Housing justice in unjust cities, uncovering Breakfast Creek's forgotten Aboriginal history, radical struggles against unsustainable development + more

Hey everyone,

Here's a brief rundown of my recent writing, with a couple articles focussing on Brissie – including a piece about Breakfast Creek that I hope you'll all check out – plus one from further afield in the Northern Rivers, where I've been impressed by a powerful resident campaign that's managed to blockade a suburban sprawl development site 24/7 for almost 5 months.

For those who are interested in my music and poetry, you might also like to check out this newly-released hip-hop track I rap on with Matt Hsu's Obscure Orchestra, titled Live Laugh Decolonise. Literary journal Meanjin has published an annotated lyric sheet that includes some explanatory commentary from me and the other vocalists about the meanings behind our lyrics. Give it a read as you listen to the song!

In addition to the articles listed below, I encourage you to consider joining an important Zoom webinar this Thursday afternoon (12:30 to 2pm) organised by Brisbane Free University, featuring four amazing First Nations women speaking about colonial copaganda – the rhetoric and propaganda used to justify violent and oppressive systems of policing and incarceration. Details and registration at this link.

Recent articles

With developers and property speculators now closing in on Newstead and southern Albion, this is a good time to remind ourselves of the major Aboriginal settlements around Breakfast Creek that were integral to the survival of the early Brisbane colony. Perhaps it's time we returned this land to its rightful owners?

Breakfast Creek does not exist(?)

What’s the future of the forgotten Aboriginal town that early Brisbane depended upon?

Jonathan SriranganathanJonathan Sriranganathan

Recently, the city council successfully pressured the State Government to allocate more funding towards Brisbane bus services, reminding us that local councils could play a far bigger role in publicly advocating for positive change.

LNP’s bus funding campaign demonstrates city council’s public advocacy potential

Should the council be using public money to attack and pressure the state government?

Jonathan SriranganathanJonathan Sriranganathan

I've just returned from a short trip to Byron Shire where I camped for a few nights at the Save Wallum blockade in Brunswick Heads. I think there's a lot that activists can learn from this vibrant, multi-faceted struggle against native habitat destruction. Keep an eye out for part 2, where I'll be unpacking the broader political significance of this campaign.

Save Wallum: A radical struggle against destructive ‘development’ on the suburban fringe (Part 1 - Lessons and insights)

What happens when environmental activists set up camp at the end of a residential street?

Jonathan SriranganathanJonathan Sriranganathan

I've also just had a longer academic paper co-authored with Dr Anna Carlson, Dr Natalie Osborne and Mo Chan published in the International Journal of Housing Policy. The paper is titled ‘The rent is too damn high’ meets ‘pay the rent’: practising solidarity with the dispossessed and reflects on the Housing Justice in Unjust Cities project I was involved in co-organising back in 2021. The paper can be downloaded via this link, and includes an overview of recent housing justice activism in Brissie, and analysis of the tensions of articulating a 'right' to housing on stolen land.

As always, I'd really appreciate it if you can forward this email newsletter to anyone else who might be interested in my writing, and please share any articles you resonate with on your social media channels. If you'd me to publish more often about a wider range of topics, the best way to encourage me is to upgrade from a free to a paid subscription.

I should also note that while today's news about Biden stepping down, and the real possibility of America ending up with a black woman as president, seems interesting and positive, it's important to remind ourselves that just like the Labor Party here in Australia, the Democrats are a right-wing political project that uses progressive rhetoric to justify major abuse and exploitation. Unfortunately, Kamala Harris (if she does end up President) isn't likely to depart from the USA's strong support of Israel's genocidal invasion of Gaza, or advocate alternatives to exploitative and unsustainable colonial-capitalism. Far deeper change is urgently needed.

I'm on the road campervanning for the next little while, but if you're in Brissie this Sunday, please get along to the next Justice for Palestine rally from 2pm in King George Square.

Enjoy your week!

Warm regards,
Jonno