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24Aug

Editorial: Is Rudd Being Briefed By Obama To Support Intervention On Syria?

Posted in Editorial, Politics | Comments Off
by Max Riethmuller

Obama, in a speech today amid a worsening situation in Syria, downplayed the possibility of US intervention without a UN mandate and the backing of a coalition: “If the U.S. goes in and attacks another country without a U.N. mandate and without clear evidence that can be presented, then there are questions in terms of whether international law supports it — do we have the coalition to make it work?” On the surface, Obama’s speech appears to be advising caution on Syria, but similar language has been used prior to previous wars. Is this speech a veiled call to former Iraq War coalition partners?

Rudd has called a halt to the election campaign today in order to seek a briefing about the situation in Syria. And on September 1st, Australia will begin it’s one month tenure as President of the UN Security council. Is the briefing Rudd is seeking really about the US wanting Australia to exert pressure on the Security Council in favour of intervention?

Time will tell.

24Aug

PNG Solution Protests Sweep Australia

Posted in Activism, Immigration, Politics | Comments Off
by Max Riethmuller

Today marked a National Day of Action in protest against the government’s PNG Solution.

3000 People nationwide marched in capital cities, with Melbourne leading the largest rally. In Brisbane, speakers Penny Spalding from the Queensland Teachers Union, Greens candidate Rachel Jacobs, St Mary’s priest in exile Terry Fitzpatrick and other speakers addressed a crowd of 250, before taking to the streets.

Speech audio is available here (Audio recordings courtesy of David Jackmanson).

Photos of the Brisbane rally can be seen by going here, or viewing the small selection below:

23Aug

Manning Statement: “I am Chelsea Manning. I am a female.”

Posted in Activism, Security | Comments Off
by Max Riethmuller

Manning, recently sentenced to 35 years prison for releasing classified documents, has released a statement declaring her wish to henceforth be known as Chelsea Manning, and to be referred to with the feminine pronoun.

This isn’t an out of the blue announcement, Manning having often posted as Breanna Manning in chat rooms at the time of the classified document releases, and having lived as an out gay person for a number of years.

This photograph was attached to emails Manning had sent to therapist Captain Michael Worsley and NCOIC Sgt. Paul Adkins, in which Manning expressed a hope that a career in the military might “get rid of it”, in reference to what she called “my problem”, the gender dysphoria that she has now come to accept.
Chelsea Manning has released this image into the Public Domain.

Manning has expressed her wish to start hormone treatment to more effectively live as a woman. Manning’s sentence will be served out in Fort Leavenworth, in the male population, where authorities have claimed hormone treatment is not provided to prisoners. Chase Strangio, a lawyer of the American Civil Liberties Union LGBT project, has said this raises “serious constitutional concerns”.

“The official policy of the Federal Bureau of Prisons and most state agencies is to provide medically necessary care for the treatment of gender dysphoria, and courts have consistently found that denying such care to prisoners based on blanket exclusions violates the eighth amendment of the constitution.”

Chelsea Manning’s full statement below:

“Subject: The Next Stage of My Life

I want to thank everybody who has supported me over the last three years. Throughout this long ordeal, your letters of support and encouragement have helped keep me strong. I am forever indebted to those who wrote to me, made a donation to my defense fund, or came to watch a portion of the trial. I would especially like to thank Courage to Resist and the Bradley Manning Support Network for their tireless efforts in raising awareness for my case and providing for my legal representation.

As I transition into this next phase of my life, I want everyone to know the real me. I am Chelsea Manning. I am a female. Given the way that I feel, and have felt since childhood, I want to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible. I hope that you will support me in this transition. I also request that, starting today, you refer to me by my new name and use the feminine pronoun (except in official mail to the confinement facility). I look forward to receiving letters from supporters and having the opportunity to write back.

Thank you,

Chelsea E Manning”

22Aug

Bradley Manning Sentence: 35 Years for Disclosures

Posted in Activism, Security | Comments Off
by Max Riethmuller

The Bradley Manning trial sentence has been handed down, a sentence of 35 years for assorted disclosures. The government had sought a minimum of 60 years.

The sentence is a mixed blessing. Much harsher than many other whistleblowers, and many years longer than US servicemen found guilty of far worse crimes, such as the deaths of civilians. But on the reverse side, Manning will see the light of day again, which is much better than the 136 year possible sentence he was facing.

A cynical view would be that the US government have manufactured this sentence in order to send a strong signal that whistleblowing will not be tolerated, yet at the same time forestall the protests and negative publicity that would follow a sentence that would have seen Manning in jail for the term of his natural life.

The sentence is expected to be subject to immediate appeal.

21Aug

Media Release: Jury Unable To Reach Verdict Ploughshares Trial

Posted in Activism, Environment, Media Releases | Comments Off
by Max Riethmuller

Peace Convergence Media Release 21 August 2013

Jury unable to reach verdict after six hours in Rockhampton Tiger Ploughshares Trial

After six hours on day three of the Rockhampton Tiger Ploughshares Trial the jury was unable to deliver a unanimous verdict. The jury was sent out twice and returned both times without a decision reached – ten voting guilty and two not guilty. The judge sent the jury home and will seek further clarification from the defence and prosecution on how to proceed in the morning.

Evidence in the landmark trial has included the now infamous WikiLeaks “Collateral Murder” footage leaked by Bradley Manning (to be sentenced tonight). The footage shows Iraqi civilians being gunned down by US military in an Apache helicopter. Baptist Minister Reverend Simon Moyle (Voices for Creative Non-violence delegate in Afghanistan) and journalist Donna Mulhearn (former human shield and human rights observer in Iraq) also gave evidence of their experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Mr Dunstan (71) of the Tiger Ploughshares Action was charged with damage to Commonwealth property during the Talisman Saber exercise in 2011. Mr Dunstan assisted the now deceased Bryan Law who rode a large red tricycle across the Rockhampton airport tarmac and disabled an Australian Army Tiger Attack Reconnaissance Helicopter in a creative act of disarmament. Mr Law used a garden mattock to deliver a blow to the military helicopter. The action was inspired by the biblical prophecy of ‘Beating Swords into Ploughshares’ meaning taking action to convert killing machines such as the Tiger helicopter into ploughshares or agricultural tools that promote life.

Mr Dunstan of Peacebus.com is representing himself with the help of a legal support friend Sean O’Reilly of Brisbane.

Supporters of Mr Dunstan will gather on

Thursday 22 August

9am Procession from ‘Havachat’ 20 East St to Rockhampton District Court

9.30am Peace Vigil outside Rockhampton District Court

Photos available on request and on: http://peaceconvergence.wordpress.com

Further information

Simon Moyle 0407 951 688 or Treena Lenthall 0447 851 858

http://peaceconvergence.wordpress.com/ploughshares-trial/

FaceBook event http://www.facebook.com/events/169657596540366/191435557695903/?notif_t=plan_mall_activity

Action footage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-0Du_F1P1w

Collateral Murder http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rXPrfnU3G0

Downloadable flyer: http://tiny.cc/vy4v1w

18Aug

Why Voting 1 For A Minor Party Is Not A Wasted Vote

Posted in Activism, Politics | 1 Comment
by Max Riethmuller

Chicken Nation have created an excellent “How Preferential Voting Works” cartoon that explains perfectly why your vote IS NOT WASTED if you vote 1 for a minor party.

How preferential voting works and why voting 1 for a minor party is not a wasted vote

17Aug

Media Release – Rockhampton Tiger Ploughshare Trial Begins

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by Max Riethmuller

Peace Convergence: Media Release 16 August 2013

Rockhampton Tiger Ploughshare trial begins Monday 19 August

with widespread support for the accused

Peace activists will be gathering in Rockhampton to support Graeme Dunstan when he appears for the beginning of the Tiger Ploughshare trial

10 am Monday 19 August
Rockhampton District Court

Solidarity rallies will also be held by peace activists in Brisbane and Melbourne. The trial is expected to take three days.

Long time peace activist, Graeme Dunstan of peacebus.com, is charged with wilful damage of Commonwealth Property, namely an Australian Army “Tiger” Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter which was disabled by a blow from a garden mattock during the 2011 Talisman Saber Military Exercises.

WIN Tv news footage of the event show Bryan Law, dressed in a black suit and a Bob Katter hat, riding a tricycle across the Rockhampton Airport tarmac and striking the blow. Mr Law died last Easter.

Graeme Dunstan has confessed to being Mr Law’s driver and assistant and is a charged as a co offender. But Mr Dunstan is pleading not guilty to the charge and is defending himself with the assistance of Brisbane based nurse, Sean O’Reilly, as a “friend in court”. Sean is the brother of Ciaron O’Reilly, a Brisbane born activist, famous for his Ploughshare actions in the US and Ireland.

“Ploughshare” is a reference to the Biblical prophecy of Isaiah (2:4) about a coming time when “nation will not rise up against nation, spears would be beaten into pruning hooks, swords into ploughshares and we would study war no more”.

There have been more than 80 such actions since 1980, with three common elements:

1. being absolutely nonviolent towards people;

2. to remain and take responsibility for the action; and

3. to make some attempt to disarm a weapon and begin its transformation into something useful.

The Tiger is similar in design and identical in function to the Apache helicopter used by the US Army to gun down innocents in the Collateral Murder footage leaked by Bradley Manning and Julian Assange and which has had in excess of 14 million viewers on YouTube.

Dunstan will be arguing that the strike was an act of conscience aimed a raising public awareness to the true nature of the war in Afghanistan where the attack helicopters were to be deployed.

“Disarmament is often seen as an impossible dream; desirable, certainly, but utterly unrealistic,” said Mr Dunstan. “It is precisely this societal torpor that the Tiger Ploughshare action sought to address.”

Further information

Graeme Dunstan 0407 951 688

http://peaceconvergence.wordpress.com/ploughshares-trial/

FaceBook event http://www.facebook.com/events/169657596540366/191435557695903/?notif_t=plan_mall_activity

Downloadable flyer: http://tiny.cc/vy4v1w

11Aug

Press Release: Melbourne Baptist Pastor to defend Ploughshare accused

Posted in Activism, Environment, Media Releases, Politics | Comments Off
by Max Riethmuller

Peace Convergence: Media Release 10 August 2013

Melbourne Baptist Pastor to defend Ploughshare accused

The Reverend Simon Moyle of the GraceTree Community in Melbourne will be coming to Rockhampton to support and defend Graeme Dunstan in the Tiger Ploughshare trial which will begin the Rockhampton District Court on Monday 19 August

Mr Dunstan is charged with a wilful damage of an Australian Army Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter on the tarmac of Rockhampton airport during Talisman Sabre 2011. His co accused, Bryan Law, who actually struck the blow with the garden mattock, died last Easter.

The Reverend Moyle describes Mr Dunstan as “a spiritual companion” and says Dunstan’s willingness to risk jail and suffering in order to arouse the conscience of the Australian community on war demonstrates integrity of the highest order, not to mention exemplary citizenship.

“Civil disobedience is generally not well understood in this country,” observes the Rev Moyle. “But it is one of the highest duties of any person when their government is acting immorally or unjustly.”

Ploughshares actions take their inspiration from the Biblical books of Micah and Isaiah, which speak of a day when “swords will be beaten into ploughshares, and spears into pruning hooks”.

There have been more than 80 such actions since 1980, with three common elements:
1. being absolutely nonviolent towards people;
2. to remain and take responsibility for the action; and
3. to make some attempt to disarm a weapon and begin its transformation into something useful.

Disarmament is often seen as an impossible dream; desirable, certainly, but utterly unrealistic. It is precisely this societal torpor that Ploughshares actions seek to address.

Ploughshares actions are an indictment on the imagination and moral commitment of contemporary society just to the extent that they are seen as outrageous, destructive, or utopian.

While most of us ask, “Why would we reduce or even give up our ability to kill?”

People like Graeme Dunstan and Bryan Law gift us with a confluence of flesh, steel and carbon fibre, and ask, “Why not?”

“In a time of perpetual war, it is high time we took that question seriously,” said the Rev. Moyle.

See full statement here.

Further information

http://peaceconvergence.wordpress.com/ploughshares-trial/

FaceBook event http://www.facebook.com/events/169657596540366/?fref=ts

Simon Moyle smoyle@gmail.com 0402 857 915

Graeme Dunstan 0407 951 688

02Aug

Protesters Gather at Luggage Point to Protest US Warship

Posted in Activism, Environment, Politics, Technology | Comments Off
by Max Riethmuller

Members of Peace Convergence, The Greens and other anti-war groups met today at Luggage Point to share their message of peace.

Headline for the protest from Robin Taubenfeld: “US nuclear warship in our port? US-AUS games in our region? Bombs dropped on the reef? Bradley Manning in prison? Live firing and bombing practice are planned for this weekend at Shoalwater Bay! Just say no! ”

The protest was small but attracted interest from sightseers, including a US navy sailor scrutinising the protesters through Binoculars.

Photos below.

(full photoset here)

Protester show pictures of war affected children from Iraq.