Port Kembla March Against The Nuclear Base

Photographs from Saturday’s historic May Day march down the streets of Port Kembla, where there are possible plans to build a nuclear submarine base as part of the AUKUS military pact.

Speakers warned the federal Labor government that the local community would vigorously campaign against any move to build a submarine base at Port Kembla, after reports emerged that the working-class industrial town had been identified by defence planners as the favoured site.

The protest was organised by trade unions, left-wing political groups, anti-war activists, environmentalists and First Nations representatives. Over 1,000 people attended the rally.

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Protest Outside the Military, Defence and Weapons Conference

A handful of determined protestors picketed outside the Four Seasons Hotel this morning, the site of a military, defence and weapons conference, ‘The Defence Strategic Review’.

In the midst of Australia’s biggest military build up in decades, costing billions of dollars, the conference featured a host of former politicians from both the Liberals and Labor, including current Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Richard Marles, the current Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conway and former Defence Minister, Christopher Pyne (whose military lobbying company co-partnered the conference). Christopher Pyne was heckled as he arrived. Also attending were various lobbyists and defence-related firms, including ex-military officers.

This morning’s protesters aimed to bring focus to the revolving door of defence ministers from ‘both sides’ of politics, who walk into corporate defence and weapons-related jobs, demonstrating the nexus between government and the military industrial complex. Examples include Christopher Pyne (LNP), Steven Smith (ALP), Brendon Nelson (LNP), and Kim ‘Bomber’ Beazley (ALP).

The protesters pointed out that while Australia launches into unprecedented spending on nuclear submarines and guided missiles, economic recession looms as ordinary workers, families and the unemployed struggle to make ends meet. It is a cruel irony that these people are likely to be the first victims of any war that might break out.

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Coloured Diggers March ANZAC Day

Images from the 17th Coloured Diggers March on ANZAC Day, Redfern, Gadigal, which commemorates First Nations’ service in armed conflict and wars.

The day’s ceremonies commenced at The Redfern Community Centre with speeches by Coloured Diggers’ march founder, Pastor Ray Minnecon, M.C., Warrant Officer Class One Col Watego OAM, Nathan Moran (Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council) and others, followed by performances by dancers from the Glen Centre and Warren Morgan.

The crowd then marched down to Redfern Park, where further speeches were made, along with wreath laying and performances by the Toiarkau Roopu Haka, the Buuja Buuja Butterfly Dancers, poetry by Uncle Ken Canning and music by Dylan Voller, Radical Son and the Green Hand Band.

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The Voice: Beyond Yes and No

Photographs from Wednesday’s panel discussion, The Voice: Beyond Yes and No, hosted on Gadigal by Macquarie University’s Centre for Global Indigenous Future and Centre for Agency, Values, and Ethics.

The evening’s discussion revolved around alternative understandings, especially from First Nations perspectives, of the upcoming referendum on ‘The Voice’, as well as of treaty, truth-telling and sovereignty.

Panelists included Lynda-June Coe, Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts, Wayne Wharton, Dr Leanne Holt and Professor Duncan Ivison. The panel was moderated by Professor Bronwyn Carlson. Welcome to Country was performed by Uncle Allen Madden.

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Violet Coco at Doubleduke

Photoshoot with environmental activist, Violet Coco, at Doubleduke State Forest in far north NSW, which is currently being logged by Forestry Corporation NSW.

Several attempts to block the logging by protesters have so far failed. Forestry Corporation NSW have been quoted as saying, "timber harvesting in native regrowth forests takes place in around 1 per cent of state forests each year and each area is completely regrown".

Charges against Violet Coco for protesting on the Sydney Harbour Bridge in April 2022 were last week quashed after the judge found inconsistencies in police reports that her actions blocked an ambulance on emergency call.

Repressive anti-laws introduced last year are said to be targeting environmentalists and human rights activists.

Neither the NSW state Coalition, nor the state Labor Party have committed to repealing these laws on the eve of next week’s state election.

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Counter-Protest to 'Christian Lives Matter'

About 200 people turned out at Queen’s Square in Sydney’s CBD, Gadigal, to hold a counter protest against the right-wing ‘Christian Lives Matter’ rally that was held just down the road at Hyde Park. Around 2,000 people attended that rally.

Police and the riot squad were in attendance at Queen's Square, as speakers spoke out against the emerging Christian Lives Matter movement, which recently marched through Newtown and intimidated the community there. Some small scuffles unfolded today, as police moved their containment lines in and as some protesters tried to then breach those lines.

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Violet Coco Protest Sentence Overturned

Around 100 people turned out today at the Downing Centre, in Sydney’s CBD, Gadigal, to support climate activist, Violet Coco, whose 15-month sentence for protesting on the Sydney Harbour Bridge in April last year, was successfully quashed.

Violet was originally prosecuted under the repressive ‘anti-protest’ laws introduced to NSW Parliament by the Coalition State Government and supported by the NSW Labor Party, which threaten protestors with up to 18 months imprisonment and $22,000 in fines.

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Black Dynasty

Photographs of Black Dynasty, held at the Pride Village on Crown Street, Darlinghurst, Gadigal, as a part of World Pride, with Tyra Bankstown (MC), Nova Gina, Stone Motherless Cold, Lady Gargles, Shaniqua Hull-Empire, DJ Prolifix The Gifted and featuring mob from the Tiwi Islands, including the Tiwi Sista Girls.

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Mardi Gras Parade - 2023

Photographs of the 2023 Mardi Gras on Gadigal, Sydney, including a press conference with Senator Lidia Thorpe at Sydney Town Hall and the Pride in Protest contingent of the Mardi Gras. Speakers at the Pride in Protest press conference called for an end to the corporatisation of Mardi Gras and an end to police being allowed to march in the parade. The first Mardi Gras in 1978 was a protest for gay and lesbian human rights, where police violently assaulted and arrested 53 people.

This year was said to be the largest attendance of a Sydney Mardi Gras ever, with crowds swelling as a result of the city also hosting World Pride. Around 300,000 people were estimated to have attended. It was the first time the parade returned to Oxford Street, after two years at the Sydney Cricket Ground following COVID concerns.

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Mardi Gras Street Rally

Images from today’s Mardi Gras Street Rally, where around 200 people marched from the Newtown Hub, down King Street, through the University of Sydney and then to Victoria Park’s Fair Day.

Speakers at the rally stressed that there was still much work to do to achieve equality for trans and LGBTQIA+ communities in Australia and around the world. They lambasted the corporatisation of Mardi Gras and demanded that the remaining detained refugees be immediately released by the Albanese Government.

The rally kicked off with a welcome to country by Aunty Rhonda Dixon-Grovenor, who left the crowd with the words, “Live beautifully”.

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Protest Against George Pell Funeral

A small but passionate group consisting of members from the LGBTQIA+ community, Socialists, victims of child sexual abuse, and concerned citizens gathered today at Hyde Park, opposite St Mary’s Cathedral, to protest the funeral of George Pell.

Pell was a divisive, arch-conservative figure of the Catholic Church during his life time, who spoke out against homosexuality, same-sex marriage, divorce and abortion, and was eventually exonerated of child sex offences by the High Court of Australia after spending 13 months in jail.

Today’s protest was mostly peaceful but momentarily became heated when protesters and a group of Catholic worshippers verbally clashed outside the Cathedral. A large police presence was on hand to keep the two parties apart. The protesters marched up College Street, along Oxford Street and then to Taylor Square, where final speeches were given.

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Invasion Day 2023

Photographs of Invasion Day, Gadigal, 2023.

Thousands turned out yesterday to mark 235 years since the First Fleet sailed into what is now known as Sydney Harbour to set up the Australian colony.. The rally started at Belmore Park, where speakers spoke out against colonisation and urged those in attendance to vote ‘No’ at the upcoming referendum on ‘The Voice’.

The crowd then marched to Victoria Park, down Broadway, to join the annual Yabun event where music and other performances, including the Buuja Buuja Butterfly dancers, saw out the day.

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Vigil: Awaken, Sydney Festival

Photographs of Bangarra’s Vigil: Awaken at Barangaroo, Gadigal country, on the eve of Invasion Day.

The multi-media performance was a tribute to Me-Mel (Goat Island), which sits in the Harbour and was the backdrop for tonight’s event. It was created by Jacob Nash and Stephen Page, with Welcome to Country performed by Yvonne Weldon.

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Darigan

Choreographer and dancer, Darigan Lima Bundjalung-Juru, at Babinda, Far North Queensland.

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Repeal Anti-Protest Laws Rally

Photographs from today’s rally at Sydney Town Hall, where protestors spoke out against the recent ‘anti-protest laws’ that were passed by NSW Parliament earlier this year. Speakers included several climate activists who have been targeted by these laws and as a result, faced with stiff terms of imprisonment and hefty fines.

After speeches, around 150 people marched from Town Hall to NSW Parliament, escorted by a heavy police presence.

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Aboriginal and Jewish Solidarity on Human Rights Day

Last Friday, on the eve of International Human Rights Day, a small group of Aboriginal and Jewish people came together to commemorate the 84th anniversary of the call to support Jewish people against Nazism by Yorta Yorta man, William Cooper.

On the 6th of December, 1938, William Cooper, led a delegation of the Australian Aborigines’ League to the German consulate in Melbourne, to deliver a letter to the German government, which in part read:

“On behalf of the Aboriginal inhabitants of Australia, we wish to have it registered and on record that we protest wholeheartedly at the cruel persecution of the Jewish people by the Nazi government in Germany. We plead that you would make it known to your government and its military leaders that this cruel persecution of their fellow citizens must be brought to an end.”

The delegation was not received by the consulate and the letter never delivered to the German government. The march on the consulate was the only significant contemporaneous act of opposition of its kind in the world, against what became known ‘Kristallnacht’, the first Nazi pogrom against the Jews in Germany. Over 90 people murdered that night and 7,000 Jewish businesses ruined. Kristallnacht ultimately signalled the beginning of the Holocaust which saw an estimated six million Jews killed.

William Cooper’s 1938 protest in Melbourne happened during a time when his own people were facing their own genocide. It was an incredible demonstration of compassion and human rights in an environment where none had been shown to him or his people, since the time of colonisation.

Last week’s commemoration in Sydney saw about 20 people walk from Redfern to Darlington, and then on to the Newtown Synagogue, where Rabbi Eli Feldman led a Shabbat service, acknowledging the contribution William Cooper had made to the Jewish community. Present were William Cooper’s great granddaughter, Aunty Barbara Mcdonogh and great-great-grandson, Michael McDonogh. The service was followed by kiddush, dinner and speeches.

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Free Violet Coco - Anti-Protest Laws Rally

More than one hundred people turned up to Downing Street Local Court this morning, to protest against the jailing of climate activist, Violet Coco, and to demand the repeal of draconian anti-protest legislation which passed NSW Parliament earlier this year, with the support of the Coalition government and the opposition Labor party.

Concerned citizens, activists and unionists today expressed outrage at the laws which see people disrupting economic activity (including walking on the road) faced with a possible 2 year jail sentence and up to a $22,000 fine. Climate activists have been particularly targeted by authorities, but all unauthorised protest activity is at stake.

Deanna ‘Violet’ Coco was arrested earlier this year for blocking one lane of traffic on the Sydney Harbour Bridge for 24 minutes and lighting a flare. She was last week sentenced to 15 months in prison and a $2,500 fine.

Today’s hearing for a bail application to appeal was heard at the court. The outcome will be handed down today*. At least a dozen other climate activists are currently facing similar punishment under these new laws.

UPDATE: Violet Coco was granted conditional bail, to report to police weekly. Her appeal will be held in March next year.

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Rally Against the Iranian Regime

Thousands turned out on Saturday in Sydney to rally against the regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the recent killings of protesters there. Last Thursday, activist, Mohsen Shekari was reportedly executed by hanging for participating in the mass demonstrations sweeping throughout the country.

The latest wave of civil unrest was initially sparked by the killing of Jina Mahsa Amini in September at the hands of the so-called ‘Morality Police’ for not wearing her hijab correctly. The Australian Government last week announced sanctions against those in the Iranian regime, particularly targeting the Morality Police.

The march in Sydney started at Belmore park and proceeded through the city to Hyde Park. It coincided with International Human Rights Day.

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Justice or Justus? International Day of Human Rights

Photographs from last night’s event, ‘Is there Justice? Or Justus?’, a night of panel discussion, spoken word and music held at the Red Rattler in Marrickville.

Held on the International Day of Human Rights, speakers included Aunty Jenny Munro, Lizzy Jarrett (moderator and organiser), Paul Silva, Ethan Lyon, Fahad Ali, Gloria Tabi, Yusra Metwally, Ms Saffaa, Paddy Gibson and Felon.

Spoken word performances were MC’d by Kween G and featured Lizzy Jarrett, Saba Vasefi, Hani Abdile and Nawoola Loonmi Miriwoong, with the night capped off with reggae vibes from The Ragga Army

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