A Visit to the Djab Warrang Embassy

Images from a flying visit to the Djab Warrang Embassy in western Victoria.

Despite ongoing discussions, the duplication of the Great Western Highway is still earmarked to pass through Djab Warrang country, destroying many trees, including a sacred 800-year old birthing tree.

Protesters, led by traditional Djab Warrang owners, have been camping at the site to protect these trees for almost 18 months, as court action plays out. They are demanding the highway be re-routed around the trees and away from sacred Aboriginal sites. The Embassy is calling for support on the ground, as well other forms of assistance.

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Rally at Origin Energy AGM: Don't Frack the NT

Traditional land owners from the Northern Territory descended on Warrang, Sydney, today, to voice their opposition against fracking on their homelands. Around 200 people showed up at a rally in Martin Place to signal their support.

The rally and visit by traditional owners coincided with an AGM for Origin Energy, who plan to begin fracking at the Beetaloo sub-basin, south east of Darwin.

Protesters marched from Martin Place to Angel Place, where the AGM was being conducted. Several traditional owners attended the meeting, where they spoke out against Origin’s plans, which endangers traditional lands and water, as well as sacred sites and the health of numerous Aboriginal communities.

The rally was organised by SEED.

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Extinction Rebellion Protest - Spring Action, Take Back the Streets

Around 500 protesters took to the streets today in Sydney to demand action on climate change. They marched under the Extinction Rebellion banner, a loosely affiliated global movement aimed at using disruption as a tactic to leverage greater political action on the environment.

Today’s rally marched from Belmore Park near Central Station to Broadway, where protesters set up a pink water tank in the middle of the street. Several people had chained themselves inside. They were later cut free and arrested by police. Slogans on the outside of the tank read, ‘Water is Life’ and ‘Blood of the Earth’.

In the meantime, dozens of other arrests were made by a large contingent of heavily kitted riot squad members and police. Many of those arrested were elderly, including Martin Wolterding, a 75-year old environmental scientist, who was put in a wrist lock and dragged to a waiting van. It’s not known what charges were laid, although several draconian anti-protest laws around Australia either have recently been passed, or are about to be introduced.

The march ended in Central Park where protesters peacefully dispersed. A week of action has been planned by Extinction Rebellion.

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Portraits: Justice for Bowraville

A few impromptu portraits of some of the family members of the three Bowraville children who went missing from an Aboriginal community in 1990-91.

Their disappearance and murders have yet to be fully investigated. A protest was held today at Sydney’s Town Hall to demand justice.

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Protest: Justice For Bowraville - No More Delays

Around thirty years after the disappearance of three young Aboriginal children from the northern NSW town of Bowraville, families gathered today at Sydney’s Town Hall to demand that authorities relaunch the investigation and retrial of a man suspected of abducting and murdering the children.

The families are calling on the NSW Attorney General, Mark Speakman, to act on promises to initiate legislation that would facilitate the retrial after attempts earlier this year failed. Six months after the recommendations of an inquiry into such legislation, the Attorney General has yet to respond. The families vow to continue their fight until justice is served.

 

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Museum of Fleas

Images from last night’s ‘The Museum of Fleas’, a cabaret show of music, dance, poetry, performance and art at the Imperial Hotel in Erskinville, as part of Sydney Fringe 2019.

The event was produced by Rogers & Urquhart and was MC’d by Vashti Hughes. Performers included Paloma Negra, Luke Rogers, Peter Urquhart, Sister Ursuline, Marguerite Montes, Niche X Sentii, Charles Freyberg and Alison Marshall. Painting, photography and video by John O’Driscoll, Glenn Lockitch and Roger Foley Fogg.

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Global Climate Strike

As part of the Global Climate Strike, around 100,000 people, mostly students and young people turned up at the Domain in Sydney yesterday to demand action on human induced-climate change.

Hundreds of thousands rallied around Australia and millions around the world as part of a global student-led movement against persistent refusals by governments and big corporations to make structural changes that will ensure the reduction of CO2 emissions and the protection of the planet.

Climate change impacts the poor and disenfranchised in the first instance. Aboriginal and First Nations peoples are often at the forefront of the impacts of environmental degradation. Pacific Islanders stand to be the first to see their entire homelands inundated with rising sea waters. And those who live in poverty are the most likely unable to effectively respond against such change.

Earlier than usual bush fires and crippling winter droughts do not bode well for this coming summer in Australia.

The rally was organised by Students Strike 4 Climate.

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Rally For Permanent Protection For Refugees, Not Temporary Visas

Around 500 people gathered at Sydney’s Town Hall yesterday to demand more protection of refugee rights and urge that Temporary Protection Visas (TPVs) and Safe Haven Enterprise Visas (SHEVs) be made permanent. It’s been 8 years since Temporary Protection Visas were introduced in Australia, leaving many refugees with a life in limbo, unsure of their future and without their families.

Since then, the Government has begun a controversial ‘fast tracking’ process of TPVs, which some claim lead to “a fundamentally unfair process that essentially removes [refugees] right to a fair hearing, and could well amount to a fast track to danger.”

Speakers spoke of the harsh living conditions these visas result in, leading to a second-class of residency, unable to access many critical services and without the ability to reunite with their families, all of which mean a life compounded by poverty, uncertainty, discrimination and mental, psychological and emotional stress. Their pain in the face of the intense politicisation of the issue was palpable in the personal stories recounted at yesterday’s rally.

The event was organised by Justice for Refugees with the support of Refugee Action Coalition.

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Pro-Choice Rally: Trust Women Support The Bill

Today, around 2,000 people gathered at Hyde Park, Sydney, in support of legislation currently before the NSW Parliament aimed at decriminalising abortion.

Abortion has been technically illegal in New South Wales since 1900. It is the only Australian state where it is still a crime to have an abortion under general circumstances. In August this year, a bill was introduced to parliament and passed the lower house on a conscience vote. It is currently waiting to be introduced to the upper house after the Premier, Gladys Berejiklian caved into conservatives within her party to delay the bill.

Today’s rally urged people to keep pressure on the politicians to pass the legislation into law. The event kicked off with an Acknowledgement of Country by Yvonne Weldon. Speakers included Dee Hartigan, Jane Caro, Wendy, McCarthy and Larissa Behrendt, with performances by Ursula Yovich, Malaika and Elana Stone. All reiterated the role of women’s rights human rights as central to the issue.

A small group of Australian Conservative Pro-Life counter-protesters briefly interrupted proceedings as the event wound up.

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Protest in Solidarity With Djab Wurrung Sacred Trees - Sydney

Between 200-300 people marched on Saturday through Sydney’s city streets, Gadigal, from Town Hall to Railway Square in solidarity with the Djab Wurrung Embassy, which is currently protecting several 800+ year old sacred trees in south western Victoria from destruction.

These ancient trees are under threat of being bulldozed by Vic Roads, to make way for the expansion of the Great Western Highway. Several hundred people are camping out at the Embassy, just outside of Ararat, preparing to resist the bulldozers and police from moving in and destroying the site.

Saturday’s Sydney march was organised by the Anticolonial Asian Alliance and sought to bring attention to the current plight of the Djab Wurrung and to lend support to those at the front line down at the Embassy.

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Another Roll of 35mm - Assorted

A few frames off a roll of Tri-x black and white film.

Shot in a Nikon F2AS, 35mm Kodak Tri-X, 400 asa.

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C-Town Kids in Glebe

Some on the fly portraits on 35mm film of Nicole, Kaleb, Airley and Ruby, from Campbelltown, visiting Glebe for the day.

Shot in a Nikon F2AS, 35mm Fuji film, 400 asa, 50mm f1.4

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Silent Protest - We Are One For The Amazon Forest

Today, around 200 people gathered at Martin Place in Sydney’s CBD to hold a silent protest to bring attention to the massive fires currently raging in Brazil’s Amazon forests - the so-called ‘lungs of the Earth’.

The fires are devastating because they not only represent the catastrophic loss of trees and wildlife, but also because they symbolise a range of other related issues, including climate change, Indigenous land theft and genocide, colonialism, corruption, militarism and crony-capitalism.

More than 72,000 fires have been detected burning across Brazil (40,000 in the Amazon alone) since January of this year. Many of the fires have been said to have been lit for illegal land clearing purposes by farmers and miners. Far-right Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro has been accused of facilitating this growing land theft from various forest tribes, tantamount, some say, to genocide. One million Indigenous people are said to be at risk as a result.

Amongst a growing international outrage, 44,000 troops were yesterday sent in to fight the fires but there continues to be calls for international intervention.

Meanwhile, protests outside Brazilian embassies have taken place around the world.

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Fire Garden - Sydenham Green

Fire Starter

Fire sculptor, Phil Relf, commences final proceedings at ‘The Fire Garden’, an arts event held tonight at Sydenham Green.

More pics to come.

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Extinction Rebellion Protest Rally, Sydney

Below are images from Friday night’s ‘Extinction Rebellion’ protest march in Sydney.

Around 300 people gathered at Town Hall to hear speakers address the critical issues of climate change and ecological collapse. Under the banner of ‘Extinction Rebellion’ - a loose global affiliation of those concerned about the inaction on the environment - the protestors then marched to Parliament House where they were met by a heavy police presence, including the riot squad. After a short sit in, the marchers moved to Martin Place to voice their opposition to government, corporate, media and police power.

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Girl With Red Flag

A protester at tonight’s Extinction Rebellion rally in Martin Place, Sydney.

More pics to come.

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First Nations Rainbow NAIDOC

Photographs from the First Nations Rainbow NAIDOC event held at the Columbian Hotel on Oxford Street, Darlinghurst last Saturday.

 The night was held as part of NAIDOC week celebrations and promoted Aboriginal and LGBTQIA rights, culture and diversity.

The event featured performances by Nana Miss Koori, Nova Gina and Tyra Bankstown. It was organised by Russell Weston and First Nations Rainbow. MCing the evening was Daniel McDonald.

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Block Party, Martin Place

A few images from yesterday’s Block Party at Martin Place, bringing attention to social, political and economic inequality, homelessness, corporate greed and the climate emergency.

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Nyirripi Doors II

More portraits from a recent trip to Nyirripi community, located 500 kms north west of Alice Springs in Warlpiri Lands, central Australia.

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