Even though the Sydney Morning Herald ran a story on their website about the weekend’s Rising Tide blockade, it has maintained its silence in the print edition, except for a letter from Cathering Rossiter, of Fadden.
Verse 12: Newspaper of record? (after the Sydney Morning Herald print edition, 28 November 2023) In other news, a mass extinction threatens unless something's done to stop all fossil fuel extraction. Letter on page twenty-one thanks the thousands who blockaded Port Newcastle (paddled, waded, were arrested, took a stand), but that's the lot, the story's canned. A riot would have been reported, violent death would make page one, Pezzullo, Lehrmann, courtroom fun. But thirty hours, no coal exported: silence. Are they clowns or cads? Wel, fossil fuellers run big ads*.
* See SMH, 27 November, page 9
Me fail? I fly! 
Dear Jonathan:
Had you not written this I would not have known of this mainstream media dastardly deletion of Rising Tide activism. I had heard it was going to take place just after arriving back from overseas on the 15th – but then nothing. Though to be honest I have given up on The Drum, the ABC News, 7.30. It’s all David Speers pandering to the LNP, it’s all mealy-mouthedness about the Genocidal Zionists of Netanyahu’s mob; it’s all AUKUS and Biden and pro-Zelenskiy and Sinophobia – tax cuts for the über-wealthy…Not much truth – just voyeurism and celebrity and cruelty to those long locked up by our Pezzullo/Dutton pair – still being hounded – or lack of protection for our whistleblowers – David McBride – Julian Assange – while murderers such as Ben Roberts-Smith – or alleged rapists – Bruce Lehrmann – wander our streets!
I’m reading David Marr’s latest book – about the Native Police used to carry out dreadful massacres across northern NSW – continuing when they became the newly independent colony of Queensland from 1859 – Peter Dutton’s finger-pointing at those units in the lead up to the Referendum – omitting they were run by Anglo-Officers with support of the Anglo-Squattocracy (not all, mind) with their titled families back in the UK and their connections to those already in high office in Queensland – Dutton’s “copper” mates and their “inherited” disdain for First Australians clearly rubbing off on him. Blessings upon David Marr for this detailed and graphic account of what really went on across Queensland – in part his family story…
And thank you, too, JS for resurrecting the story of the Newcastle Harbour Coal Blockade!!! Jim K
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You cynic you!
Seriously though, good poem … and well done.
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