Newswire

Protests by the Save Lake Cowal campaign have halted work at the Barrick Gold open pit mine at Lake Cowal, western New South Wales, over the Easter Weekend. Lake Cowal is an ephemeral lake lying in the Lachlan River plain within the Murray-Darling Basin, home to many migratory water birds and sacred sites of the Wiradjuri people.

Twenty Eight people were arrested on Sunday when protestors walked onto the open pit mine closing it down. They were authorised to enter the mine site by Wiradjuri Tradtional Owners.

Sydney Indymedia | Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia) | Save Lake Cowal | Protest Barrick Gold | Background - Lake Cowal Video (2006) | Rainforest Information Centre - Lake Cowal Campaign

See London Indymedia for G20 reports, timelines and features.

On Wednesday 1st April during a demonstration against the G20 in London, thousands of protestors were trapped inside a police cordon (kettled) where they were baton charged and crushed by the police. Ian Tomlinson, who appears to have been a passer-by, died during this demonstration outside the Bank of England. The police started a coverup immediately, claiming police and medics had been prevented from attending to him, although eyewitnesses reported seeing Ian Tomlinson being attacked by police shortly before his death. The corporate media parroted these police lies even though eyewitness accounts contradicted this video has surfaced clearly showing Ian was viciously assaulted by riot police from behind and violently pushed to the ground. Riot police and members of the Forward Intelligence Team looked on as a protestor attended to him. Minutes after moving away, Mr. Tomlinson collapsed in a nearby alley and died shortly afterwards.

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."

Melbourne Critical Mass has a reputation for visiting the site of the Melbourne Grand Prix, which takes over Albert Park for eight months of the year for staging the Formula 1 race in March.

With the world moving into a period threatened by dangerous climate change due to a failure to curb greenhouse gas emissions, it is about time this event was shown for what it is: a waste of resources, a gross contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, and fostering a culture and behaviour of alcohol abuse and unsustainable car use.

Covert investigations operations into a minister by unknown intelligence forces, accusations of allegiances to a foreign communist power. All of this brings back shades of how the defence/intelligence establishment help bring down Whitlam mininsters 30 years ago. What's behind the latest intrusion into our democracy by shadowy intelligence forces?

About 150 people gathered on the lawns of the Federal Parliament House on March 21 to protest the Federal Government's proposed mandatory internet filter. Most of the people who gathered were Canberra locals.

Speakers included John Kaye from the Greens, Fiona Patten from the Sex Party, and Jim Stewart from Search Engine Optimisation company Stewartmedia.biz.

World Forests are disappearing rapidly according to the 2009 State of the World's Forests report by the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO). The report notes that expansion of large-scale monocultures of oil palm, soy and other crops for agrofuel production has been a key factor in the failure to halt deforestation.