The Eagle's Nest: Protest

Showing posts with label Protest. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Close the Gap and Intervention events coming up...

There will be a Close The Gap event at the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service, 186 Nicholson Street, Fitzroy on Wednesday 25 June from 10am-2pm. Attendance at this event would provide an opportunity for those with a health interest to build bridges and network with health providers in the Aboriginal community. However, it would be helpful and courteous if you could phone ahead and express your interest in attending on 9419 3000.

On Saturday 21 June next, there will be rallies right across Australia as part of a National Day of Action to protest the intervention by the Australian Government in Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. If you are interested be outside the State Library of Victoria on the corner of Swanston and La Trobe Streets, Melbourne at 12 noon. Planning for these rallies has been taking place for some time within Aboriginal communities across the country. Focus will be the non-consultative approach of the intervention and the over-riding of the Racial Discrimination Act to provide the legislative base for the intervention.

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When you can do nothing else: bear witness.

Monday, June 02, 2008

Home at last....sort of

Back in 2003, we knew - we, the people of Australia. We knew that the US invasion of Iraq was a giant sized mistake. We knew we did not want Australian troops there on an American joy-ride. Well, a joy-ride for the Bushies - not for the families of the American war dead with whom we mourn. And we marched and we marched and we marched to tell Howard and his henchman. But to no avail.

To-day Prime Minister Rudd announced the Australian troop withdrawal. Well, most of the troops will be withdrawn. Troops to guard the embassy will remain along with a further 800 Australian troops supporting troops in Afghanistan and providing diplomatic security.

Australians will not be satisfied until all troops are out of Iraq. But this begs the question of when the USA - which has put more emphasis on poor military decisions and strategies than constructive nation building - of when the USA will go home. After all, it seldom leaves a nation once it has arrived.

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When you can do nothing else: bear witness.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Enjoy Compassion : Always Tibet

Picture by Ross Schultz from Perth Now

As I begin this post, I am watching Matilda on Sky News giving the Aboriginal Welcome to Country in Canberra, ACT, for the Olympic Torch Relay.

But the cleverest protest of the international relay will probably go to the banner-hanging at King's Cross yesterday. The Coca-Cola sign at the top of William Street in King's Cross, Sydney is a long-standing highly visible icon. Thousands upon thousands of people drive past each day to and from Sydney's eastern suburbs. Many of these people are major decision-makers and influence-shapers in Australian society. But how clever - using the Coca Cola font; the message is brief and sensible - asking for compassion, begging for dialogue; and, last but not least, it was a peaceful, albeit brief protest.

Reports are that four people have been arrested. I hope the powers-that-be treat them gently. To come down heavily on such a clever, harmless, and peaceful protest would only signal to people who feel the need to protest that they must rely on quick, ad hoc disruption. Instead, let's give the promulgators of this protest full marks for ingenuity and peacefulness.

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When you can do nothing else: bear witness.

Monday, February 12, 2007

Chicks and chutzpah

Well, it was taking the long way, but the sisterhood came out on the other side: every chick has her day.

Yeah, things are looking up for the Dixie Chicks: a great night at the Grammys and United States public opinion on the Iraq War is catching up to them.

Don't ya just love natural justice:

Though the mills of God grind slowly,
Yet they grind exceeding small;
Though with patience he stands waiting,
With exactness grinds he all.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow