GLW issue 702, published 2007-03-14.

Global Palestine rallies called

MELBOURNE — On March 5, the Melbourne-based Women for Palestine group endorsed the call issued on January 31 by the International Coordination Network on Palestine and the Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign for global protests on June 9-11 under the slogan “The world says no to Israeli occupation”.

Who owns NSW politicians?

In the run-up to the NSW elections both major parties are claiming to be able to run the economy better. But the release of the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ December quarter figures on March 7, which revealed that NSW is not technically in a recession, is likely to help the state ALP government’s lead over Peter Debnam’s Liberals on March 24.

Defend the Redfern Block, abolish the RWA

The reason for the existence of the Redfern-Waterloo Authority (RWA) can be summed up in just two words: corporate greed.

Geelong women win union prize

The vice-president of Geelong Trades Hall, Christine Couzens, has been awarded the Jenny George Award for the advancement of women in unions. Couzens was presented with the award by Australian Council of Trade Unions president Sharan Burrow on March 7.

Further

Australian News

Melbourne to host international solidarity forum

The organisers of the Latin American and Asia Pacific International Solidarity Forum, “Fighting and organising globally against neoliberalism”, are calling on all activists, organisations and communities who are committed to building a better world to join together in Melbourne on October 11-14.

Bracks agrees to compensate injured S11 protesters

In an out-of-court settlement, which became public on March 4, Victorian Labor Premier Steve Bracks’ government agreed to pay compensation to 47 protesters injured at the “S11" blockade of the World Economic Forum in Melbourne in September 2000. The settlement awards $700,000 in compensation, although $600,000 will go to legal fees.

Further Australian News

International News

Washington's war for oil profits

On January 30, 2003, as Washington assembled its military forces for the long-planned invasion of Iraq, US magazine Business Week explained to its corporate readership the expected benefits of the coming US-led occupation: “Since the US military would control Iraq’s oil and gas deposits for some time, US companies could be in line for a lucrative slice of the business”, and thus they could “feel just as victorious as the US Special Forces”.

Crackdown on Iranian feminists

On March 4, police arrested 33 women and charged them with endangering national security, propaganda against the state and taking part in an illegal gathering. The women were demonstrating outside Iran’s Tehran Revolutionary Court to demand a fair trial for five prominent women’s rights activists arrested in June 2006 during a peaceful protest.

Further International News

Comment and Analysis

Coal bosses shut down satirical website

A satirical website created by climate action group Rising Tide Newcastle (RTN) has twice been shut down by the powerful coal industry lobby group, the NSW Minerals Council.

Carbon rationing: good intentions, poor politics

In Green Left Weekly #693 (http://www.greenleft.org.au/2006/693/36019), we published an article broadly in favour of George Monbiot’s call for carbon rationing. Below, Gar Lipow critiques this as a strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Lipow is an Olympia-based environmental activist and can be contacted at garlpublic@comcast.net.

Further Comment and Analysis

Letters

Letters to the Editor

Women's day Happy Women's Day, health minister Abbott. Just a reminder that undermining the independent choices of women has alienated nearly half the voting population. And, as a parent of an autistic child, whose expensive therapy is not

Resistance!

Join us and help make Howard and Bush history

PM John Howard and US President George Bush are in trouble over their “war on terror”. Two things help illustrate why this is the case, and how we can hasten them both into the dustbin of history.

It's time for an anti-war surge!

One of Resistance’s main campaigns is to strengthen the movement across Australia to end the occupation of Iraq. As well as building the biggest possible protests on March 17-18, the fourth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, we are helping to organise contingents from around the country to join the mass convergence in Sydney when US President George Bush comes to the APEC meeting in September.

Further Resistance!

Why I joined Resistance

Cultural Dissent

The Nation Blue: Soundtrack for a poignant riot

Arguably Australia's best band to hold a riot to, Melbourne-based The Nation Blue, released their highly anticipated third album Protest Songs on March 3. As the bio/release notes put it: "The Nation Blue mount the horses of the apocalypse with their

Bloc Party's statement against inequality

A Weekend in the City
Bloc Party
Vice Records, 2007

Further Cultural Dissent

Richard Flanagan's timely terrorist

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