Gadigal Country/Sydney

  • Pope protest celebrates civil liberties win

    A spirited rally of 1500 people protesting against the pope’s reactionary policies took place on July 19 against the backdrop of an important civil liberties victory in the courts.

  • Know your rights

    On July 17, 50 people heard Dr Mohamed Haneef’s lawyer, Peter Russo, launch a guide to Australia’s “anti-terror” legislation in Bankstown Town Hall.

  • NSW teachers continue campaign on staffing, wages

    While the NSW teachers have won some concessions, they are continuing to campaign against the state government’s abandonment of the state-wide staffing transfer system. The NSW Teachers Federation (NSWTF) decided at its June 14 state council meeting on a two-hour stopwork the week beginning August 25.

  • Pope visit: \'Have an enjoyable experience\'

    According to the official website for World Youth Day (WYD), Sydney will “look different” from APEC. Really? With 600-plus areas now officially “declared areas”, not to mention proscribed airspace throughout July, and officials with the right to decide who is annoying and who isn’t, it doesn’t seem very different. If anything, it’s worse.

  • NSW public sector \'day of action\' for July 30

    On July 3, NSW public-sector delegates met at Unions NSW and unanimously endorsed a resolution calling for “a day of action on July 30th where members will be called upon to demonstrate the extent the public relies on services delivered by public sector workers”. Public sector workers will “withdraw their goodwill” on the day, Unions NSW secretary John Robertson said at a press conference on July 3, although he has ruled out any strike action.

  • \'Thou shalt not protest\'

    In Sydney, for the month of July, you can be arrested and charged $5500 for causing “annoyance” or “inconvenience” to others (but mainly to the pope, or his supporters) in more than 600 places across Sydney — including railway stations, schools and tourist icons, such as the Harbour Bridge.

  • Lawyer: \'Howard wanted Haneef to be Tampa #2\'

    One of the lawyers for Mohamed Haneef, the doctor charged with terrorism-related offences in 2007, told a 100-strong June 21 public meeting that the Howard government had “wanted Dr Haneef to be a terrorist — but he wasn’t”. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) case against Haneef spectacularly imploded.

  • Rail workers vote for action

    On July 3, 95% of NSW Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) members voted to take action on pay and conditions in the next 30 days, not ruling out disrupting World Youth Day.

  • Inspiration from Venezuela \'brigadistas\'

    Three of the five Sydney residents who joined a May Day solidarity brigade to Venezuela reported back on their observations and experiences of the Bolivarian revolution to a meeting of 35 people on June 24.

  • Activists challenge Marrickville council positions

    The Socialist Alliance will contest the council elections on September 13 in the seat of Marrickville. At a meeting on June 17, the alliance pre-selected three long-term activists: Jill Hickson, Pip Hinman and Howard Byrnes.

  • Protests demand: End the NT intervention!

    On June 21, protest actions were held around Australia on the first anniversary of the federal government’s “intervention” into Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory, demanding an immediate end to the racist invasion of Aboriginal land that it entails.