March for Refugee Rights on Labour Day

There will be a refugee rights contingent in the Labour Day march in Brisbane next Monday. All refugee supporters are welcome to join in.… Go to Article

Socialist Alternative Meeting: The Civil Rights Movement in America

Today, despite America’s first Black president, there has been little change and there is now little hope for African Americans. They are bearing the brunt of the economic crisis, with unemployment among Blacks at almost 16 per cent, and with the highly publicised murder of Trayvon Martin it is apparent racism is alive and killing in the States.… Go to Article

Munching on $80+ million

AUSTRALIANS will gamble on two flies. crawling up a wall, they say.

Aussie bookmaker Tom Waterhouse is currently betting on how much Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream will fetch at a Southey’s auction this month.

… Go to Article

Two Kinds of Facts

Since the shooting of 6 unarmed Aboriginal occupants of a stolen car by police officers at Kings Cross we have witnessed a major push by the police, the O’Farrell Government and the (mostly right-wing) media to turn our attention away from the dangerous and possible lethal attack by the police to bring to bear upon the Families of the 6 aboriginal youth involved in the event.… Go to Article

Stop more stolen generations!

… Go to Article

Swim for Palestine at Byron Bay Ocean Classic

Amidst members of the 2012 Australian Olympic team and Iron Men and Women competitors with be the Free Palestine contingent in the race from Wategos to Main Beach Byron Bay 2.2kms

We are swimming to raise money for the Middle East Childrens’ Alliance so Palestinian kids can have clean drinking water despite Israel’s best efforts to desiccate them.

… Go to Article

Refugee latest Detention Stats

While many are being released- thank heavens , there are still 1600 in detention for 12 months plus.

Curious anomaly- one woman in Northern Immigration Detention Centre Darwin (one of the worst centres) and one woman in Wickham Point

Immigration Detention centre.… Go to Article

Foco Nuevo in May

Come along to this May Day weekend special concert, which will feature songs that celebrate the lives of working people and their struggle for a better world.… Go to Article

Battles for the Coral Sea

Reprinted from Chapter 17 from ‘Japan to the Rescue, Australian Security around the Indonesian Archipelago during the American Century’ Heinemann, 1991, pp.… Go to Article

Sovereign Embassy Film Night: Shadow Sister

Sovereign Embassy Film Night: Shadow Sister.

7pm Friday 27th April
Brisbane Sovereign Embassy
Corner of Cordelia and Russell Sts. Musgrave Park

Shadow Sister is a 1977 film biography of Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) poet, activist and public speaker Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker).… Go to Article

Defend BDS! Defend the Max Brenner 19!

On 1 May 19 Melbourne activists will be put on trial for their political activity. In a precedent-setting case, these pro-Palestine activists will be fighting a variety of charges designed to criminalise dissent in Baillieu’s Victoria and intimidate supporters of Palestine in Australia.… Go to Article

Veterans group condemns hollow remembrance on ANZAC Day

24 April 2012

“You do not honor the dead through mindless flag waving, rewriting history or promoting new wars,” said Hamish Chitts, East Timor veteran and spokesperson for Stand Fast – a group of veterans and former military personnel who oppose the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.… Go to Article

Is it better to run or to stay?

“Can you picture what will be
So limitless and free
Desperately in need of
some strangers hand
In a desperate land”

‘This is the End’
(Jim Morrison/The Doors)

Amara Lakhous has written an interesting novella about those who flee strife and arrive in the west to face racism [mea culpa, I have seen the film but have not read the book].… Go to Article

Launch of Veterans for Peace UK at Giuseppe Conlon House, London, April 9th. 2012

YOUTUBES – Launch of Veterans for Peace UK at Giuseppe Conlon House, London, April 9th. 2012

YOUTUBE (3 mins 42 secs) Individual Veterans for Peace (UK & USA) introduce themselves at launch.… Go to Article

17 Group — problems of global capital and labour and their social impacts

The May meeting of the 17 Group, a mere handful of days before the May Day March, on Wednesday the 2nd of May at 7 pm in unit 6 at 20 Drury St West End will very seasonably deal with contemporary problems of global capital and labour and their social impacts.… Go to Article

Lucie Lit Unleashes

Another guest column from Lucretia Lit this week.

Oh those poor ex-husbands of hers. How they must

have suffered

Cheers

Bernie

Messaging my Glitoris

with Lucretia Lit

Column 3

A REGULAR highlight of my exciting life is the arrival of Futurebook: The Bookseller’s digital publishing email.

… Go to Article

RAC: Organising Meeting + Convergence Report

Tony Mockeridge sings Article 14

Griffith Uni Covergence Reportback

**Griffith Uni Nathan Campus
1pm, Thursday April 26th
Graham Willett Bldg (N53)
Room 0.64**

Eye Witness Accounts: Brisbane contingent reports back on the reality of the detention system in Darwin.… Go to Article

Important meeting re National Museum of Labour – Thursday 3rd May

Dear Comrades and Friends,

The Brisbane Labour History Association and the Queensland Council of Unions are holding a meeting with Kim Sattler, Unions ACT Secretary, to promote the National Museum of Labour.… Go to Article

NSW police are way too deadly

on tuesday 24 april at 1.30pm we will be holding a rally outside the nsw parliament house to protest the violence and abuse of the nsw police as ably exampled by the circumstances at kings cross and 5 police-related deaths in custody so far this year already.… Go to Article

The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll

‘Two sides of every story’? Related to this title is the the death of the man who ‘inspired’ the song by Bob Dylan.Compare… Go to Article

The Last Kinection – ‘Are We There Yet’ featuring Simone Stacey

See The Last Kinection (thanks 2 e)

Sitting in her room / She looks at the sunlight /

She tries to write a tune / All about her life /

People tried to put her down / Don’t want her to get up off the ground /

But she’ll get there soon / Soon she’ll get there /

When are we gonna get there?… Go to Article

Sir Joseph Banks and the Question of Hemp Book Launch

Drew Hutton, Green historian and activist, will launch Sir Joseph Banks and the Question of Hemp by Dr John Jiggens at Avid Reader, Boundary Street, West End, on Tuesday April 24 at 6pm.… Go to Article

The case of Ali Jasmin -14 year old boy in adult prison

The case of Ali Jasmin – Hamish McDonald’s investigation

Dear all,

As the unbelievably shocking revelations about the case of Ali Jasmin, a child crew member who was no more than 14 years old when convicted in an Australian court, still breaks around the country, here is reporter Hamish Mcdonald’s story which was aired on Monday evening.… Go to Article

”With god on our side…”

One on my favourite Dylan songs is the bitterly ironic anti-war song ‘With god on our side‘. The lyrics are below.… Go to Article

Remember the ‘Ghosts of Deir Yassin’

CD out now – April 21 Brisbane Launch reminder

Phil Monsour News and Information Hi
Welcome to new subscribers. Plenty of news this time around.

… Go to Article

Remember Palestine

This is a call out to union members to write to their union asking for support for Palestine.
Include a copy of the poster and ask if the union will support Justice for Palestine to commemorate Al Nakba.… Go to Article

Ms Poison Pen returns

Another guest column from Lucretia Lit this week.

She is awful; can’t wait to see what she has to reveal.

Cheers

Bernie

Messaging my Glitoris

with Lucretia Lit

Column 2

NAUGHTY New Hampshire author Jodi Picoult has been going around insulting all those cute self-publishing writers.

… Go to Article

May Day in Brisbane 2012

The organisation of the May Day 2012 celebrations in Brisbane is in disarray and needs to be fixed. It has become a mates day at the beer tent for union organisers and a few rank and file – a pub with rides for the kids.… Go to Article