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Shanty towns and eviction riots: the radical history of Australia’s property market

<p>Skyrocketing property prices and an impossible rental market have seen growing numbers of Australians struggling to find a place to live.</p> <p>Recent images of families pitching tents or living out of cars evoke some of the more enduring scenes from the Great Depression. Australia was among the hardest hit countries when global wool and wheat prices plummeted in 1929.</p> <p>By 1931, many were feeling the effects of long-term unemployment, including widespread evictions from their homes. The evidence was soon seen and felt as shanty towns – known as dole camps – mushroomed in and around urban centres across the country.</p> <p>How we responded to that housing crisis, and how we talk about those events today, show how our attitudes about poverty, homelessness and welfare are entwined with questions of national identity.</p> <p><strong>Shanty towns and eviction riots</strong></p> <p>Sydney’s Domain, Melbourne’s Dudley Flats and the banks of the River Torrens in Adelaide were just a few places where communities of people experiencing homelessness <a href="https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1106767" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sprung up</a> in the early 1930s.</p> <p>Some <a href="https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1106767" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lived in tents</a>, others in makeshift shelters of iron, sacking, wood and other scavenged materials. Wooden crates, newspapers and flour and wheat sacks were put to numerous inventive domestic uses, such as for furniture and blankets. Camps were rife with lice, fevers and dysentery, all treated with home remedies.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/469663/original/file-20220620-23-cm58ov.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/469663/original/file-20220620-23-cm58ov.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/469663/original/file-20220620-23-cm58ov.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=837&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/469663/original/file-20220620-23-cm58ov.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=837&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/469663/original/file-20220620-23-cm58ov.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=837&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/469663/original/file-20220620-23-cm58ov.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1052&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/469663/original/file-20220620-23-cm58ov.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1052&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/469663/original/file-20220620-23-cm58ov.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1052&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><em><span class="caption">Some people lived in tents in the Domain during the Depression of the 1930s.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://search.slv.vic.gov.au/primo-explore/fulldisplay?vid=MAIN&amp;search_scope=Everything&amp;tab=default_tab&amp;lang=en_US&amp;context=L&amp;isFrbr=true&amp;docid=SLV_VOYAGER1713846" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Knights, Bert/State Library of Victoria</a></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p>But many Australians fought eviction from their homes in a widespread series of protests and interventions known as the <a href="https://commonslibrary.org/lock-out-the-landlords-australian-anti-eviction-resistance/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">anti-eviction movement</a>.</p> <p>As writer Iain McIntyre outlines in his work <a href="https://commonslibrary.org/lock-out-the-landlords-australian-anti-eviction-resistance/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lock Out The Landlords: Australian Anti-Eviction Resistance 1929-1936</a>, these protests were an initiative of members of the Unemployed Workers Movement – a kind of trade union of the jobless.</p> <p>As <a href="https://rahu.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Sydneys-Anti-Eviction-Movement_-Community-or-Conspiracy_.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explained</a> by writers Nadia Wheatley and Drew Cottle,</p> <blockquote> <p>With the dole being given in the form of goods or coupons rather than as cash, it was impossible for many unemployed workers to pay rent. In working class suburbs, it was common to see bailiffs dumping furniture onto the footpath, pushing women and children onto the street. Even more common was the sight of strings of boarded up terrace houses, which nobody could afford to rent. If anything demonstrated the idiocy as well as the injustice of the capitalist system it was the fact that in many situations the landlords did not even gain anything from evicting people.</p> </blockquote> <p>The Unemployed Workers Movement <a href="https://rahu.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Sydneys-Anti-Eviction-Movement_-Community-or-Conspiracy_.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">goal</a> was to</p> <blockquote> <p>Organise vigilance committees in neighbourhoods to patrol working class districts and resist by mass action the eviction of unemployed workers from their houses, or attempts on behalf of bailiffs to remove furniture, or gas men to shut off the gas supply.</p> </blockquote> <p>Methods of resistance were varied in practice. Often threats were <a href="https://rahu.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Sydneys-Anti-Eviction-Movement_-Community-or-Conspiracy_.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sufficient</a> to keep a landlord from evicting a family.</p> <p>If not, a common <a href="https://rahu.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Sydneys-Anti-Eviction-Movement_-Community-or-Conspiracy_.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tactic</a> was for a large group of activists and neighbours to gather outside the house on eviction day and physically prevent the eviction. Sometimes this led to street fights with <a href="https://commonslibrary.org/lock-out-the-landlords-australian-anti-eviction-resistance/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">police</a>. Protestors sometimes <a href="https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1106767" target="_blank" rel="noopener">returned</a> in the wake of a successful eviction to raid and vandalise the property.</p> <p>Protestors went under armed siege in houses barricaded with sandbags and barbed wire. This culminated in a <a href="http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/ANZLawHisteJl/2007/2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">series</a> of bloody battles with police in Sydney’s suburbs in mid-1931, and numerous arrests.</p> <p><strong>It’s not just what happened – it’s how we talk about it</strong></p> <p>Narratives both reflect and shape our world. Written history is interesting not just for the things that happened in the past, but for how we tell them.</p> <p>Just as the catastrophic effects of the 1929 crash were entwined with the escalating struggle between extreme left and right political ideologies, historians and writers have since taken various and even opposing viewpoints when it comes to interpreting the events of Australia’s Depression years and ascribing meaning to them.</p> <p>Was it a time of quiet stoicism that brought out the best in us as “battlers” and fostered a spirit of mateship that underpins who we are as a nation?</p> <p>Or did we push our fellow Australians onto the streets and into tin shacks and make people feel ashamed for needing help? As Wendy Lowenstein wrote in her landmark work of Depression oral history, <a href="https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/69032" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Weevils in the Flour</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>Common was the conviction that the most important thing was to own your own house, to keep out of debt, to be sober, industrious, and to mind your own business. One woman says, ‘My husband was out of work for five years during the Depression and no one ever knew […] Not even my own parents.’</p> </blockquote> <p>This part of our history remains contested and narratives from this period - about “lifters and leaners” or the Australian “dream” of home ownership, for example – persist today.</p> <p>As Australia’s present housing crisis deepens, it’s worth highlighting we have been through housing crises before. Public discussion about housing and its relationship to poverty remain – as was the case in the Depression era – emotionally and politically charged.</p> <p>Our Depression-era shanty towns and eviction protests, as well as the way we remember them, are a reminder that what people say and do about the housing crisis today is not just about facts and figures. Above all, it reflects what we value and who we think we are.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/185129/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/helen-dinmore-1000747" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Helen Dinmore</a>, Research Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of South Australia</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/shanty-towns-and-eviction-riots-the-radical-history-of-australias-property-market-185129" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: <a href="https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-160054430/view" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NLA/Trove</a></em></p>

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Shanty towns and eviction riots: the radical history of Australia’s property market

<p>Skyrocketing property prices and an impossible rental market have seen growing numbers of Australians struggling to find a place to live. </p> <p>Recent images of families pitching tents or living out of cars evoke some of the more enduring scenes from the Great Depression. Australia was among the hardest hit countries when global wool and wheat prices plummeted in 1929.</p> <p>By 1931, many were feeling the effects of long-term unemployment, including widespread evictions from their homes. The evidence was soon seen and felt as shanty towns – known as dole camps – mushroomed in and around urban centres across the country. </p> <p>How we responded to that housing crisis, and how we talk about those events today, show how our attitudes about poverty, homelessness and welfare are entwined with questions of national identity.</p> <h2>Shanty towns and eviction riots</h2> <p>Sydney’s Domain, Melbourne’s Dudley Flats and the banks of the River Torrens in Adelaide were just a few places where communities of people experiencing homelessness <a href="https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1106767">sprung up</a> in the early 1930s.</p> <p>Some <a href="https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1106767">lived in tents</a>, others in makeshift shelters of iron, sacking, wood and other scavenged materials. Wooden crates, newspapers and flour and wheat sacks were put to numerous inventive domestic uses, such as for furniture and blankets. Camps were rife with lice, fevers and dysentery, all treated with home remedies.</p> <p>But many Australians fought eviction from their homes in a widespread series of protests and interventions known as the <a href="https://commonslibrary.org/lock-out-the-landlords-australian-anti-eviction-resistance/">anti-eviction movement</a>. </p> <p>As writer Iain McIntyre outlines in his work <a href="https://commonslibrary.org/lock-out-the-landlords-australian-anti-eviction-resistance/">Lock Out The Landlords: Australian Anti-Eviction Resistance 1929-1936</a>, these protests were an initiative of members of the Unemployed Workers Movement – a kind of trade union of the jobless.</p> <p>As <a href="https://rahu.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Sydneys-Anti-Eviction-Movement_-Community-or-Conspiracy_.pdf">explained</a> by writers Nadia Wheatley and Drew Cottle, "With the dole being given in the form of goods or coupons rather than as cash, it was impossible for many unemployed workers to pay rent. In working class suburbs, it was common to see bailiffs dumping furniture onto the footpath, pushing women and children onto the street. Even more common was the sight of strings of boarded up terrace houses, which nobody could afford to rent. If anything demonstrated the idiocy as well as the injustice of the capitalist system it was the fact that in many situations the landlords did not even gain anything from evicting people." </p> <p>The Unemployed Workers Movement <a href="https://rahu.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Sydneys-Anti-Eviction-Movement_-Community-or-Conspiracy_.pdf">goal</a> was to, "Organise vigilance committees in neighbourhoods to patrol working class districts and resist by mass action the eviction of unemployed workers from their houses, or attempts on behalf of bailiffs to remove furniture, or gas men to shut off the gas supply."</p> <p>Methods of resistance were varied in practice. Often threats were <a href="https://rahu.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Sydneys-Anti-Eviction-Movement_-Community-or-Conspiracy_.pdf">sufficient</a> to keep a landlord from evicting a family. </p> <p>If not, a common <a href="https://rahu.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Sydneys-Anti-Eviction-Movement_-Community-or-Conspiracy_.pdf">tactic</a> was for a large group of activists and neighbours to gather outside the house on eviction day and physically prevent the eviction. Sometimes this led to street fights with <a href="https://commonslibrary.org/lock-out-the-landlords-australian-anti-eviction-resistance/">police</a>. Protestors sometimes <a href="https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1106767">returned</a> in the wake of a successful eviction to raid and vandalise the property.</p> <p>Protestors went under armed siege in houses barricaded with sandbags and barbed wire. This culminated in a <a href="http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/ANZLawHisteJl/2007/2.pdf">series</a> of bloody battles with police in Sydney’s suburbs in mid-1931, and numerous arrests.</p> <h2>It’s not just what happened – it’s how we talk about it</h2> <p>Narratives both reflect and shape our world. Written history is interesting not just for the things that happened in the past, but for how we tell them.</p> <p>Just as the catastrophic effects of the 1929 crash were entwined with the escalating struggle between extreme left and right political ideologies, historians and writers have since taken various and even opposing viewpoints when it comes to interpreting the events of Australia’s Depression years and ascribing meaning to them.</p> <p>Was it a time of quiet stoicism that brought out the best in us as “battlers” and fostered a spirit of mateship that underpins who we are as a nation?</p> <p>Or did we push our fellow Australians onto the streets and into tin shacks and make people feel ashamed for needing help? As Wendy Lowenstein wrote in her landmark work of Depression oral history, <a href="https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/69032">Weevils in the Flour</a>: "Common was the conviction that the most important thing was to own your own house, to keep out of debt, to be sober, industrious, and to mind your own business. One woman says, ‘My husband was out of work for five years during the Depression and no one ever knew […] Not even my own parents.’"</p> <p>This part of our history remains contested and narratives from this period - about “lifters and leaners” or the Australian “dream” of home ownership, for example – persist today.</p> <p>As Australia’s present housing crisis deepens, it’s worth highlighting we have been through housing crises before. Public discussion about housing and its relationship to poverty remain – as was the case in the Depression era – emotionally and politically charged.</p> <p>Our Depression-era shanty towns and eviction protests, as well as the way we remember them, are a reminder that what people say and do about the housing crisis today is not just about facts and figures. Above all, it reflects what we value and who we think we are.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/shanty-towns-and-eviction-riots-the-radical-history-of-australias-property-market-185129" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

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John Howard slammed over “bloody arrogant” comments

<p>Former prime minister John Howard has come under fire after he said he didn’t believe Australia had any existing underlying racism issues.</p> <p>Mr Howard, 81, spoke candidly on ABC’s <em>Australia Talks</em> on Monday night, making it clear to host Nazeem Hussain that he did not believe the 2005 Cronulla Beach riots were fuelled by racism.</p> <p>It is not a far cry from the same sentiments he had made in the aftermath 16 years ago, as prime minister.</p> <p>Thousands rallied in Cronulla to "protest", after it was reported two volunteer surf lifesavers were assaulted when they responded to complaints of young men with a Middle Eastern appearance who were verbally harassing girls on the beach in Sutherland Shire.</p> <p>A text message that went around the suburbs labelled the day of the riot as a “Leb and Wog bashing day.”</p> <p>While numbers are not clear, several people with Middle Eastern appearances were violently assaulted.</p> <p>Mr Howard appeared on Australia Talks and was probed for whether he agreed with a National Survey that ruled 76 per cent of 60,000 Australians said the nation is lurking with underlying racism.</p> <p>"That has not been my experience. I have to respectfully, to that 76 per cent, say I don't think there is underlying racism in Australia," he responded.</p> <p>He went on to say that while he does believe there are racists in Australia, it is a “supremely pessimistic view” to suggest there is a racism problem in the country.</p> <p>His comments did not sit well with viewers at home, with dozens taking to social media to accuse him of being detached from reality.</p> <p>ABC radio host Beverly Wang took to Twitter to say it was obvious a white male being asked about racism would say he hadn’t experienced it.</p> <p>"Yes that can be his answer but it doesn't speak to the reality of systemic racism, which definitely exists," she said.</p> <p>One woman went on to call his remarks “bloody arrogant”.</p> <p>Activist and equality advocate Tarang Chawla, the brother of Nikita Chawla who was murdered by her husband in 2015, said it is time for those who deny racism to open the ears.</p> <p>"Hearing former PM John Howard say it's pessimistic to think there's underlying racism in Australia tells me that he, like other men with privilege, have little knowledge of what life is like for many of us," he wrote.</p>

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Acting PM slammed for his take on Capitol riot: “beyond disgusting”

<p><span>Australia’s acting prime minister, Michael McCormack has said “all lives matter” after defending his statements that equated the assault on the US Capitol with Black Lives Matter protests.</span><br /><br /><span>The politician doubled down on his use of the inflammatory "all lives matter" slogan after saying </span><span>19 people died in America's anti-racism demonstrations and refused to issue an apology for saying there were similarities between the two events.</span><br /><br /><span>“There was destruction. There was uninsured property that business owners then have to dig deep into their own pockets to rebuild. And then of course there’s lives lost,” he said on Tuesday.</span><br /><br /><span>“I appreciate there are a lot of people out there who are being a bit bleeding heart about this, and who are conflicting outrage.</span><br /><br /><span>“But they should know that those lives matter, too. All lives matter.”</span><br /><br /><span>Mr McCormack said he abhorred the violence seen during the Capitol riot, but flat out refused to condemn Donald Trump for inciting the assault.</span><br /><br /><span>"All lives matter" is a slogan that has been pedalled by Pauline Hanson and other far-right figures across the world in response to Black Lives Matter.</span><br /><br /><span>Labor frontbencher Chris Bowen said Mr McCormack should apologise for saying there were any similarities between violence designed to undermine democracy and peaceful anti-racism protests.</span><br /><br /><span>"Australians of colour deserve to know that the government thinks more of them than that," Mr Bowen said to reporters in Sydney.</span><br /><br /><span>"To have the acting prime minister spout the words all lives matter to diminish the Black Lives Matter movement was beyond disgusting."</span><br /><br /><span>Mr McCormack has also been slammed for refusing to rebuke a Liberal MP for declaring that making children wear face masks was akin to child abuse.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7839444/daily-4-3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/1b073f66d7f84b5dabe3f0624f869c33" /></p> <p><em>Craig Kelly</em><br /><br /><span>Liberal backbench MP Craig Kelly posted on his Facebook page early on Tuesday morning that the results of a published study into mask-wearing by children during the pandemic showed devastating impacts that were just as bad as child abuse. .</span><br /><br /><span>“What other conclusion can be drawn from this first ever published study, other than that forcing children to wear masks is causing massive physical &amp; psychological harm – that can only be defined as child abuse,” Kelly wrote.</span></p>

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Trump supporter killed during US Capitol rioting identified

<p>Just before Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt was shot dead at the US Capitol after breaking in, she took to Twitter to share her reasons for doing so.</p> <p>“Nothing will stop us … they can try and try and try but the storm is here and it is descending upon DC in less than 24 hours … dark to light!” wrote the 35-year-old.</p> <p>While she predicted a storm correctly, she probably didn't expect to pay the ultimate price in the end, as she fought to keep Donald Trump in office as President.</p> <p>She was killed after breaking into the Capitol Building during the electoral college vote to confirm Joe Biden's win, and her death has caused outrage throughout America.</p> <p>DC Police Chief Robert Contee revealed she had been shot by US Capitol Police.</p> <p>Footage of the graphic shooting began circulating on the internet.</p> <p>She was later removed from the building on a stretcher and died in hospital later in the day, according to officials.</p> <p>Ms Babbitt was identified to KUSI-TV by husband Aaron, who said she was extremely dedicated to Trump and was a veteran of 14 years.</p> <p>Ms Babbitt's mother-in-law Robin Babbitt spoke to the New York Post about the family loss.</p> <p>“I’m numb. I’m devastated. Nobody from DC notified my son and we found out on TV,” Robin Babbitt said, adding her son’s wife was “a Trump supporter”.</p> <p>Ms Babbitt's death prompted angry reactions from the American public.</p> <p>“When Black people are shot dead by police, there is a postmortem character assassination.</p> <p>When a white woman is killed by police storming the Capital, there is character redemption,” wrote Harvard professor CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Cornell William Brooks on Twitter.</p> <p>“Every news story refers to #AshliBabbitt not as an #insurrectionist, but a veteran.”</p> <p>Twitter uses said they had "zero sympathy" for a "terrorist" killed while taking part in "insurrection".</p> <p>“Play stupid games win stupid prizes,” one wrote, while another posted: “How’d it work out for you? Was it worth it?”</p>

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The Pete Evans post even his fans are disgusted by

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p>Celebrity chef Pete Evans is no stranger to controversy. His devoted fans on social media have stood by his side as he warned them against the dangers of 5G.</p> <p>However, his latest posts have alienated even those most loyal to him.</p> <p>Evans posted a video of a speech given by US President Donald Trump about the recent protests after the death of George Floyd in police custody.</p> <p>In the speech, Trump explains that states should “dominate the streets” with police and national guard troops to stop the violence. If the violence did not stop, Trump said he’d send the US military in and “quickly solve the problem”.</p> <p>Evans just posted a love heart emoji underneath the speech, which angered his followers.</p> <p>"I've looked up to with your consistent messaging of peace and love. So, the fact that you're endorsing this man and/or his fight fire with fire proposal is truly appalling," said one.</p> <p>"Listen to people of colour's voices and experiences. Amplify their voices. Be an ally to them and use your platform for them just as much as you do for a misogynist who openly talks about women as objects, creates tension and divide as a leader on Twitter," said another.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CA6YJYBD1Tf/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CA6YJYBD1Tf/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Pete Evans (@chefpeteevans)</a> on Jun 1, 2020 at 5:14pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Evans responded to one comment that asked why he was focused on Trump.</p> <p>"Why are you obsessing on a narcissistic war monger? You are inciting by default a war between your followers,” one follower asked.</p> <p>Evans replied: "I am not doing anything other than sharing information that may not be seen through normal channels. How you interpret is based on your beliefs".</p> <p>Despite backlash from his followers, he appears to have doubled down on his stance, saying that people should “stop taking the bait and being spoon fed by the media”.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CA7vC5qD-ia/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CA7vC5qD-ia/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Pete Evans (@chefpeteevans)</a> on Jun 2, 2020 at 5:51am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Evans captioned the post, inviting his followers to “read and feel into these words that someone sent me”.</p> <p>Many of his followers agreed with the post, saying that “media is the real virus” and “the sooner we wake up to that, the sooner we can all live in harmony”.</p> </div> </div> </div>

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Sunrise crew “worse for wear” after police attack during George Floyd protests

<p><span>Seven News reporter Amelia Brace has provided a grim update on her and her cameraman’s condition after police officers “turned on” them as they reported on protests in Washington DC.</span></p> <p><span>Brace and Timothy Myers ACS were reporting live from the White House to provide an update on the ongoing protests at Washington DC when they were aggressively pushed and hit by heavily-armed police.</span></p> <p><span>The incident occurred at 6:30 pm as police began shoving crowds 30 minutes before a curfew was due to come into effect and went to air live on Australian television.</span></p> <p><span>Appearing on </span><em>Sunrise</em><span> this morning, Brace said they were both “worse for wear” today, admitting they were probably running on “adrenaline” in the wake of the attack.</span></p> <p><span>"I can feel across the back of my shoulders where I got whacked by the baton, and we have these welts from the rubber bullets - it's similar to if you got shot too closely by a paintball gun," the reporter explained.</span></p> <p><span>"We just are glad that the bullets were rubber and not real bullets - I would have panicked if I hadn't realised that it was not a real bullet."</span></p> <p><span>While Brace was in the firing line of police yesterday, it was Myers that appeared to have suffered the most, with footage showing an officer hitting him with a riot shield before punching him in the face.</span></p> <p><span>"He's a bit flat today - but the way Tim handled the situation yesterday was just amazing," Brace said of her colleague.</span></p> <p><span>"He really copped it at the start there, and then to go on to get rubber bullets to the back and then the tear gas... We had to really keep our heads down to try to avoid the gases as we were trying to sneak through the crowd, just desperately trying to get away from those police officers.</span></p> <p><span>"It was a terrifying experience, but we came through it, and an hour later, I finally had a chance to give him a hug and say, 'Are you OK?'"</span></p> <p><span>Brace, who is a full-time US correspondent for Seven News, was disappointed by what she had witnessed that day.</span></p> <p><span>"I am really disappointed... It's not just about the media and the fact that we were attacked while we were doing our job, but it's the fact that it was before curfew," she told </span><em>Sunrise</em><span> hosts David Koch and Samantha Armytage.</span></p> <p><span>"Every single person had a legal right to be there and to see these people tear-gassed, to make way for a photo opportunity for the president, is just outrageous.</span></p> <p><span>"This is not the United States that I know at the moment. It's a police state, martial law, and to see civilians treated like that is really upsetting."</span></p>

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Sunrise reporter Amelia Brace and cameraman attacked by police live on air

<p><span>A Channel 7 reporter and her cameraman reporting from Washington DC have been knocked down by police in shocking footage which is now going viral on social media.</span></p> <p><em>Sunrise</em><span> reporter Amelia Brace was live from the White House, providing updates on the escalating conditions with her freelance cameraman. </span></p> <p><span>Timothy Myers ACS, ahead of Donald Trump’s speech this morning when heavily-armed police began aggressively pushing the crowd back.</span></p> <p><span>Brace and Myers attempted to hide behind a wall as the stampede took place, but were spotted by heavily-armed officers, who quickly shoved them both back and punched the cameraman. </span></p> <p><span>The entire scene unfolded on live TV:</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Watch the shocking moment <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7NEWS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7NEWS</a> reporter <a href="https://twitter.com/AmeliaBrace?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AmeliaBrace</a> and our cameraman were knocked over by a police officer LIVE on air after chaos erupted in Washington DC. <a href="https://t.co/R8KJLnfxPN">pic.twitter.com/R8KJLnfxPN</a></p> — Sunrise (@sunriseon7) <a href="https://twitter.com/sunriseon7/status/1267587976986427393?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2020</a></blockquote> <p><span>The disturbing footage was captured on camera by US ABC reporter Ben Siegel, who shared it on Twitter, attracting thousands of retweets within minutes.</span></p> <p><span>A moment later, </span><em>Sunrise</em><span> hosts David Koch and Samantha Armytage checked in on the pair, who were also recovering from a dose of tear gas and rubber bullets deployed by police into the crowd.</span></p> <p><span>“We’re not too bad, it’s actually the tear gas that gets you,” Brace admitted. </span></p> <p><span>“As I tried to continue speaking to you (during the earlier live cross), I could barely breathe and it’s really hard to continue speaking during that.</span></p> <p><span>“I also got a rubber bullet to the backside, and Tim got one at the back of the neck – so we’ll have a few bruises tomorrow.”</span></p> <p><span>Brace praised her co-worker, who got “smashed’ as he protected her from police.</span></p> <p><span>“I’m very grateful for him, he’s a very experienced cameraman and has worked in war zones, so I felt very comfortable with him leading me out there, and he did a wonderful job.”</span></p> <p><span>The reporter went on to say that the two were trapped with “no escape” as the crowds were aggressively pushed back before Trump’s arrival.</span></p> <p><span>“There’s really just no escape at that point. We had the National Guard behind us, and the police coming though, and there was nowhere for us to go,” Brace explained.</span></p> <p><span>“We had no choice but to hide in a corner hoping that they (police) passed by, but as you can see from those pictures … They did not.”</span></p> <p><span>Despite the shocking footage, Myers insisted he was “fine”.</span></p> <p><span>“While this wasn’t meant to be a story - the police did have a job to do. They chose a heavy-handed tactic to get it done. </span></p> <p><span>The way the crowd was goading them prior to the incident, I am not surprised at their approach,” he told </span><em>news.com.au</em><span>.</span></p> <p><span>“Though I am disgusted at the officer who swung his baton at the back of my colleague’s head after she had clearly identified herself as a journalist and while she was retreating.”</span></p>

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Mass riots in rural town force hundreds to flee

<p>A violent disturbance in the Queensland town of Aurukun has seen about 300 people fleeing, with the state government sending in disaster response experts.</p> <p>More than one-fifth of the town’s 1,400 population have evacuated to other communities throughout Cape York after the alleged murder of a 37-year-old man triggered violence and arson on New Year’s Day.</p> <p>Eight homes were torched, prompting many residents to flee to a makeshift camp about 80km from the town, <em><a href="https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/disaster-response-expert-sent-to-aurukun-20200129-p53vp7.html">AAP</a> </em>reported. Others went to nearby communities including Coen, Hope Vale, Kowanyama, Laura, Mapoon, Napranum and Pormpuraaw.</p> <p>29 people have been arrested and charged with 120 offences related to the riots.</p> <p>Far North Queensland Senior Sergeant Duane Amos and officer Tracey Harding have been called in as response co-ordinators. The two are tasked with leading “a coordinated, case-management approach to addressing the current needs of displaced Aurukun residents”.</p> <p>Additional police have been deployed to Aurukun to maintain calm amid <a href="https://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/aurukun-riots-duane-amos-and-tracey-harding-to-help-displaced-refugees/news-story/2bb361e16262db24e1b6de1679859ef6">threat of ongoing violence</a> as work continues to repair damaged properties in the city.</p>

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Hong Kong riots: Teenage protester shot with live round as violence escalates

<p>A Hong Kong police officer shot a teenage protester at close range as authorities and pro-democracy activists came head-to-head in a fierce clash on Tuesday.</p> <p>Previously, officers have been known to fire warning shots in the air on multiple occasions during months of conflict in Hong Kong, but this was the first time a protester is known to have been shot.</p> <p>The officer in question fired the single pistol shot as protesters surrounded him with the bullet hitting an 18-year-old on the left side of his shoulder said police spokeswoman Yolanda Yu.</p> <p>Police Commissioner Stephen Lo said the bullet hit the 18-year-old on the left side of his chest and defended the officer’s actions as “reasonable and lawful”.</p> <p>Authority at Hong Kong’s hospital said the young boy was one of two people in critical condition after riots continued around the city, with a total of 51 people injured.</p> <p>The violence challenging Chinese rule came just as the Communist Party celebrated its 70th year in power.</p> <p>According to Ms Yu, the victim was shot after repeatedly ignoring police despite their warnings.</p> <p>“The police officers’ lives were under serious threat,” she said. “To save his own life and his colleagues’ lives, he fired a live shot at the assailant.”</p> <p>The movement has quickly turned into an anti-China campaign as activists demand for direct elections for the city’s leaders and police accountability.</p>

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