Melbourne

MEDIA RELEASE

Goodooga, northwest NSW, 7 June, 2010 - - The next New Way Aboriginal summit has been shifted from June to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of July to take advantage of NAIDOC week, which begins on the 4th, attracting greater attention than usual to Aboriginal issues.

The Chair of the New Way Summit Task Force, Michael Anderson, cites the Melbourne summit convenor, Ms Sharon Firebrace as saying the new dates are more appropriate because it is in a week when people will focus on Aboriginal issues.

On the eve of Nuclear Abolition Day ICAN Australia launched a new short video entitled “Who by Fire” based on a retelling of the legend of Prometheus and Pandora displayed in a mural on the wall of the Fire Station Museum on Victoria Parade. Before the screening, which took place at Trades Hall, there was a peace picnic in Parliament Gardens, courtesy of Friends of the Earth ACE Collective, and a live performance of the work interspersed with live music and rap.

Four climate protesters have scaled Melbourne's famous Young & Jackson hotel, hanging a 23-metre long banner from the building. The banner covering the giant “Time Square” electronic sign on top of the hotel reads “No more climate back flips - Switch Off Hazelwood.”

The World Environment Day protest aims to highlight Kevin Rudd's policy reversals on climate change and is part of the campaign to replace Hazelwood power station with renewable energy.

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