Calls for an independent inquiry in Occupy eviction gather momentum

For media inquiries, call: Sara Dehm (0431 273 244) or Erin Buckley (0448 323 060), Report Coordinators and members of the Occupy Melbourne Legal Support Team

Community contribution

I was asked awhile ago, what causes can OM get behind, that could find the broader community gravitating towards and maybe even more supportive of the goals that Occupy aspires to.

I thought about it and replied, I’m not sure the broader community really understand points about banks, foreign trade policies and corporations influence on the government, etc. However what they do understand is the amount of money in their pocket, so raising awareness, or campaigning about issues that are a drain on the money in their pocket, would seem a good approach. Two costs that came to mind, that I felt could be easily understood and possibly gain support from the broader community were public transport fees and childcare fees.

As was seen at the free public transport rally, there’s alternative methods of funding public transport that would be less of a drain on tax revenues, provide equitable access to all, as well as contribute to reducing carbon emissions. Which IMO are three important points and seeing them achieved would be a progressive and optimal outcome, for the broader community.

Free childcare would also be a progressive move, as it would reduce the financial challenges that families experience, as well as reduce the erosion of family life, which now (as a result of both parents working), have limited nurturing and bonding time with each other.

Child care fees have just increased again. The fees vary from state to state, but regardless of which state, the fees are high and a considerable drain on the average persons wages.

Laws state that the interests of children’s welfare is above all and yet these exorbitant fees, contribute to families (who have both parents working to escape the poverty trap, or the rental trap etc), being limited in their capacity to better their financial standing and as noted, is known to have the effect of eroding families ability to nurture and bond with each other.

So how is the current model living up to the ideals of the law, that children’s welfare is above all?

Much like the suggestions made about alternative ways to fund the PT system, these alternatives could also fund free child care, which would go a long way to redressing the imbalances, that exist under the current model.

One alternative could be that businesses,(who profit by having a broader workforce,due to males and females now being represented in it) could pay the costs, or contribute to childcare costs. Possibly even write the cost off as a tax expense, or receive financial incentives from the government with tax breaks.

Certain businesses that do have childcare services (at their place of employment) have noted improved productivity and a better work atmosphere, than businesses that don’t. In businesses that don’t have childcare, parents are having to juggle the stress of peak hour traffic etc to get to child care centres on time to pick children up, combined with the guilt (some parents experience) of leaving their children with others to raise, all so they can make a living and provide for themselves and their children..

Who benefits from this? Well again its the usual suspects, being businesses who have increased productivity and profit and the government, who have increased tax revenues from these companies, as well as the increased tax revenues they acquire from personal tax.

Latch key kids/X-box Kids (another related scenario) essentially children having their working parents replaced by mechanisms such as televisions (the weapon of mass destruction) and are being saturated by brand marketing and conditioned to consumerism.
All of which is finding them further detached from the nurturing of the family unit and becoming victims of the way society and business has developed and contributing to the way the family unit and on from there, the community fabric is being eroded.

What can be done about this? I hear many state that a reason they stand up against the way the current system operates, is that they want their kids to inherit something better and not have to experience the challenges that the regressive system currently poses.
I agree and believe that there are many concerns, ranging from freedom of individuals, through to environmental concerns, yet although this is the case, an immediate concern that can have not only awareness raised about it, but can actually see progressive changes in the present as opposed to in 100 years time, is child care fees..

So what can be done in the here and now?

Form groups, raise awareness in the broader community and campaign to members of parliament. Discuss this at the work place and enter negotiations about it with your employers. Strike, Sit in.. I’m sure others could contribute many ideas about ways to tackle this issue, the alternative is to do nothing and let the problem persist.. Food for thought.

Joel Kershaw

Note: Joel’s previous piece on public transport can be found here in the digest issue of Day 231.

Picture of the Day

Source: Facebook

This amazing banner was made at a previous Occupy Fridays and displayed at Federation Square during the protest against KONY2012′s “cover the night” action, which led to one of our photographers being detained! It is getting a lot of shares around the world – read it and if you love it like we do, share it to make it viral before the world’s population reaches 8 billion.

View the full album, contributed by Chloë here.

Occupy Sydney – Best Of Picture Album

Source: Facebook

This is an exceptional album – see Occupy Sydney at their best – you’ll even see several of our own OM members there whilst they were visiting in solidarity – Link.

#Occupied: Reports From the Front Lines

Source: Occupy.com

This week in Occupy, the Cruz home at 4044 Cedar Avenue in South Minneapolis became a national flashpoint for the Movement, overthrown Egyptian former dictator Hosni Mubarak was sentenced to life in prison, Canadian solidarity had everyone wearing red, the Wisconsin gubernatorial recall sparked a frenzy among politicians and activists alike, and an Occupy Yale activist left us far too soon…. read more here.

Owned & Operated

Source: Youtube

Owned & Operated is a full length feature created entirely using content that already exists on the internet. It attempts to draw together a bigger picture: a free humanity. Features sections on Occupy, Anonymous, Zeitgeist/Venus Project and Open Source Ecology. It also has some excellent music!

Human Sound System – Anonymous

Source: Youtube

Listen to this excellent tune from Belgian Jazz/Funk outfit Human Sound System and you’ll be singing “We are Anonymous! We are legion! We don’t forget! We are Anonymous! We are legion! Expect Us!” in no time. We already consider this an anthem and it’s surely only a matter of time before this goes viral.

Chris Hedges livestream from OWS

Source: Youtube

Chris Hedges is a former journalist and war correspondent who completely tells it like it is, in a livestream very early on during Occupy Wall Street. If you want the truth, told the way it should be told, check this out.

Occupy – Still Free (Take A Chance On Occupy)

Source: Youtube

This music video appeared during the premiere of Occupy.com and is the perfect video to get the Occupy blood pumping. Very inspirational.

Occupy Wall Street: The Revolution is Love

Source: Youtube

From velcrowripper and Ian MacKenzie featuring Charles Eisenstein, who really hit home the idea of the revolution being one of love and peace. Also, check out the follow up video, Sacred Economics.

Occupy Bat Signal

Source: Youtube

One of the most famous actions to come out of the Occupy movement, with a giant 99% “bat signal” projected onto a building during a march across the Brooklyn Bridge.

No Occupy Melbourne videos?

Yep. Because we’re developing an Occupy Melbourne video timeline on our Wiki. Check it out and if you have the means, help contribute to it!

Links

Occupy Melbourne New Website (under construction) - Contains links

Occupy Melbourne on Facebook

Occupy Melbourne on Twitter

Occupy Melbourne on Wikia - Information/Archive

Calendar of Events (via Indymedia) - Comprehensive overview of activist events, both Occupy & external

Source: Community contribution

@ 121 Exhibition St, outside the transport ministers offices.

Regardless of the inclement weather there was a great turn out for the rally and the warm glow of solidarity found it a comfortable atmosphere. Of course private security officers and Vicpol were present, but the chilly environment they found themselves in seemed to keep them fixed in place and in some sort of hibernating docile state. Various speakers from political movements, unions and international students, addressed those present.

The points raised by the speakers noted that the current way the public transport system is being run, is both failed, as it’s a poor use of tax revenues, (subsidising private corporations to provide this service.. essentially public funds going into the private purse) as well as that it discriminates against the ‘have nots’, or those on low wages.

Considering the amount of public funds paid to subsidise private corporations to run this public service, if instead these funds were utilised to provide a free service, there would be less public funds used in providing a free service, than currently are to subsidise the PT system and that free PT would be a progressive outcome as it provides equitable access to public transport for all. The savings of tax revenues made from providing free PT could contribute to other services being provided for free for example, free child care.

Other points made is that free public transport would have a beneficial impact on the environment and if the government are serious about reducing carbon emissions, the shift from private transport to free public transport, would help meet these carbon emission reduction goals.

Ideas for alternative source of funding for the public transport system that could see it become free and equitable ranged from:

One proposed (by the union speaker) was to have business pay for PT, as it was their interest that were met, due to Public transport getting the employees to and from work.

Another was that we currently pay a Medicare Levi, so that all can have equitable access to health care,(no matter how rich, or poor a person is.) Similarly a PT tax Levi could again ensure that all have equitable access to public transport.

At the moment those who struggle financially, are fare evading at risk of significant fines,(which further exacerbates their financial hardship and further discriminate against them as a result of making it even less achievable for them, being able to pay for the service) or being brutalised by paid thugs.. It’s regressive and doesn’t need to be the case..

Background: Jeff Kennett, (the premier of Victoria at the time, who made the decision, to sell the public transport system) failed his duty to the public and failed to manage the tax revenues. Leading to the public transport system,(which was paid for by generations of tax payers revenues.) being sold and privatised.

Aside from selling off the PT system, he sold many hospitals and schools,(oddly enough his buddy Bailieu,(the current premier) who owns Baillieu real estate, won the contract to sell 300 of those schools.

Kennet also introduced and was behind changes to laws, that allowed pokies and casinos to set up in Victoria. What benefit did selling these public assets, or changing laws that allowed casinos to set up, provide the public?? Well none, if anything it has made the publics life harder and less affordable and law changes that allowed casinos have contributed to the erosion of the social fabric. This is a fairly typical example of those that set themselves up as ‘above’ the people, who serve their ‘own’ interests and ‘not’ the ‘interests’ of the ‘public.’  This is unacceptable and highlights the reasons behind why the public are sick and tired of being treated with such contempt and this manifests in groups such as OM and Fightback forming.

Although not ideal, (as there is a moral cost to the alternative) tax revenues raised,from Casinos and pokies could easily fund a public transport system that provided a free service, which would negate a need for a PT tax Levi, or business to pay, or the current practise  (of using tax paid subsidies, being given to private corporations, to operate the PT system) of tax paid subsidies being used to fund the PT system. Ultimately the government under the leadership of Kennet failed the citizen and when there are alternative and viable solutions to this, why should the public have to suffer any longer?

It’s time the Baillieu government addressed this and acted on the alternative options that would see a progressive outcome, that created equitable access to a public service. If the ‘fail you’ government aren’t prepared to act on this, then the opposition parties should be championing this idea and running an election campaign that guarantees,(not a baby kissing politicians promise) these outcomes being achieved.

Joel Kershaw.

Rally In Support Of Julian Assange

Source: Occupy Melbourne on Facebook

It was a highly successful afternoon at the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT – cnr Lonsdale & Spring Sts), with a mass occupation of the building’s lobby leading to delivery of a letter from Christine Assange to the Dept’s Victorian Director by #omel operatives. There was great community spirit exercising non-violent assembly, some excellent speeches throughout the day and plenty of support from passers-by.

Video link of action

Links

Occupy Melbourne New Website (under construction)

Occupy Melbourne on Facebook

Occupy Melbourne on Twitter

Occupy Melbourne on Wikia

Source: News, Facebook, Indymedia

The OM Community have been very active in sharing links and sharing their opinions on the extradiction of Julian Assange to Sweden.

There is an event tomorrow night in support of this.

UPDATED: Rap News 13: A News Hope

Source: Youtube

Rap news has done it again. May these thoughts be with you!

OM Facebook Likes on the rise

Source: Occupy Melbourne Facebook Page (Official)

Whilst this is not a record for the most amount of likes, it certainly is a positive sign that interest again is on the increase on the 99% rising up and rebuilding a fair, just and democratic world.

Occupy Melbourne, 2011

Source: Submitted by Occupy Melbourne supporter, Tate S.

“This is a letter I found sitting on the ground at the Treasury Gardens yesterday.

I opened it up and it was to Occupy Melbourne written on the day after the Eviction, october 22nd.

This letter magically happened to be written by Rex Pirie (Rex was a teacher at my High School in Wangaratta, he became the vice principal after I finished – I found it very synchronistic that I happened to pick it up in a park I resided at for a few weeks) and I want to share it with the 99%.”

We made these people. We gave birth to these kids. We raised them. We taught them to walk, to speak, to think, to debate, to challenge. We helped teach them to appreciate their good fortune to be born into a democracy and a free and tolerant society; we helped give them the voice to challenge us to make us all stronger and better. Yes, I’m proud that we did that.

I went to the City Square on Saturday 15th October and watched their demonstration form. I went there on Thursday 20th to get to know who they were, what their story was; why they were there; what they wanted; how they were going about it.

I walked in, a stranger in a suit; I was welcomed, offered food and water. People spoke to me, I talked to them, and they explained to me what they were doing and why.

I realised that they were all kids – I call them kids because as a parent, and nearly 50 years old, they are kids to me. My kids. Your kids. Our kids. I saw a community of young adults. That’s when I chose to offer to help. I have a car, time, resources. I drove around town with some of them that night collecting donations of furniture.

They asked me about ways to set up delegations of the mandate of the General Assembly for the authority and accountability of a subcommittee to manage the finances of the group. They had received about $1,000 in donations and wanted to make sure they had an equitable, democratic and accountable system in place to use it.

They told me about how they wanted to establish good liaisons with the police. They told me about how every member of the community was delegated to be a police and public liaison person. They staunchly had no leader. They decided everything after discussion at frequent and regular General Assemblies.

At the core of every conversation I heard a clear and simple set of moral principles; equality, equity, justice, compassion and generosity. They expressed these values with passion, humour, politeness and showed more trust than fear, more humour than anger, more hope than cynicism.

I am proud I helped and saw how they operated. I was proud to see a peaceful and democratic community come together in the very heart of our city.

I arrived on Friday 21st morning to see our kids herded into a small square fenced in with 2 metre high barricades. Lined up in front of them were about 50 riot police equipped with helmets, shields and batons. Surrounding all of this were hundreds of police.

These are our kids: the product of all our love and efforts standing in the rain like cattle while their camp was being destroyed, smashed and thrown into garbage trucks. Our kids were surrounded by police in the middle of our city.

I spoke to members of the police cordon; one asked me if I was with the media. I was dressed in a suit carrying a bag – I could have passed for media. So I said I was and I was allowed through to stand with the other media. The police cordon was keeping all people away – allowing no one in. I asked a police what they were going to do. When? Why? Where to? How? None of them knew or would tell me. They were ‘just waiting for orders’.

Then the police moved in and started picking out ‘leaders’ and dragging them out of the group. They forced the community out onto Swanston St. If the strategy on the part of the police was to disperse the community they significantly underestimated the community’s cohesiveness. The police clearly did not understand what they were dealing with.

Young people had been arrested, kids bloodied, hurt. The community reformed in the intersection of Collins and Swanston and sat down. They sang and chanted and drew themselves back together. They protected each other, supported and grew stronger in the face of violence. They were exposed in the middle of the street, surrounded by police, police cars, vans, mounted police and police with dogs.

I was part of a crowd of hundreds who stayed to serve as witness and document this. Citizens who each contribute in our little ways to the society that serves and protects us. Our city, our police and our kids.

I was witness to brutality, violence, stupidity and ignorance. Our society failed me. Our society failed our kids. I stood witness to the integrity of a democratic movement being trampled, attacked and charged by mounted police in my city.

The police charged, led by 6 mounted officers, and forced the community up Swanston St. The police cordon forced the witnesses along the footpath, pushing, punching, and violently threatening us. People like me, witnesses like me.

This community of young people are our kids. They are our young people. They are the future. We should never have to stand as witnesses to them being treated brutally, violently in our city. They should not have been treated this way.

My face twisted, tears welled up, a lump formed in my throat and stomach and made me sick as I saw people we raised; expressing the ideals we taught them in the city we gave them, be brutally treated. No one should ever see a society turn on its own kids this way.

Our politicians showed no understanding, no compassion, and no imagination. Whoever directed the police showed no strategy, they underestimated the community and caused the disruption to the city.

I am not proud of our leaders and the police.

Our young people showed strength, patience, bravery, compassion, integrity and never lost sight of the cause. Their chants and songs continued to show us where the real strength of democracy lies.

Their peaceful actions, their passive resistance, remind us where true strength lies.

We who took the time to understand them, witnessed their community come together, saw it develop, and then stand up under the most violent treatment should be proud of our young people.

I am proud of them.

Image of the day

Source: unofficial Occupy Melbourne discussion page

Source: occupy.com

According to both the Mayan and Hindu calendars, 2012 (or something very close) marks the transition from an age of darkness, violence and greed to one of enlightenment, justice and peace. It’s hard to see that change just yet in the events relayed in the major media, but a shift does seem to be happening behind the scenes; and this is particularly true in the once-boring world of banking….

Link

Real Estate 4 Ransom – Melbourne made documentary on vimeo

Source: Contribution via occupy.melbourne.media@gmail.com

REAL ESTATE 4 RAN$OM outlines a genuine alternative to the global property speculation that forced so many into debt. Doubling the pressure, the tax game has become just that, with tax havens a favoured option for the wealthy.
The result – we are taxing the wrong things, causing more problems whilst bankrupting once proud economies. A systemic change is essential if we are to avoid these damaging boom-bust-bailouts.

Link

What’s On This Week

TAFE Cuts, Education and the Capitalist Crisis

Monday: Employers and their governments around the world want education and training to make workers more profitable but at the same time want public spending slashed and education to become a market. This forum will address the background to the TAFE cuts and how to campaign for public education.

Melbourne Free University – RAGING AGAINST THE RICH: Occupy and its antecedents

Wednesday: Check out this special session from Melbourne Free University featuring speaker Verity Burgmann.

Rally In Support Of Julian Assange

Thursday: Meet at the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade Victorian Head Office at Casselden Place, 2 Lonsdale Street (corner of Spring Street) on Thursday and demand that the Australian Federal Government act to ensure justice for Assange.

Weekly Whimsical Workshop

An all-in-one weekly workshop for Occupy Melbourne at Experimedia in The State Library.

WOW (Women Out Wild) : A night of music, circus, spoken word and dance spectacular!

A night of music, circus, spoken word and dance spectacular to help fundraise for a Womenn’s Circus International Outreach Project in France.

Source: tomcivil.com

This piece from artist Tom Civil, in memory of the brutal police removal ordered by Melbourne City Council of the Occupy Melbourne Protests. It was painted on Friday 18th May at RMIT near the entrance to the Kaleide Theatre. The mural also symbolises the encroachment of big business, with the backup of police and military, into public space. I often feel sorry for police, security and soldiers as they are used as pawns in the game of big business and government.

Photo of the day

Source: Facebook (Occupy The Movie)

This is from the continuing student protests in Montreal, just in case you don’t believe they are getting the numbers that they claim, and the media refutes.

Article: Occupy Wall Street Vs. The American War Machine

Source: occupy.com (article originally from Al Jazeera)

“Where a state stands on the international scale impacts the fate of that state’s social movements. The United States’ position as a global military power puts the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement at a particular disadvantage.” – Excellent article featured on occupy.com, originating on Al Jazeera.

Link

OM community contribution (Scott Day)

It has been noted and stated many times that Occupy Melbourne is insular. In the sense of having a news source that easily and effectively communicates with Melbournians, Victorians, Australians and the rest of the 99%, this is true – for too long, we’ve not had a simple, streamlined means of communication.

However, we at OM are just people of course, and Occupy Melbourne has suffered, and continues to suffer massive burnout – we fought hard and we fought long to keep an occupation alive and continuous, 24/7. We did so for 70 days and was quite an amazing event. Most of us are either recovering, travelling, working. Some of us are still committed full-time to it, and many work very hard indeed.

The Occupy movement is entering a new phase of actually going forth and enacting these changes in the communities of the world – OM is no exception to this and has several projects underway. The next 6 months will be big – stay tuned.

Of course, one could say there’s millions in Melbourne who could have, and should have, been more involved in Occupy. How could you not agree with the ideas and believe these changes can occur in our lifetime, and we get to be the generations to see through, to live through, to even enact, this wonderful change.

The digest will attempt to maintain daily posts, covering local contributions, as well as many links and summaries of articles, videos, events, concepts and discussions occurring.

Occupy Schlossplatz

Event/Concept (Germany)

Occupy Schlossplatz calls for the community to openly come together and attempt to redesign its city square in Stuttgart, Germany. This is something talked about often within OM as our own city square is neglected and corporatised.

Schlossplatz Wiki

Website

Article: “The US Government Is Running A Massive Spy Campaign On Occupy Wall Street”

From Business Insider, May 24 2012

Does Obama, as he claims, “stand with the 99 percent,” or with those who cannot stand them?

Link

Video: Solidarite

Source: Youtube, May 24 2012

Video Link

Students, union leaders and even teachers marked the 100th day of a strike that has garnered international attention. The rally and march by 150,000 people was one of the biggest signs of opposition to Premier Jean Charest’s planned $1,800 tuition hike over seven years.

Ref: 100th day of student strike (London Free Press)

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SCHEDULE

17:00 COURT CASE REPORT BACK

18:00 ACE – ANTI NUCLEAR CLEAN ENERGY COLLECTIVE INFO WORKSHOP

18:00 THE HISTORY OF OCCUPY MELBOURNE – PLANNING MEET #2

18:00 THIS WEEK’S LABOUR NEWS

19:00 ACE – FILMS AND PHOTOS PROJECTED ONTO ZIGGY THE HUGE BLOW-UP ANTI-NUKES ELEPHANT

19:00 FEMINIST DISCUSSION GROUP – WOMEN RECLAIMING POWER IN CHILDBIRTH

20:00 THE FACEBOOK PROBLEM

21:00 THE PEOPLE’S CINEMA @ OCCUPY FRIDAYS

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COURT CASE REPORT BACK

17:00 – 18:00 @ Workshop A

Hearings commenced on Wednesday at the Federal Court as part of the legal challenge against the City of Melbourne’s response to the peaceful Occupy Melbourne protests held throughout the city since October 2011.

The legal challenge, filed in November 2011 by Fitzroy Legal Service (assisted by the Human Rights Law Centre and Emrys Nekvapil and Nick Wood of counsel, with former Federal Court Judge, Ron Merkel, QC), will argue that the manner in which the council has been using their powers is incompatible with the rights of all Australians to freedom of political communication.

By 5pm Friday, the court case will have finished – come along to find out exactly what transpired.

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ACE – ANTI NUCLEAR CLEAN ENERGY COLLECTIVE INFO WORKSHOP

18:00 – 19:00 @ Workshop B

Protest federal parliament’s approval of the Muckaty Waste dump legislation!!

2 weeks ago the senate passed the controversial National Radioactive Waste Management Bill. The bill cements Muckaty, in the NT, as the chosen site for Australia’s first national radioactive waste dump, despite strong community opposition and a federal court challenge.

Come down to Occupy Friday this week at  6pm to hear from members of the ACE (Anti-nuclear and Clean Energy) Collective give updates on the fight against the waste dump. Also hear about the big lizard’s Revenge protest happening in July against BHP’s proposed largest uranium mine in the world in the SA desert. We may also have a mock radioactive waste spill in Melbourne’s CBD.

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THE HISTORY OF OCCUPY MELBOURNE – PLANNING MEET #2

18:00 – 19:00 @ Workshop A

“The creation of a series of videos to document the history of Occupy Melbourne.

It is not a promotional piece but a learning document for our own and future social movements to learn from our failures and successes.

It will be presented in a series of episodes, chronologically – this will allow episodes to be added on in future.”

City Square, Eviction Day, Treasury Gardens, Flagstaff Gardens, Tent Monsters, Father Bobs, Decentralisation, Occupy Fridays, Occupy TPPA, the Spokescouncil, the Court Case… the story of Occupy Melbourne up until now.

A collaborative attempt to retell the story of Occupy Melbourne, from its beginnings at City Square up until the court case.

Calling all narrators, editors, spokespeople, filmers, photographers! This engine runs on people power so come along to join in the discussion and help shape it into a presentation that does our cause justice.

Facebook Event Link: http://www.facebook.com/events/353785651330515

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THIS WEEK’S LABOUR NEWS

18:00 – 19:00 @ Grassroots

Change of title for this week’s continuation of the conversation formely THIS WEEK IN THE UNIONS. Come to hear first hand news about all things worker. This week was a 15km march by cleaners from Chadstone shopping centre to Parliament in their fight against stressful workloads and poor pay (sound familiar?). Meanwhile general strikes are raging across Europe. Open sharing of news and information without getting bogged down in strategy (that’s for another forum )

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ACE – FILMS AND PHOTOS PROJECTED ONTO ZIGGY THE HUGE BLOW-UP ANTI-NUKES ELEPHANT

19:00 – 20:00 @ Workshop B

Films and photos projected onto Ziggy the huge blow-up anti-nukes elephant in city square!

Featuring:

- Muckaty Voices – 10min short film about fight against Muckaty dump

- Kylie Sambo- 16yr from Muckaty rapping against the dump

Get down there and support people in Muckaty!

www.acecollective.org

www.occupymelbourne.org

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FEMINIST DISCUSSION GROUP – WOMEN RECLAIMING POWER IN CHILDBIRTH

19:00 – 20:00 @ Workshop A

Women in Australia have startlingly limited choices in pregnancy and childbirth. In Victoria, around 97% of women give birth in hospital, while the remainder choose a birth centre or homebirth. Some might say the trend towards hospital birth is due to women’s preference, but the reality is that it’s often our only choice. A 2009 maternity services review highlighted an increasing consumer demand for more birth centres, yet since its publication no more birth centres have opened in Victoria.

Homebirth remains inaccessible to many due to the expense of hiring an independent midwife, a lack of midwife availability, and midwives’ fear of persecution if they support women deemed ‘high risk’.

For the majority of women who give birth in hospital, it can be an uphill battle to receive pregnancy care and birth on their terms, especially if their wishes fall outside hospital routine and policy. The fractured nature of ‘standard’ maternity care, where women see different care providers throughout their pregnancy and are greeted by strangers during birth, goes against all best practice evidence which says that continuity of care and carer play a pivotal role in improving outcomes for women and babies.

While we could just count ourselves lucky that Australia has one of the lowest maternal and infant mortality rates in the world, we would be doing ourselves a disservice. We deserve better than what we are being given. Hear from a passionate student midwife and join in on the discussion about the many issues affecting women’s choice and autonomy in pregnancy and childbirth.

Facebook Event Link: http://www.facebook.com/events/211597155612521/

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THE FACEBOOK PROBLEM

20:00 – 21:00 @ Workshop A

The Facebook Problem…

It’s not the fact that anything you publish is technically no longer your intellectual property…

It’s not the fact that NOSIC sit there watching you whilst eating their popcorn, like it’s some fracking soap opera…

It’s not the fact that the owner of Facebook is a 1%er wannabe…

The real Facebook problem seems to be the way we communicate with each other through it. Should we have more groups, with specific focus areas? Should we get rid of the mod group? Why do we have 2 Occupy Melbourne pages? Let’s thrash these out in a friendly, constructive discussion…

Facebook Event Link: http://www.facebook.com/events/194876960626462

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THE PEOPLE’S CINEMA @ OCCUPY FRIDAYS

21:00 – 23:30 @ Workshop A

Come and experience films, short films and documentaries about the Occupy Movement as part of Occupy Fridays @ City Square.

This week:

Occupy Bat Signal For The 99% (5 minutes)

Occupy Wall Street: The Revolution Is Love (5 minutes)

Sacred Economics With Charles Eisenstein (12 minutes)

There’s No Tomorrow (35 minutes)

The 99% (30 minutes)

Capitalism Is The Crisis (109 minutes)

Facebook Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/322995867763051

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PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR OM ARRESTEES

Link to legal update: http://www.facebook.com/notes/occupy-melbourne-legal-support/update-from-om-legal-support/242062132539233

If you want to help organise and build Occupy Friday, please feel free to join the organising groups:

Scheduling and planning:http://www.facebook.com/groups/156746491100773/

Community Outreach:http://www.facebook.com/groups/359850107364535/

Logistics and infrastructure:http://www.facebook.com/groups/248946365175994/

Leaflets and docs (if you want a particular leaflet or document to be available at OF’ add it here and it will get printed out): http://occupii.org/group/occupy-melbourne-info-and-literature/forum

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SCHEDULE

17:00 COURT CASE REPORT BACK
17:30 WSN ‘RIGHT TO ORGANISE AND STRIKE’ UNION STALLS
18:00 OCCUPY MELBOURNE: THE DOCUMENTARY – PLANNING MEET #1
18:00 WSN ‘RIGHT TO ORGANISE AND STRIKE’ SPEAKERS
19:00 WSN ‘RIGHT TO ORGANISE AND STRIKE’ UNION STALLS
19:00 FEMINIST DISCUSSION GROUP: CLOSING THE GENDER WAGE GAP
20:00 CANDLE VIGIL FOR TOMMY
21:00 THE PEOPLES CINEMA: SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION THROUGH CONSCIOUSNESS BY DEREMRITA S.

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COURT CASE REPORT BACK

17:00 – 18:00 @ Workshop A

Hearings commenced on Wednesday at the Federal Court as part of the legal challenge against the City of Melbourne’s response to the peaceful Occupy Melbourne protests held throughout the city since October 2011.

The legal challenge, filed in November 2011 by Fitzroy Legal Service (assisted by the Human Rights Law Centre and Emrys Nekvapil and Nick Wood of counsel, with former Federal Court Judge, Ron Merkel, QC), will argue that the manner in which the council has been using their powers is incompatible with the rights of all Australians to freedom of political communication.

By 5pm Friday, the court case will have finished – come along to find out exactly what transpired.

Facebook Event Link: http://www.facebook.com/events/292999614102210/

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WORKERS’ SOLIDARITY NETWORK (WSN) ‘RIGHT TO ORGANISE AND STRIKE’ UNION SOLIDARITY EVENT

Union stalls in city from 5.30pm -7:00pm

Unions are back on the agenda in a big way – in recent months airline workers, Victorian nurses, and a small group of poultry workers at Baiada in Melbourne have faced attacks on their working conditions and all have relied on their unions to defend their jobs. Large-scale sackings in the banking, airline and manufacturing sectors, with the possibility of more to come, mean that the right to organise in unions and the right to strike are more important than ever to defend our jobs and working conditions. 

Come along to city square to find out more about how to join a union and how to get active as a union member.

Hear about recent union wins through industrial action, including the Victorian nurses and Baiada poultry, and get an update on the ongoing community picket at Sigma pharmaceuticals. 

www.workerssolidaritymelbourne.org
www.facebook.com/workerssolidaritynetwork
subscribe to our e-list: wsn.melb@gmail.com
subscribe to our sms alerts: 0431 445 978 

Help us promote this event!

Print an A3 colour poster: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Byg4mpHxcVpMNGE1MzBkNGQtMGVhNi00YjY3LTkwY2MtZTlhMTAxODdlNmQy

Print flyers: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Byg4mpHxcVpMZjgxZTE5MWQtMjYxYy00NjE0LThlNDgtNGU5OGY0N2Y2N2M3

Facebook Event Link:https://www.facebook.com/events/254762494603670/

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OCCUPY MELBOURNE: THE DOCUMENTARY – PLANNING MEET #1

18:00–19:00 @ Workshop A

The tent city at City Square, the eviction, Treasury Gardens, Flagstaff Gardens, Tent Monsters, Father Bobs, Decentralisation, Occupy Fridays, Occupy TPPA, the Spokescouncil, the Court Case… the story of Occupy Melbourne up until now.

A collaborative attempt to retell the story of Occupy Melbourne, from its beginnings at City Square up until the court case.

Calling all narrators, editors, spokespeople, filmers, photographers! This engine runs on people power so come along to join in the discussion and help shape it into a presentation that does our cause justice.

Facebook Event Link: http://www.facebook.com/events/372587152773336/

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FEMINIST DISCUSSION GROUP: CLOSING THE GENDER WAGE GAP

19:00  - 20:00 @ Workshop A

On average women today earn 18% less than men and the gender pay gap is getting worse! A female graduate commencing full-time work earns $2,000 less than a man in the same situation, which widens to $7,800 five years into their working lives. Over her life time; a woman in Australia can expect to earn one million dollars less than a man!

History shows that the struggle for equal pay achieved its greatest gains when both the union movement and women’s liberationists organised in tandem. Come and hear about contemporary struggles for equal pay from feisty unions activists. This talk will be followed by adequate time for discussion where participants are free to ask questions and make comments.

Facebook Event Link: http://www.facebook.com/events/347141041988561/

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CANDLE VIGIL FOR TOMMY
20:00 – 20:30

An occupier known to many tragically died last week. Bring candles along as we celebrate the life of Tommy.

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THE PEOPLES CINEMA: SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION THROUGH CONSCIOUSNESS BY DEREMRITA S.

Travelling Monk, Devamrita Swami hits the core issue at hand. Social transformation has been tried and tested for centuries. What will work in this techno-minimalistic world? A world Revolution, more united forces in the United Nations, Socialism, Monarchy or Democracy?

Come hear Devamrita swami .He has practiced the art of consciousness management and has deep realizations that will take us on a journey of global transformation through inner change.

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PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR OM ARRESTEES

Link to legal update: http://www.facebook.com/notes/occupy-melbourne-legal-support/update-from-om-legal-support/242062132539233

If you want to help organise and build Occupy Friday, please feel free to join the organising groups:

Scheduling and planning:http://www.facebook.com/groups/156746491100773/

Community Outreach:http://www.facebook.com/groups/359850107364535/

Logistics and infrastructure:http://www.facebook.com/groups/248946365175994/

Leaflets and docs (if you want a particular leaflet or document to be available at OF’ add it here and it will get printed out): http://occupii.org/group/occupy-melbourne-info-and-literature/forum

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