Almost two years after they took direct action against the US spy base at Waihopai, near Blenheim, three peace activists are standing trial in Wellington's High Court.
The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts was in town to deliver a speech on energy saving, but environmentalists staged a welcome designed to remind him of speeches he delivered before he joined the ALP, in the days when he vigourously and vocally opposed policies he now defends ...
The C2C Festival was a gem of an event; small but glittering in its beauty and goodwill.
The crowd was never bigger that 300 but oh, what a beautiful feeling. It lost money but built confidence amongst the young organisers who all worked so well together under Renton Bishopric's leadership
Talisman Sabre 09 is a biennial exercise that involves 20,000 U.S. & 7,000 Australian troops, fighter jets and warships, it is taking place in July in central Queensland, Australia.
Australian complicity in the U.S. war on the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan includes the present deployment of 600 Australian (SAS, Special Ops and infantry) troops in Afghanistan, detention in Australia of Afghani refugees fleeing the war and daily targeting information for U.S. bombardment coming from the U.S. N.S.A Pine Gap near outback Alice Springs.
Where US troops go, sexual assaults and drug charges follow. Look out Cairns!
Around the world, in the Philippines, Japan and many other locations, US bases have become the centre of major social problems. The Governor of Okinawa has said the US bases on his island brought a major increase in levels of prostitution, drugs, alcoholism, rape, sexually transmitted diseases, and abuse of women and children.
The Australian experience is similar.
An Anglican Church report from Hobart details frequent sexual assaults on juvenile men and women by US service people.
On the last Sunday of May, hundreds of Indian students and supporters gathered in front of the Royal Melbourne Hospital for a peace rally urging the Victorian Government to take action to stop violence against Indian students. The rally was called by the Federation of Indian Students Association (FISA), following another violent attack on Indian students on Friday night where 5 Indian men were injured, one man was left fighting for his life from stab wounds.
Peace activists organising to oppose the bi-annual Talisman Saber US-Aust joint war games are stepping up activities in the lead up to the event in early July. The Peace Convergence is calling for peace action to take place throughout the war games and in various locations in the Shoalwater region, Brisbane, and around Australia.
In Prague today before a 20,000 strong crowd US President Obama called for a world without nuclear weapons. There are currently 26,000 nuclear weapons held amoung nine countries. At the Palm Sunday rally in Melbourne Dr Ruth Mitchell from the Medical Association for the Prevention of War spoke detailing the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and the need to keep the pressure on politicians and Governments on this issue. (Photos 1 | Melbourne Protests Photos | Youtube Video )
President Obama told the large crowd in Prague "I state clearly and with conviction America's commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons. This goal will not be reached quickly -- perhaps not in my lifetime. It will take patience and persistence. But now we, too, must ignore the voices who tell us that the world cannot change."
