Perth Indymedia

As the water crisis in Flint, Michigan continues to demand questions, Perth Indymedia speaks to Dr Adam Quinn, Senior Lecturer in international politics at the University of Birmingham, UK about how it reflects on the US political scene.

Ali Abunimah is a Palestinan-American journalist, a co-founder of The Electronic Intifada, and the author of several important books on the Israel-Palestinian conflict, including his latest volume The Battle for Justice in Palestine, published by Haymarket Books. A leading proponent of the one-state solution, Abunimah is currently on a speaking tour of Australia. Alex Whisson spoke to Nick Everett from Friends of Palestine WA to discuss why Abunimah’s visa had been delayed. UPDATE: Abunimah’s visa was granted the day after this interview went to air. He then faced the additional challenge of standing up to the Sydney University Administration, which backed down after initially cancelling his first Australian speaking engagement.

The Barnett Government has sold out on WA’s unique plants and animals according to the State’s lead forest conservation organisation, the WA Forest Alliance (WAFA).

‘The Government's Biodiversity Conservation Bill (listed for debate this week) will not protect our precious wildlife,’ said WAFA spokesperson Dr Jasmina Brankovich. '

Legendary rap group Curse Ov Dialect have been spitting their anarchic experimental hip hop since 1994. Ahead of their upcoming release, Twisted Strangers, Ray Grenfell spoke to Curse Ov Dialect MC Volk Makedonski.

We speak with Pia Mancini of the Open Collective on how this revolutionary new platform may be one of the keys to transforming democracy from the bottom up.

https://opencollective.com/

We talk with young Perth Muslim activist Aisha Nancy Novakovic about the conference where she presented a paper on Radicalisation, Redemption and Loss: Insights into the Young Muslim Mind.

The Barnett Government is trying to push through legislation to curtail our right to protest. They want to make it an offence to carry a "thing" with the 'presumed' intention of impeding lawful activity.

This incredibly vague wording has horrible implications for anybody fighting for what's right in Western Australia.

Read it here: http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/Parliament/Bills.nsf/1E00CF48C52EF57848257DF6000AA4DF/$File/Bill114-1.pdf

As the United Nations wrote this week:

“The Bill would grant police disproportionate and unnecessary powers to restrict lawful protests. ... It discourages legitimate protest activity and instead, prioritizes business and government resource interests over the democratic rights of individuals.

The statement also warns that “The Bill will have the chilling effect of silencing dissenters and punishing expression protected by international human rights law."

The Bill was introduced in February 2015, passed in the Upper House on Thursday 18 February 2016 without going to commitee, and is now set to be debated in the Lower House. Labor WA and Greens members of parliament oppose this Bill, and Labor have said they will repeal the Bill if they form government in 2017.

Come to Parliament House on Tuesday, February 23 at 12pm and make sure your concerns are heard by our political representatives and the media.

It's our democratic RIGHT to protest.

We will stand firmly against any attack on our civil rights.

Lets show them what democracy looks like.

Bring your THING.

https://www.facebook.com/events/960812823998993/

We speak with the Rector of the Anglican parish of Darlington and refugee campaigner Father Chris Bedding on the recent offering of sanctuary to refugees by churches around the country as the federal government threatens the deportation of 267 refugees to abusive detention camps on Manus Island and Nauru.

In recent years we've seen a renaissance of the struggle for Aboriginal self-determination. From the rebirth of the Canberra tent embassy to our own Matagarup encampment and the ongoing campaign against deaths in custody, many valiant and self-sacrificing leaders have emerged. Brisbane-based Bogaine Spearim is one such champion of this new movement. We spoke to him on the eve of Invasion Day about a variety of pressing issues for our Aboriginal brothers and sisters. Indymedia veteran Alex Whisson began by asking Spearim to reflect on the value of Stan Grant recent viral speech. Tags: #Invasion Day #Bogaine Spearim #Stan Grant #Adam Goodes #Musgrave Park

We speak with veteran independent journalist and activist Tony Serve who, upon returning from abroad, had his phone and pin demanded of him, raising further concerns for journos and activists in the day and age of metadata retention laws and the ongoing erosion of our civil liberties.