Speakers:
* Brian Walters, former Liberty Victoria president, former Free Speech Victoria vice president and Greens candidate. Brian is also author of “Slapping on the Writs: Defamation, Developers and Community Activism”.
* Sharon Firebrace, indigenous activist from the northern suburbs and from Black Rights Action Group. * Cyndi Dawes, Greens candidate for Brunswick
* Trent Hawkins, Socialist Alliance candidate for Wills
* High School for Coburg representative
* Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union representative
* Ellen Roberts, Climate Action Moreland
* Wayne Klempel, AMWU northern district secretary
* Peter Riley, Wednesday Action Group
* David Glanz, Solidarity
* Debbie Brennan, Campaign for Women’s Reproductive Rights
The protest is endorsed by Mick Counihan (son of Brunswick artist and communist Noel Counihan) and Moreland councillors Toby Archer and Enver Erdogan.
The Barkly Square shopping centre management in Brunswick has told Socialist Alliance & Green Left Weekly that we are not allowed to have stalls again. There have been socialist and community stalls at Barkly Square for around 15 years. This ban applies to any community group stall.
This yet another instance of public space being privatised and dissenting voices being pushed to the margins.
More than 700 people who use the shopping centre have signed the petition calling on the shopping centre to allow the stalls again.. People often don’t realise that rights have been taken away until they need to exercise their rights.