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Biggest protest action since '70s

BY PHILIPPA SKINNER KATOOMBA — Five hundred Blue Mountains residents took to the streets on February 15 to protest the Coalition government's treatment of refugees. Organised by local activists, the theme "Take a stand — free the refugees"

Hospitality workers get organised

BY KIM LINDEN& KATHY NEWNAM NEWCASTLE — When you're on your next holiday, spare a thought for the people cleaning your hotel room. Chances are that their pay and conditions are below those set out in the award, they are being bullied and harassed

Students walk-out for refugees

BY KAROL FLOREK SYDNEY — More than 100 high school students walked out of classrooms on February 15 to voice their opposition to the Coalition government's inhumane treatment of refugees. The Resistance-organised protest commenced in Hyde Park to

Socialist Alliance hunger strike for refugees

BY JAMES VASSILOPOULOS CANBERRA — Socialist Alliance members held a 30-hour hunger strike, beginning on February 11, to publicise the February 12 refugees' rights convergence at Parliament House. The action was reported by the local WIN and ABC

ARGENTINA: People's power v the IMF

BY ROHAN PEARCE Argentina is undergoing a transformation, into something rare in Latin America — a beacon of hope that offers a different choice to the only one normally offered by corporate globalisation: submit. Argentina isn't an "ordinary"

Action Updates

Refugees' campaign builds in Rockhampton ROCKHAMPTON — Forty people gathered on February 15 to greet the Freedom Bus that has been visiting refugee detention centres across Australia. The meeting also launched the Rockhampton Rural

BRAZIL: Mayor's murder indicates political polarisation

BY BEN REID PORTO ALEGRE — The second World Social Forum occurred at an important time in Brazilian politics. On January 19 Celso Daniel, mayor of Santo Andre in Sao Paulo state, was found murdered. Daniel is the second mayor belonging to the

Black Hawk Down a hit in Mogadishu

BY BUSTER SOUTHERLY Black Hawk Down, the first of the wave of patriotic US war and action movies being rushed to the screens following the September 11 incidents, opens across Australia on February 21. The film's Pentagon advisers hope that Black

The 'Great Game'

BY URI AVNERY JERUSALEM — Some weeks ago, something curious happened: Israel discovered that Iran is the Great Satan. It happened quite suddenly. There was no prior sensational news, no new discovery. As if by the order of a drill-sergeant, the

CAMBODIA: UN tries to sabotage Khmer Rouge trial

BY ALLEN MYERS PHNOM PENH — In a surprise move on February 8, the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs (OLA) announced its withdrawal from negotiations to establish a mixed Cambodian-international tribunal to try surviving leaders of the Khmer

Godfrey Hirst workers win trust fund

BY GRAHAM WILLIAMS GEELONG — Production workers at the Godfrey Hirst carpet factory are one of the first groups of workers in the country to win a trust fund that guarantees all their entitlements if the company goes bankrupt. The Manusafe

ACEH: 'Australia is helping the army to kill my people'

BY MAX LANE "It was extremely disappointing to see Australian Prime Minister John Howard shake hands so enthusiastically with Indonesia's President Megawati Sukarnoputri. Doesn't he know how her government treats the people, not just in Aceh, but