901

Thousands of palm oil workers in the Puerto Wilches district, Colombia, were on general strike on October 27. The workers were defending collective bargaining and opposing the spread of casualisation and precarious work on palm oil farms. In early August, a major company, Palmas Oleaginosas Bucarelia, refused to enter into meaningful negotiations with the agricultural workers鈥 union Sintrainagro for the renewal of the collective agreement. Bucarelia instead proposed to cut benefits, restrict union activity on the farm and increase precarious work through more use of outsourced labour.
Warren Smith

Warren Smith, assistant secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia, addressed Occupy Sydney at Martin Place on October 22.

Some conservative commentators have declared the global Occupy movement to be 鈥渟ocialist鈥. Right-wing activist and musician Ted Nugent said in the : 鈥淥ccupy Wall Street is nothing more than anti-American socialism on parade... 鈥淭hese useful idiots are clamoring for social justice, as if they don鈥檛 have enough of that already.鈥
See all of 麻豆传媒's extensive Occupy coverage The global Occupy movement has inspired huge numbers of Australians who have grown chronically disengaged with the political game-playing of the two big parties and an economic system that puts profit before people and the planet.
Anti-austerity protesters

A 50% cut of part of Greece鈥檚 debt was decided on by a summit of European leaders on October 26. The deal will entail long-term austerity measures being enforced on the Greek people.

released the statement below on October 28. * * * Perth activists are currently occupying Forrest Place in the centre of the CBD. The 100 protesters who have committed to staying the night are calling for an end to corporate greed and for the rise of a real and transparent democracy. The police have informed the group that so long as they do not erect any other permanent structures they will not be moved on.

has been going strong since it was launched on October 15 international United for Global Change day, along with indefinite occupations in Melbourne and Sydney.

Police at Occupy Sydney

Australian police in two cities now have decided to follow in the footsteps of their counterparts in the US and Europe and forcibly break up peaceful Occupy protests. But rather than deter this broad non-partisan movement of the 99%, it is helping it grow and re-occupy.

The Araluen Spirit crew took strong action on Thursday 27 October in defence of Australian shipping jobs.

The Story Of Electronics graphic

Annie Leonard is the creator of the , a series of animated films that discuss our pressing social, environmental and economic concerns and the effort to build a more sustainable and just world.

The released the statement below on October 27. * * * Landowners from communities across the Liverpool Plains have been forced to take direct action against the mining giant Santos to stop it pushing ahead with 鈥榩ilot production鈥 of coal seam gas (CSG) before the potential risks to the region鈥檚 iconic water systems are known.
About 40 people gathered on the outskirts of Villawood detention centre for a nighttime vigil on October 26 to commemorate the death of a Tamil refugee detainee who had taken his own life that morning. The gathering included refugee activists, members of the Tamil community and friends of Daya Jayasakara, or 鈥淪hooty鈥, as he was known. Shooty had been in detention for two years after arriving in Australia by boat seeking asylum. He had been granted refugee status several months earlier and was waiting for ASIO security clearance.