The spirit of the radical movements of the 1960-70s was reignited at the Socialist Alliance's "Stand up for your rights" election campaign concert on March 24. Performing classic hits from artists such as Bob Marley and John Lennon, plus original music and songs, a swathe of musicians and five of the Socialist Alliance candidates in the March 24 NSW election called for a united struggle against corporate greed and exploitative governments.
The event was held in the immediate aftermath of protests against the visit of US Vice-President Dick Cheney. "I am a feral terrorist", MC Alex Bainbridge told the concert-goers, satirising comments made by Liberal and Labor politicians alike about the "Chain up Cheney" protesters. "If peacefully standing up for your rights, together with other people, against police violence and intimidation is an act of terrorism, then I'm the biggest terrorist of them all."
Pip Hinman, the alliance's candidate for Marrickville and a Stop the War Coalition activist, explained that the real "ferals" and "terrorists" are the major parties. "At least 800,000 people in NSW live in poverty, yet the Labor state government has offered no serious plan to address this", she said. She called on the government to solve the public housing crisis, and for free health care, education and housing as solutions to poverty and inequality.
Aboriginal activist and rap artist Jakalene X, a Socialist Alliance candidate for the NSW Legislative Assembly, described the extreme oppression of Aboriginal people in a racist Australia. She performed her songs "Advance Australia White" and "Social Justice", and spoke passionately about the need for united, grassroots campaigning for justice for all oppressed people.
Other speakers included upper house candidates Raul Bassi, Susan Price and Rachel Evans. The performers included the newly formed band Connor and the Freedom Fighters, Uncle Arthur Ridgeway, rap artist Munkimuk and singer-songwriter Paul Patton.
Comments
shiverstess@gma... replied on Permalink
Dear Green Left Editor,
I am the original author of this Green Left article. My name is Comrade Shelly Frances Kershaw (Formerly Shelly Ann Dahl) who is a liberation theologian intersex, asexual forgotten Australian born out of adultery and poverty and what God given right does anyone have to delete the names of the original authors of Green Left articles? At the time I was asked to write about this event for Green Left because I had been campaigning for Socialist Alliance to be elected in Government since 2006 because campaigning for Socialist Alliance to be elected in Government had always meant standing up for everyone's rights in changing the world. Prior to finding Socialist Alliance through Green Left weekly from January 2006 I lost faith in liberal governments and ALP governments since before I could walk or talk because no one would listen to the forgotten voices of this world with a long history of standing up for your rights. When I was old enough to vote at 16 and a half I used to draw a donkey on the ballot paper if there were no socialist candidates on the ballot paper and state on the ballot paper that until socialist candidates are included on the ballot paper I refuse to vote for the donkey terrorists of the ALP and liberal party because they kill and destroy the lives of children born out of adultery. From 2006 I began writing the name Socialist Alliance on all election ballot papers everytime I voted if socialist candidates were not included on the ballot papers to stand up for the rights of all socialist candidates to be included in the elections at local, state and federal level.
The spirit of the radical movements of the 1960s-70s really was reignited at the Socialist Alliance "Stand Up for your rights election campaign concert not just because of the music but because it called for a united struggle to end corporate greed and exploitative governments.
At the time Jakelene Extreme often complained that indigenous and all oppressed voices were often forgotten to be included and called for a united grassroots campaign for justice for all oppressed people's. Raul Bassi and many other voices spoke that night and I wanted to include a quote from all oppressed voices and all socialist voices that spoke and sang songs that night but when you have a word limit how does one choose between writing about standing up for your comrades socialist voices to be heard and standing up for all oppressed voices to be heard. One could not choose so I included both in my article about the standing up for your rights concert and choose quotes that highlighted the need for unity in campaigning for all oppressed struggles and the reasons why because campaigning for Socialist Alliance to me had always been about standing up for everyone's rights to unite to organise to change the world for our people.
. In CAAH Sydney we had been dealing with police violence and intimidation towards our Equal Love, Equal Marraige, Equal world Caah sydney Mardi Gras contingent and fair day stall. Stop the War activists Alex Bainbridge and Pip Hinman was dealing with ongoing police violence and intimidation towards organising stop the war protests. We forgotten australian voices were often not heard and people were fighting with each other and at the time I was living in a refuge after loosing my student accomodation because I couldn't afford the rent or any food because the rent was ninety percent of my austody that left 10 percent of my income to buy books for uni, party school, party dues, travel. What little income I got from my student union queer protest organising job which was only about eighty dollars per fortnight went on queer campaigning because there was no affordable publlic housing available.
Hence if I am a threat for standing up for the rights of unity in organised campaigning to change the world. If I am a threat for fighting for the equal rights of Green left to publish the truth without online deletion of the names of all the original authors of green left articles from the entire history of Green left. Then I am a threat for standing up for the equal rights of all voices of the oppressed and socialists and green left's equal right to publish the truth of the names of the original authors of green left articles from green left's entire history without deletion that in truth is only a threat to a few individuals with prejudice who don't want green left to publish the truth in standing up for everyone's rights to be known from history without deletion or alteration.
God bless and love in struggle forgotten Green left Journalist comrade shelly Frances kershaw+