Australia Anti-Racism March Supports Indigenous Walk Off
2009-10-27 9:19
Sharon Firebrace is a woman who wears many hats: businesswoman, educator, and organizer of the ‘March against Racism’.
The event supports the Ampilatwatja community ‘walk off’ – a protest against poor housing and federal government intervention in the Northern Territory.
[Sharon Firebrace, March Organizer]:
“We hope that government will listen to the people. That we will have the ’75 Racial Discrimination Act turned back and put back.”
Joining the march are two visiting speakers from indigenous communities in the Northern Territory: Richard Downs and Harry Nelson.
The event supports the Ampilatwatja community ‘walk off’ – a protest against poor housing and federal government intervention in the Northern Territory.
[Sharon Firebrace, March Organizer]:
“We hope that government will listen to the people. That we will have the ’75 Racial Discrimination Act turned back and put back.”
Joining the march are two visiting speakers from indigenous communities in the Northern Territory: Richard Downs and Harry Nelson.
Downs speaks for the Ampilatwatja community and tells how government intervention has affected aboriginal families in the Northern Territory.
[Richard Downs, Ampilatwatja Spokesperson]:
“They have taken away the Racial Discrimination Act; we don’t have any human rights; we are outcasts; we are not part of the Australian society; we don’t have human rights and our leaders have been shut off.”
The government has granted more than 200 uranium mining leases. Harry Nelson is an elder from the Yuendumu community, which is about 200 miles northwest of Alice Springs. He calls government intervention an excuse to take away land rights, and pressure people to sign 40 year leases on the land.
[Harry Nelson, Yuendumu Community Elder]:
“This is a government coming with bribery, and we are not standing for that.”
The Ampilatwatja community has pledged to remain at their protest camp until the Northern Territory Intervention measures are lifted, the Racial Discrimination Act reinstated, and governments fully engage with Aboriginal people.
[Richard Downs, Ampilatwatja Spokesperson]:
“We want our land rights back; we want our permanent system back; we want our controls so we’re involved as a community at all levels in the future direction of the government of our people. That’s all we want and all we ever wanted.”
The Melbourne meetings mark the end of their east coast speaking tour to bring greater understanding and encouragement to work together for the betterment of all Australians.
Spokesperson for Jenny Macklin, the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs says:
“The Australian Government has committed to lifting the former Government’s Racial Discrimination Act (RDA) suspension, and to designing a compulsory income management policy, which does not require the suspension of the RDA. The Government has consulted widely in the Northern Territory, and will introduce legislation into the Parliament in the spring session.”
More than 500 consultation meetings have been held in 73 Northern Territory-based Indigenous communities about the Northern Territory Emergency Response.
Philippa Rayment, NTD, Melbourne, Australia.
The Ampilatwatja community has pledged to remain at their protest camp until the Northern Territory Intervention measures are lifted, the Racial Discrimination Act reinstated, and governments fully engage with Aboriginal people.
[Richard Downs, Ampilatwatja Spokesperson]:
“We want our land rights back; we want our permanent system back; we want our controls so we’re involved as a community at all levels in the future direction of the government of our people. That’s all we want and all we ever wanted.”
The Melbourne meetings mark the end of their east coast speaking tour to bring greater understanding and encouragement to work together for the betterment of all Australians.
Spokesperson for Jenny Macklin, the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs says:
“The Australian Government has committed to lifting the former Government’s Racial Discrimination Act (RDA) suspension, and to designing a compulsory income management policy, which does not require the suspension of the RDA. The Government has consulted widely in the Northern Territory, and will introduce legislation into the Parliament in the spring session.”
More than 500 consultation meetings have been held in 73 Northern Territory-based Indigenous communities about the Northern Territory Emergency Response.
Philippa Rayment, NTD, Melbourne, Australia.
