Reclaim the Streets
MELBOURNE — In a protest against the increasing amount of space being taken up by cars, the Friends of the Earth Transport Collective here organised a Reclaim the Streets march and street party on March 13. Around 1500 people gathered in the Carlton Gardens before setting off on foot and by bicycle for a street party.
There was a considerable police presence, and some barricades were confiscated, but the rally did not disrupt traffic. The march wound its way through some of inner-city Fitzroy's quieter streets and finished outside community radio 3CR's studios.
Commemoration of massacre
SYDNEY — One hundred people rallied at Town Hall on March 16 to commemorate the death of more than 5000 civilians at the hands of the Iraqi army. The rally marked the 11th anniversary of the 1988 chemical weapon assault launched by Saddam Hussein's army against the Kurdish city of Halabja.
The rally was organised by the Kurdish Committee for Halabja and Nawroz. Members of the Kurdish, Turkish, Iraqi and Iranian communities attended.
The committee called for March 16 to become the international day for banning chemical and biological weapons worldwide; for the United Nations to discuss a peaceful solution for Kurdistan; and for the Turkish government to provide a fair international trial for Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan.
Seminar explores feminist issues
PERTH — Forty people participated in a day-long "Feminism is far from over" seminar here March 13. Workshop and discussion panel themes included the relationship between women, race and class; women's struggles in the Third World; lesbian rights; and transgender women and the feminist movement.
A discussion the campaign for abortion rights had the benefit of input from Dr John Charters, who operates one of the two abortion clinics in Perth, and Denise White, a feminist and veteran campaigner for abortion rights. Speakers included transgender activist Helena Collins, union activist Ana Kailis, Democratic Socialist activist Sarah Stephen, migrant feminist Mary Gurgoni, lesbian and feminist Jemma Tyley, and union activist Corinne Glenn.
A representative from Phoenix, a sex workers' outreach group, spoke about the campaign for sex workers' rights.
Discussion concluded with an exploration of the issues facing the feminist movement in the years ahead.
Resistance protests police harassment
BRISBANE — A Resistance youth rights rally here on March 19 took its protest to the centre of the city despite police threats and harassment. The demands of the rally were: no school uniforms; end Operation Street Sweeper; no laws against truancy; allow student attendance at P&C meetings; increase youth wages; no punishment for activism, no youth in adult prisons; and no Christian education at public schools.
After hearing speakers in King George Square, the rally marched to the police station in the Queen Street Mall, to protest against police harassment of young people. Following chants of "What do we want? Youth rights!", and other slogans, Resistance member Peter Norton related his own experience of police harassment.