This week in history

November 11, 1998
Issue 

This week in history

November 12, 1927: Trotsky expelled from Soviet Communist Party

Identifying a bureaucratic degeneration of the Soviet Union led by Stalin, Leon Trotsky began organising an opposition in 1926. Stalin deprived Trotsky of his seat on the Politburo, the Communist Party's leading body, and in November 1927 expelled the opposition from the party.

In January 1928 Trotsky was banished to Siberia. A year later he was forcibly exiled to Turkey. Stalinist agents murdered him in Mexico in 1940; he remained an active socialist and critic of Stalinism to his death.

November 11, 1983: 700 women in protest march on Pine Gap

Along with Nurrungar, Pine Gap in the Northern Territory is key to joint US-Australian "defence" operations. Housing up to 1000 people, the complex is the ground station for a satellite system that intercepts telephone, radio, data links and other communications around the world.

Since its inception, it has been the focus of protests, but Liberal and Labor governments have extended its role well into next century.

November 11, 1975: Governor-General dismisses Gough Whitlam as prime minister

The Labor Party came to power in the December 1972 elections in the context of strong social and peace movements. Reversing his own position, Whitlam ordered Australian troops home from South Vietnam and ended conscription. The ALP returned to power in the 1974 double dissolution election with a small majority in the lower house.

The 1975 "constitutional crisis" developed as business turned against the Labor government, fearing that it would not be able to restrain wages in a situation of developing economic crisis. The Coalition, which controlled the Senate, refused to appropriate money for government unless Whitlam called a new election.

Whitlam refused to yield to the Coalition's blackmail, but was sacked by his own appointee, Governor-General John Kerr, a former ALP member.

November 12, 1991: Indonesian army fires on peaceful funeral possession in Dili

On October 28, 1991, Sebastian Gomez was killed by Indonesian troops while seeking refuge in Motael Church in Dili. On November 12 thousands of mourners marked the death with a memorial service and peaceful protest.

The Indonesian army opened fire on the mourners, killing more than 270 people. Gareth Evans, then foreign minister, claimed that the act was an "aberration" and that the armed forces could not be held responsible. November 12 has become a key date in memory of the massacre, but also to demand independence for East Timor.

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