Issue 1307

News

More than 100 people took part in a “Tour de Carmichael”, a 105-kilometre cycle for Country through sacred Wangan and Jagalingou land to Adani’s coal mine site, reports Kerry Smith

The family of Wayne 'Fella' Morrison, who was killed in custody, are pushing for torture devices to be banned. Renfrey Clarke reports.

Sue Bull reports on a successful Green Left May Day dinner.

As if to dispel any doubts that her privatisation spree was ending, Jim McIlroy writes that the NSW Premier has moved to reassure private corporations that it is not.

Sydney’s May Day march highlighted the green ban imposed by the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union on the demolition of a heritage-listed building in Parramatta. Pip Hinman reports.

World Press Freedom Day on May 3 was marked in many places, including outside the ABC Centre and Channel 7 studios where campaigners for Julian Assange's release gathered. Stephen Langford reports.

Jacob Andrewartha reports that Victorian Myanmar Youth and other Myanmar-based organisations protested on May 1 against the military coup in Myanmar.

A vigil for the martyrs was organised by the Myanmar community, reports Teik Lim.

Chris Slee reports on community support for the Medevac refugees who have recently been released from hotel detention.

Analysis

Amanda Porter and Helen Corbett discuss the campaign to stop Black deaths in custody, and the significance of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody.

Mary Merkenich reports on the findings of an Australian Education Union survey of education workers that said workload remained a major issue.

After eliminating almost all its generous pandemic spending measures, the federal government has indicated it will soft-peddle on further cuts in the May 11 budget. Neville Spencer reports.

It has long been common to falsely label critics of the Israeli government as “antisemitic”. Vivienne Porzsolt argues why this is a problem.

Aged care should not be a profit-making opportunity for giant corporations, argues Janet Parker.

Federal ministers have been brazenly beating the war drums in the latest round of verbal aggression against China, escalating the government’s anti-China propaganda to a dangerous new level, argues Peter Boyle.

Alex Bainbridge, Sarah Hathway and Sam Wainwright put the case for a health and justice-focussed response to the devestating outbreak of COVID-19 in India. 

Communist, trade unionist and class-struggle fighter for migrant rights George Zangalis died on March 25. Radicalised during the Greek civil war, Zangalis remained a fighter until the end, writes Sue Bolton.

The forced amalgamation of three councils in the inner west of Sydney has not worked and residents need to be given a say, argues Peter Boyle.

World

Green Left speaks with Argentine journalist Pablo Stefanoni about the "alt-right" rebellion and what the left can do about it.

Thousands of people mobilised across England on May 1 against the proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which activists say will erode the right to protest, writes Susan Price.

Police violently attack protesters

In response to days of national strikes and mobilisations across Colombia, security forces have unleashed unprecedented repression against peaceful protesters, reports People’s Dispatch.

Ali Abunimah argues that despite growing recognition that Israel is an apartheid regime, Europe and the United States continue to facilitate the persecution of Palestinians.

Pablo Iglesias’s plan for the left to win the Madrid elections was simple: to inspire the workers and poor of the region surrounding the Spanish capital to vote, writes Dick Nichols.

Branding armed Papuan resistance groups as “terrorists” has sparked strong condemnation from human rights groups across Indonesia and in West Papua, writes David Robie.

As the daily death toll in India from COVID-19 reaches 3700 people, the headlines describing the situation there as an “apocalypse” are not wrong, writes Divya Garg.

The following appeal has been issued by United for Colombia, Australia, in response to the repression of nationwide protests that began in opposition to the government’s tax reform.

The Tamil Refugee Council (TRC) has condemned the Australian government for supplying five drones to the Sri Lankan police, reports Chris Slee.

The leaders of nine opposition parties have joined forces to demand Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro’s impeachment, reports Yanis Iqbal.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, food delivery companies’ profits were skyrocketing, as their “self-employed” workers are blocked from unionising, reports Taroa Zúñiga Silva.

Despite pandemic shutdowns, atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane levels surged last year, reports Climate and Capitalism.

Information is coming to light about New Zealand's exports to Indonesia's military forces, which are engaged in a long-running and escalating conflict in West Papua, reports Maire Leadbeater.

United States President Joe Biden has no proposals for the fossil fuel industries to cut their carbon emissions or a firm timetable for a switch to renewables, writes Barry Sheppard.

Culture

For five nights in May, three locations around Warrane (Sydney Cove) will be transformed with images, music and stories of the lives and resistance of Sydney’s Black, queer and grassroots communities, writes Rachel Evans.

To persuade people to join a political movement, write Alex Salmon and Dirk Kelly, leftists need to learn how to use logic to make better arguments.