Hundreds of refugee families defied a protest ban in the Indonesian city of Makassar on Sulawesi on February 21.
They marched from their refugee accommodation to the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) with banners and placards that read 鈥淣o one is illegal鈥 鈥淚s there any UNHCR?鈥. A young girl held up a placard, almost as tall as her, that read 鈥淲e are forgotten鈥.
Students at the University of Sydney held a protest during the first day of Oweek to protest sexual assault and harassment on campus.
The rally comes in the wake of the release of 'The Red Zone Report' that details a spike in sexual harassment and assault during Oweek, especially in USYD's colleges.
In this episode I join dozens of community groups from across NSW at the "Fix NSW Transport" rally. The battle between WestConnex and public transport is explored.
To get involved in the campaign: www.facebook.com/NoWestconnex
We can fix the public transport crisis
Community groups from across NSW came out to rally against Westconnex and attacks on public transport on February 17.
A man waves over a roughly boarded fence, as a guard walks intimidatingly in front of it. A group of refugee protesters, sweltering in the hot sun in Leonora 鈥 a two day drive from Perth into the desert 鈥 wave back and yell 鈥渁zadi鈥, the Farsi word for freedom.
I am one of the protesters and I am filming the protest.
One week earlier, just before the start of my second year at university, I opened an email from an activist group advertising a 鈥淐aravan of Compassion鈥 to Leonora detention centre.
A few days later I was on the bus, barely knowing one other person.
In the first episode of Activist Stories we travel up to Canberra to join activists from around the country protesting against the Adani mega coal mine on the first day of parliament on February 5. We then look back at the campaign, the pressure mounting on Labor to oppose the mine and how you can get involved.
To get involved Stopadani.com Adani鈥檚 threat to Australia鈥檚 groundwater greenleft.org.au/content/adani-threat-great-artesian-basin
Keep up with me
Twitter: @zebparkes
Blog: zebedeeparkes.com
Insta: zebedeeparkes
Photos from the Justice for TJ Hickey rally on February 14.
The rally called for parliament to Re-open the inquiry into TJ Hickey's death.
TJ Hickey was killed in a police chase whilst ridding his bike in Waterloo.
Read more: /content/tj-hickey-14-years-and-still-no-justice
Four years ago thousands of people lit candles in more than 750 locations across Australia to remember slain 23-year-old Iranian asylum seeker Reza Berati and demand an end to Australia鈥檚 detention system.
It was the largest post-Howard government mobilisation for refugee rights to date.
At rallies across the country activists who had been in contact with people in Manus Island detention centre exposed the horrors of that night.
On the first day of parliament in 2018 Stop Adani activists protested on the front lawns to send a clear message to Labor and Liberal - Stop Adani.
The Turkish government鈥檚 attacks on the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria鈥檚 (DFNS) Afrin Canton in northern Syria are an attack on refugees.
Footage from Sydney's massive invasion day march.
In 2011, in the days leading up to January 26, with Australian flags fluttering off cars and used as capes, accompanied by cartons of beer, sporting excellence as the pinnacle of Australian achievement and politicians lecturing the country on what it means to be a 鈥減roud Australian鈥, I left Perth.