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Children attempting suicide in Immigration custody

Gerry Georgatos

The email below this one is the news that will imminently eventuate - which would grab the attention of the news media without fail. From Christmas Island families are transferred and crowded into Detention Centres - for instance Darwin Airport Lodge, which is bursting at the seams. Children are walking around witness to abominable tensions, in witness to young adults who are swathed in bandages from physical wounds - from injuries where blood stains are fresh.

The call for a Royal Commission into the AWU scandal involving Julia Gillard IS LOUDER THAN EVER - Gillard, the lawyer, brought a defamation action in defence of the 'bagman' who now wants to testify 'with immunity'

THE CALL FOR THE ROYAL COMMISSION INTO THE AWU SCANDAL INVOLVING PRIME MINISTER JULIA GILLARD IS LOUDER THAN EVER – “It was not a slush fund” says AWU accountant – it was something more sinister – new revelation – Julia Gillard, lawyer, brought on a defamation action in defence of Ralph Blewitt (“the bagman”) – enough is enough, bring on the Royal Commission and step down Julia Gillard from the Office of the Prime Minister till the RC is concluded – The nation’s reputation is on the line

Gillard’s account of slush fund rejected – October 29, 2012 – Sydney Morning Herald

September 28, 2013 - John Pat Day shall be a national remembrance with thousands marching

Gerry Georgatos
Image courtesy Margaret Bertling
John Pat, who was killed by off-duty police officers in Western Australia's Roebourne in 1983 will be remembered in a National John Pat Day next year. Marches and rallies will take place in every major city and in many towns across the nation. It will be 30 years since September 28, 1983 when his life was extinguished during a brutal beating by an inebriated racist police officer. Last week The National Indigenous Times visited Roebourne and met with John Pat’s mother, Mavis Pat.

Climate activists do Banner drops in Boggabri and Melbourne against coal rush

Activists from Quit Coal were able to get a message across this morning: with a banner drop over the main entrance of the Victorian State parliament house. The banner said "'Coal is the single greatest threat to civilisation and all life on our planet' Prof. James Hansen, NASA. Why is Baillieu funding coal?" At the same time activists in central NSW at Boggabri climbed a coal-crusher and dropped a banner which said "Stop the Coal Rush: Protect Health, Water, Climate"

Related: Further subsidies for Victorian coal by Victorian and Federal Governments | Quit Coal photos: Parliament House Banner Drop & Lock On

Melbourne UK consulate rally and occupation (17th August 2012)

On Friday 17th August, in response to the UK Government threats against the Ecuadorean Embassy and there refusal to allow Assange safe passage to Ecuador where he has been given political asylum, a protest was held at the UK Consulate in Melbourne. Three protestors entered the consulate and tried to talk to staff about the treatment of Assange. Staff hid from the protestors and Federal Police and local police entered the Consulate. One protestor was arrested when he tried to bring water to those inside the Consulate. The video's below give a good account of what happened on the day.

White supremacists at Melbourne militaria and weapon fair

This booth is present at each Melbourne Arms and Militaria Fair, held twice yearly at the Melbourne Showgrounds and organised by Jeff Pannan. Photos are from 7 July 2012.

Presence of Nazi memorabilia, firearms, antiques and replicas is expected as the fair has a strong historical focus, however this stall sells only modern T-shirts, flags and a small selection of knives, which were also of modern design. I attended the same fair last year but did not bring a camera then. The stallholders rant constantly about killing refugees, asylum seekers, Muslims, homosexuals, immigrants, Jews, Greens etc to any who will listen.

People smugglers they are not, lawful and heroes instead - we have to change the language

Gerry Georgatos
The misappropriation of language and abuse of semantics in reference to ‘perceived people smugglers’ has to begin to change so we do not further erode compassion, and continue to skew the moral compass, bend and circumvent the rule of law- domestic and international.

Picket of workers at Toll Coles Distribution warehouse begins

A picket by workers at Toll warehouse in Somerton in Melbourne began on July 10th. The workers are paying parity of conditions and pay as workers in other Coles warehouses. Workers at Toll are paid significantly less, do not receive RDO's, are forced to work on public holidays and suffer from poor health and safety. A Community Assembly has been called to back the NUW led strike. Differences in terms of tactics exist with many leftist groups urging support for the NUW leadership of the strike whilst the Socialist Equality Party is calling on workers to break free from the NUW and form independent strike committees.
Related: Coverage in The Age -- Analysis from the Socialist Equality Party -- Photos on Flikr -- Solidarity protest at Coles stores -- Workers Solidarity Network fliers -- Updates on strike from Socialist Alternative

Melbourne solidarity for Julian Assange

Around 200 people turned out in the Melbourne rain to show solidarity for Julian Assange (1st July 2012) at a rally organized by Wikileaks Australian Citizens Alliance/ The crowd heard from a range of speakers including Greens MP Adam Bandt, SEP Melbourne by-election candidate Patrick O’Connor, Wikileaks co-founder Da

Videos: Rally against Baillieu new coal plans and HRL coal power station

June 28, 2012: Up to 300 People gathered on the steps of the Victorian Parliament house to show opposition to new coal projects which would destroy prime farmland and triple Victoria's contribution to greenhouse pollution.

Residents from Bacchus Marsh and south Gippsland attended to show their opposition to new coal mining projects and plans to use an experimental drying technology by Exergen to open up further mining and the export of brown coal.

Related: Latrobe Valley Coal Power and Climate Change | Carbon capture and storage and the Melbourne earthquake | No coal mine in Bacchus Marsh - locals and activists halt exploratory drilling | Photoset on Flickr