International Human Rights Day March and Rally

International Human Rights Day was celebrated in Sydney with a rally at Sydney Town Hall and a march through the CBD ending at Sydney Opera House. Aboriginal leaders calling for Sovereignty, treaty, an end to forced child removals and black deaths in custody were joined by other human rights and environmental justice campaigners. There was a smoking ceremony with Indigenous musicians and also dancers seen above who performed along the route of the march.

Organised by Fighting in Resistance Equally FB group the event promoted equality and solidarity with refugees, jobseekers, the Muslim community and environmentalists. One of the leaders, Uncle Ken Canning is seen above marching near George Street with other Indigenous activists.

The Australian Unemployed Workers Union was given a platform to speak at the rally about job service abuses, work for the dole deaths, demonisation of jobseekers, cashless welfare and the need to expand the public sector to solve underemployment. AUWU members can be seen above marching along George Street while below campaigners demanding a Royal Commission of inquiry into water allocation in the Darling Basin march to raise awareness of environmental sustainability, more on FB here.

Million Mask March at Reserve Bank, Sydney

About a dozen anonymous protestors remember the 5th of November outside Australia's Reserve Bank in Martin Place, Sydney. 

AUWU Rally Against Channel Seven Vilification of Jobseekers

Calling for an end to the demonisation of jobseekers the Australian Unemployed Workers Union held a rally outside Channel Seven's Sunrise studio in Martin Place, Sydney today. They opposed the vilification of Australia's economically disadvantaged in Sunrise programs such as "Australia's Worst Dole Bludging Areas Named and Shamed" in which commentators called for punitive welfare penalties.



Speakers at the rally pointed out that with an average of 18 jobseekers for every job vacancy Channel Seven’s claim that Newstart recipients are shirkers were unfounded. Individual jobseekers were not to blame for failures of the free market according to the AUWU whose members called for an expansion of the public sector to employ everyone needing work and the introduction of a universal basic income.



Demonstrators asked early morning train commuters arriving for work in the CBD to support the ethical treatment of jobseekers. Speakers at the rally mentioned the high suicide rate among the unemployed which is estimated at more than 5 times the national average. [1] They accused Channel Seven of driving jobseekers into homelessness and despair by promoting unfair welfare crackdowns. Protestors began chanting SHAME, SHAME, SHAME disrupting Seven's normal live broadcast when Sunrise hosts had to move their seating away from windows facing Martin Place so television viewers wouldn't see the protest. 



“More and more people are living far below the poverty line under circumstances of hardship and humiliation through no fault of their own and Seven’s televised hate speech against jobseekers only makes life harder.” said AUWU Inner West branch member, Ms Josie Evans. The AUWU is demanding an end to the vilification of jobseekers and the opportunity to reply to Sunrise’s misleading program.

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[1] https://www.thecalmzone.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/AIMHS-suicide-prevention-guidelines.pdf

Martin Place Homeless Camp Dismantled

The chalk messages from homeless advocates now painted over and the homeless tents removed - Martin Place looks as sterile as ever.

Homeless Camp in Martin Place

Homeless peoples' camp set up in Sydney CBD opposite the Reserve Bank and state parliament. There are over 100,000 homeless Australians with Sydney being the second most expensive city in the world and attacks on welfare causing widespread poverty. Homeless advocate Lance Priestley and volunteers have set up a 24/7 safe kitchen to feed the scores of people like Paul below sheltering in Martin Place. If anyone can donate chairs and clean blankets they are in acute need.  More info #247streetkitchensafespace

Stop Westconnex Lantern Procession

Community opposition to Westconnex motorway was expressed with a lantern procession along the route of Stage 3 from St Peters to Haberfield. Participants are seen passing alongside Parramatta Road July 22nd.

Sydney University protest against education cuts and tuition hikes

Outside Fisher Library students rally against tuition fees at the University of Sydney 

Students march against campus closures and fee hikes at the University of Sydney

May Day in Sydney

Communist optimism at the May Day rally in Hyde Park.

Marching along Elizabeth Street

     After the march in Prince Alfred Park

Justice for Josh rally against Work for the Dole

A rally held today at 1 pm outside Darlinghurst Centrelink at 139 crown street called by the Australian Unemployed Workers Union to remember Josh Fing who died one year ago on a work for the dole worksite. They demand the government abolish the exploitative and dangerous work for the dole scheme and release the report on Josh's death. AUWU want a jobs guarantee for all at fair wages.