In Melbourne you will find soapboxes being put to use on Sunday afternoons at the Speakers’ Forum on the forecourt outside the State library.

Over the years, speakers (including Prime Ministers) have gathered on the banks of the Yarra river to discuss politics (brave!). In 1995, the tradition was relocated to the forecourt. If you have something you think needs to be heard, the stage is yours between 2.30pm and 5.30pm every Sunday. The audience gets to heckle and boo for free.

the State Library of Victoria
Melbourne CBD
328 Swanston St City

www.slv.vic.gov.au

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I discovered this place by accident back in late autumn when I was having a break from uni. For some reason, I can't shake the place off, it left my girlfriend and I a bit jaded.

I think this place is supposed to be a political refuge or something - a front in the fight against the New World Order!

It smells quite bad so dont go in your clean holiday clothes or they will reek until you return home!

The second hand screen-printed clothing is dirty, cheap and unwearable. I haven't actually ever seen worse screen-printed clothing than this, so it's worth a look for this reason alone!

You can also pick up for next to nothing DVDs about 9/11 and NWO etc, which you can download from the net but can get here to save you time.

On the plus side, you can get a cheap drink there (coffee about 1 euro and a bottle of beer is about 1.50) and the WLAN is free, and at this time of year I guess it's somewhere to get out of the cold whilst planning to go somewhere else.

Whilst the rest of the world is moving on, here is an oasis of rebellion or something. But looking at the place I could not tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

The regulars must have taken the red pill, go see for yourself.

rockstrasse, hackershermarkt strassenbahn, near Alexandreplatz bahnhof, and see for yourself thecoop.tv/

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A favourite counter-culture Bristol past-time proving that a group of activists armed with art materials can be every bit as incisive as any number of overpaid advertising executives. The concept is simple: alter an advertising billboard to subvert its message.

Advertising billboards around Bristol;
www.graphicattack.org.uk

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Easton is a free spirited neighbourhood. Reflecting the outlook of the community is Kebele, a social centre that began life as an anarchist squat. It shows films, has a library, internet access and runs a bike workshop. Open from 6pm on Sundays, the hub is the cafe where you can engage in political and philosophical discussion to your hearts content. The food is vegan and the coffee is all from the Zapatista region of Mexico.

14 Robertson Road, Easton BS5 6JY
01179399469
www.kebelecoop.org

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A lovely inner city park with imposing horseback statue of Andrew Jackson, and an excellent view of the White House north side. It's worth (for the lefties among us!) talking to Concepcion or Thomas, who maintain a 24/7 peace vigil opposite the White House and have been there non-stop since 1981.

Between the White House and H Street, by the Hay-Adams Hotel.

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More than just a second-hand books and vinyl trader. This shop also sells a range of hats and acts as somewhere you can find out about left-of-centre events going on in Bristol. The profits from their Banksy print t-shirts go towards local NGO Kiptik which supports development projects in the Chiapas region of Mexico.

82 Colston Street, BS1 5BB;
tel: 0117 933 0909
www.kiptik.buz.org

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A walk around Bristol that provides immensely valuable insight into the city's 150 year involvement in the transatlantic slave trade and its subsequent legacy. There's an online guide that can be downloaded or maps are available from the City Museum.

Download the guide: www.englandpast.net/education/bristol_index.html;
City Museum & Art Gallery: Queens Road, Bristol BS8 1RL

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The political centre of the country, this famous plaza is the location of the well-known balcony of the Casa Rosada from which Eva Perón addressed adoring crowds of workers. This is also the place where the Madres de la Plaza de Mayo held their persistent assembly and protest for the loss of their loved ones - the Desaparecidos, disappeared during the Dirty War at the time of the US backed military junta.

Plaza de Mayo

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