A few photos from Saturday night’s ‘Glitch’ event at Sydenham Green, organised by Tortuga Studios and part of Edge run by the Inner West Council.
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Glitch: A Playground of the Apocalypse
Woolloomoolivin' Festival
Photos from last week’s annual Woolloomoolivn’ street festival, which made a post-Covid return this year.
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Palestinian Rally at Sydney Town Hall
Around 200 people turned up to Sydney Town Hall yesterday to protest against the bombing of Gaza by Israeli armed forces. Latest reports are that up to 47 Palestinians have been killed in the airstrikes, including at least 16 children, according to Palestinian officials. Israeli jet fighters flattened homes and Gaza’s only solar energy farm has been shut down, creating an even greater power shortage amongst Palestinian civilians.
Islamic Jihad claimed it had fired 1000 rockets back into Israel, although most of these are believed to have been shot down by Israeli defence forces.
Some are claiming the latest attacks are linked to elections that are due to be held in Israel in November, while others see that the current conflict also involves a political struggle within Gaza.
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Climate Justice Solidarity Rally
Photos from yesterday’s Climate Justice Rally at Bradfield Park, Milson’s Point. Organisers aimed to bring attention to the demand for an Advisory Opinion on climate justice and human rights from International Court of Justice to the United Nations. By endorsing this Advisory Opinion, it is hoped greater action on climate change can be achieved through the U.N.
Pacific Islands are at the forefront of climate change and are currently some of the most impacted communities on earth due to increasing fossil fuel emissions. This was a focus of yesterday’s rally.
Performers from communities around Sydney gathered to add their voice to endorse the Advisory Opinion, including the Swastik Institute for Dance, Africa Beat and the Fiji Sydney Catholic Youth Meke Group. The MC for the day was Shiva Gouden from Greenpeace Australia Pacific. The Welcome to Country and opening smoke were performed by Uncle Chika Madden and Yuin man Mark Merriman.
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The Cane Croppers
Sugar cane workers just outside of Mossman in Far North Queensland burn fields at the end of harvest, to rejuvenate the soil in preparation for the sowing of the next crop.
Against the dramatic backdrop of the world heritage Daintree rainforest, young men and boys set fields of cane refuse alight at sunset, under the watchful eye of farmer and head supervisor, Gary Mackay.
This year, the sugar cane industry has been hit by unseasonal rains across the dry season - over 250mm last month alone - a result of La Niña which has drenched the east coast of Australia.
COVID-19 has also impacted the cane industry as the workforce shrinks due to virus. This labour shortage means longer work hours for already pressed rural workers, such as these cane croppers. Truck drivers and tractor operators are being sought from overseas, from the Philippines, and elsewhere.
Despite this, the industry is looking to the future to produce cane not just for sugar, but also for the new ‘low carbon’ economy, as a source of biofuel and biodegradable plastics. The viability of the entire industry relies on the success of this kind of forward looking diversification. Otherwise, the very survival of towns like Mossman and farms such as Gary Mackay’s, is at risk.
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Cultural Burning on Djabugay
Photographs of last week’s cultural burning on Djabugay country at the Mona Mona (Munu Munu) mission, around the Cairns region in Far North Queensland.
Victor Steffensen of Firesticks led a gathering of local Bama rangers to demonstrate and discuss concepts of fire management as a cultural practice.
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Sovereign Yidindji Government Welcomes Elder
Last week, the Sovereign Yidindji Government welcomed Elder, Wumindhaa Wullunjarrdii, to its offices on Yidindji country, to talk about his struggles to lay claims to his own traditional Kukatj country in the Gulf.
Wumindhaa Wullunjarrdii was welcomed to Yidindji by local Elder and Minister for Police and Cultural Affairs in the Sovereign Yidindji Government, Bumi Gimuybara, and Yidindji Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Murrumu of Walubara, who were on hand to introduce him to local Yidindji police.
From their website, “The Sovereign Yidindji Government was created by Jangalan Yidindji, which is the tribal council of elders. The Government is the official voice of the nation and administrative legal personality to speak for and on behalf of the Yidindji nation. The SYG aims to codify and describe the laws, customs and traditions of the society and create titles, offices and other required instruments to help Yidindji interact with the world. The SYG and tribal law although connected are two different universes.”
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Toydeath at Mothership Studios
Photographs of Toydeath playing at Mothership Studios in Marrickville last Friday night.
Toydeath are a band who modify electronic toys as musical instruments.
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The Longest Night: Sydney Homeless Memorial Service
Today is Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year.
Tonight, thousands of men, women and children are sleeping rough on the streets around Australia.
And over the past 12 months, many homeless people have died living on the streets of Sydney.
This evening, around 150 people gathered on the forecourt of St. Mary’s Cathedral to hold a candlelight vigil and memorial for those homeless people who have passed whilst sleeping rough. The Sydney Street Choir performed at tonight's memorial.
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The Longest Night: Dream Girls
A homeless man sleeps outside a Kings Cross night club.
Today is Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year.
Tonight, thousands of men, women and children are sleeping rough on the streets around Australia.
And over the past 12 months, many homeless people have died living on the streets of Sydney.
Photos of this evening’s candlelight memorial to those people who have passed to come.
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'No Police Guns - End Racist NT Intervention Powers' Rally
Photographs from yesterday’s protest rally at Sydney Town Hall, demanding an end to armed police in Aboriginal communities and an end to Aboriginal deaths in custody.
Speakers included family members from several Aboriginal people who have died in police custody - Mark Mason Snr, David Dungay Jnr. and Kumanjayi Walker.
Audrey Napanangka Williams, a Warlpiri woman and relative of 19-year old Kumanjayi Walker, who was shot and killed by Constable Zachary Rolfe in 2019 in Yuendumu, travelled all the way from the Northern Territory to speak. She demanded that police no longer carry guns in her community, after an all white jury found Rolfe not guilty of murder. A total of sixteen demands were made, all of which can be found at www.karrinjarimuwajarri.org
Nearly 500 Aboriginal people have died in police custody since the report from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody was handed down in 1991.
The protestors marched to the Supreme Court on Macquarie Street where further speeches were given.
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Audrey Napanangka Williams - No Police Guns in Yuendumu
Portrait of Audrey Napanangka Martin, Warlpiri woman and relative of 19-year old Kumanjayi Walker, who was shot and killed by Constable Zachary Rolfe in the Northern Territory Aboriginal community of Yuendumu in 2019.
Napanangka spoke outside Sydney Town Hall today, in front of around 500 people, to call for all police guns to be removed from Yuendumu after Rolfe was found not guilty of murder by an all white jury earlier this year.
More photos of the rally to come.
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Albert Hartnett Wake
Portraits taken at the wake for Wangkumurra man, Albert Hartnett, who recently passed away.
The gathering took place at Redfern Community Centre after the funeral at Rookwood Cemetery.
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Albert Hartnett Funeral
Photographs of the funeral of Wangkumurra man, Albert Hartnett, who recently passed away. The service was held at the South Chapel at Rookwood Cemetery, where family and friends gathered to pay tribute.
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Vote Like It's An Emergency - Blinky on a Barge
Blinky, the giant Koala, roamed Sydney Harbour on a barge today, in a bid to urge voters to go into ballot booths with climate action at front of mind for next week’s federal election.
Today’s action was organised by Extinction Rebellion.
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Vote Like It's An Emergency - Rally
Photographs from yesterday’s ‘Vote Like It’s An Emergency’ rally in Martin Place organised by Extinction Rebellion.
As Blinky, the giant, emaciated koala fascinated passers-by, speakers urged Australians to change the government in next week’s election by voting for climate focused parties and independents that want to take real action on climate change.
Speakers included Murri poet, Uncle Ken Canning, XR and Occupy organiser, Larissa Payne, first time voter, Varsha Yajman, ex-Senator, Scott Ludlam and Doro Babek from the Bob Brown Foundation.
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Australia's Hidden Shame - Aboriginal-led Protest for Disability Rights
A small but passionate group turned up to Hyde Park in Sydney, Gadigal, to bring attention to the terrible plight of people living with disabilities across Australia, with a focus on Aboriginal families.
Aunty Shirley Lomas led the protest, with speakers decrying the overwhelming discrimination and lack of financial and political support provided to the most vulnerable people in our society.
In the midst of a federal election campaign, the protesters called for a change of government, while acknowledging the ALP opposition offered a less than inspiring alternative.
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Election Climate Strike
Several thousand mostly students and young people gathered at Town Hall today and marched to the Liberal Party HQ on Macquarie Street to protest against the lack of action on climate change.
The demonstration was organised by School Strike 4 Climate.
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Elizabeth Burton Tribute Night
Photographs from the tribute night to Elizabeth Burton, legendary burlesque performer, strip tease artiste, painter and Kings Cross identity, who recently passed away.
Friends, family and fellow performers gathered at the East Sydney Community and Arts Centre in Darlinghurst to remember and celebrate the impact Elizabeth had on their lives and on the cultural fabric of Sydney’s nightlife.
Featured performers included Betty Grumble, Sheena Barnes, Vashti Hughes, Mia Mortal, Aaron Manhattan, Paul Vassallo, Catherine Hourihan, Vito, Paul Capsis, Matilda Coyotee and Charles Freyberg.
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Global Climate Strike
Around 1,500 people marched on Kirribilli House, the Prime Minister’s Sydney residence, to protest against the Australian Government’s policies on the fossil fuel industries and lack of action on climate change.
The rally was part of a global action on climate change and was organised by School Strike 4 Climate, a coalition of primary and high school students and supporters.
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