Pro-Choice Action Collective Brisbane

Pro Choice Action Collective are supporting a new committee that has formed in Brisbane in order to oppose the recently-announced and openly Nazi “Hammered Music Festival”, that is being planned for April 21 in our city.

The festival has been deemed legal by both Brisbane City Council and Queensland Police, despite the fact that politician Rob Messenger and others have found that the matter could be investigated by the police under the Anti-Discrimination Act. PCAC believes there is an increased urgency for anti-racist organisations and individuals to join forces and push for the government to intervene now, before moving into ‘caretaker mode’ on February 19, prior to the election.

Nazis are not only about racism and threatening minorities. They are also anti-abortion, anti=feminist and homophobic and PCAC will be taking part in community action to show they are not welcome here.

Find the committee on Facebook by searching “stop the hammered music festival”

Pro Choice Action Collective is helping to organise this year’s International Women’s Day rally, march and festival!

International Women’s Day 2012
No woman is free until all women are free
safety, equality, public services

Rally and march
Saturday March 10, 1pm
Queens Park (George St, behind Casino)
March to Kurilpa Hall for festival
(174 Boundary St, West End)

* End the NT Intervention
* Equal pay now: increase funding to public services
* Repeal all anti-abortion laws
* No mandatory “income management”
* Refugee rights now: end mandatory detention

For over a century, International Women’s Day has been marked by protests organised to highlight and build the campaigns for women’s rights. These days, the history of IWD is too often hidden behind the dazzle of corporate funded luncheons and government sponsored talk-fests. But that was never what the women’s liberation movement was about. The movement that founded International Women’s Day was one that set out to liberate all women. As long as sexism, misogyny, racism, queerphobia, transphobia, ableism and exploitation continue to oppress women here and around the world, then we need a women’s liberation movement. Because no women is free until all women are free.

This year’s IWD rally will highlight some of the many issues and campaigns that are being waged by women for justice and equality. It will demand an end to the NT Intervention; equal pay and an increase in funding to public services; a repeal of all anti-abortion laws; an end to “income management” and an end to mandatory detention. There will also be speakers to address issues faced by women prisoners; the campaign for the rights of transgender and transsexual women and the campaigns against sexual assault.

PCAC will be having a stall at ‘Reclaim the Mic: Celebrating Women in the Arts’, which is an event being held by QUT Women’s Collective to raise funds for their art show later in the year.

We will also be showing the video footage and photos that we have to kickstart the making of a documentary about the work that we’ve done so far. So come along if you’re interested in helping with our documentary. The details are:

When: Friday 7th October at 7pm
Where: QUT Kelvin Grove Guild Bar – C Block level 3.

Pro-Choice Action Collective (PCAC), a local group that is advocating for the repeal of Queensland’s anti-abortion laws, condemn the use of these laws in a domestic violence case in Brisbane.

“These charges aren’t about domestic violence, these charges are about finding a way to make the abortion laws relevant again,” said campaigner Emma Tovell.

“Typically in cases of assault leading to miscarriage a charge of grievous bodily harm is used. We see a direct connection between this case and the abortion charges that were laid on the couple in Cairns in 2009.”

“We are very sympathetic towards the woman involved, but don’t want to see abortion access in Queensland becoming further restricted as a result”.

For more information please contact Emma on 0422 763 225 or Corey on 0438 006 092

Original story at:

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/man-punched-girlfriend-to-make-her-miscarry-court-told-20110919-1khb7.html

Come hear Leslie Cannold discuss why abortion is still a fundamental issue for women and how we can – and must – campaign for change.

When: 6pm on Thursday 13 October

Where: Undumbi Room
Level 5
Parliamentary Annexe
Brisbane

RSVP by 6 October on ea@fpq.com.au or by calling 3250 0224

Don’t forget that tomorrow (Saturday) is a big day for defending a woman’s right to choose. Come help defend local abortion clinics against the ‘Walk for Little Feet’.

We will be meeting at 12:45 at Bowen Hills railway station.

Bring a hat, sunscreen, plenty of water and some packed lunch, as well as any banners and noise makers.

For more details, or if you rock up late and need to know where we are, call Corey on 0438 006 092.

Hello Pro-Choice Peeps!

The annual Walk for Little Feet is on again and we need a strong force to counteract it!

Date: 10th September
Time: 1:30pm – 4:30pm

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The Walk commences at 1.30pm from 8 Campbell St, Bowen Hills. It is a 3.5km walk to 383 Wickham Tce, Spring Hill, then a 4km walk to Parliament House via the Kurilpa Bridge, Grey Street and the Goodwill Bridge.
The Walk concludes at 4.15pm.
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Stay tuned for more details throughout the week.

There will be a final planning meeting tonight (Monday) from 6:30pm on level 2 of the TLC building in South Brisbane.

Cherish Life are organising their annual anti-choice rally “March for Little Feet”, and we need to organise to give voice to the vast majority of people in Queensland who believe that abortion is a woman’s right to choose. Our progressive boycotting of this event has seen it grow smaller and less influential. Come along and help plan. All pro-choice supporters welcome.

The details are:

6:30pm, Monday 29th August
Level 2, 16 Peel St, South Brisbane

Pro-Choice Action Collective are presenting a workshop as part of QUT Student Guild’s Safe and Sexy week. We will be discussing the theoretical and practical issues surrounding reproductive rights, including historical control of the female body and current legal and social hurdles to reproductive autonomy in Queensland. If you are interested the details are:

Wednesday 31st August, 5-6pm.
QUT Kelvin Grove – room to be announced.

Pro-Choice Action Collective planning meeting:

Monday April 11, 6:30pm
TLC Building (2nd floor), 16 Peel St, South Brisbane

Coming up in the PCAC calendar:
* contingent and stall at the LaboUr Day rally (May 2)
* counter-action against the anti-abortion “walk for little feet” (May 7)
* a contingent to the feminist conference in Melbourne on May 28-29
* plans are also underway to organise a massive protest rally before the state election to put abortion on the agenda

If you can’t make it to the planning meeting, but would like to help out with any of the activities, please give me a call: Kathy, 0400 720 757 or email prochoiceaction@gmail.com