All posts by Editor

Battle over Adani coal mine is heading for a showdown

Ben Pennings, who is spokesperson for Galilee Blockade, writes that this is a critical time for the Adani coal mine in Queensland’s Galilee Basin. State approval of the mining company’s water might be about to be given, and civil resistance must be stepped up.  

Thus far, a coal mine has never been stopped in Queensland on environmental grounds. A majority of Queenslanders want to stop Adani’s disastrous thermal coal mine. But politicians firmly in bed with billionaire mining magnates have failed to represent us.

On Thursday, Queensland Labor are expected to approve Adani’s dodgy and dangerous water plans. On Friday, our civil resistance starts.

Civil resistance is the final and necessary step for us to win, a powerful strategy that changes the status quo. It moves power from vested interests to the people – where it belongs.

People in Queensland willfully got arrested to save Fraser Island and the Daintree Rainforest. They are heroes, clearly on the right side of history. I visit Fraser Island with my family and am forever grateful to them.

Thousands of ordinary Australians are willing to stand up to the government. Photo supplied

People in Queensland have already been arrested in the current fight to protect the Galilee Basin, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Great Artesian Basin. I know most of you lying here are willing to join them, to get arrested on the streets of Brisbane. If the push to open up the Galilee basin continues, there will be thousands joining you.

If Queensland Labor approve Adani’s dodgy and dangerous water plans, grassroots groups in the Stop Adani movement will move beyond conventional political protest. Sustained nonviolent tactics like strikes, boycotts, street occupations and blockades will communicate our refusal to ever allow thermal coal mining in the Galilee Basin.

How many grandparents will have to be arrested before our governments protect their grandchildren? Does Labor have the stomach to arrest thousands of everyday Queenslanders? How many party members and unions will abandon Labor in favour of peaceful protesters trying to protect their future?

The Stop Adani campaign is a line in the sand, a campaign of international significance and ecological necessity.

Go to the Galilee Blockade Facebook page or Website for more information. Sign up to join the civil resistance.

Crunch time is coming. The campaign must be lifted another notch.

This is far too important to let go.

Genoa Dock workers in Italy refuse to load weapons on Saudi ship destined for war on the people of Yemen

Below is a letter of support sent by the Peace and Justice are Union Business Working Group of the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN), to dock workers in the Italian port at Genoa and their union the CGIL. They went on strike on 20 May and refused to load weapons destined for Saudi Arabia, to be used in the ongoing attacks on the population of Yemen.

With the support of the local community, they sent a letter to the Italian government, calling it to “open the ports to people and close them to weapons.” The campaign is ongoing. The Saudi freighter Bahri Yanbu was forced to leave.

We won’t be complicit

Video from Click Heart TV

Similar action has been taken at Le Havre Port in France, and the same ship was forced to turn around and leave there as well. Action in the two ports has set an example, that could be repeated in other ports around the world.

Action taken at Le Havre Port in France

A reply from Italy has also been reproduced below.

To Genoa Port dock workers and their union CGIL – Italy

The Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN) sends warm greetings on your historic act of solidarity with the people of Yemen by refusing to load weapons on Saudi Arabian Freighter Bahri Yanbu to be used in the brutal war against the people of Yemen.

The strike by the Genoa dock workers and your declaration “We will not be complicit with the civilian deaths in Yemen” inspires and gives hope and confidence to millions of people around the world campaigning for peace and justice and against wars of aggression and profiteering by the multinational weapons corporations.

Your successful strike action showed the collective strength of workers and communities working together to stop predatory wars.

We in Australia are also campaigning against the export of arms to Saudi Arabia and our government’s subservience to US global military agendas and multinational weapons corporations.

We stand in solidarity with you and the people of Yemen.

The reply from the Ufficio Internazionale of the CGIL

 Dear friends,

On behalf of my union, FILT-CGIL, I would like to thank you for your warm solidarity letter.

We shared your letter with our dockers all over Italy and it has been really appreciated!

International solidarity is one of the fundamental values in our action, and we would like to return your message by wishing you success for the important and challenging tasks in which you are engaged.

Thank you so much!

In solidarity

How the Saudis ended up with so many American weapons

Video from Vox