Media statement August 9, 2010
Rachel Evans, the lead NSW Senate candidate for Socialist Alliance, condemned Family First鈥檚 鈥 likening the legalisation of same-sex marriage to the legalisation of child abuse as 鈥渉omophobic鈥 and 鈥渋ncitement to more violence against lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and queer people鈥.
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The following is an August 3 statement by the US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel.
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The US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (USACBI) endorses and supports the call for boycott of Arizona on account of its manifestly racist laws, SB 1070 and HB 2281.
SB 1070 calls for police officers to require documentation from people to establish resident status. The law essentially requires police to engage in racial profiling and discrimination on the basis of appearance.
Residents are organising to stop mining company LD Operations plans to start a new coal mine next to the town of Margaret River in Western Australia.
Margaret River is five hours south of Perth famous for its wineries, surfing spots and outstanding natural beauty.
A public meeting on August 1 with only one day鈥檚 notice drew 60 people. It is a sign of strong community opposition. There are plans to hold a demonstration as part of the national Walk Against Warming rallies on August 15.
More than 850 people packed into the Sydney Town Hall for a 鈥淪ave Sydney from Over-development鈥 public meeting organised by Friends of Barangaroo on August 3. The meetings was organised to in response to a proposed development of the harbour-side Barangaroo area.
There are serious community concerns about the plan to hand over public space to private developer Lend Lease, which plans to build a large hotel on the land.
Liberal leader and extreme conservative Tony Abbott, who famously described climate change as 鈥渁bsolute crap鈥, is looking dangerously close to becoming prime minister on August 21. The prospect of a government headed by a Christian fundamentalist nicknamed 鈥渢he mad monk鈥 has struck dread into many progressive-minded people.
The August 7 Sydney Morning Herald reported that a Herald/Nielson poll showed the Liberal/National Coalition had increased its lead in the primary vote to 44% to Labor鈥檚 36%. Coalition led Labor 51% to 49% on a two-party preferred basis.
Mumia Abu-Jamal 鈥 on death row for more than 30 years in Pennsylvania for a murder he didn't commit 鈥 is an iconic figure. Yet while the struggle for his freedom continues, less attention is given to his role as a political leader.
While Mumia has not, to my knowledge, used the term ecosocialist, his passionate message to the US Social Forum on June 22 had a clear ecosocialist content.
Despite US President Barack Obama鈥檚 promise to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez that his administration wouldn鈥檛 interfere in Venezuela鈥檚 internal affairs, the US government-funded National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is channelling millions to anti-Chavez groups.
Foreign intervention is not only executed through military force. The funding of 鈥渃ivil society鈥 groups and media outlets is one of the more widely used mechanisms by the US government to achieve its strategic objectives.
Last month, I stood in the Guildhall Square in Derry and watched as the relatives of the 14 innocent victims of the British Parachute Regiment expressed their delight at the Saville report鈥檚 conclusion that the 14 were innocent victims.
At the time of the killings the dead were labelled as terrorists by the British government. The British system and, to its shame, much of the British media, accused those who had been shot of being 鈥済unmen鈥 and 鈥渂ombers鈥.
As of June 25, more than 4116 people, 566 of them children, were in Australian immigration detention centres, according to figures published on the Department of Immigration and Citizenship website.
The site also noted an increase of 46 people in the past week.
In a country of 22 million people, 46 is a minute figure. That 鈥渟topping the boats鈥 is a key election promise of both major parties illustrates the mean-spiritedness of their campaign.
Outstanding service
Fairfax columnist Gerald Henderson quotes Australian Workers鈥 Union leader Paul Howes concerning the family background of Greens Senate candidate Lee Rhiannon in the July 27 Sydney Morning Herald. I knew her parents, Bill and Freda Brown, since 1944, and I was privileged to be Bill鈥檚 campaign director when he stood for the federal parliament on several occasions.
鈥淎lways Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land: The struggle for Aboriginal rights鈥, was the title of an August 3 forum in the Brisbane Activist Centre sponsored by Socialist Alliance and Resistance. Speakers were Murri activist and SA Queensland Senate candidate Sam Watson and Ewan Saunders, SA candidate for the seat of Brisbane who has recently returned from the Justice Bus Ride to the Northern Territory.
The Stop the War Coalition Sydney held a picket outside ALP MP Tanya Plibersek鈥檚 office on August 5 to call for an end to Australian support for the war in Afghanistan.
The STWC has condemned the Australian government鈥檚 purchase of 18 unmanned spy drones and training packages worth $175 million.
Spokesperson Marlene Obeid said: 鈥淭he drones are part of an offensive weapons system that, almost certainly, will be linked to US systems in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In other words, Australia will be subsidising US assault operations, which will kill more Afghan women and children.鈥
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