Issue 1293

News

Find out what Invasion Day protests and events are happening across Australia on January 26 and how you can participate.

Chris Slee reports that a petition calling on Victorian Premier Dan Andrews to stop the cruelty towards refugees was handed over to his office. The protests to free the refugees are growing.

Workers locked out of Coles’ Smeaton Grange warehouse in Western Sydney are campaigning strongly for a “no” vote on the company’s non-union agreement, reports Jim McIlroy.

Pressures from the pandemic mean that the long-running Alfalfa House Community Food Cooperative is facing the prospect of having to close at the end of January, reports Pip Hinman.

Chris Slee reports that refugee rights supporters will rally on January 27 outside the Melbourne Magistrates Court to support activists who have been charged for organising safe protests.

A sizable protest in Melbourne demanded freedom for refugees detained in a hotel prison, reports Chloe DS

Activists organised a vigil for a young Malaysian student who died in the Villawood detention centre, reports Stephen Langford.

Chloe DS reports that refugees were forcibly transferred under excessive police presence from the Mantra hotel in Melbourne's north to a former COVID-19 hotspot in the CBD.

The City of Moreland Council has condemned a secret immigration detention centre in Fawkner and urged the Victorian government to change planning laws to disallow such cruelty, reports Chloe DS.

Protesters want HSBC to use its influence over the State Bank of India to walk away from funding Adani, reports Jim McIlroy.

Refugee rights supporters rallied outside the Mantra Hotel demanding the detainees be released, not moved, reports Chris Slee.

A protest camp has sprung up outside the Mantra Hotel in Preston to try and prevent the detainees from being removed. Jacob Andrewartha reports.

Several hundred Coles workers and supporters marched through Sydney's streets, calling on the public to boycott Coles this Christmas. Jim McIlroy reports.

Analysis

People cherish their privacy and prefer explicit requests for consent as to how, when and by whom their data is used or shared, writes Ernst Merkenich.

The Prime Minister's pitiful one word change to the national anthem is a meaningless symbolic change that aims to bolster nationalism, argue Marianne Mackay and Alex Bainbridge.

When Indian cricketers reported racist abuse during the recent Sydney test match, Australia’s ugly racism hit the headlines again. Sue Bull argues the media has an interest in muddying the connection between capitalism and racism.

Suzanne James writes that until systemic racial profiling ends, Black deaths in custody will continue and the 1991 royal commission's recommendations will not be implemented.

More and more, people own less and less when it comes to digital technology. Aleks Wansbrough looks at how the privatisation of communication technologies has serious social consequences.

As the Capitol Hill 'invasion' goes sour and Australian MPs rush to get their stories straight, let's not sweep the ugly truth about US 'democracy’ under the carpet, writes Pip Hinman.

A People’s Inquiry to examine the United States-Australia alliance — its costs and consequences — and to canvas alternatives has been launched, writes Bevan Ramsden.

That Julian Assange cannot be extradited is welcome, but the ruling comes after the charade in which British authorities held him in a top security prison and made his defence as difficult as possible, argues Stuart Rees.

The pandemic has thrown up many challenges for employers and employees, backpackers and farmers, writes Chris McCoomb.

The Socialist Alliance condemns new federal anti-worker bills.

Caroline Andersen writes about the pain of the death in custody of her son Wayne 'Fella' Morrison and why she has little confidence in the justice system.

The campaign for justice and compensation for the victims of the fake “war on drugs” is growing. Rachel Evans reports.

A new law, rushed through parliament, which allows unions to demerge, has handed the government an opportunity to isolate the construction workers' union, argues Sue Bolton.

Iain McIntyre writes about Ken's Lovett's generous spirit and that he was even canonised by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence as 'Saint Kendall the Constant'.

Protests to demand jobs and a safe environment are still necessary or we face the recurring nightmare of last summer's bushfires, argues Steve O'Brien.

World

Interference in univerity affairs by Turkey's regime has sparked resistance by staff and students. Could this be the start of a new youth movement, writes Muhsin Yorulmaz?

Yemeni child. Photo: Carl Waldmeier/Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

By designating Houthi rebels as terrorists, the United States is worsening Yemen's humanitarian crisis and undermining efforts to negotiate peace, writes Mary Merkenich.

Recognising that the January 6 attack on the US Capitol marks a new stage in US politics is crucial to building a movement to defend Black Lives Matter and the working class, writes Malik Miah.

Julian Assange

Julian Assange embarrassed the United States by revealing activities recorded by Americans themselves and the lawlessness of the US military that continues every day, all round the world, writes Alison Broinowski.

2018 abortion rights protest in Argentina. Photo: Lara Va/Wikimedia Commons CC: SA 4.0

While Argentina just legalised abortion rights, it is prohibited or limited in most of Latin America, writes Tamara Pearson. For those forced to continue a pregnancy deprives them of agency, autonomy and well being.

Saleh Moslem, a member of the co-presidency council of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), gives greetings to the Socialist Alliance national conference, January 9, 2021.

The upcoming Catalan election will be a test of the resilience of the pro-independence base, impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Spanish state repression and attempts by Catalan counterparts of the governing coalition in Madrid to claw back support, writes Dick Nichols.

Sri Lankan soldiers and police have demolished a monument at Jaffna University dedicated to marking the massacre of Tamils at Mullivaikkal in 2009, reports Chris Slee.

The protests and occupation of the United States Capitol are a small taste of the kind of brazenly undemocratic power grabs the authoritarian right has executed in countries like Bolivia, writes Denis Rogatyuk.

Federico Fuentes discusses contemporary politics in Latin America at the Socialist Alliance national conference on January 9.

Democratic Socialists of America member Isaac Silver addressed the Socialist Alliance national conference about Donald Trump inciting his base to storm Capitol Hill and more.

United States President Donald Trump didn’t succeed in imposing a coup, but the far-right threat remains, write Malik Miah and Barry Sheppard.

In response to events in Washington DC on January 6, the Metro DC branch of the Democratic Socialists of America released the following statement.

Venezuela’s new National Assembly has been sworn in, ending five years of right-wing control of parliament. Socialist MP Melitza Orellana speaks about her key priorities and the challenges facing the new assembly.

Donald Trump may leave office and return to the bowels of financial speculation. However, the political base that sustained and reinforced his presidency will remain a powerful political force, writes Rupen Savoulian.

Rich nations, representing just 14% of the global population, have bought up 53% of the most promising COVID-19 vaccines so far, creating a global vaccine apartheid, writes Yanis Iqbal.

Like Donald Trump, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has normalised white supremacists, peddled fake news, downplayed the coronavirus pandemic and used conspiracy theories to attack science, writes Michael Fox.

President elect Joe Biden has been described as a "friend of the Kurds", writes Marcel Cartier, but under his presidency, US attempts to undermine the Rojava Revolution by any means necessary is likely to continue.

Green Left sits down with long-time multimedia journalist and radio reporter Michael Fox to discuss politics in Brazil. 

Ecuador's progressive electoral alliance Union for Hope, which stands an excellent chance of winning the election in February, has just been given the green light to run, writes Harvey Goldberg.

Morocco has become the fourth Arab nation to normalise relations with the state of Israel. Previously clandestine, Morocco’s cooperation with the Israeli government stretches back decades, writes Rupen Savoulian.

Today the war drums have new and highly enthusiastic beaters in Britain, America and the 'West', writes John Pilger.

Five years on from the Paris Climate Agreement, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg has slammed governments for wasting time. 

This interview with Federico Fuentes unpacks the issues around the December 6 national assembly elections in Venezuela.

Culture

Barry Healy reviews High Ground, a new film about Aboriginal resistance that weaves together Aboriginal and white narrative traditions.

2018 photo showing Rio Waida (left) won twice as much as Zoe Steyn

A new Australian documentary reveals the decades-long struggle that women professional surfers have had to go through to win equality in the sport. It is a powerful story, writes Barry Healy, and often not pleasant.  

Maria Dahvana Headley, dragon-marked translator of Beowulf

Science fantasy writer Maria Dahvana Headley has produced a new translation of the Old English epic poem, Beowulf. It has a punk sensibility and opens the way to a deeper historical reading, writes Barry Healy.

Chris Slee reviews a new documentary showing how British mercenary company Keenie Meenie Services trained a notorious Sri Lankan government paramilitary force, responsible for the torture and murder of Tamil civilians.

David King's famous 1978 Rock Against Racism Carnival poster

Anyone familiar with 1970s British left-wing movements such as the Anti-Nazi League, Rock Against Racism or the Anti-Apartheid Movement, is familiar with the work of David King, writes Barry Healy.