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"When the AFP and TRG boarded the plane for Christmas Island at 4pm last Friday, the Christmas island protest had just begun. It was a totally peaceful action with groups of men walking the 15 kilometres through the jungle to the inhabited parts of the island." writes Pamela Curr, Co-ordinator of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in Melbourne.

Over the next two days some went to the Mosque, some to the Construction Camp to visit family, some went swimming and some went to the airport to sit. No crime, no theft, absolutely peaceful.

Thousands of Indians were enslaved and killed
during the rubber boom. ©W Hardenburg

SURVIVAL INTERNATIONAL, 17 March 2011 - - 30,000 Amazon Indians were enslaved, tortured, raped and starved in just 12 years during the rubber boom, according to a historic report submitted by Irish investigator Roger Casement, 100 years ago on 17 March 1911.

Breaking Australia's silence: WikiLeaks and freedom' was a public forum held on 16 March 2011 at the Sydney Town Hall. The event was staged by the Sydney Peace Foundation, Amnesty, Stop the War Coalition, and supported by the City of Sydney.

Chaired by Mary Kostakidis, it featured speeches by John Pilger, Andrew Wilkie MP (the only serving Western intelligence officer to expose the truth about the Iraq invasion) and Julian Burnside QC, defender of universal human rights under the law.

Below is an article from FOE Mellbourne's website explaining how Austalian nuclear scientists/boosters have tried to spin the ongoing crisis in Fukushima in Japan.

How have Australian scientists handled the difficult task of keeping us informed about the unfolding nuclear disaster in Japan? The first thing to note is that precious few Australian scientists have featured in the media. The most prominent have been Prof Aidan Byrne from the Australian National University, RMIT Chancellor Dr Ziggy Switkowski, and Prof. Barry Brook from Adelaide University.

A candlelight vigil in Melbourne on the steps of the GPO heard from people with close relatives caught up in the tragedy of the devastating earthquake, tsunamis and escalating nuclear crisis in Japan.

See Photos

Origami peace cranes cascaded down the old GPO steps into the Bourke Street Mall where many office workers stopped briefly to watch on their journey home.

A protest camp was set up by an Indigenous group, outside the Iluka mine in late February, in north-west Victoria. The group demands a stop to mining due to damage of culturally sensitive sites. Aboriginal Affairs Minister Jeannette Powell has stated that while the reported discovery of stone artefacts is still being investigated, she is confident the mining company is meeting its cultural heritage obligations.

By AVAAZ

The Arab League has just formally proposed a resolution at the UN Security Council to create a no-fly zone over Libya. After weeks of international deadlock, this is the moment of truth -- and if we don't persuade the UN to act now, we could see in Libya one of the worst bloodbaths of our new century.

Qaddafi's forces are crushing the rebellion town by town. If they retake the country, brutal retribution awaits Libyans who challenged the regime. Already, reports of torture and killing are flowing from retaken areas.

A group of women have started a blockade at Lake Tyers Aboriginal community in Victoria's far south east. The spokesperson for the blockaders is Leanne Edwards.

They set up their blockade on International Women's Day and on Friday released a second statement affirming that their blockade continues after having met with people from Aboriginal Affairs Victoria and Minister Jeannette Powell's office and recieved no joy as to their concerns.

Coomoora Woodland Flora and Fauna Reserve was a small oasis of biodiversity in an urban environment. Located in the City of Greater Dandenong in outer Melbourne, it was listed by the National Trust for it's local and regional environmental and heritage significance and provided an environmental refuge for remnant native bushland and wildlife. It was a place of tranquillity where people could reconnect with the natural environment, where school groups could study biology and ecology. But it's listing by the National Trust could not prevent it's destruction by Vicroads and the State Government to make way for the Dingley Arterial.