SYDNEY — On January 12, the Stop the War Coalition web team awoke to find that its website had fallen prey to a malicious hack attack. More than 100 news articles, reports and interviews and details of upcoming events were erased and replaced with the imaginative phrase, "War is good; I love war". Those responsible for the attack have not been identified.
The website (<http://www.StopWarCoalition.org>) was established in late 2003 and is one of Australia's leading sites providing information on the activities of the anti-war movement in Sydney and around the country. It has been designed as a user-friendly, activist space with content updated daily by the coalition's web team.
While a significant annoyance, the hack attack has not deterred anti-war cyber-activists from continuing their work. "We must be doing something right if someone out there has taken the trouble to attempt to destroy one of our key organising tools", said Rob Kennedy, spokesperson for the site's web team.
In less than four days much of the content on the site was restored. "The hack has provided us with the impetus to put some additional safeguards in place to hopefully prevent this kind of attack in the future, or at the very least improve our recovery time."
Anna Samson
German socialist speaks
SYDNEY — Michael Leutert, a leader of the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) in Germany, addressed a forum on January 20 about German politics today. The PDS is the largest left party in Germany with 64,000 members (60,000 of whom are in eastern Germany).
Leutert discussed the disparity in working conditions and living standards between eastern and western Germany. He described the "modern German underclass" in the former German Democratic Republic where unemployment now stands at 25%, compared to 5% in the west and where the average income is half of that in the west.
The growth of austerity policies in the west, Leutert said, has been coupled with a growth of the anti-capitalist movement in the now united Germany.
Petra Pau, a PDS representative in the Berlin parliament, will speak at the Asia Pacific International Solidarity Conference in Sydney at Easter. Visit <http://www.apsc.net.au>.
Maria Voukelatos
Naomi Klein film screened
SYDNEY — An over-capacity crowd crammed into the Screening Room on January 19 to watch Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis' documentary on the factory occupation movement in Argentina, The Take.
The screening was organised by Pabrik Productions, which is planning further progressive film screenings in the Screening Room, a new venue situated in an ex-wedding dress factory warehouse. The "wedding circle" gallery, studio and cinema is located at 16-18 Meagher St, Chippendale. The space is run by three artist collectives in a bid to nurture emerging and established critical arts practices and local artists.
For info on upcoming screenings, contact <pabrikproductions@yahoo.com.au>.
Fred Fuentes
From Green Left Weekly, January 26, 2005.
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