NOONE IS ILLEGAL
Hello and welcome to this episode of Autonomous Action Radio … I’m your Anarchist host Linda and I am ready for action. This is the first show for the year thanks for tuning in or downloading.
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Why am I ready for action? I am ready for action because since the election of the Abbott consverative govt in Australia and the Newman conservative govts in Queensland things are just that little bit worse than under Labour govts.
And this obvious disregard for human rights, democracy and law is really starting to change the apathy which infested the general public for so long.
Last week I got to take to the streets without a permit with hundreds of others in Brisbane and the feeling was empowering.
Author and activist Naomi Klein said recently that to get noticed you have to stop traffic and that’s what we did and I’m looking forward to that happening again soon.
The march I went on was in response to the murder of Iranian refugee Reza Berati inside the Manus Island Immigration Detention Center last week.
His untimely death is the spark that light the fuse for tens of thousands Australia wide to make their opposition to Australia’s detention of refugees heard.
Light the Dark vigils were held in over 750 locations around Australia on Sunday night making international media coverage.
Underlying Australia’s treatment of refugees and the reason such a small issue has become so polarising is a current of racism which we often fail to acknowledge.
To address this issue first on today’s show I’m going to play episode 6 of a documentary series I co produced last year on peace psychology – Peace in Mind.
This episode looks at racism or the belief that ones racial group is superior and that ones’ skin colour or ethnicity influences their intelligence or moral qualities .
Later in the show I will be talking to Morgan Rogers Gibson about the bi centenial of Mikhail Bakunin’s birth and why this is significant.
You just heard Asylum is a Crime by Pataphyshics and Refugee from the United Struggle Project
Refugee advocates with contacts on Manus Island are reporting witnesses saw PNG police and locals attacking refugees after security employees allowed them into the Immigration Detention Center.
One asylum seeker is dead and over 77 injured after the attack.
Australian Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has been forced to admit that his initial assertions that injuries were sustained outside the center were false.
The incident is another in a long line of human rights breaches and international relations disasters for the Abbott government.
Although the reopening of Manus Island occurred when Labour was in power and the party still supports the sending of refugee boat arrivals there.
Greens and refugee advocates are calling for the closing of Manus Is. and the sacking of Minister Morrison.
Senator Hanson-Young says…
“Scott Morrison’s attempts to blame the victims of this incident are sickening.
“Responsibility for this policy failure falls directly at the feet of the Abbott Government and the Immigration Minister.
“The Government was warned about the toxic environment on Manus Island repeatedly by organisations like Amnesty International and the UN but those warnings were ignored and dismissed.”
On Sunday there was an uprising after asylum seekers were stonewalled by immigration officials who had promised to give them answers about their future.
Despite the Australian governments plans to settle asylum seekers who arrive by boat in Papua New Guinea, PNG has not yet agreed to do so.
This uncertainty has caused raised tensions on at the detention facility.
As I mentioned earlier in the show I attended a protest rally on Friday.
It was organised by The Refugee Action Collection of Queensland and held at King George Square on Friday at 5.30.
There were a number of speakers including Hassan Ghulam from the World Hazara Council.
He spoke about one particular refugee from Afganistan then about the situation on Manus and Australia’s refugee policies.
MUSIC
Pataphysics – Asylum is a Crime
Refugee – United Struggle Project
Astrid and the Astreroids – Love Right
Backing Music by Jore
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