Censorship of Che mural sparks uproar

The Blue Mountains Socialist Alliance writes

The inspiring image of Che Guevara, the legendary leader of the Cuban revolution, is at the centre of an anti-censorship battle in Sydney's famed Blue Mountains. As the front page of the April 12 Blue Mountains Gazette put it: 'Almost 40 years after Che Guevara died at the hands of the Bolivian Army, the Cuban revolutionist is embroiled in a new uprising in the seemingly tranquil villages of the Blue Mountains.'

What triggered the Mountains' transformation -- at least for a few weeks -- into Australia's Sierra Maestra? It began when the April 5 Blue Mountains Gazette reported that the Blue Mountains City Council (BMCC) was attempting to force the owners of a disused Wentworth Falls petrol station to destroy two large murals, including one of Che Guevara. The murals, visible from the Great Western Highway, were the work of aerosol artist Dan Lualdi and were painted the permission of the building's owner.

The Labor council claims the order to destroy the art was made after it received a complaint from 'a resident' and that the appropriate 'development application' for the murals had not been sought. Lualdi has described the order by the BMCC as 'mass censorship' and told the Gazette that he has had many positive reactions to the giant portraits. Lualdi pointed to the hypocrisy of the council's decision: 'There are billboards everywhere that are sexist and offensive, yet these two murals are deemed offensive by somebody and ordered to be removed. I just don't get it and I am interested in what other people think.' That it is Che in particular that the 'resident' and the BMCC found objectionable was confirmed by a council spokesperson, who told the Gazette: 'The owner could legitimately have a different mural painted on the wall.'

The newly formed Blue Mountains branch of the Socialist Alliance issued an email appeal and leaflet calling for all supporters of free speech and artistic expression to write letters of protest to the BMCC and the Gazette: 'While one anonymous conservative `resident' may find a big Che confronting, I think all of us who find his image inspiring need to speak out against this blatant political censorship and also defend what Che stood for.'

The April 12 Gazette reported that it had been 'inundated with impassioned pleas demanding large murals of Guevara, and Beastie Boys singer Mike D, remain untouched'. While the Gazette only published a small proportion of those received, copies sent to the Socialist Alliance reveal that dozens of letters were sent to the BMCC and the Gazette. They included letters from members of the Socialist Alliance, the Greens and the ALP, as well as trade unionists and local artists. Letters have come from as far afield as Canberra, South Australia and Canada. The April 19 Gazette reported that Che's censorship 'continued to generate an influx of letters to the Gazette ... A council spokesperson told the Gazette council has also received many letters about the matter'.

Many letters have drawn the link between this attempted act censorship and the wider assault on civil liberties. The CFMEU's Tim Vollmer described the BMCC's action as 'an outright act of censorship and a genuine threat to artistic and political freedom in the Mountains'. Daniel Banyer from Wollongong urged that 'in a world where people's freedoms and rights are being curtailed by governments, it is imperative that these forms of creative political art be respected and protected'. A Blackheath resident asked the BMCC: 'The thin end of the wedge has already gone into our freedom of expression and this is a larger slice. I have a friend who lives in the USA ... where the ... Homeland Security law forces [the librarian] to advise them of the name of anyone taking out of the library certain listed books. If you think what you're doing is any different to this, think again.'

The controversy has also sparked a discussion about Che himself. Noel Willis of Winmalee wrote in the Gazette that 'while Che may not be everybody's cup of tea, he is regarded by millions around the world as the symbol of resistance against oppression, the eternal struggle of the poor and weak against the ruthless drive for profit by the rich and powerful. Surely, in a world dominated by Bush and his followers we could do with a few more like Che!' And in his letter to the Gazette and the BMCC, Terry Townsend, from the Blue Mountains Socialist Alliance, noted: 'Despite the efforts of the powers that be to bury Che's legacy, 30 years after his death he remains an important symbol for those who have had enough of the poverty, exploitation and destruction that capitalism causes. With the escalation attacks of the Howard government on this country's working people, Che's inspiration is sorely needed. In the small town in Bolivia were Che's body was taken after his murder, someone has written the slogan on a wall: `Che -- alive as they never wanted you to be'. His inspiring image at Wentworth Falls confirms this yet again.'

Greens' councillors are expected to take up the issue at the next BMCC meeting. It seems that the council may be preparing to quietly back down in the face of overwhelming opposition. The April 19 Gazette reported that 'council staff will meet the owner of the property this week to discuss a possible option that would permit retention of the murals -- including the Che Guevara one -- by means of submitting a retrospective development application'.

Send an email to the BMCC at council@bmcc.nsw.gov.au demanding that the order for the murals to be painted over be rescinded. Send a letter to the Blue Mountains Gazette at editorial.bmgazette@ruralpress.com explaining why you oppose the ban on Che's portrait. Please send copies to bluemountains@socialist-alliance.org