Lisa Macdonald

  • Half a million rally against war in Sydney

    SYDNEY — In one of the most amazing displays of political passion in Sydney’s history, up to 500,000 rallied on February 16 against war in Iraq. Many protesters did not march, but stayed in the rally in Hyde Park because

  • NSW Socialist Alliance plans campaign, elects candidates

    national secretary John Percy; Sydney University student activist Ashisha Cunningham; former BHP steelworker now teacher Geoff Payne; Sudanese political refugee and refugee-rights activist Osama Yousif; feminist activist and trainee teacher at

  • Civil liberties will be key election issue

    SYDNEY — A December 14 conference of the nine NSW branches of Socialist Alliance will preselect at least eight more candidates to complete its Legislative Council (upper house) ticket for the March 22 state election. The

  • WTO protests: ALP march ban defeated

    BY JAMES VASSILOPOULOS & LISA MACDONALD SYDNEY — Anti-corporate globalisation and anti-war protesters won a significant victory on November 13-15, when they successfully defied a NSW government ban on protest marches during the

  • For a campaigning Socialist Alliance

    Given the current political developments and balance of forces, how can we best strengthen the socialist project? That is, how do we use our resources, experience and the political openings in the present context to win more

  • Play puts Woomera under the spotlight

    SYDNEY — The immigration detention centre at Woomera in South Australia has been at the centre of the public controversy surrounding the mandatory detention of asylum seekers since it was opened in 1999. The brutal conditions

  • Fueling the feminist flame

    SYDNEY — At the first such day-long forum in Sydney for years, 50 activists spent September 15 analysing and debating the many facets of the backlash against feminism that has been gathering momentum in Australia, and

  • Musicians to perform for refugee rights

    SYDNEY &#151 Bands and performers from a range of music styles have joined forces with refugee-rights activists to organise a Rock for Refugees benefit concert next month. The all-ages, seven-hour concert on October 27 will

  • Protesters oppose Iraq sanctions, war

    SYDNEY — August 6 was the 12th anniversary of the imposition of sanctions on Iraq by the United States. To mark the day and demand that the sanctions be lifted unconditionally, a 24-hour picket was staged outside the US

  • NSW election campaign launched

    SYDNEY — The mood among the 52 delegates, representing nine NSW Socialist Alliance branches, was confident while tinged with a sense of urgency, when they gathered for the alliance's state conference on August 3. The

  • Socialist Alliance prepares for NSW election

    SYDNEY — At the beginning of August, the nine branches of Socialist Alliance in NSW will begin to pre-select candidates for the March 2003 NSW election. A state conference at the University of Technology, Sydney, on

  • Unionists debate relationship to ALP

    SYDNEY — "The ALP — whose party is it?" was one of the questions addressed in a lively debate between trade union and other left activists at a Socialist Alliance-sponsored seminar held at Parramatta Town Hall on May 11. The