Stopping the censorship of Che

April 26, 2006
Issue 

Terry Townsend, Blue Mountains

"Almost 40 years after Che Guevara died at the hands of the Bolivian Army, the Cuban revolutionist is embroiled in a new uprising in the seemingly tranquil villages of the Blue Mountains", said the front page of the April 12 Blue Mountains Gazette.

The April 5 edition of the newspaper had reported that the Blue Mountains City Council (BMCC) was attempting to force the owners of a disused building on the Great Western Highway in Wentworth Falls to destroy two large murals, including one of Che Guevara, painted by aerosol artist Dan Lualdi with the building owner's permission.

The Labor-controlled council says it made the order after receiving a complaint from "a resident" and that the appropriate "development application" had not been sought. That it is Che in particular who is deemed objectionable was confirmed by a council spokesperson who told the Gazette, "The owner could legitimately have a different mural painted on the wall".

After the Blue Mountains branch of the Socialist Alliance issued an email appeal and leaflet calling for supporters of free speech to write letters of protest to the BMCC and the Gazette, the April 12 Gazette reported that it had been "inundated with impassioned pleas demanding large murals of Guevara, and Beastie Boys singer Mike D, remain untouched". The newspaper reported that the "council has also received many letters".

Many of the letters drew the link between this attempt at censorship and the wider assault on civil liberties. A Blackheath resident told the BMCC: "In the USA ... the Homeland Security law forces [the librarian] to advise them of the name of anyone taking out of the library certain listed books. If you think what you're doing is any different to this, think again."

Noel Willis of Winmalee wrote, "While Che may not be everybody's cup of tea, he is regarded by millions around the world as the symbol of resistance against oppression, the eternal struggle of the poor and weak against the ruthless drive for profit by the rich and powerful. Surely, in a world dominated by Bush and his followers we could do with a few more like Che!"

It now seems that the council may quietly back down. The April 19 Gazette reported, "Council staff will meet the owner of the property this week to discuss a possible option that would permit retention of the murals — including the Che Guevara one — by means of submitting a retrospective development application".

From Green Left Weekly, April 26, 2006.
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