From: mwatts-AT-fisher.biz.usyd.edu.au
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 1997 15:58:19 +1000
Subject: AUT: Re: LORENZO IS FREE


> Date:          Fri, 11 Jul 1997 10:37:31 +1000 (EST)
> From:          donna <donna-AT-anarki.net>
> Reply-to:      donna <donna-AT-anarki.net>
> To:            organise-AT-geocities.com, anarchy-list-AT-cwi.nl, ANFLOOD-AT-macollamh.ucd.ie,
>                D.Y.COULL-AT-dundee.ac.uk, oneunion-AT-list.uncanny.net, prisondesk-AT-igc.org,
>                black.flag-AT-qnet.org.uk, dckom-AT-atlcom.net, iww-news-AT-igc.apc.org,
>                sthlmsanarkister-AT-hotmail.com
> Cc:            aut-op-sy-AT-jefferson.village.Virginia.EDU, sjwright-AT-vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au,
>                leftlink-AT-vicnet.net.au, pauline-AT-dish.gla.ac.uk,
>                mwatts-AT-fisher.biz.usyd.edu.au
> Subject:       LORENZO IS FREE

> The Commonwealth Court in Brisbane, Australia, today granted bail to
> Lorenzo Kom'boa Ervin and ordered his immediate release from the maximum
> security prison where he has been incarcerated for the last three days.
> Solicitors are on their way to Sir Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre now
> to pick him up.  This means Lorenzo is free, at least until Monday, 14th
> July, when the High Court will hear an appeal against the government's
> application to have Lorenzo deported.
> Congratulations and thanks go out to all Lorenzo's supporters and
> comrades; keep the pressure on...Lorenzo must be allowed to stay in
> Australia for the duration of his visit.
> More news on this soon.
>  
==============================
FYI:  THE FOLLOWING WAS SENT OUT ON 10.7.97

I HAVE DISCUSSED THE LORENZO ERVIN CASE WITH REPORTERS SANS 
FRONTIERES (RSF) (REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS) 
IN PARIS LAST NITE (10.7.97)  - WHO DO CONSIDER LORENZO ERVIN AS A 
JOURNALIST AND WILL BE SENDING (OR MAY ALREADY HAVE SENT)
PROTEST TO AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT RE HIS ARREST AND POSSIBLE 
DEPORTATION..   MW 
>============================== 
From:             FISHER_LAB/MWATTS
Organization:     Fisher Lab
To:               N.Braumann-AT-tu-bs.de
Date sent:        Thu, 10 Jul 1997 15:51:15 +1000
Subject:          Re: ANTIFA MW WR 7 Black Autonomist Jailed In
Australia! Copies to:        MWATTS



==============RN 3147 MW 7   10.7.97


ADD INFORMATION RE 
LORENZO KOM'B'BOA ERVIN CASE
RN 3147

HIS LAWYER IS:

 TERRY FISHER

TEL 61 (0) 7 3846 5399
FAX 61 (0) 7 3846 5899

AS OF WEDNESDAY EVENING AUSTR EASTERN TIME 
LORENZO HAD BEEN JAILED IN BRISBANE, QUEENSLAND.

HE STILL RISKS IMMEDIATE DEPORTATION DESPITE A VERBAL
AGREEMENT BETWEEN IMMIGRATION DEPT AND HIS LAWYER TERRY
FISHER (SEE ABOVE) THAT THERE WOULD BE NO PREEMPTING A COURT
DECISION.

DURING HIS ARREST LORENZO HAD HIS ARMS HANDCUFFED BEHIND HIS
BACK AND WAS THEN PUSHED INTO A WALL - BREAKING HIS GLASSES.
  ACTION BY IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS, AIDED BY THE (WELL-KNOWN
FOR THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR) QUEENSLAND POLICE.

==========================
THERE HAS BEEN MUCH CONTINUED MEDIA INTEREST INCLUDING
EDITORIALS IN 
- SYDNEY MORNING HERALD AND
- AUSTRALIAN
TODAY (10 JULY).

MANY LETTERS TO THE EDITORS, CONDEMNING HOWARD/HANSON
ACTION/POLICY.

THESE HAVE INCLUDED REMINDERS OF THE EGON "ERWIN" (no joke
!) KISCH CASE OF NOVEMBER 1934 - SEE BELOW:
===================
EGON ERWIN KISCH, A WORLD-FAMOUS CZECH WRITER AND
JOURNALIST, HAD BEEN AN EARLY INMATE OF GERMAN
"KONZENTRATION" CAMPS.

HE HAD BEEN ARRESTED IN BERLIN IN 1933, BUT WAS RELEASED AS
A CZECH CITIZEN AFTER SEEING THE SYSTEM FROM THE INSIDE.  

KISCH HAD BEEN INVITED TO COME TO MELBOURNE FOR THE 100TH
ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS OF "WHITE MELBOURNE" BY A SMALL
ANTI-FASCIST GROUP TO INFORM AUSTRALIANS ABOUT THE  - THEN
STILL ALMOST UNKNOWN HERE - BEHAVIOR OF THE NEW, HITLER,
GERMANY.

THERE WAS A VEHEMENT PROTEST AGAINST KISCH'ES VISIT BY NO,
NOT PAULINE HANSOM BUT THE AMBASSADOR OF THE GERMAN 3RD
REICH, WHO CLAIMED KISCH WOULD INSULT THE RESPECTABLE LEADER
OF A FRIENDLY GOVERNMENT, CHANCELLOR ADOLF HITLER.

1/  THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT IMMEDIATELY AGREED TO BAR
KISCH FROM "SETTING FOOT ONTO AUSTRALIAN SOIL".

2/   THE ACTUAL BARRING WAS INITIALLY ATTEMPTED BY A TILL
THEN UNKNOWN ATTORNEY GENERAL CALLED ROBERT MENZIES.

3/  THE INITIAL REASON GIVEN WAS THAT KISCH WAS "KNOWN TO BE
A COMMUNIST"  (THE GERMANS HAD SAID SO...) 

4/  KISCH PARTICIPATED IN A LIVELY SERIES OF QUAY SIDE 
MEETINGS WHILE HIS SHIP WAS BERTHED IN MELBOURNE.

HE "SET FOOT UPON AUSTRALIAN SOIL" BY JUMPING ONTO THE QUAY
IN MELBOURNE AS THE SS STRATHCAIRD PULLED AWAY, BREAKING HIS
LEG IN THE PROCESS.   THE SHIP WAS CALLED BACK AND KISCH WAS
CARRIED BACK ON BOARD.   

5/  BY THE TIME THE STRATHCAIRD ARRIVED IN SYDNEY THE NSW
SUPREME COURT (NO DOCUMENTS HERE, I AM WORKING FROM MEMORY)
HAD DECIDED THAT THE HITLER GOVERNMENT'S ACCUSATION OF
"COMMUNISM" WAS INSUFFICIENT AND KISCH - ON A STRETCHER -
WAS ALLOWED ASHORE.

6/  HE WAS PROMPTLY DETAINED AND GIVEN A "SCOTTISH GAELIC"
DICTATION TEST.   CONTRARY TO POPULAR MYTH HE DID NOT FAIL
THIS TEST, BUT CALLED OUT FROM THE POLICE STATION:  "THIS
WILL MAKE AUSTRALIA THE LAUGHING STOCK OF THE WORLD !"    IT
DID. 

7/  KISCH WAS THEN ARRESTED AS AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT AND
TAKEN TO A SYDNEY HOSPITAL WHERE HE WAS CHAINED TO A BED AND
CONSTANTLY GUARDED BY POLICE, UNTIL THE NSW SUPREME COURT
DECIDED THAT

SCOTTISH GAELIC WAS NOT AN EUROPEAN LANGUAGE UNDER THE
MEANING OF THE 

"WHITE AUSTRALIA"

IMMIGRATION ACT.

8/  HE WAS RELEASED, CARRIED TRIUMPHANTLY IN PARADES AND
PARTICIPATED IN MANY MEETINGS ATTENDED BY TENS OF THOUSANDS;
 AS HE SAID  FAR, FAR MORE THAN HAD THERE BEEN NO ATTEMPT TO
BAR HIM.


THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT WAS COVERED WITH RIDICULE.  

MANY HISTORIANS BELIEVE THE KISCH CASE WAS A TURNING POINT
IN AUSTRALIAN POLITICS, SIGNALLING THE REBIRTH OF A
(COMMUNIST LED) LEFT.


============================
 IN THE NEW "ERVIN"  CASE - BY PURE CHANCE LORENZO IS ALSO
 50 !
THERE HAVE BEEN PLAINTIVE BLEATS BY HOWARD GOVERNMENT
MINISTERS THAT THEY ARE "NOT RACIST".  

 "WE ARE ONLY DOING (PAULINE HANSOM'S WORK FOR
HER) THIS  BECAUSE ERVIN IS A (ONCE CONVICTED) CRIMINAL."

IT REMAINS UNCLEAR WHETHER FROM NOW ON AUSTRALIA WILL BAR
ALL ONCE CONVICTED BLACK PANTHERS, SOME OF WHOM SEEM TO HAVE
BECOME QUITE RESPECTABLE IN THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION
AND/OR THE OLYMPICS COMMITTEES....

MORE LATER ?

 MAX WATTS
================== SEE ALSO SEPARTE EMAIL:
From:          Norbert Braumann <i0080109-AT-ws.rz.tu-bs.de> >
Subject:       ANTIFA INFO-BULLETIN, Black Autonomist Jailed


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