Hunter Valley: excavators burnt

31 July: Arsonists have torched three excavators, causing almost $1million in equipment damage and hindering work on the $1.7million Hunter Expressway project.

The excavators were discovered alight at a section of the project, near Averys Lane, about 8.40pm on Sunday night. Police and firefighters discovered two excavators ablaze, and a third already destroyed by fire.

The fire took several hours to extinguish safely, because diesel was fuelling the flames. A number of heavy vehicles parked at the construction site were also damaged.

Indonesia: child shot dead by police in demonstration over land dispute

(Edit: Letter of solidarity with farmers in Ogan Ilir on Indonesian anarchist website Membakar Senja)

(Indonesian-language report at Kokemi)

 July 29: On Friday afternoon, a child was shot dead and at least two other residents were critically injured during a clash between police and residents of the village of Limbang Jaya in South Sumatra.

The incident took place close to the grounds of the Cinta Manis [“Sweet love”] sugar factory, and was said to have occurred as part of an ongoing land dispute in the area.

A demonstration over a land dispute at the Cinta Manis sugar plantation in South Sumatra earlier this month.

National Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Boy Rafli Amar said that the violence was provoked by residents hurling rocks at a police vehicle following up on a case regarding stolen goods that belonged to [Cinta Manis].”

The Mobile Brigade (Brimob) vehicle was passing through Limbang Jaya when residents began to hurl rocks at it. Police say they fired a warning shot and tear gas, then fired into the crowd when residents became more violent.

An elementary school student, Angga Fadli bin Mawan, 13, was shot in the head, and died immediately, according to the Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (Kontras). Continue reading “Indonesia: child shot dead by police in demonstration over land dispute”

Philippines: anarchist demonstration against State of the Nation Address

Anarchist news: July 23, 2012, Monday

A group of anarchist demonstrators wearing mask, around 30 individuals, (with black clothes tied on in their face) unpredictably showed up from Aurora Avenue, Cubao Quezon City staging uncompromising rebellion against the State of the Nation Address or SONA.

Circle A black flag was waved in the air, along with green and black and red and black flags that symbolizes an ever-expanding expression of solidarity in the struggle for radical social change and liberation that are inclusive for all common people and every walks of life not solely amongst activists circles and political movements.

Along the intersection of EDSA and Aurora Avenue, anarchists protestors reclaimed the streets, blockaded and stopped the flow of traffic where cars and busses unable to resume in more or less 15 minutes. Three big banners were stretch to the public eye to every commuters and passersby saying Kalayaan, Kapayapaan at Pagkapantay-pantay (Freedom, Peace, Equality), Estado at Kapitalismo Terorismo sa Kalikasan at Sangkatauhan (State and Capitalism Terrorism to Nature and Humanity), Wasakin ang Kagutuman, Itigil ang Pagpapautang, Pagkain para sa lahat (Abolish Hunger, End Debt, Food for All). Continue reading “Philippines: anarchist demonstration against State of the Nation Address”

Melbourne: blockade of Coles warehouse reaches 10th day

July 18: Unionists picketing Coles warehouse refused  to allow a busload of managers into the distribution centre at Somerton in Melbourne’s north this morning.

More than 100 picketers, linking arms across the entrance of the centre, chanting “Nothing out, nothing in”. The workers have placed a barricade of wooden pellets across the entry to the site. There is a strong police presence outside the entrance to the warehouse, bolstered by security guards.

This is the 10th day of a blockade by workers who are employed by the Toll Group, who are demanding they receive equal wages to people employed at other Coles distribution centres.

The Victorian Supreme Court extended an injuction order against striking workers that was due to end today. There were reportedly strong feelings that police would try to break the blockade today.til 4:30 p.m.

Letter from Felicity Ryder from somewhere outside the cages

Note: According to reports, (English translation) Chilean police are also conducting an investigation into Felicity Ryder, as she spent two months there in 2011. They are investigating whether she may have had contact with local anarchist groups and investigating any connection with a bombing. Solidarity with Mario Lopez website here.

from Liberacion Total

Comrades, friends,

I would have liked to have written earlier, but for various circumstances I haven´t had the chance to yet. I want to send a warm greeting and say thanks to everyone who has worried about me and my situation, to those who have shown solidarity with Mario and I. In these difficult moments it means a lot to have people standing in solidarity from near or from far, even without ever having met me. I sent a revolutionary hug to all of you.

I want to clarify that despite all of the lies of the Mexico City police forces and the mass media, I was never arrested and they never had me detained in any of their prisons. I have tried to understand why they would have said that and spread such false information throughout Mexico as well as Australia, but at the end of the day, as a free person I don´t think like a police officer, and I won´t be able to understand. If it was to try in vain to break or manipulate Mario, to manipulate my family, or to try to appear half competent in doing their jobs, I don´t know.

What I do know is that I am proud of being an Anarchist, and proud to be an enemy of authority and the State.

To my brother Mario, I send him a giant hug and much strength and health. I know that he will always maintain his convictions strong, as well as his desire to achieve Total Liberation. I will always be by your side, compañero. Remember, always face to face with the enemy!

I also send a warm greeting to the fugitive comrades Diego Rios and Gabriela Curilem in Chile. A warm hug to the comrades from the CCF and Revolutionary Struggle in Greece, to the anarchist comrades in prison in Italy, to Braulio Duran, Luciano Pitronello, Gabriel Pombo da Silva, and to all of the anarchist prisoners and fugitives all over the world.

Que viva la Anarquia!

Felicity.

Continue reading “Letter from Felicity Ryder from somewhere outside the cages”

Roxby Downs: protesters break mine fence, block road

Update: on July 19 activists blocked the road to the mine with a symbolic lizard car, and tow people locked on to a truck that stopped. five people were arrested.

Anti-uranium activists smashed through the perimeter gate of the Olympic Dam mine near Roxby Downs, 560 kilometres north-west of Adelaide, late on Monday.

The protests are part of  the five-day Lizard’s Revenge festival against the planned expansion of the mine which sits on top of the largest known uranium deposit in the world.

Security guards and police waited inside the mine gate as the group of about 350 people broke a lock to smash through an exterior fence.

They were prevented from reaching the mine, however, by the main reinforced steel gate.

By the evening of Tuesday July 17, thirteen people had been arrested. Continue reading “Roxby Downs: protesters break mine fence, block road”

Sydney: Riot police called to birthday party

July 15: The New South Wales Police riot squad was called in to break up an out-of-control party in Sydney’s north last night.

Officers say they arrived at the 19th birthday at the Berowra community centre to find a crowd of about 200 revellers.

One partygoer threatened police before leading them on a foot chase.

A 17-year-old boy was arrested and issued with a criminal infringement notice for failing to comply with police orders.

The venue was severely damaged.

Indonesia: They Fight for the Forest

Hidup Biasa, translation from Serum #3

The Iban Dayaks from Semunying had always lived simply alongside their natural environment. Then in 2005 an oil palm plantation company appeared, wanting to take over the ancestral forest that had been the backbone of people’s livelihoods for generations.

One year previously the company had obtained permission from the regency government for a 20,000 hectare plantation in Jagoi Babang district. Included in the permit area were 1,420 hectares of land for which the Iban Dayaks were the customary landowners. At first, PT Ledo Lestari, a subsidiary company of Duta Palma Nusantara Group, only built a road which passed close to the ancestral forest. But as time passed, they continued to take more of the land, taking space from the people without permission and eventually clearing their ancestral forest.

While this was going on, the people were fighting for their rights to the forest by conveying their grievances to the local, provincial and national governments. Through their testimony and complaints they even tried to raise the issue at an international level.

On the 15th December 2009 the Bengkayang regency leader designated the 1420 hectares as the ancestral land of Semunying Jaya village, later reinforcing this designation with an official decision (SK 30A/2010). However, it is in the nature of all governments to support the rich and business interests, and so the people’s cries were not listened to and Ledo Lestari was free to fell the forest and replace it with oil palm.

Now aware that the corrupt government, side-by-side with the greedy company, was not going to release their land, on the 7th April 2012 the people of Semunying commenced a week-long occupation where they sealed off the company’s office, seized various items of heavy machinery and operational vehicles, closed the nursery for young trees, and put a stop to the ongoing logging work. “On Monday morning we stopped their ongoing attempts to fell our ancestral forest. Since that Monday, we have continued step-by-step, eventually taking over three excavators, three trucks, three motorbikes, two chainsaws, one bulldozer, as well as closing down PT Ledo Lestari’s offices and tree nurseries. We are demanding our rights back!”, said Abupilah, the Semunying Jaya village secretary.

The people explained that the reason for their resistance was that they knew that as new oil palm plantations were created, they would lose their forests, their land, their forest gardens, their hunting grounds,space to clear for fields and building materials for their houses. Local customs and culture would also be extinguished. Aside from this, the company had closed off the stream which was the source of clean water for the village, making it difficult to obtain clean water.

The company was still determined to keep operating, giving the reason that it had obtained permission from the government. The company also argued that since the forest had only been declared as protected ancestral land five years after they started production, they could not just stop work on the plantation. In the end PT Ledo Lestari kept working because the office and vehicles which the people had seized were only a small part of the company’s equipment and supporting facilities.

Indonesia: Six years on, and still fighting Lapindo

Translated by Hidup Biasa, original from Serum #3

Recently, 3000 victims of the mud volcano created by the Lapindo company’s drilling operations, whose homes were in the affected area, once again demonstrated their feelings outside the East Java Governor’s office in Surabaya. They were asking the provincial government to lend money to PT Minarak Lapindo Jaya so the company would be able to pay the compensation money it owed. The demonstrators came from places inside the designated affected zone, for example Renokenongo, Siring, Jatirejo and Glagah Arum villages in Porong district, and Kedungbendo and Ketapang in Tanggulangin District.

The people were demonstrating because they felt the government’s actions had been discriminative. People living outside the designated affected area had already been awarded compensation, but they had not. That’s why they were urging Governor Soekarwo to agree to loan PT Minarak Lapindo Jaya (MLJ) 600 billion Rupiah.

Disturbances broke out during the demonstration. Furious that Soekarwo would not meet with them, they pulled at the barbed wire fence and bombarded the police with sandals, sticks and stones. The police then broke up the demonstration by firing a water cannon and tear gas towards the mudflow victims. Continue reading “Indonesia: Six years on, and still fighting Lapindo”

Belyuen: Cop kicked in riot

July 14: A cop was allegedly kicked in the back and a police car window smashed when grog crackdown in a Top End ‘dry’ community turned ugly.

About 30 people reportedly began screaming and throwing rocks at two Aboriginal Community Police Officers in a riot at Belyuen community, on the Cox Peninsula, 115 km from Darwin last night.

The officers had tipped out a carton of VB.

A 48-year-old man was arrested on outstanding warrants before the riot broke out about 8pm.

Watch Commander Bob Harrison said: “Another man who was drinking outside a house resisted arrest.

“The other people ran to help him and started abusing police. He managed to escape.

 “Capsicum spray was deployed to keep (the people) away.”

Cmdr Harrison said police would go back out today.

“Hopefully some arrests will be made over the assault,” he said.