Magan-djin/Brisbane

Four hundred people rallied on January 17 demanding an end to Israel’s massacres in Gaza and calling for the Australian government to cut ties with Israel.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has announced that construction of the controversial Traveston Crossing dam near Gympie will be delayed for several years after advice from the state's Coordinator General that unless more work is done to address the

Bette Boreham, an activist recently returned from volunteer work in Kiribati, told a Socialist Alliance meeting on November 12 about how the low-lying Pacific Island country is facing annihilation by rising seas. Boreham spoke of the courage of the Kiribati people, and the horror of knowing their country would soon be gone. She also recounted the important role that Cuban doctors are playing in the country, providing essential medical care.

Twenty people from farming families on the Darling Downs travelled several hours to occupy Premier Anna Bligh’s office on October 31, demanding the state government introduce legislation to protect prime farmland from mining.

Public sector workers across Queensland demonstrated in large numbers on September 30. Public servants are seeking a minimum 5.1% annual pay rise, simply to keep pace with inflation.

The campaign against the jailing of tramways union leader Clarrie O’Shea, in Melbourne in May 1969, for refusing to pay fines imposed under the infamous anti-union penal powers of the time is rich with lessons for today’s campaign against the Australian Building and Construction Commission’s (ABCC) witch hunt of construction unionists.

University of Queensland (UQ) women’s collective members discovered racist, sexist and homophobic messages covering the Women’s Room on the morning of September 17.

“We need a genuine people’s movement like this planet has never seen”, Friends of the Earth’s Dr John Mackenzie told the launch of Climate Emergency Week at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) on September 22. “We need a global movement that will make the sixties look like a rehearsal!”

Two hundred dollars for the Cuban Hurricane Relief Fund was raised at a screening of the new documentary Salud!, which examines Cuba’s remarkable attitude to health care — both within Cuba and around the world.

“Save the Tamil children in Sri Lanka”; “Cricket Australia — don’t play cricket in the Tamil killing field”; “Mr Rudd <197< condemn Sri Lanka for breaking the peace accords”. These were some of the messages on placards and banners held at a picket of PM Kevin Rudd’s Morningside office on September 23.

Supporters of a woman’s right to choose rallied outside Liberal anti-abortion Senator George Brandis’s office on September 16. They were protesting against Tasmanian Liberal Senator Guy Bennett’s private member’s bill to end Medicare funding for abortions after 14 weeks’ pregnancy. The bill, due for parliamentary debate on September 17, has been referred to a committee.

My cows can’t swim!”, protested one farmer’s sign, with a marker to indicate just how high the water would rise. “Act now or be dammed!”, advised another, echoing the overall theme of the 500-strong Save the Mary River rally on September 6 at the Traveston Crossing bridge in south-east Queensland.