriously injured and a journalist was tasered. The Australians were held for three days in Israel before being deported. The flotilla carried supplies like medical equipment and a dental equipment had peace activists, media and politicians from over 40 countries on board. Eyewitness accounts from activists of the Israeli attack are now emerging. Israel is a nuclear armed rogue state that deserves to be an international pariah. Visit www.witnessgaza.com for updates of events.
222 years ago the conquistadors of the First Fleet issued an eviction notice to the Aboriginal people. Since then not a day has gone by where the first inhabitants of this land have been free from attempts to obliterate their identity and culture.
Around the world, crowds took to the streets in a dozen cities last week to call on the world’s financial institutions to take greater responsibility for their actions. The Robin Hood Day of Action was a global event timed to coincide with Make Finance Pay, a week-long initiative pushing for a Financial Transactions Tax or FTT.
Hazara Australians are saying that Afghanistan is unsafe for Hazaras and they are asking the international community to intervene and protect Hazaras from being massacred. Thousands of Australian Hazaras and their supporters will gather in all main cities of Australia on Sunday, 30 May 2010 to protest against the current wave of attacks on Hazaras by Kochi (nomad) as the Taliban Pushtoon forces backed by Karzai Government and to show that the condition for Hazaras in Afghanistan and those fleeing as refugees, is unsafe and far from improved.
