December 13 – Ferguson the “Fossil Fool” and other matters

Posted on December 13, 2011 by melbourneprotests

So the break didn’t really happen. Last Friday, December 9th, there was the Occupy Melbourne Kids and Carers “Dare to Share” Teddy Bear Protest (http://indymedia.org.au/2011/12/10/occupy-melbournes-dare-to-share-teddy-bears-protest – video at end of this post); then on Saturday 10th there was the Tent Monsters’ (Re-)Occupation of Melbourne (http://indymedia.org.au/2011/12/11/tentmonster-parade-and-march-in-melbourne – see also at end of this post); on Monday Santa and his reindeer borrowed the 7-seater “Bikezilla” to bring the Quit Coal message to Christmas crowds in the Bourke Street Mall (http://quitcoal.org.au/blog/); and this morning Federal Energy Minister Martin Ferguson would have faced a picket at the Hilton Hotel on Wellington Parade if he had used the front entrance:

The occasion was a meeting of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia which Minister Ferguson was to address. Failing contact with him, protesters handed leaflets to delegates arriving, where necessary blocking the path of vehicles to ensure their occupants got the message directly:

The protest was organised jointly by members of Climate Action Now groups from Darebin and Yarra living within the minister’s electorate of Batman.
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Walmadan Country is Calling – Community Awareness Gathering, Northcote, 27 August 2011

Posted on August 29, 2011 by melbourneprotests

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Following on from the very successful ‘Keep the Kimberley’ rally on August 14th, campaigners in Melbourne organised on Saturday what is planned to be the first of a series of awareness raising gatherings. Not a protest in the strict sense, perhaps, but part of the campaign and so included here. See the Walmadan Country is Calling Facebook page for details and other reports, including photos.

Footnote: campaigners in Ireland opposing a Shell refinery at Bellinaboy blockaded a road on Friday 26 August and dedicated this action as an act of solidarity with the community of Broome. See http://www.indymedia.ie/article/100410.

“Keep the Kimberley” – rally at State Library, Melbourne, 14 August 2011

Posted on August 17, 2011 by melbourneprotests

There was a marked difference in mainstream media attention towards the two Melbourne rallies on Sunday reported here: a veritable scrum at the one, seemingly total absence at this. Fortunately, organisers had put together apparently put together a team to collect photos and video, and a preview has already been posted via the event’s Facebook page. So this report is really only a supplement.

Perhaps as many as a thousand people attended in all, many having answered the call to

*COME DRESSED IN RED TO REPRESENT THE PINDAN (RED DIRT) OF THE REGION’S REMARKABLE TERRAIN, THE BLOOD OF THIS COUNTRY*

(From the callout.)

The red Save the Kimberley t-shirts sold out.

What the mainstream missed was a succession of inspiring speakers, singers – including veteran Shane Howard – and a finale from Dan Sultan and his band that had young and old dancing. And what is shaping up to be ‘bigger than the Franklin’.

Follow ‘Keep the Kimberley’ on Facebook

The video – see below – hopefully will give an idea of what was said, sung and done.
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“Welcome to Country” came from Wurundjeri Elder Ringo Terrick:
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Broome musician Tanya Ransom and Liz Stringer from Melbourne sang:
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Munya Andrews, an Aboriginal barrister from the Kimberley was one of the speakers:
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Kimberley Traditional Owner Neil McKenzie:
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