Document Actions
Aidex '91: inside the Australian arms trade
Aidex '91 documents the protests against the Aidex Arms Trade "Fair" held in Canberra, Australia in 1991. It also investigated the politics of Australian weapons trading in the Asia-Pacific region. It was produced for transmission on Community Access TV who were conducting test broadcasts of community TV on UHF Ch31 in Sydney, Australia. The large protest against Aidex, the police response, and the general public reaction, combined to make the arms traders very wary of staging such a prominent display for a decade and a half. There is soon to be another, so perhaps now is a good time to revisit this history for learnings.
- Genres
- Categories
- Keywords
- Country
| Video information | |
|---|---|
| Produced by | John Jacobs |
| Contact | write the producer |
| Produced | 1999/01/01 |
| Production Company | Community Access Televison |
| Distributor | Engagemedia.org |
| Duration | 45 minutes 38 seconds |
Full description
Aidex '91 was an attempt to document, critique and contextualise a major event of social activism. The direct action blockade of an international arms fair held in Canberra, Australia in 1991. It was made by media activists working in the hybrid space of activist/ journalist/ artist.
As the maker of this work I find it interesting to return to
it after so many years. My bombastic delivery of the opening script really
makes me cringe. In fact, I now wonder how effective any of this video is at
all, outside activist circles. I was quite happy with it at the time, but now
my way of sharing stories and ideas with people has substantially changed.
I think effective outwardly focussed progressive media
making needs to invite the mainstream into social change. This can only be
achieved with a light touch, some humour and an open-hearted invitation for us
to walk in the shoes of the “other”.
Combative strategies like the ones I was employing in this
documentary will surely only turn off those of the “we need to fight to
survive” headspace.
That said, I think Aidex ’91 did some good work pulling
together the threads of the critical discussion around the question, “What is
an effective, progressive response to an arms fair?”
I share it now with the Engagemedia.org community as we head
towards another arms trade fair here in Australia.
Together, we can make a better world!
Background info and credits.
The documentary was primarily produced by John Jacobs working as a CATV community broadcaster.
It also draws heavily on audio from an ABC Radio National’s Background Briefing produced by Liz Jackson and John Jacobs, as well as an 88.9FM Radio Skid Row broadcast of a forum of peace activists who were present at the protest.
Also included (and critiqued) are main stream TV’s coverage of the protest as well as George Bush Snr’s visit to Australia.
The other significant contribution was provided by an anonymous videographer who entered the arms fair dressed as a trader with a video camera to provide the “traders eye view”.
It was produced at the facilities provided by Metro TV, Paddington Sydney Australia, now known as Metro Screen. Thanks to Ian Andrews.
The video styling is typical of the work of Video Subvertigo, comprising John Jacobs, Ian Andrews and Marco Fante, a VJ crew who produced psychedelic, entertaining agit-prop for Sydney’s underground free party scene in the mid 1990’s.
Other appropriated visuals come from the Duvet Brothers scratch mixes of Joy Division’s “Blue Monday”, confronting Dili massacre actuality from un-named videographers and arms trade pamphlets gathered at Aidex.
The soundtrack is also built from the significant
contributions of agit-prop music crew Mahatma Propaghandi and the improvised
rapping of Grant
Focas aka “Zippy” as well as appropriated audio from Adrian Sherwood’s On U Sound System.
Strong poetry poetic commentary is provided by Dr.
Hanna Middleton.
Activist and broadcaster Tony Collins
also provided impetus for this project.
A full quality video is freely available on application to johnajacobs@gmail.com, Please note that
original video colour bars and audio tone are included at end.
Peace :~j
AIDEX ’91: Stories And Photos Sought
On November 11th of this year the Adelaide Convention Centre and South Australian government will host the Asia-Pacific Defence and Security Exhibition (APDSex), the first full blown weapons fair to be held in Australia for 17 years. As part of the growing effort to oppose this event Homebrew Press are currently working on a publication that will revisit the last major attempt by arms dealers to hawk their wares in Australia- AIDEX ’91.
Over a ten day period in November 1991 up to 1000 protesters blockaded and protested against AIDEX ’91 at the Canberra NATEX site following up on protests that had occurred two years previously at the same site. Despite enduring police violence and media hostility they succeeded in majorly disrupting the arms fair thereby scaring off others from holding similar events for years to come.
Homebrew Press are looking for people to contribute their stories, photographs and views on the AIDEX ’91 protest for their forthcoming publication. Contributions can be sent to questionmarks01@yahoo.co.uk
A recent radio documentary on the protest can also be found at http://www.3cr.org.au/suwa (scroll to the bottom of the page).