Renegade Activist Heroes

Protesting the Military Industrial Complex and Settler Colonialism Down-under

Jul 04, 2024

[Renegade Activists atop Australia’s Federal Parliament, in Canberra, and newly independent Senator Fatima Payman.]

Published: 2024-07-04

Four heroes from Renegade Activists have been arrested for unfurling banners above the entrance to the Australian Federal Parliament building in Canberra.

While characterized in general media as a protest in support of Palestine, which it partly was, Renegade Activists' banners more generally identified abuse of native people, specifically war crimes.

Their central banner "WAR CRIMES" listed a series of regions or nations in which war crimes against first peoples were committed.

In that list, the top item "Frontier Wars" may look like a generic term. It is not.

It is the term for the systemic military violence enacted by white settler colonialists against Australia's First Nations (Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander nations). These massacres continued at least until to the 1930s. Australia's native population have consistently resisted the occupation of their lands.

Below the Australian war are seen a list of other wars against native peoples in recent memory: Vietnam, Timor Leste, West Papua, Iraq, Afghanistan and lastly, highlighted in green, Palestine. Below that, in red, accurately reads ENABLED HERE.

Australia has been involved in all of these wars either directly with its military or via being involved in the international murdering-people business named by US President Eisenhower as the Military Industrial Complex.

To the (picture) right of the central banner, is one unmistakably about the genocide which the white, colonial settler governments of Australia have been delivering against its native population "since 1788". Renegade Activists' leftmost banner was in direct support of the Palestinian peoples' struggle against their settler colonial occupiers.

"We will not forget, we will not forgive and we will continue to resist," said a protester from the roof.

The target of their protest was clearly articulated by a protester:

"We declare to the Australian government, we will continue to unmask and resist the US imperial, hegemonic and capitalist interests you devote yourself to," one protester yelled from the rooftop.
"Australia continues to enable and commit war crimes as lackeys to our powerful friends."

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese responded:

"Those responsible should feel the full force of the law. Peaceful protest has an important place in our society, but this was not a peaceful protest,"

He failed to describe any violence. Indeed, there was none. The protesters have been charged with trespass.

ABC, Australia's national broadcaster, does not list today's protest on its "National Top Stories" as of 18:46 AEST even though it was commented upon by the Prime Minister. Who knows what the ABC thinks are "National Top Stories"? Oh, yeah, a hospital did not renew its commercial relationship with a health insurer. The news editor at the ABC does not understand news and should be sacked.

These four, brave protesters were expressing political opinion which is widespread in Western societies. The coddled politicians living in their bubble of intelligence service and political adviser information may not want to see this truth. Repressing its expression will not remove it.

Inside the Parliament

Inside the parliament, a member of the government left the party to become an independent.

Fatima Payman, a senator in the ruling Labor Party, quit the party on Thursday to sit as an independent after she was suspended for voting for a motion backing Palestinian statehood.
"Witnessing our government's indifference to the greatest injustice of our times makes me question the direction the party is taking," she told a news conference.

The ABC news article on the defection does not mention the protest which occurred outside. How deep in the sand does an editor need to stick his head to retain his job?

Fatima Payman's abandonment of Australia's Labour Party came after she was indefinitely excluded from the caucus for voting with a non-government party, The Greens, for Palestinian statehood.

The first-term senator from Western Australia was "indefinitely suspended" from the Labor caucus, where MPs discuss the government's agenda and tactics, last week after she defied the party and voted with the Greens to call for the recognition of Palestinian statehood — and then vowed to do so again if necessary.

Here we see a representative leaving the government in protest of its political support of the US and its partner Israel. Outside the parliament people were protesting Australia’s military industrial support for the US.

The news editor at the ABC could not see, or did not want Australia to see the connection. It was as large as the banners hanging on the parliament.

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Sources

renegade activists (home page)

renegade activists (instagram)

The Military Industrial Complex, Geelong Edition, renegade activists