BY ARUN PRADHAN

MELBOURNE — Blindfolded, giggling children trying to hit a pi¤ata is not unusual. But when the pi¤ata looks like “Uncle Sam” with a skull for a face, you know this is no ordinary fiesta.

Fifty years after Fidel Castro led an attack on the Moncada Barracks in Cuba that launched an eventually successful revolutionary struggle, Green Left Weekly supporters gathered in three Australian cities to celebrate the Cuban revolution and raise some much needed funds for Australia’s only weekly socialist newspaper.

In Melbourne, around 170 people attended Green Left Weekly’s annual fiesta in Brunswick Town Hall. The event drew together Latin America solidarity activists, union militants, migrant communities from East Timor to Iraq, young radicals and supporters of a progressive press.

Martin Kingham from the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union thanked GLW for daring to tell the truth about the royal commission into the building industry. He noted that the government had spent $70 million in what they predicted would result in up to 100,000 charges, when by the end of it only one person was charged. “Unfortunately, that person was me!”, Kingham added, laughing.

Socialist Alliance member and unionist Craig Johnston led a toast for Green Left Weekly. In a passionate appeal he said, “We need a paper and an organisation that stands for the truth and fights back!” Lalitha Chelia, also from the Socialist Alliance, thanked GLW for its contribution to left unity in Australia.

Other speakers included Allen Mommers from the Skilled Six campaign and Alex Batha from the Victorian Greens. People took to the dance floor late into the night, when Latin band Akuza took over the stage.

In Sydney, around 100 people attended a Latin American dance night featuring dance sensation Chirimoya. Fifty people attended a Global Justice dinner in Newcastle, which raised $1000 to keep Green Left Weekly’s presses rolling. The night featured the unique satirical songs of Nick Woods.

From Green Left Weekly, July 30, 2003.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.

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