‘COVID Among the Palestinians’, Camp Errinundra Update, CUPUW Summit, Recent Changes for VIC Renters and Landlords, Bahaghari on Justice for Mhelody

Thursday Breakfast

Acknowledgement of Country// Micaela Sahhar joined us earlier in the week to discuss her essay ‘COVID Among the Palestinians,’ which was published in Arena Quarterly no. 5. Micaela is a Melbourne-based writer, poet and researcher.// Chris Schuringa from the Goongerah Environment Centre (GECO) provided us with an update about Camp Errinundra - a blockade halting forest logging in East Gippsland. For more information about Camp Errinundra, visit GECO's website. Key politicians to call and email with your concerns about the forest logging are: Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, Minister for Energy Environment & Climate Change Lily D'Ambrosio, and Minister for Regional Development & Minister for Agriculture - Mary-Anne Thomas, who is the Minister in charge of VicForests.// Bianca Hennessy, a unionist working with Casualised, Unemployed and Precarious University Workers in so-called Australia, or CUPUW for short, joined us to discuss CUPUW's work and upcoming summit on April 9-10. Bianca is a casual academic and PhD candidate at the Australian National University.// Eirene Tsolidis Noyce, Secretary of the Renters and Housing Union, spoke about recent extensions to the transitional measures for Victorian renters affected by COVID 19, as well as changes to rental property standards.// CONTENT WARNING: TRANSPHOBIC VIOLENCE, DEATH. On Tuesday 6 April, Anakbayan Melbourne, Gabriela and Migrante held a rally and vigil calling for justice for Mhelody Polan Bruno, a 25 year old Filipina trans woman who died in 2019 in Wagga Wagga, NSW, at the hands of a member of the royal Australian air force. Lawrence, a member of Anakbayan Melbourne, read out a statement from Bahaghari, an anti-imperialist Filipino LGBTQ+ organisation, calling for justice for Mhelody.// Songs// Faithfool - Man Made Mountain ft. Silentjay and LUCFR Circle;Line - Squidgenini Fly - Birdz ft. Ngaiire