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The government in Yemen is becoming more desperate amid continuing protests across the country calling for the removal of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Tensions came to a head when security forces fired on protesters at a university in the capital Sana'a, killing one person and wounding many others, AlJazeera.net said on March 9. Security forces also gassed the crowd with what is alleged to be nerve gas, SMH.com said on March 10. Despite the attack, thousands of protesters defied police and continued occupying the university square, AlJazeera.net said.
One hundred people rallied in Wollongong on March 5 in solidarity with the peoples鈥 uprising against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. The rally heard from Libyan students who spoke of the brutality of Gaddafi's regime and the need for democracy. They urged the Australian government to pressure Gaddafi to step down.
For every dollar the Australian government spends on cutting carbon pollution, it spends $11 encouraging it, new research from the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) has revealed. ACF said on March 1 that its analysis showed: 鈥淭he Australian government spends $11 billion more on subsidies that encourage greenhouse pollution than it does on programs to tackle climate change.鈥
Jewish Voices for Peace and Justice NSW released a 鈥渟tatement in support of the people of the Arab nations鈥 on March 11. The statement said: 鈥淲e at Jewish Voices for Peace and Justice are deeply inspired by the people of the Arab nations, in their struggle for democracy and freedom as they rise to decide their own future, defying regimes that have for too long subjugated them.
100,000 people marching

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker signed into law a bill that bans collective bargaining by most of the state鈥檚 public sector workers right on March 11. High school students in the capital, Madison, walked out of school in protest the same day 鈥 the second straight day of student strikes in the city.

A cable from the US embassy in Buenos Aires, released by WikiLeaks, reveals pressure from the US government to halt a serious criminal investigation in Argentina. The US pressured an Argentine prosecutor to halt investigations into former Argentine president Carlos Menem and a number of other officials suspected of being involved in a cover-up over the bombing of a Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires in 1994, Argentine daily Pagina/12 reported on February 27.
Environment groups have criticised federal environment minister Tony Burke for ignoring a recommendation to make Tasmania鈥檚 Tarkine rainforest a protected heritage area. The Tarkine National Coalition has accused Burke of suppressing a report by the Australian Heritage Council, which said the government should create a Tarkine National Heritage Area. The report has since been leaked.
Daicy Olaya.

Daicy Olaya, a resident of Fairfield for 18 years, explained why she decided to stand as a candidate for Socialist Alliance in the March 26 NSW elections. 鈥淧oliticians from both major parties have failed miserably in representing the interests of migrants and women here in New South Wales,鈥 she said.

About 6000 people rallied outside PM Julia Gillard鈥檚 Melbourne office on March 12 for an emergency action on climate change. The rally was organised by GetUp! Publicity for the rally did not explicitly refer to the proposed Labor/Greens carbon price. But at the rally itself, the organisers campaigned for the carbon price plan as the most effective way to deal with climate change. Many at the rally had concerns with the proposed carbon tax, but mobilised in spite of this to call for urgent climate action.
Manning.

After months of investigation, the US Army has filed 22 new charges against US Army Private First Class Bradley Manning. The charges include 鈥渁iding the enemy鈥 鈥 a crime punishable by death.

A dozen protesters gathered outside Darwin Magistrates Court on March 8 to call for an end to the detention of asylum seeker children. The protest was held outside the trial of six teenage asylum seekers, who faced charges with various offences resulting from a scuffle in Darwin immigration detention centre in February. Richard Davis from the Darwin Asylum Seeker Support and Advocacy Network told ABC Darwin that the youths should not have been charged.
This year鈥檚 Sydney Mardi Gras gave many people the opportunity to say something about the issues that concern lesbian, gay, bisexual, intersex and transgendered (LGTBI) people. Most floats in the parade voiced their support for same-sex marriage. Muslims Against Homophobia, a recently-formed support group for queer Muslims in Sydney, made a groundbreaking appearance in the parade. It said something equally important and urgent: 鈥淨ueer Muslims need acceptance!鈥