Egyptian blogger and software developer Alaa Abd El Fattah keynoting the Silicon Valley Human Rights Conference.
By ACCESS
As a participant in Occupy Melbourne over the last few days I have reflected much on what has transpired. I wrote an account of my experiences of Saturday and Sunday’s GA to try and make sense of what was happening. What follows is my attempt at a “story” or version of events that makes sense to me as a participant.
‘No Leaders – No politics”
WWEC2011 opened: Speakers highlight importance of renewable energy for economic growth and green jobs
International Labour Organisation presents first results of a study on job potential requirements in renewable energy
By Stefan Gsänger
Cairo (WWEA) – 500 delegates from all over the world have attended the opening ceremony of the 10th World Wind Energy Conference & Renewable Energy Exhibition in Cairo.
By Labor Party - Philippines
The Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) and Partido ng Manggagawa (PM - Labor Party - Philippnes) picketed the Qantas office and Australian embassy in a show of solidarity for the embattled workers of the Australian flag carrier. “We extend the hand of solidarity to our brothers and sisters who are for fighting for job security, decent pay and better working conditions. The struggles they are waging mirror the same demands that we are currently fighting for at PAL,” declared Gerry Rivera, PALEA president and PM vice chair.
I have just spent the last two days at Occupy Melbourne. To say that it has been an interesting political experience is an understatement! I feel we are currently witnessing a battle for the democratic soul of the Occupy movement in Melbourne. There is the linked struggle to decide whether Occupy Melbourne is actually committed to maintaining a protest site within the Melbourne CBD and a struggle to see whether it is the Working Groups or the General Assembly which is the ultimate power within Occupy Melbourne.
On my way to work this morning I took a detour through Occupy Brisbane. About 50 tents continue to occupy Post Office Square in the city, with maybe 20 people out and about on site at 9am. Everyone was friendly and helpful, offering me information and keen to talk. They seemed to have weathered last nights torrential rain with good grace.
I spoke to a friend who had been there for a week, B. B said he was enjoying the degree to which to participants and the local passers-by were getting along. Locals and businesses were donating food to the substantial kitchen tent.
Why does the management of FBi radio tell their volunteer presenters to avoid referring to the station on air as a “community” station?
FBi is a community radio station. It is licenced as a community station. It is also part of the community broadcasting association. It also proudly announced recently that it is in the running for several community broadcasting awards.
So why does the management make people who volunteer at the station, feel embarrassed to be known as a community radio station?
Here is the lowdown on pepper/capsicum spray for those who couldn't get to our direct action workshop. i handed out photocopies based on starhawk's action medics manual here: http://www.starhawk.org/activism/trainer-resources/teargas.html but i just want to say that while the information is excellent, the language is a liiiiiiiiiiiiittle bit hysterical, so here is my opening spiel, followed by a condensed version of how to deal.
THIS IS NOT A DEFINITIVE GUIDE.
How to set up the basis of an occupation structures real quick
http://www.crudeawakening.org.uk/node/9
see video 5 - 1min 47 seconds.
road block tripods quick at 55 seconds
video 4 - using nvda to defend space
how to surge and take a space
http://irregularrhythmasylum.blogspot.com/2007/10/another-g13-report.html
how to protect yourself
http://www.devo.com/sarin/shieldbookbw.pdf
affinity groups, medical support etc
http://antimedia.net/cookbook/
http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23525/20020211-0000/www.woomera2002.com/af...
In 2010 China was the single largest driver for global wind energy development, every second wind turbine added anywhere in the world was installed there.
RELATED: Prospects for China wind turbine manufacturers remain gloomy
Over 1000 people marched from the State Library of Victoria to Treasury Gardens on 29th October 2011 as part of the ongoing Occupy Melbourne protests.
Our boys and girls in blue were on the streets again today, dodging criticism for the use of brutal strong arm tactics against the public when evicting the Occupy Melbourne protest from City Square on the 21st of October.
some thoughts on occupy melbourne - from someone who has drifted in and out --- occupy melbourne still at state library.
- general assemblies. before or after any large proposal is debated
small fishbowl discussions should be conveened. what i mean is that
people sitting in general assembly turn to their left and talk about
the proposals for a short time in smaller groups before a consensus is
strived for at the GA. By doing so an opportunity for amended
proposals are created and people get to know each other and get an
Submitted by riot_dude on Oct 26 2011 12:04
tags: AustraliaJames PollardOccupy Wall Street
The end of Occupy Melbourne
In the Philippines after 30 day lockout airline workers occupied their terminals and were evicted by Police, in Australia at Qantas zzzzzzzz ?
BUSINESS UNIONS QANTAS FRANCHISE
Divide and rule, demarcation feuding craft unions and ACTU/ALP pollytricks vs the Engineers in their trade association, baggage handlers in TWU; any Pilots who survived mauling back in 1989 by Hawke regime who busted the Pilots association with scabs and military airforce.
I write as someone who has just spent a long night camping outside the State Library with no structures resisting harassment from both State Libary Security and police. I also write as someone who experienced this as a deeply empowering experience. To read more about what happened last night see the indymedia article http://indymedia.org.au/2011/10/30/occupation-re-established-in-melbourn... However yesterdays events pose some big questions about the democratic processes of Occupy Melbourne.
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
Leaflet handed out at Occupy Melbourne 2.0 on 29th October
It doesn’t make any sense!
The media, the politicians, the police, all the supporters of the old world, can’t understand and won’t understand what it is we’re up to. No leaders? No demands? No point! Perplexed and threatened, they can only lie, distort, and violently suppress us.
“You’ve made your point, now move along” is their refrain, showing that they’ve completely missed the point themselves.
Dole denies the plantation is in the park, satellite imagery proves it clearly is. Source: Mongabay.com
By David Vollrath, Rainforest Rescue
Old growth rain forest is being destroyed in Sri Lanka to clear land for banana plantations.
Letsgrow, a subsidiary of the US Dole Food Company, has already clear-felled 1,500 hectares of protected forest; 4,700 more are to follow in the Somawathiya Chaitiya National Park.
The park is habitat to 400 Asian elephants and other rare species.
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
On Saturday 29th October, just over 1 week after the brutal eviction from the City Square, thousands of people are in the process of re-occupying Melbourne. Note: this article quickly became out of date due to the authorities at RMIT issueing an eviction notice. The GA then voted to move to the State Library where only a small number of protestors stayed. occupation re-established at State Library. Another group of protestors went and set up camp at the Edinborough Gardens for the night in the City of Yarra. GA at 4PM today (Sunday) at State Library to decided where to from here.
