Australia’s civil liberties under threat – the case of Julian Assange
Assange’s extradition will have broad implications, not only for the exercise of free speech, but also for
all Australians — as it will bring into stark relief our own government’s commitment to our rights as citizens…
If he is sent to Sweden, Assange’s extradition must be conditional on him not being subject to the “temporary surrender” clauses in the bilateral treaty between the USA and Sweden….
Kevin Rudd.., unlike the Prime Minister and Attorney General, knew he was obliged to presume Julian Assange innocent
before proven guilty. Instead of threatening to cancel this Australian passport, the Foreign Minister said publicly that his responsibility was to attend to his legal and consular rights.
While the world watches events unfold in London, we have a singular responsibility here in Australia for the protection the citizenship entitlements of one of our own. The next move is squarely in the court of the Australian Government.
Why Julian Assange Could Be You, New Matilda.com, By Scott Ludlam, 3 Nov Australians should watch closely how the Gillard Government responds to Julian Assange’s extradition . It will test Labor’s commitment to all of our rights as citizens Continue reading
CHOGM: police target peaceful protestors (Are they hoping for violent ones?)
Barred CHOGM protestor ‘not a threat’, STEVE PENNELLS and JANE HAMMOND, The West Australian, October 25, 2011 The blitz started early – around 7am – when 56-year-old physically-impaired activist Seamus Doherty answered his front door to find four policeman holding a map of the CBD with much of it blacked out.
These were the places he couldn’t go, the police told him. If he walked into any of those areas during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting he faced 12 months in jail…..
Mr Gransch, a member of Forest Rescue, said he had no idea why he was targeted. “I don’t really understand why they have given this to me. Everything I do and everything we do in the Forest Rescue is non-violent,” he said.
At least 12 people have so far been identified as being on the excluded persons list, a police hit list which identifies them as potential threats and bans them for 14 days from much of the Perth CBD, including the foreshore and the river until five days after CHOGM has ended.
All said yesterday they had no idea why they were being seen as a threat and had no records – or intention – of violence.
“These people are activists who care about the environment and want to see a better world. Why should their democratic rights to walk around the city for days after CHOGM is over be impeded,” CHOGM Action Network spokesman Alex Bainbridge said. “From the people I know of, there is no record of violence or anything that would give cause for this”….http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/breaking/10834048/barred-chogm-protestor-not-a-threat/
As anti uranium protestors walk towards Perth, Western Australian police get extraordinary powers against protesors
Aussie police block “known protesters” from CHOGM venues, The Star Malaysia 26 Oct 11 PERTH: Australian police have served special notices to about 50 “known protesters” ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting here. The individuals are deemed “security risk” and prevented from entering major parts of the city until Nov 4.
Australian media reported that Police Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan was given extraordinary powers to create the list under a special Act of State Parliament passed specifically for CHOGM. CHOGM security areas include the University of Western Australia, Burswood, Kings Park, parts of St George’s Terrace, Adelaide Terrace and the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, the Western Australian reported…..
The CHOGM Action Network, a coalition of activist groups, is planning a march to the CHOGM venue at Perth’s convention centre on the first day of the summit, and has told police it is expecting 1,000 marchers to attend.
Spokesman Alex Bainbridge said the protest theme was “justice and climate action, not racism and war” and protesters hoped to get as close as possible to Commonwealth leaders to get their messages across.Aboriginal rights, freeing detained asylum seekers, ending the war in Afghanistan and promoting renewable energy would be highlighted during a number of protest events, he said…. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/10/25/nation/20111025152648&sec=nation
Civil liberties out the door as Australia prepares for Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
CHOGM protest organisers claim homes raided, phones confiscated, WA Today Courtney Trenwith October 14, 2011 WA Police Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan said police would use all the powers
at their disposal in the lead up to CHOGM after three protest organisers claimed their Perth homes were unfairly raided and accused police of heavy-handed tactics including surveillance and harassment……
One of the protestors, Colleen Bulger, claimed while her house was being ‘raided’ police suggested they had been conducting surveillance on her. “They kept asking about CHOGM and were very interested in leaflets we had around the house,” Ms Bulger said.
“When they arrested me they kept saying ‘we know more than you think’, and suggesting that I had been under surveillance. “It’s absolutely harassment and an attempt to intimidate us into stopping lawful activities.”
The group said their phones were confiscated in what they claimed was a move by police to download information in “an unnecessary breach of privacy”. Seamus Doherty said his car was confiscated after he was released without charge.
Mr Doherty, who is disabled, said he told the police that his car and phone were his lifelines to work and family and without them he risked losing his job and was stressed. The third member of the group, who did not want to be named, was not at home during the alleged raid but claimed he was followed by police to university where he was arrested on Thursday morning.
“They implied that the suspected offence wasn’t what concerned them, and that it was the protest that they were interested in,” he said. Pearl Lim, from civil rights action group Search For Your Rights, which is not associated with the CHOGM network, said the police action was heavy-handed.
“How can we claim to promote civil democracy across the Commonwealth when peaceful activists are intimidated by police in our own state?” she said. : http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/chogm-protest-organisers-claim-homes-raided-phones-confiscated-20111014-1log2.html#ixzz1bTWeIxeK
Western Australia’s police already targeting protest groups before CHOGM
Facebook intelligence used to target CHOGM protesters, WA Today, Aja Styles October 20, 2011 Police have been using social media to gather intelligence and monitor the movements of protest groups in a bid to quell troublemakers during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
Yesterday the first of the 700 interstate and overseas police began to filter into Perth for the international event, with a specialist team from New Zealand due in the coming days……. protest actions, such as the Anti-Corporate Greed and Anti-Wall Street movements, have been widely monitored through Facebook and Twitter. Read more: http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/facebook-intelligence-used-to-target-chogm-protesters-20111019-1m879.html#ixzz1bTUtrdz0
Australian govt introduces legislation to increase spying on Julian Assange
Last week the government introduced legislation to define ASIO’s role more broadly to include collection of intelligence ”about the capabilities, intentions or activities of people or organisations outside Australia.”…
ASIO eye on WikiLeaks,The Age 23 May 11, “………declassified official briefings do not support Ms Gillard’s public assertion that Assange broke Australian law by publishing leaked US government secrets.Confirmation of Australian intelligence reporting on WikiLeaks comes as the government moves to broaden ASIO’s ability to spy on Australians involved with activities outside Australia that are of interest to the government. Continue reading
Liberal Party attack on environmental education in school
Mr McKim said “But what [Mr Ferguson] has now revealed is that if there was a Liberal education minister, they would be sending out directives to schools saying we are banning you from making decisions about who you invite into your school and what they can say.
Libs lash ‘green’ schools push, The Mercury, SUE NEALES | May 20, 2011 THE State Opposition has warned parents their children are at risk of being brainwashed by extremist environmental groups now Greens leader Nick McKim is Education Minister. Continue reading
Julia Gillard not sticking up for Julian Assange
…..”You have cast aside the presumption of innocence and prejudiced his right to a fair trial,” she said in a piece written in reply to the Prime Minister…….
Ms Gillard has said she will not raise the Assange matter while she is in the US.
Assange’s mother hits out at Gillard, The Age,
Michelle Grattan, March 7, 2011, JULIAN Assange’s mother has lashed out at Julia Gillard, accusing her of ”character assassination” and prejudicing her son’s right to a fair trial. Continue reading
ANSTO had to reinstate whistleblowing workers
allegations follow claims by whistleblower David Reid, the
staff-elected health and safety officer who is suspended on full pay, that he was stood down because he raised safety concerns.
Backdown at Lucas Heights over safety claims Amos Aikman The Australian March 03, 2011 TWO employees of Australia’s only nuclear reactor facility who were suspended after raising safety concerns will return to work in what amounts to a tacit admission by the plant’s administrators that the accusations against them were overstated. Continue reading
Bullying, cover-ups, safety lapses at Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
Science Minister Kim Carr said last week that the issues raised in the Comcare report were serious enough to warrant the launch of an independent inquiry into practices at ANSTO,
London court rules on Julian Assange’s extradition to Sweden
Wikileaks founder to appeal extradition decision, ABC 25/02/2011 TONY EASTLEY: A London court has ordered that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should be sent from the UK to Sweden to face allegations of sexual assault.His defence lawyers have argued the former computer hacker won’t get a fair trial in a country where they say he’s regarded as “public enemy number one”.Mr Assange has already flagged he’ll appeal against the British ruling. Continue reading
USA seeks personal information from Twitter
the new tactic is an “attack on the right to freedom of association – a freedom that the people of Tunisia and Egypt, for example, spurred on by information from WikiLeaks, have found so valuable”…..There is serious concern among Mr Assange’s legal team that other internet companies, including Google and Facebook, may have buckled under the US Patriot Act and surrendered their information without contest.
Civil liberties trampled in Australia’s nuclear issues, and ANSTO’s secrecy
Federal resources minister Martin Ferguson plans to put the National Radioactive Waste Management Bill before Parliament this week….Mr Ferguson persists with the fiction that Traditional Owners support the dump…… He has also said that he will consult Traditional Owners after a decision has been made on the proposed Muckaty dump − a thorough reworking of the traditional concept of consultation.
Blowing the whistle on Australia’s nuclear industry, Jim Green, 12 Feb 2011, It’s a sad truth that whistleblowers have provided the public with more information about accidents at the Lucas Heights nuclear reactor site on Sydney’s outskirts than the site’s operator − the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO).− ever has. Continue reading
ANSTO treated nuclear whistleblower unfairly
Peace medal awarded to Julian Assange
“Assange has championed people’s right to know and has challenged the centuries-old tradition that governments are entitled to keep the public in a state of ignorance.”…….
Julian Assange awarded Sydney peace medal, Sydney Morning Herald, February 2, 2011 In the estimation of the Sydney Peace Foundation, Australian WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange stands alongside the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela. Continue reading
1 This month
of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
Antinuclear 