In This Issue...Change the system, not the climate — the case for rebellion and revolution
Feeling powerless is common in today's world.
Abolish anti-gay laws: marriage rights for all
Queer rights activists across Australia are gearing up for an important year of action on equal marriage rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people.
Pro-Palestinian activist: arrested for standing up for justice
Bridget Chappell, an Australian solidarity activist, was arrested along with Spanish activist Ariadna Jove Marti in a pre-dawn raid on February 7 in Ramallah, Palestine.
Roofs are burning: Garrett's green loans fiasco
The ALP government's environmental credentials have suffered a second meltdown in as many weeks.
'It's about racism and human rights'
Alyawarr elder Richard Downs spoke at the Prescribed Area People's Alliance (PAPA) meeting in Alice Springs on February 12. Downs is a leader of the walkoff protest against the NT intervention at Ampilatwatja.
Gov't reps evicted from protest camp
The article below is by Richard Downs, who is the spokesperson the Ampilatwatja walk-off against the Northern Territory intervention.
Venezuela's revolution faces crucial battles
Decisive battles between the forces of revolution and counter-revolution loom on the horizon in Venezuela.
Climate science and the IPCC: Time to change the model?
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an organisation whose time has passed. It needs to be dismantled.
Report urges expanded public transport
The Sydney Morning Herald-sponsored "Independent Public Inquiry" into Sydney's public transport released its preliminary report on February 13. The report outlined a 30-year strategy to massively improve Sydney's public transport infrastructure.
Socialist Alliance: Put real change on the agenda
Green Left Weekly spoke to Socialist Alliance national convener Peter Boyle about the political dynamics of the coming federal election and asked him what sort of campaign the Alliance was intending to run.
Green Left Weekly fighting fund: Confronting the right wing
You may have seen the photo in last week's Green Left Weekly of the right-wing "Tea Party" movement supporter in Washington DC. The placard he was holding said, in reference to President Barack Obama, "Impeach the Muslim Marxist". The article discussed the rise of right-wing politics in the US.
Afghanistan: Bloody war drags on
On February 13, 15,000 occupying troops from the US, Canada, Britain, Denmark, Estonia and the Afghan puppet state launched the Operation Moshtarak military offensive on Helmand province.
The corporatisation of Mardi Gras
The modern queer rights movement was born on June 28, 1969 in New York City.
Noam Chomsky: The US corporate takeover
January 21, 2010, will go down as a dark day in the history of US democracy, and its decline.
Venezuela: Mass student protest for Chavez
Tens of thousands of students rallied on February 12 in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, in a show of support for President Hugo Chavez and the Bolivarian revolution.
Canada: Thousands protest Olympics opening
Five thousand people took to the streets of Vancouver on February 12 to protest the opening of the corporate spectacle known as the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
Greece: Crisis, resistance and challenges for the left
"Got any thoughts on the bomb?" I asked breathlessly down the phone to a veteran Athens politics-watcher.
Should unions leave Labor?
Congratulations to Victorian Electrical Trades Union secretary Dean Mighell for his frank comment in the February 11 Age ("Unions must leave Labor").
'Be proud and don't let anyone take that away'
Elaine Peckham is a Central Arrernte woman who lives on homelands in the West MacDonnell Ranges. She spoke at the Prescribed Area People's Alliance meeting in Alice Springs on February 12. The speech below is abridged from text prepared by the Intervention Rollback Action Group rollbacktheintervention.wordpress.com.
Haiti: Thousands protest Sarkozy, for Aristide
Thousands of supporters of ousted Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide took to the streets on February 17 as French President Nicolas Sarkozy toured the earthquake-ravaged capital of Port au Prince.
Bolivia: 'People's Summit' to challenge rich nations on climate
Bolivia's foreign minister David Choquehuanca said on February 8 that Bolivia is very concerned about the inadequacy of the greenhouse gas reduction commitments made by developed countries in the Copenhagen Accord at the United Nations climate summit in December, PWCCC.wordpress.com said.
Colombia solidarity activists harassed
The following is abridged from an article by Peace and Justice for Colombia.
Appeal: help get GLW out bush
Green Left Weekly has a long and proud tradition of covering the many struggles for justice waged by Aboriginal people and their supporters.
Buyer beware?
A report issued by the Clean Energy Council (CEC) said up to 2000 households who took advantage of the government's solar rebate scheme may be at risk of electrical fires due to poorly installed rooftop panels.
Climate action summit to meet in Canberra
Hundreds of grassroots climate activists will meet in Canberra from March 13-15 to attend the second Climate Action Summit. It will build on the success of the first summit, which occurred in January 2009 and attracted more than 500 people, representing about 150 climate action groups.
Five jailed for thought-crimes
On February 15, five men — Mohamed Ali Elomar, Khaled Cheikho, Moustafa Cheikho, Abdul Rakib Hasan and Mohammed Omar Jamal — who were convicted in October under "anti-terror" laws, were each sentenced in Parramatta court to between 23 and 28 years in jail. The shortest non-parole period was set at 17 years and three months.
Germany: Protesters stop neo-Nazi march
On February 13, a neo-Nazi march through the German city of Dresden was prevented when more than 15,000 locals braved freezing temperatures to oppose them.
Hundreds celebrate Alistair Hulett's life
A memorial for left-wing musician Alistair Hulett was held on February 14 at Sydney's Gaelic Club.
Letter to minister against interrogation of Colombian solidarity activist
The following letter was sent to federal home affairs minister Brendan O'Connor.
Palestine: Anti-wall protesters score win
On February 12, residents of the Palestinian village of Bilin attracted global attention by protesting dressed as blue, pointy-eared and tailed Na'vi from the blockbuster movie Avatar. Like the fictional Na'vi, the Bilin villagers are resisting occupation by a brutal military machine in the pay of corporate interests.
Pauline Hanson to become a migrant
When the anti-immigration politician Pauline Hanson was asked if she was a xenophobe in a 1996 interview on Sixty Minutes, she famously responded: "please explain". Now, with the news that she intends to become an immigrant herself, it seems she doesn't understand the word "hypocrite" either.
Refugees blamed for navy errors
Three Afghan refugees in Australia face possible charges over the explosion onboard a fishing boat off Ashmore Reef last April. Five were killed in the explosion and many more injured.
Royal Commission needed into TJ's death
"The law is an ass", said Mr Bumble, in Charles Dickens' classic, Oliver Twist. And over 300 people agreed as they rallied yesterday on the same site, six years to the day, where 17-year old Aboriginal boy, TJ Hickey, was impaled on fence in Waterloo.
Ruby Hunter 1955-2010
Aboriginal singer-song writer Ruby Hunter passed away on February 17. Her music dealt with her personal history, Indigenous struggles, and social and women's issues.
Star City workers struggle continues
The struggle for wage justice by workers at the Star City Casino in Sydney continued with strikes on February 11 and Chinese New Year (February 14).
Tahmoor picket over safety and job security continues
The picket line outside Xstrata Coal's Tahmoor colliery is continuing. It marks a continuation of the Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union's (CFMEU) 17-month struggle to negotiate an Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) with Xstrata.
Teacher activists elected to union council
On February 13, NSW Teachers Federation (NSWTF) councillors elected two new left candidates to the executive of the union at the first NSWTF Council of the year.
Transition Decade launched
More than 1200 people attended a mass public meeting at Melbourne Town Hall on February 14 to launch the Transition Decade (T10)
US soldier charged over protest song
US soldier charged over protest song
Marc Hall — a US soldier at Fort Stewart and hip hop artist — is to be whisked off to Iraq for a military court martial, out of reach of the public eye and his own civilian defence lawyers.
US student strike planned against cuts
The following call for a national strike and day of action in defence of public education was released by the California Coordinating Committee.
Venezuela: Nationalised supermarkets guarantee fair prices
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has inaugurated new government-run hypermarkets (large supermarkets), which replace of the recently nationalised Exito hypermarket chain.
We kid you not
Activists protest Afghanistan occupation
MELBOURNE — On February 16 a group of peace activists held a vigil outside the Melbourne office of federal finance minister Lindsay Tanner. The protest was the first in a series of monthly vigils aimed at drawing attention to the worsening situation in Afghanistan and to call for the Australian government to bring the troops home.
Gaza Freedom March activists speak
SYDNEY — Six Gaza Freedom March activists presented a moving account of their experiences of trying to get into Gaza late last year at a Stop the War Coalition public meeting on February 15.
Haiti solidarity in Newcastle
NEWCASTLE – Forty-five people attended a fundraiser for the Haitian Emergency Fund on February 10. The Haitian Emergency Fund is a grassroots organisation in Haiti made up of unions, women's groups, and human rights activists. The lively crowd heard Caribbean music and a presentation by Stuart Munckton, an editor of Green Left Weekly.
Rally marks Redfern death
MELBOURNE — Eighty people rallied on the morning of February 14 to commemorate the 2004 death of Redfern teenager TJ Hickey and demand an end to Aboriginal deaths in custody. The crowd observed a minute's silence in memory of TJ, who was killed while being chased by police. It also expressed its support for TJ's mother, Gail Hickey, who has lodged a complaint with the United Nations Human Rights Committee.
Resistance in 'sign war' with MP
Newcastle Resistance branch has entered a "sign war" against federal Labor MP Sharon Grierson.
Why I joined Resistance
Why internet censorship is wrong
The internet protest group Anonymous launched a cyber-attack to protest the Australian government's proposed "clean-feed" internet filter on February 10. A number of government websites temporarily became host to pornographic images.
Young people can stop the climate crisis
Resistance activist Melanie Barnes is standing as a candidate in the upcoming Tasmanian state elections for the Socialist Alliance. She isn't running to improve her career prospects or income, but because she wants to get an important message out.
Lillian Roxon: The mother — and more — of rock
Mother of Rock: The Lillian Roxon StoryBy Robert MillikenBlack Inc., 2010360 pp., $27.95 pb.
Power, anger, humour — Fiona Foley confronts racism
Fiona Foley: Forbidden University of Queensland Art Museum, Brisbane. Showing February 19-May 2
Scream against the Armenian genocide
ScreamersDirected by Carla Garapedian, featuring music by System of a DownVia Vision Entertainment, DVD95 minutes, $24.95
Second assassination of Trotsky
Trotsky: A Biography By Robert Service, Pan Macmillan, 2009 624 pages, $59.95 hb
