Last night I attended this moving event outside the Australian Prime Minister’s Sydney water-front home, in an attempt to force the government to pressure the Sri Lankan regime to stop its insane campaign against the Tamil people: More than 1,000 Tamil protesters, mostly families with small children, staged a sit-down protest blocking the junction of…
Showing all posts tagged Kevin Rudd
Australian academics and professionals sign Sri Lankan Crisis Statement
Australian Academics and Professionals Sign Sri Lankan Crisis Statement Prominent Australians, including human rights lawyer Mr. Julian Burnside AO QC and world renowned landscaper and TV personality Mr. Jamie Durie, have joined a list of signatories urging the Rudd Government to help end the human rights and humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka. Several non-Australians, including…
A challenge to the status-quo
I spoke at Sydney’s Politics in the Pub event last week on the crisis in Gaza (photos here). Actress Judy Davis and Palestinian activist Rihab Charida joined me in discussing ways to analyse the conflict and how to move forward. The following letter was endorsed by 300 participants at the meeting on February 6 and…
What would baby Jesus do?
My recent book, The Blogging Revolution, discusses the role of internet censorship in so-called “repressive” regimes. I wrote an article for the Melbourne Age last November detailing the various reasons why Australia’s current plans to implement an online censorship program was practically, morally and ethically suspect. Now, early in 2009, supporters of this scheme are…
Get Up! takes on Israel/Palestine
Get Up! is Australia’s biggest progressive organisation, modelled on US MoveOn.org. Get Up! has shied away from tackling the Israel/Palestine issue, preferring to focus on more domestic concerns. Its success in Australia is undeniable, though I know a number of members have been frustrated with its silence over the Middle East. But maybe that is…
Closing the net
The following news story, by Peter Hackney, appeared in leading gay publication SX on January 21: With the mandatory internet filtering trial to begin any day now, Peter Hackney explores what it might mean for our community. The words ”˜gay’ and ”˜lesbian’ are hardly offensive. They merely describe a sexual orientation. But as any journalist…
J’Accuse: open letter to Kevin Rudd Prime Minister of Australia
The following statement is released today by the recently-formed Committee for the Dismantling of Zionism: Dear Prime Minister, We are part of an increasing number of people around the world of Jewish descent who are sickened by the coldly calculated massacre of the Palestinians of Gaza and who utterly repudiate Israel’s claim that it acts…
Stop the war in Gaza protest
Speakers include: * John Pilger, renowned author and documentary film maker * Antony Loewenstein, author of My Israel Question * Greens MP Sylvia Hale * Dr Ghassan Achi * Hamdi Alqudsi, Palestinian activist * Rihab Charida, Palestinian activist
Australian Jews protest against Israel’s action
The following article, by Andrew West and Jonathan Pearlman, appears in today’s Sydney Morning Herald: More than 100 Australian Jews, including two award-winning novelists and a former federal cabinet minister, have signed a statement condemning Israel’s siege of Gaza, heightening tensions within the local Jewish community over the violence. The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, meanwhile…
Rare voice of local reason
The Australian Greens released the following necessary statement yesterday: Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown has called on acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard to add Australia’s weight to calls on Israel to end the gross and disproportionate violence and bombing of Palestinians in the Gaza strip. “We call on the acting Prime Minister to speak out…