Murdoch Uni forum: Why we reject cuts to education - Wed 6 August

Public forum - all welcome

Why we reject Abbott's education cuts
(and how we can resist them)

1:30pm Wed 6 Aug

Rm 2.005C (Library)

Hosted by Resistance: Young Socialist Alliance

Ph Zeb 0405 179 113, Chris 0415 922 740

Attend on FaceBook:
www.facebook.com/events/661248850617474

Friends of Palestine prepares fourth rally for Gaza on Sat 2 August

STOP THE BOMBING! END THE SIEGE!
RALLY FOR GAZA

12 noon Saturday 2 Augus

Murray Street Mall, Perth

Over the past three weeks, Israel's massacre of Gaza has killed more than 1000 Palestinians and wounded 6000, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. More than 200 of those killed have been children.

Israeli targets have included homes, mosques, schools, hospitals, medical centres, ambulances and power and water treatment plants. Even a UN-run school was targeted, killing 15 people and injuring hundreds of women and children who had sought refuge.

This Saturday, August 2, we will rally again to stand with the people of Gaza!

We call on the Australian government to: condemn Israel's attack on Gaza and impose diplomatic and trade sanctions on Israel. We call for support for the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.

Attend on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/events/256899294504839

Leaflet available:
www.fopwa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/palestine-prm-colour-Perth-12-Aug-leaflet.pdf

For more info, phone 0409 762 081 / 0430 323 963

Photos from July 26 rally for Gaza. More here.

Upcoming Events:

Friends of Palestine meeting
6.30pm Tuesday 29 July
Citiplace Community Centre (above Perth train station). All welcome - phone 0409 762 081

Rally for Gaza
12 noon Saturday August 2
Murray Street Mall, Perth (Bring, placards, banners, Palestinian flags, friends and family)

Fundraiser for Gaza
6.30 pm Saturday August 9
The Rise- Function Room, 28 Eighth Avenue, Maylands. Tickets $50 available here or contact Shameema on 0404 520 8511 or Ali on 0422 385 366.

Public meeting: Can a boycott if Israel bring peace and justice to Palestine?
6.30 pm Tuesday August 26
Tim Winton LT, Curtin University. Featuring guest speakers: Dr Stuart Rees (Centre for Peace & Conflict Studies, Sydney University) and Sameeha Elwan (Palestinian from Gaza and PhD student, Murdoch University). Hosted by: Curtin Centre for Human Rights Education; Friends of Palestine WA; Students for Palestine (Curtin)

Largest Palestine solidarity rally in Perth in years

6-800 people in Perth joined the international solidarity movement with Gaza by marching for a second time on July 19. This was the largest Palestine solidarity rally in Perth in many years.

Speakers included Huda Minhaj who said: "You do not have to be Palestinian to stand for this cause, you only have to be human!

"What kind of world is it when our leaders do not know that killing women and children is wrong?"

Other speakers included Friends of Palestine convenor Nick Everett, Socialist Alliance councillor Sam Wainwright and FOPWA member Ayman Qaider. Wainwright called for support for the international boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign - including at Fremantle council - although he said that preparation work needs to be done before this could become a reality.

This Green Left TV video by Zeb Parkes (above) captures the flavour of the rally.

As well as many members of the Arab communities in Perth, the rally was supported by Sri Lankan Tamils, Irish republicans, the Construction Union (CFMEU) and Socialist Alliance and Socialist Alternative.

Perth to rally again in solidarity with Gaza: Sat 19 July

Stop the bombing! Stop the killing!
Free Gaza! Free Palestine!

Protest this Saturday 19 July 

11am Murray Street Mall

Last Saturday's impressive protest will be followed by another rally this week

Attend on Facebook: 
www.facebook.com/events/420325084777337

Organised by Friends of Palestine (info below from FOPWA):

Gaza, a part of the Palestinian occupied territories, is now engulfed in a humanitarian catastrophe. Whole families have perished as Israeli military strikes rain down on the besieged territory. Since Israel launched ‘Operation Protective Edge’, on July 8, at last 180 people have been killed, a quarter of whom are children. More than 1000 have been injured, two thirds of them women and children.

This is just the latest chapter of Israeli war crimes in Gaza. Israel’s seven-year blockade has cut off Gaza from the outside world, resulting in severe medical and food shortages. For over 3 weeks, in 2008-2009, rivers of blood ran through Gaza streets as over 1400 Palestinians were killed, including over 330 children. White phosphorous and other chemical weapons were used in civilian areas, contaminating land with a rise in cancers as a result. In late November 2012, 180 more were killed in the week-long attacks.

We call on the Australian government to condemn the Israeli attack on Gaza and to lift the siege. We demand sanctions be imposed on Israel, including diplomatic and trade sanctions. In addition, we join with Palestinian civil society, and an international solidarity movement in calling for support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.

Printable A5 leaflets for the events are to be found here.

Photos below from last Saturday's protest:

Perth protest against Israeli war crimes

Approximately 450 people marched through the streets of Perth on July 12 in response to the latest Israeli bombings of Gaza.

Over 100 people in Gaza have been killed by aggressive military strikes, supposedly in retaliation for the deaths of three Israelis in one of the illegal settlements in the West Bank.

No Israelis have died in the latest round of the conflict.

The protest was organised by Friends of Palestine WA.

UPDATE 14 July 2014:
Socialist Alliance has added its endorsement to this Asia-Pacific statement against Israeli war crimes

Also, more photos of the Perth rally can be found here and below

Photos by Alex Bainbridge


Photos by Simon Tubey

Perth protest against the budget

Hundreds of people marched through the streets of Perth on July 6 on a blistery day to protest the budget. Tens of thousands marched around the country.

This video shows Socialist Alliance national co-convenor Alex Bainbridge speaking on behalf of March Australia - Perth at the rally.

[Photos by Zeb Parkes and Christie Woodleigh. Video footage by Zeb Parkes and Alan Woodcraft.]

Undercurrent reports on Mathias Corman protest

This video reports on the June 19 protest outside a scheduled (but cancelled) $250 per head budget briefing by Liberal senator and finance minister Mathias Cormann. Video by West TV's Undercurrent.

Radical Wollongong screening in Fremantle

Politics in the Club film screening

A unique city - a unique political history

Radical Wollongong

6:30pm, Wed 16 July

Fremantle Workers Club
9 Henry St, Fremantle

Ph 0415 922 740

***** Hearty Vegetable Soup is definitely going to be available from 6pm ($8 a serve). *****

Attend on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/events/253994054790765

GLTV from RRAN Roadtrip for Refugees

Film of the refugee rights action networks convergence to Yongah Hill detention centre on June 21. Where hundreds of activists, many for the first time, braved the cold and rain to protest for refugees rights.

Article on the convergence: www.greenleft.org.au/node/56737

All out on Sunday 6 July against Abbott's budget

Don't forget to turn out tomorrow to the anti-budget protest in Perth:

1pm, Sun 6 July

Stirling Gardens
(also known as Supreme Court Gardens)
cnr Barrack St and  St Georges Terrace, Perth city

This protest (and others like it around the country) will shape the next stage of the fightback against Abbott's budget (since the Greens and ALP voted recently in favour of the budget supply bills).

There will still be wrangling in the senate about some budget measures - where hopefully Abbott will see some defeats - but ongoing protests in the streets will be critical to ensuring that opposition senators maintain their backbone.

Of course, the working class in this country has the power to kill the whole budget dead, but that would require a combined union and community campaign bigger than the campaign against WorkChoices! Tomorrow's protest is an important part of creating the climate where such a campaign can emerge.

Therefore we need to make the protests as successful as possible!

Green Left Weekly will also be running a live blog during the protests. You can help by sending photos, videos and updates to Green Left to help compile the unfolding story: (Email: weekly.greenleft@gmail.com. Tweet: @greenleftweekly.)

Attend the protest on FaceBook: www.facebook.com/events/682264308510856