Acknowledgement of Country//

Headlines//

We replay a conversation from Hong Kongology where host Katy spoke with Nazanin of Feminista Melbourne about women's rights and activism in Iran. Hong Kongology airs every Thursday on 3CR from 6-7PM.//

We listen back to a conversation Inez had with AJ from Melbourne Activist Legal Support in October 2023, which covered points of concern witnessed by legal observers and attendees at the Free Palestine Rally on the 15th of October 2023. This interview also included some tips on how to keep yourself safer at events and actions, an important listen in an era of escalating heightened police surveillance and violence against autonomous activists.//

Techno Park resident Lara Week joined us with updates about the campaign to save the homes of residents of Techno Park Drive in Williamstown, who were ordered to leave their homes last year after a decision by Hobsons Bay Council to enforce industrial zoning laws. Lara spoke about the upcoming march to Hobsons Bay Council this Tuesday the 9th of April to stop the mass eviction of families, pensioners and other vulnerable people from their homes at Techno Park.//

Joannie from racial justice organisation Democracy in Colour spoke with us about The Migration Amendment (Removal and Other Measures) Bill 2024, which seeks to grant the Minister for Immigration unprecedented new powers, including imposing a travel ban by preventing visa applications from deemed ‘removal concern countries.’ If passed into law, the legislation will confront people fleeing persecution, torture and death with a perilous choice: return to a place where they may be harmed or killed, or be detained in prison for refusing to comply with removal. It would also allow the Minister, and future governments, the discriminatory power to prohibit visa applications from entire national populations. Join the snap rally called by Tamil Refugee Council tomorrow, Friday the 5th of April at Flinders Street Steps, protesting the Bill. Follow Democracy in Colour on Instagram for details on how to demand politicians take a stand against this injustice, and to make a submission to the Parliamentary inquiry into the Bill (12th April deadline).//

Simona Castricum joins us to speak about her new consultancy practice Design 4 Trans and Gender Diverse, which aims to centre trans and gender diverse placemaking and belonging in spatial design. Challenging the cisheteropatriarchal status quo of built environments, Design 4 Trans and Gender Diverse will use research-led approaches to empower queer and trans communities to actively shape public and civic spaces according to their unique needs and aspirations. Simona is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Melbourne School of Design, University of Melbourne, developing transfeminist methodologies in architectural design, history, and theory.//