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As the world’s most recognisable symbol of struggle and liberation, Ernesto “Che” Guevara’s image seems to become more popular every year. Even the Weekend Australian, a mouthpiece of Australia’s ruling class, put Che on its front page on July 14 to grab potential buyers’ attention.

An article in GLW #717 incorrectly listed Cheryl Kaulfuss as the chair of Melbourne’s July 14 rally for Indigenous rights. The chair was Shiralee Hood. An article in the same edition described Wally Curran as a metalworkers’ union leader. Curran was a long-time leader of the Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union.

The “anti-terror” hysteria in the lead-up to the Sydney APEC summit in September has been ramped up still further — this time by Lord Mayor Clover Moore.

Organising is well under way for protests during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Sydney in September, to which PM John Howard will be welcoming his war criminal mate, US President George Bush.

The annual rally for NAIDOC week on July 13 drew a crowd of 1500-2000 people. While officially a day to celebrate the survival and revival of Indigenous culture and heritage, outrage at PM John Howard’s recent intervention in the Northern Territory was palpable in the crowd. A sea of placards and banners made reference to the importance of protecting land rights, and fears about children being taken away.

In a judgment against the police that was describing as “scathing” by Sydney Morning Herald journalist David Marr, magistrate David Heilpern dismissed all charges against the two “tranny cops” who were violently arrested at a protest against US Vice-President Dick Cheney on February 23. This brings to four the number of Cheney protesters who were charged and acquitted.

A report by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission (HREOC), launched on June 22, recommends that laws discriminating against gays be removed. The report comes at a time when record numbers of Australians are in favour of gay marriage.

Thousands of people rallied on July 13 and 14 around Australia during NAIDOC (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee) week. Around 400 people gathered in Brisbane on July 14. Speakers from as far away as the Torres Strait Islands spoke out against Howard’s invasion of the Northern Territory, Aboriginal deaths in custody, inequality in health and housing, and the Beattie government’s plans to forcibly amalgamate councils. New Zealand activist Julia Espinoza spoke about Maori solidarity with Aboriginal people.

During the visit of US aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk to Sydney, Stop the War Coalition activists held two anti-war protests — on July 5 and 8. Under the gargantuan shadow of the Kitty Hawk activists handed out anti-war material, held a banner calling for the end of the occupation of Iraq, and spoke out for the withdrawal of Australian and US troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Arumugam Rajeevan, an Australian cirizen of Sri Lankan Tamil origin, was arrested in Sydney on July 10 on terrorism charges. This follows the May 1 arrest of two Tamils in Melbourne on similar charges.

Money for nothing "The 11th annual study of 71 countries by investment bank Merrill Lynch and consultancy firm, Capgemini found that buoyant economic growth across the world pushed the riches of 'high net worth individuals' (HNWI) up by a hefty

July 5 marked 196 years since Venezuela declared its independence following a long struggle led by the country’s Indigenous people and a black slave revolt. To mark Independence Day, the embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela hosted a public conference in Sydney on July 7.