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Minister of State for Finance Saleem Mandviwalla confirmed on January 23 that murder charges against the owners of the Baldia Town factory that caught fire on September 11 last year had been withdrawn. The investigation officer was also changed. On January 24, there was no general strike. The apparent silence of the working class was a result of the systematic targeting of unions by the state apparatus. With over 259 workers killed in the fire, the final death toll is still unavailable.

Over 150 people attended a public rally to demand a memorial and park to commemorate two Aboriginal freedom fighters, Tunnerminnerwait and Maulboyheenner, on January 20 in Melbourne. Tunnerminnerwait and Maulboyheenner were the first two men executed in Melbourne on January 20, 1842. The rally was addressed by various activists, including anarchist Joseph Toscano and Socialist Alliance member Davie Thompson. Toscano said the two men were among 16 Tasmanian Aborigines brought to Melbourne in 1839 to be “civilised.”