A group of alumni and friends attended the University of Queensland Senate meeting to challenge the university’s involvement with the weapons corporation, Boeing. Kerry Smith reports.
Issue 1379
News
More than 50 allied health professionals and supporters rallied outside Barwon Health’s University Hospital to protest against a proposed restructure. Sue Bull reports.
Two hundred people protested for climate action as part of Extinction Rebellion WA’s “Perth stops for climate”. Alex Salmon reports.
Rising Tide stopped a coal train for 5 hours on April 16 at the Port of Newcastle, after a successful camp for climate action. Coral Wynter, Rachel Evans and Richard Boult report.
The Maritime Union of Australia welcomed the news that Danish tugboat company Svitzer had finally agreed to abandon its legal action to cancel the 2019 enterprise bargaining agreement of almost 600 tugboat workers. Jim McIlroy reports.
Clifton D’Rozario, a labour lawyer and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation leader, will address Ecosocialism 2023 in Naarm/Melbourne. Sam Wainwright reports.
Motivated by federal Labor’s decision to spend billions on nuclear-powered submarines, Merri-bek Council passed a motion declaring the local government area a nuclear free zone. Darren Saffin reports.
The Sydney Anti-AUKUS Coalition, with the support of anti-war, peace and environmental groups, is preparing to protest the Quad summit, which will include US president Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Kerry Smith reports.
Hundreds of people gathered at the Cataract Dam on April 16 to remember the 14 Dharrawal men, women and children killed in the Appin Massacre in 1816. Stephen Langford reports.
Kurdish-Australians and their supporters called on the federal government and other world powers to stand up against isolation of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan. Peter Boyle reports.
More than 100 members of the Myanmar community and supporters rallied outside Customs House to protest airstrikes against civilians in Myanmar/Burma. Jim McIlroy reports.
Climate activists stopped a coal train at Sandgate, near Newcastle, for several hours in protest at the damaging industry. Niko Leka reports.
Protesters marched against the recent violent Israeli attacks on Palestinian worshippers at Al Aqsa mosque. Peter Boyle reports.
In opposition, NSW Labor campaigned against bus privatisation. But, the new minister now says “the options available are limited”. Jim McIlroy reports.
Ben Radford and Isaac Nellist take you through the latest news from Australia and around the world.
Ten climate activists have been variously charged under the NSW anti-protest laws for taking part in non-violent direct action protests. David Killingly reports.
Students from the University of Sydney held a speak out in front of the Vice Chancellor’s office at Eastern Avenue to protest Universities Australia support for the AUKUS military alliance. Jim McIlroy reports.
The WA Industrial Relations Commission is still considering fining the Australian Nursing Federation WA $350,000 for taking strike action last November as part of its enterprise bargaining campaign. Chris Jenkins reports.
Knitting Nannas and Friends gathered outside Santos’ Sydney office to protest, as the company held its annual general meeting in Tarndanya/Adelaide. Marie Flood reports.
About 25 protesters stopped work at a bullet factory in Benalla, in Victoria, and called for the police to be disarmed. Kerry Smith reports.
Analysis
Randwick locals called a protest, with the help of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, outside Randwick City Council chambers to call on it reconsider flying the flag of an apartheid regime. Cathy Peters reports.
Labor’s commitment to tax cuts for the rich and the $368 billion submarine deal means that even more funding will be cut from already stretched health, aged care, education and welfare services. Darren Saffin reports.
Greens’ housing spokesperson Max Chandler-Mather discusses negotiations with Labor over its housing package, arguments for a rent freeze, the safeguard mechanism and the AUKUS nuclear submarines.
Niko Leka reflects on the April 15–16 Climate Camp protest in Mulubinba/Newcastle that took direct action to stop a coal train.
If anyone was expecting a flash of independence from foreign minister Penny Wong’s address to the National Press Club, they were bound to be disappointed, argues Binoy Kampmark.
Nancy Herrera contributed a great deal to the sum total of human progress and was a living link between this generation and Che Guevara. Barry Healy reflects on her life.
A new Australia Institute report reveals that a staggering 93% of income growth over the past decade in Australia went to the top 10% of income earners, reports Isaac Nellist.
The Australian government should re-consider its confused policy towards Venezuela and once again recognise the elected government of President Nicolas Maduro, writes Chris Slee.
‘Who here voted for the government to spend $368 billion on nuclear submarines? No, none of us’, ETU secretary Peter Ong told the Meanjin Palm Sunday rally.
The gender pay gap across Australia last year was 13.3% across full-time weekly earnings. As Joshua Adams reports, at the current rate, the pay gap won't change for another 30 years.
The government’s war powers inquiry recommends no fundamental reform, despite a majority of submissions arguing for parliamentary oversight before committing the country to wars. Pip Hinman reports.
Catriona Jackson, CEO of Universities Australia, is off to Washington to meet the US State Department and National Science Foundation to grab a slice of the growing defence budget for the sector. Binoy Kampmark reports.
Workers in the mostly privatised aged-care system face chronic understaffing and substandard pay, while aged care providers cry poor to justify their cost cutting. Ben Radford reports.
There are solutions to the housing crisis, but governments will have to be pushed to dismantle the developer and investor-driven policies, argues Isaac Nellist.
Labor voted against a Green's motion to bring about 130 refugees from Papua New Guinea and Nauru to safety in Australia. Paul Gregoire reports.
The negotiated amendments won by the Greens improved Labor’s initial terrible climate "safeguard mechanism", but are not enough to make it worthy of support, argues Alex Bainbridge.
Peter Dutton’s party increasingly cradles the prehistoric, argues Binoy Kampmark.
World
Protests are continuing against the construction of a police training centre in Atlanta, Georgia, despite activists being targeted by police violence and trumped-up legal charges. Malik Miah reports.
Irish-Australian anti-war activist Ciaron O'Reilly was arrested outside Dublin Castle while attempting to deliver a giant prison key to United States president Joe Biden, reports Kerry Smith.
In Aotearoa/New Zealand, the Labour government has enthusiastically, and without any public discussion, become part of NATO’s Asia Pacific 4, betraying the gains of the mass anti-war movement, writes Matt Robson.
The left in Sudan warns that the conflict between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces could be used as another excuse to prevent the hand over of power to civilian forces, reports Pavan Kulkarni.
Continuing his analysis of the social explosion continuing in France, John Mullen looks at the far right and how it has reacted to the movement against President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms.
In the wake of the primary school shooting in Memphis, Tennessee, three Democratic legislators took part in a protest against gun violence. Two of them were then expelled from the House by the Republican majority, reports Malik Miah.
Probably because it doesn’t fit into their narrative of Cuba as a dictatorship, almost no mainstream media covered the recent elections in Cuba, reports Excluded Headlines.
Miguel Lawner — architect and former political prisoner — speaks to Taroa Zúñiga Silva about how Salvador Allende’s government improved the lives of Chileans in its first year.
Tens of thousands of farmers and workers from across India came to the capital New Delhi, on April 5, to protest the central government’s anti-farmer and anti-worker policies, reports Peoples Dispatch/Globetrotter News Service.
Peoples Dispatch / Globetrotter News Service reports that the leaders of 11 Latin American and Caribbean countries took part in a virtual summit against inflation, on April 5, called by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO).
The governments of Argentine President Alberto Fernández and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva have officially rejoined the Union of South American Nations, reports Peoples Dispatch/Globetrotter News Service.
The eight year long Saudi war on Yemen looks, at long last, within reach of a resolution, reports Rupen Savoulian.
A historic social explosion is always a test for any left organisation, writes John Mullen, as he looks behind the latest wave of revolt in France, which is entering its 12th week.
Culture
Steve O’Brien caught up with David Bradbury, independent filmmaker and twice Academy Award-nominated director and producer, at the 2023 Climate Camp in Newcastle. Bradbury’s latest film, The Road To War, is currently being screened around Australia.
An animated short film made by a group of women and artists in Rojhelat (East Kurdistan) in Iran will screen at the Love, Art and Revolution Film Festival in Sydney, reports Peter Boyle.
Jeremy Williams reviews Finite, a new film on coal protests in Britain and Germany, which will screen in Australia later this year.
Everything Everywhere All At Once deservedly scooped seven Oscars from eleven nominations, writes Ian Parker.
As a houngan (male priest in Haitian voodoo), Haitian recording and performing artist Erol Josué is a healer. He spoke following the release of his new album, Pelerinaj (Pilgrimage).
Climate and Capitalism editor Ian Angus presents a selection of new books for people who want to protect the world and transform society.
United States-based, folk-punk singer songwriter David Rovics played in concert with Kamala Emanuel in Brisbane as part of the recent Killing the Messenger tour of Australia.