Newswire

Strike for Climate Justice! December 11th 2009 – Jeffrey Luers, May 09.

Around the world people are beginning to feel the heat of global warming, entire nations to tiny communities are suffering the effects of climate change.

As already reported on this site (see http://indymedia.org.au/2009/06/15/update-from-the-sydney-g20-solidarity...) the trial was due to begin in Melbourne today of one of the activists arrested after the G20 protests in November 2006. Sina Brown-Davis is charged with riot, affray and criminal damage.

Close the Bases
Stop the Exercises
End the Wars

Up to 30,000* US and Australian troops will be practicing bombing, landing and raiding at Shoalwater Bay in Central Queensland - just north of Rockhampton- in the NT and in WA as part of Australia-US Joint Military Exercises Operation Talisman Sabre 2009 from JULY 6 – 26 this year.

The Peace Convergence is calling for peace action to take place throughout the war games in the Shoalwater region, throughout Queensland and around Australia. Join us in saying NO! to the practicing and waging of war.

From the 6 July, Australia will host the third 'Operation Talisman Sabre', joint military exercises with 13,000 US and 7,000 Australian troops. With worldwide military spending likely to tip $1.4 Trillion this year, and our militaries continuing to participate in a horrendous war in Afghanistan, it is vital people let the Government know we seek a different solution to our world's problems. Perhaps you can come up to Shoalwater Bay in central Queensland to join protests and resistance.

Media Release 24 June 2009

Stop Talisman-Sabre - Brisbane launch

Peace and environmental protesters from around Australia are organising to obstruct and counter the US - Australian war games which will take place at Shoalwater Bay near Yeppoon 6 - 26 July.

Called Talisman-Sabre, the live-fire war games will involve some 30,000 US and Australian military personnel, cost Australian taxpayers at least $50 million and bomb and blast coastal waters and pristine rainforest of the largest wilderness area on the Central Queensland coast.

We certainly would like to thank the Liberal members for their stance, an unpopular stance no doubt. Their stance is more courageous than the two-faced stance of the Labour Party, on immigration, refugees, human rights.

Its time to get a decision from this questionable High Court Australia on issues of HREOCA1986, RDA1975, etc

Turnbull faces backbench revolt

By Julian Drape and Melissa Jenkins

Federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull's leadership was further undermined on Wednesday amid the second backbench revolt in a week.

By the GetUp team

After 16 months in immigration detention, Kasian was granted a temporary visa. Then he was hit with a $160,000 bill for his "accommodation" in Baxter Detention Centre. There are hundreds more like him - experiencing unimaginable trauma only to then be slugged with an enormous bill for the privilege.

The good news is the Senate is scheduled to vote this week on a bill to overturn this policy, but the vote is going to be very close.

2009 Emerge Festival, Sunday June 21, Fitzroy Town Hall

A tide of food and music gushed out of Fitzroy town hall and onto Napier Street as part of the 2009 Emerge Festival, celebrating emerging and refugee cultures in Victoria.
Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Ethiopian, Western Saharan, Turkish, Jamaican, Afghani and Timorese cultural groups were but a handful of populations represented in song, dance, craft and cuisine.

This morning, dozens of children - under the watchful eye of the Australian Government - were escorted to school by guards. This evening the children will return to a fenced facility on a remote island and do their homework in demountable buildings, while they ponder their plight. Sound like fiction?

Sadly, there are families and children on Christmas Island who experience this heartbreak daily.