Month: September 2012

Australia: immigration detention centres remodelled to be riot-proof

21 September: Detention centres are being dramatically remodelled in a bid to riot-proof them, including ceilings and roofs being toughened or completely replaced.

The overhaul at Christmas Island and Villawood in Sydney’s southwest has come in the wake of riots last year when asylum seekers set fire to buildings during rooftop protests.

Internal ceilings have been hardened to prevent asylum seekers getting into roof cavities while tiles have been replaced with Colorbond to prevent a repeat of tiles being used as missiles. Continue reading “Australia: immigration detention centres remodelled to be riot-proof”

Global solidarity with Domino’s Pizza delivery drivers

from Slackbastard: Back in April, Domino’s Pizza delivery drivers in Australia had their wages slashed by 19% — overnight. The driver’s union — the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employee’s Union (SDA), a yellow union which with 230,000 members is also Australia’s largest and functions as a sinecure for a small clique of right-wing Labor Party officials — agreed in May to accept this decision. The wages cut was then formally accepted at an industrial hearing at FWA in July, and further discussions between Domino’s and the union deferred until some point in the future. In effect, by not applying to have an earlier, outdated agreement rescinded, the SDA chose to actively support measures which prevented drivers from obtaining a national minimum award of $19 per hour.

While all this was going on and undeterred by the SDA, a group of Domino’s workers — members of the Brisbane branch of the Anarcho-Syndicalist Federation — decided to organise themselves to take action, eventually forming the ‘General Transport Workers’ Association’. After several months of rallies (May/June/July) at a number of Domino’s Pizza restaurants in Australia, last month the GTWA appealed for support from its international allies. On September 15, 2012, a Global Day of Action in solidarity with the GTWA and Domino’s drivers took place.

Below are very brief accounts of some of the events and actions organised in support; a fuller account is published on the International Workers Association / Asociación Internacional de los Trabajadores (IWA-AIT) blog. Continue reading “Global solidarity with Domino’s Pizza delivery drivers”

Alice Springs: Coroner rules that police ‘lack of care’ led to death in custody

17 September: The Northern Territory coroner has found the death of an Aboriginal man in custody was due to a lack of care by police and could have been prevented.

An inquest heard Kwementyaye Briscoe, 27, was dragged along the floor by police at the Alice Springs watch house after being taken into protective custody for being drunk in January.

Police told the inquest they did not seek medical treatment for a wound on Mr Briscoe’s head nor check on him in his cell for more than two hours.

Instead, officers were on the internet or listening to music. Continue reading “Alice Springs: Coroner rules that police ‘lack of care’ led to death in custody”

Sydney: six charged after violent protest

September 16: Six men have been charged following violent protests in Sydney sparked by an anti-Islamic film.

Violent clashes erupted yesterday after demonstrators marched from Sydney’s Town Hall to Martin Place yesterday afternoon and confronted police outside the US consulate.

Some protesters allegedly threw glass bottles and other missiles at police, forcing officers to use capsicum spray during a melee that led to six police and 17 others being injured.

Seven men and one male juvenile were arrested, with six men so far charged with offences including assaulting police and animal cruelty, police said.

Six police were injured and 17 others were treated for the effects of capsicum spray following the protest. Continue reading “Sydney: six charged after violent protest”

Sydney: anarchist campaign against the NSW council elections

Indymedia: In the weeks preceding the NSW council elections, some anarchists and anti authoritarians in Sydney mounted a campaign against the coerced ritual of voting.

A couple thousand posters and stickers were pasted on walls, bins, electricity boxes, telephone booths, and bus shelters mostly throughout the electorates of Ashfield, Leichardt, Marrickville, Rockdale, Hurstville and Sydney city.
Low lying politician signs from every party were torn down, numerous high ones were hit with paint bombs and at least 20 anti voting slogans were sprayed across walls, mostly throughout the inner west.

Continue reading “Sydney: anarchist campaign against the NSW council elections”

Australia: “Green militancy alarms industry”

10 September, The Australian: A rising tide of green militancy in the nation’s forests has alarmed industry, which is calling for police and government intervention to fight sabotage, safety breaches and production delays caused by reckless protesting.

As the Gillard government threw its weight behind a sustainable forestry industry, business warned that new tactics by conservationists were dramatically raising the risks of injury and violence.

Mountain ranges in southeast Australia are at the centre of the latest environmental flashpoint, with bushfire devastation intensifying concern and activism among grassroots groups about how to deal with the remaining timber resource.

Victorian Association of Forest Industries chief executive Lisa Marty has warned that dawn raids by masked intruders and attempts to shut down 40-tonne equipment by stealth meant that the workplace was becoming perilous. Continue reading “Australia: “Green militancy alarms industry””

Manado, Indonesia: Electrical substation burnt

(translation from 325, original from Membakar Senja)

It’s always a reason to say that the lack of numbers is the main reason. But for us the only obstacle is fear. Theories, reasons and situations are the walls of the labyrinth which always became a reason for obstruction and restriction. As well as the accusations that the kidnapping of two members, of our comrades Billy and Eat, is a barrier to the ongoing actions for destruction.

On August 23, at a power plant in Kotamobagu, North Sulawesi, we put an incendiary device that failed to ignite. We were disappointed with ourselves and the ability of each individual who was involved in the attack. But on the other hand, we learned that no one should regret. Tonight August 31, we re-commit to do the same “crimes”. Leaving the device in order to burn an electrical substation in Tuminting, Manado.

The goal is clear. We are angry. Really angry! Continue reading “Manado, Indonesia: Electrical substation burnt”

Australia: most strike days since 2004

September 6: The highest number of working days lost to industrial action since June 2004 was recorded in the June 2012 quarter, new Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows.

A total of 101,700 working days were lost in April, May and June – almost three times more than in the March quarter – the statistics released on Thursday show. They involved 70,000 employees in 53 disputes.

In the 12 months to June, the number of disputes dropped by one from the previous year, but almost double the number of working days were lost.

Sydney: feminists storm anti-choice conference

fcollective: (by Megan Clement-Couzner)

#Occupied: the NSW Right to Life Conference

On Saturday, this Right to Life event took place. Except that it didn’t, because feminists occupied it. Or, if you like, #destroyedthejoint.

NSW Right to Life invited the lovely David Bereit (pronounced bee-rite) to speak at their conference dinner on Saturday night while he does a speaking ‘tour‘ of Australia.

If you’ve followed any of the links above, I don’t have to tell you that this man is proud to announce that he has closed 23 abortion centres. He was national director of Stop Planned Parenthood. He started 40 days for life. He is vile and he wants to take away women’s control of their bodies, and trans* folks bodies too.

*Some feminists* (no names) were motivated enough to want to interrupt this guy. Continue reading “Sydney: feminists storm anti-choice conference”