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Fortians against fortress Australia

A few months ago a group of friends at Fort Street High School were painting a banner and talking, they decided to convince their fellow students of the injustice of government policy towards refugees and to mobilise them to change it. Year 12

IRELAND: What's so radical about Sinn Fein?

BY JOE CRAIG DUBLIN — In late March, Sinn Fein launched its campaign for the May 17 Irish general election with a rally in Dublin's Gresham Hotel, at the same time as the Irish Labour Party was holding its conference. While Sinn Fein was keen

Young refugee activists face court

BY JESS MELVIN MELBOURNE — On the morning of May 30, I and fellow high school Resistance activist James Crafti stood before a judge at Melbourne Children's Court. The case followed our arrest for trespass while protesting for refugee rights

Loose cannons

Final frontier "Several big Japanese builders have set up divisions for moon-based-construction research. Shimizu Construction Corp, for instance, has been studying plans for lunar tennis courts and golf courses." — Wall Street Journal, May 24.

AFGHANISTAN: US gives warlords green light to reassert control

BY NORM DIXON The United States is tacitly backing many of Afghanistan's brutal and reactionary warlords as they divide up the country among themselves. Many of the same warlords committed unspeakable atrocities during the devastating

and ain't i a woman?: Maternity leave divides conservatives

and ain't i a woman?: Maternity leave divides conservatives Feminists have long called on the government to provide women with maternity leave on full pay, but what was interesting about the debate leading up to this year's federal budget was

Good riddance to Ally McBeal

BY ELIZABETH SCHULTE Maybe there is a god. Five years ago, the Fox network introduced Ally McBeal — a show focused on the wacky antics of the self-absorbed Harvard law graduate and her coworkers at a high-powered Boston law firm. TV audiences

Katherine looks for healing

BY FELICITY MEAKINS KATHERINE — This year the Katherine Regional Stolen Generation committee chose to rename Sorry Day — May 25 — "Healing Day", in a move intended to highlight that reconciliation begins, not finishes, with an apology.

On the box

Actively Radical TV — Sydney community television's progressive current affairs producers tackle the hard issues from the activist's point of view. Includes the Green Left News. CTS Sydney (UHF 31), every Sunday, 9pm. Phone 9565 5522. Visit

Tony Abbott slams AMWU

BY SUE BULL MELBOURNE — Tony Abbott, federal workplace relations minister, used parliamentary privilege on May 29 to savagely attack the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union and, in particular, Craig Johnston, the secretary of the

Students support refugees, bureaucrats block action

BY STUART MUNCKTON CANBERRA — More than 100 students attended the Australian National University Students' Association May 27 annual general meeting, at which students voted to make opposition to mandatory detention and support for asylum

End military ties with Indonesia!

SYDNEY — On June 1, activists picketed defence department offices. The protest, called by Action in Solidarity with Asia and the Pacific, demanded that Australia end its military ties with Indonesia, and called for freedom for Aceh.From Green Left