Daily Archives: February 23, 2015

Ciaron O’Reily

“…it seems most folk rolled over or simply stayed away from the G20 this time and the Brisbane Times reported that Ciaron was the only person who got to use the court holding facilities that had been specially adapted in anticipation of sizeable protests. “ — WISE Up Action blog in support of Assange and Manning.

Oscar winning hollywood film Birdman questioned if we exist if we’re not on facebook or twitter.

In Birdman a washed-up actor who once played an iconic superhero is confronted by his daughter who challenges her Dad’s existence:

” I mean, who the fuck are you? You hate bloggers. You mock Twitter. You don’t even have a Facebook page. You’re the one who doesn’t exist.“

It seems that Ciaron O’Reilly does truly exist, at least on the WISE Up Action blog and in the Brisbane Times which had this quote from Ciaron outside court today (24 Feb 2015):

“It [my protest] was an opportunity to express solidarity with Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden … and I think I achieved that,” he said.

O’Reilly’s lawyer, Terry Fisher, said in court that O’Reilly had wanted to speak to US President Barack Obama about the ongoing persecution of Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden.

Ciaron O’Reilly is a product of the 1977-79 street march movement in Queensland. This democratic rights movement fought against the Bjelke-Petersen government’s repressive policies against workers, women, and blacks and its support for uranium mining and export.

At one point, Ciaron ran for Brisbane City Council on a Nuclear Free platform, won enough votes (10%) to scare the Labor Party into making Brisbane nuclear free (except for visiting warships, medical waste etc). During a struggle lasting two and a half years, with over 2,000 people arrested, the Qld democratic rights movement tried to minimise arrest and repression.

Concerning the People’s Summit and the De-colonisation before profit campaign organised by Brisbane Aboriginal Sovereign Embassy, I do not agree with this quote from the article in WISE Up. Especially given five well attended protest marches about de-colonisation, sovereignty, stolen children, democratic rights, government cut backs and austerity. And the many who camped out in Musgrave Park for a week in support of Aboriginal Sovereignty and the People’s Summit which covered many topics.

Gone are the days, if they ever existed, when the number of arrests equates with organisation or with the strength of a political movement.

No Wikileaks today about Sapper Jamie Larcombe
No mention of his Afghan mate
They lost their lives at Mirabad last night
Jamie died, despite first aid, unable to be saved
Gunshot wounds killed Sapper Larcombe
Air Vice Marshall Houston sighed
Only 21 years old and his interpreter
Buried according to local custom
         Last Train to Mirabad
          Ian Curr

Free Chelsea Manning and Julian Assange!
Drop the G20 charges against Ciaron O’Reilly!

Ian Curr
Feb 2015