The Church of Suburban Dreams
13/03/2005
They do things big in the outer eastern Melbourne suburb of Wantirna. The adjacent Knox City Shopping Centre hosts the largest cinema complex in the southern hemisphere. Only a few blocks away the CityLife church may well be the divine equivalent, a kind of holy megaplex. The church is a stark white modern auditorium, where rock music and video displays entertain up to 2000 neo-parishioners at a time.
I attended a service there a couple of weeks ago, very much as a skeptic and nonbeliever. Maybe I thought I'd have an insight into something, like modern religion, or coercive techniques. Mostly, I admit, I was looking for some cheap entertainment. I figured though, it was only fair to simultaneously try to have an open mind to the positives. [ Full Story ]
Kids make anti sweatshop fashion statement
11/03/2005
Fairwear's anti-sweatshop campaign marked
International Women's Day with the launch of a DVD
filmed at Marian College, Sunshine, featuring students
doing an ethical fashion parade and talking about
homeworkers. Recent studies show that of the estimated
300,000 homeworkers in Australia, most are women who
make clothes at home for as little as $2 to $3 an
hour, often working up to 18 hours a day, 7 days a
week. [Read
Full Story]
[Fairwear | TCFUA]
Dissent on trial: Women for Peace in court
08/03/2005
Update: Charges of assault and resisting arrest against one of two anti-war protesters arrested at the Shrine on 11 Nov 2003 were dropped in return for a guilty plea on a charge of trespass; the other protester, who rejected the offer, had her case adjourned to 11 July. [ Full Story]
Two women from Women for Peace will be appearing at Melbourne
magistrates Court on 7th and 8th March to defend their protest at the
Shine of Remembrance on 11/11/03, where they were attacked, assaulted
and arrested. They welcome
supporters and claim that the right of dissent is on trial.
On 11/11/03, with the illegal invasion of Iraq killing 100,000 people,
eight women from Women for Peace: No Weapons No Wars, went to the
Melbourne Shrine on Remembrance Day to protest
against all wars, and to grieve for victims killed and wounded.
Caprice was assaulted by an ex-service man, then arrested and charged
with trespass, assaulting police, & resisting arrest. Reta was charged
with trespass, resisting arrest & offensive behaviour. The man was
commended for assisting police, and NOT charged.
In November 2004 Reta Kaur was acquitted
of criminal damage after she wrote 'the killing has started'
in red paint and placed red handprints on two statues outside the US
Consulate in Melbourne in 2003.
[Women for Peace |
Vicpeace | Iraq
reports]
In pursuit of the woodchip boss
07/03/2005
Conservations held a successful protest last week
outside the Vicforest office in Bourke Street to
demand an end to the logging and woodchipping
of native forests. After being shut out of the
building, activists were able to identify the CEO in
the crowd and an entertaining pursuit followed. [ Read
More]
[stolen
water | Weld Valley | Gunns20]
Opposing Australian war profiteers in Iraq
03/03/2005
Australian corporations have been well rewarded for their governments’
participation in the invasion and occupation of Iraq. A host of
companies have received contracts related to oil infrastructures,
communications technology, transport, food distribution and much, much
more. Whilst relatively small compared to the major projects given to US
and UK businesses, Australia’s corporate participation is by no means
insignificant and Australia’s role in general has helped give legitimacy
to the “coalition of the willing” and its brutal occupation. [ Read
More]
As the Government prepares to send another 450 troops to the region mobilisations are being built for the 2nd anniversary of the Iraq invasion around the weekend of March 20th including a tram fare evasion action and rallies across the country.
[Australian
Companies in Iraq | Howard's
War Crimes |
Vicpeace]
Be alert and alarmed about ASIO laws
01/03/2005
Be Informed: ASIO and anti-terrorism laws - is the title of an information kit just published by the Community Law Centre, University of Technology, Sydney. The publication outlines the power of ASIO (Australian Security Intelligence Organisation) to detain people for up to 7 days, and where refusing to answer questions can lead to a maximum penalty of 5 years imprisonment. The purpose of the publication is to provoke people to make submissions to the committee which is reviewing some of the laws.[ Full Story]
PDF version of the information kit are available at the Australian Muslim Civil Rights Advocacy Network at and at the Civil Rights Network.
[Activists Rights |
Terror Laws Archive]
Critical Mass, scum journalism and the Victoria Police
28/02/2005
From the newswire
Have you ever wondered about what power a journalist wields? What spin they can put on a story? How they can have an honest cop transferred? On the February Critical Mass - the Bolty Ride - cyclists dumped their feelings on Herald Scum journalist Andrew Bolt, while honouring former police bicycle squad member Russell Lindsay who has been transferred to other duties due to pressure from said journalist. The ride also paid respect to a cyclist reported killed on Todd Road, Port Melbourne on February 1st. [ Story and photos]
[Critical Mass Australia
CM rider photo Galleries: 1 | 2 ]
Activist Road Trip pulls in to Melbourne
25/02/2005
The 2005 Activist Road Trip arrives in Melbourne to
celebrate with a fundraiser for Lake Cowal and East
Gippsland's old growth forests at the Evelyn this
Sunday night. [Flyer Here] After visits to Lake Cowal, the
Aboriginal Tent Embassy, Eden Woodchip Mill and
Goongerah its time for a party with a Reclaim the Streets this Friday at the Carlton Gardens at 2pm. [ Full
Story]
Activist Road
Trip | Save Lake Cowal | GECO
Opera House Anti-War Activists lose appeal
24/02/2005
An appeal court in Sydney has rejected the arguments of the Opera House 2 who painted 'NO WAR' on the Opera House in 2003, that they were attempting to defend Iraqis from wrongful harm, under Section 418 of the Crimes Act. Dr Will Saunders and David Burgess face 9 months of periodic detention and payment of $151,000 as full compensation to the Sydney Opera House Trust. [ Full Story]
In Ireland, Australian peace activist Ciaron O'Reilly is facing trial on March 7th in the Dublin Four Courts, with four co-defendants, charged with $US2million criminal damage to a U.S. Navy War Plane at Shannon Airport in February 2003. The five pacifist Catholic Workers awaiting trial are
known in Ireland as the "Pit Stop Ploughshares". [Full Story]
See also:
www.warontrial.com
www.sydneyoperahousenowar.org/
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Some are raising 
The Weld Valley Campaign gains momentum, as visitors from around the World add their voices to the many who are calling for an end to native forest clearfelling. With the tenet, "Nothing to Lose but the Weld" a group of individual demonstrators have moved into the Weld Forest with the intention of protecting the forest from destruction. [
The first day of the 5th annual Australian anarchist
conference took place in Melbourne at Ceres
environment park over 26-27 February, with a range of
workshops, and debates. Sessions included discussions
on the unexamined 'whiteness' of Australian anarchism,
in the context of the indigenous fight for justice,
queer anarchism, plant propagation and the war in
Iraq. On Saturday night a 
