The #KidsOffNauru campaign is gaining momentum with a range of protests organised across Australia in recent days.
Zebedee Parkes
Dozens of climate activists sprinted across mountains of coal, swarmed a massive coal loader, locked on to critical parts of the machine and shut down the largest coal terminal in the world, in Newcastle on September 15.
Hundreds of thousands of people joined protests around the world on September 8 calling on governments to take serious action on climate change.听
Events over the last few weeks have revealed just how politicised Australia鈥檚 immigration policy has become.
The campaign for travel concessions for International students in NSW is featured along with protests for public housing, funding for mental health services in Victoria, the latest anti-racist protests and more.
Refugee rights activists rallied outside Qantas offices in Sydney and Jetstar offices in Melbourne on August 9 as part of a national campaign calling on the Qantas airline to refuse to deport asylum seekers to danger.
A number of airlines around the world are refusing to take part in deportations. However, Qantas and Virgin Australia have, so far, not joined the boycott.
Students at universities around Australia are holding protests to demand campuses free from sexual violence on August 1.
A wave of humanity that gathered in Sydney鈥檚 Town Hall swept past the NSW Labor headquarters and crashed against the Department of Immigration offices.
Thousands of voices defiantly chanted 鈥淏ring听Them听Here鈥 in increasing speed and volume.
"Bring them here: 鈥 in other wards, to offer every person in Australia鈥檚 detention centres protection and safety in Australia and the ability to apply for it elsewhere, in countries such as New Zealand. We must听start dismantling this cruel, inhumane system.
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Under the banner #UprootTheSystem students and activists, as part of the Students of Sustainability conference, staged actions in the early hours of Wednesday 11 July to protest corporate, government and university complicity in the cycle of war, climate destruction and abuse of refugees.
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Dozens of creative and disruptive actions were held across Australia under the banner of 鈥渄rawing a red line鈥 on new coal. Organised by Front Line Action on Coal (FLAC) and local Stop Adani groups, people from Auckland to Melbourne and many regional communities protested outside politicians鈥 offices, dropped banners over freeways and blockaded coal train lines.
Polls show more than 55% of Australians oppose the Adani coalmine, with about 70% opposing government financial support for it.
鈥淪ay it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here鈥 is a chant that has been synonymous with the refugee rights movement in Australia since I became active some years ago.
That was a time when putting children in detention was, to some extent, something to hide 鈥 not a policy to win support from your voting base.
The climate crisis is the greatest crisis the Earth faces. It threatens the entire ecosystem that all life depends upon.
The refugee crisis is arguably the greatest challenge humanity faces. It affects hundreds of millions of people and is the dominant force shaping politics across the Earth.
Strong arguments can be made for both these statements.
The interlinking nature of the two crises, both practically and politically, is the key to finding real solutions and raises the question: why do the movements seem so separate?
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