Action updates

October 7, 1992
Issue 

ADELAIDE — To commemorate the anniversary of the 1965 coup, Indonesian Solidarity Action (Aksi) staged the "Wedding of the Year" on 3 October to symbolise the close relations between the Australian and Indonesian governments. After the "wedding", Andy Alcock, from the Campaign for an Independent East Timor, spoke of the assistance the trade union movement gave to the Indonesian independence struggle, in stark contrast to the lack of support given today to the East Timorese, West Papuans and Acehnese. Before he could finish his speech, the police broke up the protest, supposedly because of infringement of council by-laws, which prohibit the holding of political demonstrations in the mall.

  • Approximately 500 people attended the 1992 Labor Day march on October 3. The theme was opposition to the Liberals' no tariff policy. The rally heard speeches from Vehicle Builders Union state secretary Paul Noack, as well as Premier Lynn Arnold and federal social security minister Neil Blewett.

BRISBANE — A forum co-sponsored by Green Left Weekly and the Indonesian solidarity group Aksi on September 30 heard three speakers discuss the 1965 Indonesian coup and following massacre which brought the Suharto dictatorship to power, and destroyed the PKI, the biggest Communist Party in the Third World. Indonesian activist Josie Suprapto, Dr Robert Cribb and Brendan Greenhill from Aksi outlined the events, which devastated the Indonesian progressive movement for decades.

HOBART — Residents of Port Cygnet demonstrated outside Parliament House on September 17, protesting against the sacking of their local council. The sacking is seen as part of a strategy to reduce the number of "troublesome" councils in order to push through development proposals more quickly.

MELBOURNE — The Aids Coalition to Unleash Power staged a demo in the City Square on September 30 and marched to the Liberal Party headquarters at Exhibition St. The crowd chanted "Fight AIDS, fight Tehan [Marie Tehan, state shadow minister for health], fight back, ACT UP". At Liberal Party headquarters, there was a "die-in" for an hour. Later that night, ACT UP encountered Liberal leader Jeff Kennett in a restaurant near Parliament House. When asked if his government would continue to provide adequate services for People Living With Aids while cutting Fairfield Hospital's budget from $35 million to $15 million, Kennett's reply was "I am having dessert".

  • A public forum on September 27, organised by members of several men's groups to discuss "men's issues", attracted about 50 people. A number of men spoke eloquently about how their lives had been distorted by conformity to a stereotyped male role. Others spoke of how the "breadwinner" role cut them off from a close relationship with their children.

PORT MELBOURNE — A week-long occupation of a vacant ding by activists from the People's Committee for Melbourne (an anti-privatisation group) has won a verbal promise from federal minister for administrative services Senator Nick Bolkus that the building will be made available for public housing, says Andrea Sharam, one of the "squatters". Sharam told Green Left Weekly that the occupation of what has been dubbed a "People's Embassy" would continue until the promise to turn the former post office into a community-controlled rooming house is put in writing.

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