August 2015 – DISACCORDS

Goulburn: Prison escapee arrested following bed sheet escape

Goulburn Correction Centre

19 Aug – An inmate who used a sheet to scale a wall and break out of a New South Wales prison has appeared in court charged with escaping police custody and stealing a car.

Up to 20 police and the dog squad were involved overnight in the search for 28-year-old Stephen Jamieson, who is serving time in the maximum security facility in Goulburn for armed robbery.

Police said he was spotted driving a stolen ute on the Hume Highway at Marulan, east of Goulburn, just before 11:00pm.

Attempts to pull over the car were unsuccessful, and police pursued it.

Road spikes were used to stop the ute at Pheasants Nest, to the north-east.

Jamieson allegedly tried to flee, but was arrested nearby, police said.

Authorities find pillow atop razor wire fence

Photo: Authorities found a pillow inmate Stephen Jamieson tied around his waist during his escape from Goulburn prison.

Dressed in prison greens at a Goulburn court on Wednesday, Jamieson did not enter any plea to the charges, which included driving an unregistered or uninsured vehicle, driving without a licence and police pursuit (Skye’s Law).

His escape has prompted Corrective Services NSW to order a review of security arrangements in the prison’s maximum security section.

Corrective Services commissioner Peter Severin said the review, to be conducted by a New Zealand Department of Corrections security expert, would begin next Monday.

Jamieson had been in segregation after being identified as a suspect over the discovery of a man-made hole in the floor which was found in the prison earlier this month.

Mr Severin said Jamieson escaped after cutting through a metal gate at the back of a small secure exercise yard that is attached to each segregation cell.

End of police pursuit, arrest of Goulburn prison escapee

Photo: The stolen ute after the end of the police pursuit.

“He was able to get out of that exercise yard and then he had a range of bed sheets that he tied together and was able to swing them over the wall to then effect his escape by scaling that wall,” he said.

“It appears that he also had a pillow [that was] put around his waist and enabled him to make good his escape over the razor wire.”

Jamieson had been in custody since 2013 and was serving 12 years in prison for armed robbery.

Officials emphasised the jail break did not occur at the High Risk Management Correctional Centre, known as Supermax, at the same Goulburn facility.

External Link: Escapee Stephen Jamieson’s route through NSW

Melbourne: Strike at Woolworth’s liquor warehouse

Workers picket the entrance to a Woolworths liquor distribution centre at Laverton.

17 August – Report from Anarchist Affinity members who were supporting the MLDC (Melbourne Liquor Distribution Centre) strike last week.

Workers at Woolworths MLDC launched unprotected (unlawful) strike action in the early hours of Monday morning last week. Workers were responding to broken promises by management; Woolworths management had announced the week before that all new hires at the Laverton site would be through a labour-hire agency despite promises to the contrary made in EBA negotiations less than a year earlier.

The MLDC strike was called for, planned and hastily executed by rank and file union militants at MLDC. The decision to strike occurred to the genuine surprise of NUW union organisers and officials (the NUW is the workers’ union), and this decision was taken by a workforce who had never previously been on strike together.

The MLDC sits at a critical juncture in Woolworth’s supply chain. The strike shut-down liquor and cigarette supplies to Woolworths, BWS and Dan Murphy’s stores across Victoria.

On day four of the strike, industrial action occurred at two other Woolworth’s distribution centres in Hume and Barnawatha. The Hume DC afternoon shift joined the strike and the Barnawatha DC imposed an overtime ban whilst planning to join the strike.

This strike action continued despite the threat of fines and dismissal. It continued in defiance of an order by the Fair Work Commission on Tuesday. When ordered back to work, strikers at MLDC burnt copies of the FWC order and announced they would not return to work until Woolworths agreed “no labour hire and no repercussions [for striking]”.

The power that these workers held in their hands was palpable.

Continue reading “Melbourne: Strike at Woolworth’s liquor warehouse”

Malaysia: Government officer’s vehicles set on fire

Two of the three vehicles damaged in the attack using Mototov cocktails in Bukit Marak, Bachok, Kelantan, this morning

17 Aug – Police believe three vehicles were torced in Kampung Renek near Bukit Marak, Bachok early this morning.

The suspicion arose from the discovery of glass bottles in the seats of the burnt vehicles — a Perodua Kelisa, a Toyota Vios and a Suzuki Vitara.

The bottles were believed to be remains of Molotov cocktails used by the arsonists.

The incident occurred at a two-storey house owned by Tumpat’s Kemubu Agriculture Development Authority chief Rosli Hassan.

Initial reports stated that the victim, with nine other family members, was fast asleep when the incident occurred at 4am today.

According to operations commander of the Bachok Fire and Rescue Department, Abdul Razak Rahman, a call came in at 4.02am informing them of the fire and seven of his personnel were immediately deployed to the scene.

They then realised that the fire was uncontrollable. The firemen quickly set to work to prevent the flames from spreading to the house itself.

“Based on the inspection we carried out inside the burnt vehicles, we found glass bottles believed to be Molotov cocktails..

“We will continue our investigations to find out the real cause of the fire and if it was indeed foul play,” said Abdul Razak in a statement today.

A witness, identified as Mohamad Hisham, said he was on his way to an eatery when he saw four men in front of the victim’s house.

On his way back, he claimed to have seen four men jumping out of the house. He said he immediately chased after them, thinking that they had robbed the occupants in the house.

“However, they disappeared pretty fast. After subuh, I was informed of the arson.”

Malaysia: Molotov Cocktails Thrown At Immigration Officer’s House

15 August – Two petrol bombs were hurled at the home of an immigration officer in Prai early yesterday morning.

In the 6.35am incident, an unidentified suspect threw bottles of molotov cocktail into the compound of the woman’s home, setting her plants on fire.

Central Seberang Prai district police chief Assistant Commissioner Rusli Md Noor said the officer’s husband was at the house and realised something was amiss upon hearing sound of a glass breaking.

“He then heard two loud explosions and rushed outside.

“The suspect is believed to have most likely fled on a motorcycle,” he said when contacted. Rusli said the man and his children managed to put out the fire.

“They found the driver and three passenger side windows were also shattered,” he said.

Rusli did not elaborate if the car belonged to the woman.

The case is being investigated under Section 435 of the Penal Code for mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage.

Brisbane: Tranarchist bloc report from August 8 ‘Marriage Equality’ rally

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8 Aug – At the “Rally for marriage equality and equality for all” in ‪‎Brisbane‬, 8/8/2015…

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Speakers were briefed not to stray from the “gay monogamous marriage solves all queer problems through trickledown economics *ahem* trickledown rights” which is ironic as fuck, considering the organisers are Trots.

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So, what happened during the march:

Initially we were marching in line with the rainbow banner. The person on the end closest to the cars had to keep moving left and right to dodge parked cars. Anyway, halfway down George Street, the rainbow banner crew suddenly ran and got their banner fully in front of us. After about 30 seconds of that we were like “what the fuck, it’s on” so we got into the front. Then we saw one of the marriage organisers behind us, and we were like “hey get the rainbow people to move over to the side, they’re in the middle of the street so we can’t fit side by side” and she just rolled her eyes and shook her head angrily at us and was like “they’re meant to be at the front” so we just kept marching.

The SAlties (Socialist Alternative – an authoritarian Marxist group) kept giving us dirty looks and another Trot kept taking pictures of us daring to not back down from marxist backstabbing of anarchists.

When they kept chanting “hey hey ho ho homophobia’s got to go” we changed it to transphobia. More dirty looks from them, but whatever: if the title of your rally includes “and equality for all”, then we will take you up on it.

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(via Brisbane Anarchist Direct Action & Solidarity Syndicate)

Philippines: New Tee Designs – Solidarity for a seek infoshop volunteer

10 August – Bas Umali in the anarchist scene, has been consistently active since the mid 1990s. He is involved in diverse activities, actions and projects in local, regional and international networks.

His latest involvement was to be a speaking engagement in Hiroshima, Fukushima and Tokyo in relation to annual atomic bombing commemoration activities co-organized by anarchists in Japan (August 6th to 11th).

He was all set: plane ticket procured two months earlier (thanks to his Japanese comrades) and visa approved a month ahead of schedule. Unfortunately, he felt discomfort from his right scrotum a week before his flight to Tokyo. Discomfort escalated into pain in his lower right abdomen. From Cebu he traveled to Manila and consulted two medical doctors to find he has an Inguinal hernia. Both doctors advised him to take plenty of rest and to have immediate surgery. He consistently explores and supports alternative medicine but this particular case where part of his small intestines is trapped into his scrotal cavity can only be removed manually and needs to be tied to the nearest bone to avoid recurrence.

Support our fund raising activity for the surgery of a comrade. Solidarity comes in various forms, we offer a T-shirt you can purchase for 14 dollars (plus shipping) which we will send with two documents: “Archipelagic Confederation” and “Gasera Journal”.

Medical Certificates:

for more info please email us at :

onsiteinfoshopphilippines@gmail.com

Drop The Charges Against Jamie Williams!

7 August – The Melbourne Anarchist Communist Group calls on the Australian Government to drop the charges against Jamie Williams and release him unconditionally. He was arrested on 27 July and charged with “preparing for incursions into foreign countries for the purpose of engaging in hostile activities”. The substance of the charge is that he attempted to leave Australia to join the YPG forces in Syria fighting Daesh, which styles itself as the “Islamic State”.

We do not know whether Jamie Williams was actually trying to join the YPG, but we would have only admiration for him if he was. The YPG-YPJ (People’s Protection Units – Women’s Protection Units) of the PYD (Democratic Union Party) are defending the Kurdish communities of Rojova in Syria against the barbarous forces of Daesh and are doing so very effectively. Further, in the areas of Rojova the YPG-YPJ are protecting, there is a social transformation being conducted which has the potential to be greatly liberatory and to inspire revolutionary workers’ movements across the region.

We say only “potential” because the PYD are allying themselves with US imperialism in its military assault on West Asia, something that undermines the libertarian socialist goals for which the PYD claims to be struggling. While this alliance brings certain tactical benefits (having F-22s take out Daesh vehicles and field HQs definitely made defending Kobanê easier), they are greatly outweighed by the strategic disadvantage of the barriers it puts up between the Kurdish and Arab peoples of the region. The MACG therefore calls on the PYD to break with the United States and throw its lot in with the workers and oppressed masses of West Asia instead. US intervention in West Asia will kill far fewer jihadis than it will recruit for Daesh, something not unconnected to the fact that the US has killed far more people in the region than Daesh ever will.

Regardless of the PYD’s short-sighted choice of friends, however, its struggle against Daesh is greatly progressive and should be supported by workers in Australia and around the world. And if workers in Australia like Jamie Williams decide to join the YPG-YPJ or radical bands allied to them, the Australian Government shouldn’t stand in their way.

FREEDOM FOR JAMIE WILLIAMS!

LONG LIVE THE ROJAVA REVOLUTION!

(via Melbourne Anarchist Communist Group)

Melbourne man remanded in custody after attempting to travel to Iraq to fight with Kurdish forces

Jamie Williams, Melbourne man remanded in custody over plan to take up arms in Iraq

28 July – A 28-year-old Melbourne man has been remanded in custody after being charged by the Melbourne Joint Counter Terrorism Team for attempting to travel to northern Iraq to fight with Kurdish forces against Islamic State.

Jamie Williams, of Epping, in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, was arrested last night and made a brief appearance in the Melbourne Magistrates Court today.

He was remanded in custody until his next court appearance in October and his lawyer Rob Stary said he would be applying for bail.

Williams appeared calm in the dock during the short filing hearing, and was supported by his partner and mother.

He was dressed in a black T-shirt and had a beard and a tattoo on his left arm.

It will be alleged Williams “undertook preparations and attempted to depart Australia in December 2014”.

He was detained at Melbourne Airport on December 28 last year.

When asked what he was travelling for it is believed Williams admitted he was going to fight with the Kurdish forces, and planned to travel to the northern Iraqi city of Sulaymaniyah.

Sulaymaniyah is a well-known entry point for Westerners wishing to join the fight against Islamic State.

His passport was immediately seized.

Members of the Customs service, now part of the Australian Border Force, identified him as a potential foreign fighter as he attempted to board a flight for Qatar.

Various items of “military-style equipment and clothing” were allegedly found in his luggage.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) executed a warrant on Williams’ house in March and seized his mobile phone and a computer.

The warrant allowed the police to seize anything relating to the Lions of Rojava and a woman named Kader Kadandir, who runs the Lions of Rojava Facebook page.

The Lions of Rojava is a Facebook page of Kurdish sympathisers who use it to promote their cause and recruit Western fighters.

AFP Assistant Commissioner for Counter Terrorism Neil Gaughan said regardless of who it was, undertaking a plan to travel to Syria or Iraq to support those involved in the conflict was “illegal and highly dangerous”.

“While this individual did not actually travel, people need to be aware that actively planning and undertaking preparations to travel to the conflict area still constitutes a criminal offence,” he said in a statement.

Williams has been charged with one count of preparing for incursions into foreign countries for the purpose of engaging in hostile activities.

The maximum penalty for the offence is life in prison.

The parents of Gold Coast man Reece Harding, who was recently killed fighting with the Kurdish YPG forces in June, want that to change.

Keith Harding told the ABC’s 7:30 program that Australians who support the YPG should not be treated like those who fight for or support Islamic State.

“We’ve got to change public opinion for these foreign fighters that are fighting against ISIS and allow them to come home safely,” he said.

“For all we know Reece might still be alive today if he had a chance to go and rest up back here.”

Melbourne: Protesters disrupt Pyne’s Vic book launch

31 July – Student protesters smashed a glass door panel in an attempt to storm a building where federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne was launching his new book.

They also blockaded the doors of the Docklands building, stopping some from entering the event, which was delayed for about 30 minutes until police regained control.

A beatbox blared music throughout the scuffle as the group of about 100 demonstrators, who were protesting against cuts to higher education funding, chanted slogans such as “no ifs, no buts, no education cuts”.

“I’d like to welcome those who made it through,” Mr Pyne told the audience on Friday night.

“We’re about two-thirds the number that RSVP-ed, so sadly I think about a third of the people who wanted to come couldn’t get through.

The National Union of Students organised the protest to express its opposition to the deregulation of university fees.

Members shouted “No cuts, no fees, no corporate universities” and jostled with police.

Demonstrators clash with police outside NAB headquarters in Melbourne's Docklands.

One female protester was arrested and charged with assaulting police, while three police officers were treated for minor injuries.

Victorian Liberal Party president Michael Kroger launched Mr Pyne’s book, A Letter to My Children, as Prime Minister Tony Abbott had to pull out.

The clean-up following the protest at the book launch of Christopher Pyne's new book.