49. Lockdown, labs, shadow libraries

I had hoped to get some of this out earlier but change is happening so fast at the moment. Things have escalated again in recent days and we are in a new shutdown here in Melbourne, and for five days nine inner city public housing towers went into a level of police-enforced lockdown hitherto unprecedented in Australia. The way in which the pandemic is revealing to everyone the enormous social inequities in our communities is hopefully bringing an renewed focus on the need for wider spread social change. That’s my naive optimism probably.

Two weeks ago, and before all this, I was fortunate enough to be able to take a flight last week - a little later and the state borders would have been closed. And it was a strange experience. I didn’t go very far, just up to Sydney and then a train up to the Blue Mountains to see my mum who I hadn’t seen in months.